The Rigged Game: Finding Calm and Purpose in a Chaotic World
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The Rigged Game: Finding Calm and Purpose in a Chaotic World
Will these words flow, or will they vanish? The unique joy of settling into a coffee shop only to find the wifi is down. The specific pleasure of working from a Chromebook instead of the familiar ease of a Mac. I’m rebuilding, yes, and I am grateful for this $500 machine Raj bought for $220 – a decent deal. But it’s different from the Mac. We grow comfortable with our tools, our rituals. As writers, these matter. Mine usually involves music in my ears, a shield against distraction. Of course, I left my headphones at home today. I could use the computer ones... if we had wifi or maybe I’ll just spend the day listening to nothing but the sounds of the coffee shop. That feels like a good challenge.
What’s sitting on my heart today? What’s consuming this mind? Money is definitely a top concern right now. Thoughts about Sarah flicker too; how to approach her, what steps to take. But beneath these immediate thoughts, the current of life keeps pulling. I am creating, building my life, with or without the answers to those things.
It’s a lovely rainy day. It was supposed to pour all week, but it’s mostly just a gentle, occasional rain. I can choose to be annoyed by it, or I can thank the rain. Thank it for the clearing, for nourishing the land. Accept the weather as it is, knowing it serves a purpose.
Accepting external reality feels particularly important when the world itself seems to be in such a chaotic place. Global conflicts rage, lives are being lost daily. The wars of the future are being fought with drones, a chilling evolution. It’s 2025 – how are we still having wars? We could have global abundance. War has fueled economies for decades; the last 25 years, arguably, propped up by conflict, particularly benefiting certain nations. Central banks, finance both sides, then profit from reconstruction. It’s a horrifying cycle.
As humans, we have a fundamental responsibility to use our voices and stand up for human rights. Every single human deserves a roof over their head, safety, food, and clean water. Maybe wifi needs to be on that list now too. Nearly two billion people still lack clean water and internet access. What happens when you suppress that many people, keep them disconnected and struggling for basic survival? We're finding out. It blows my mind to see billionaires sitting on unimaginable resources while so many people lack the absolute essentials. It highlights that the game is rigged. Anyone paying attention knows this. The system was built to benefit a select few families, and wealth has been consolidated over centuries. Why aren't more people concerned? Perhaps they're too busy playing their own game, just trying to keep their heads above water, to see the larger picture. In this current system, most people are, in some way, slaves to someone or something. We go to work, and half our income is taken, spent on things we might fundamentally disagree with. Taxation without genuine representation is illegal, yet it's been happening in Western countries for years. At least in Russia or China, everyone knows who the dictator is. In Western democracies, many are convinced they have a say, but we know the truth is far more complex.
What will it take for people to truly wake up? What shock will make people learn, inspire them to take new actions? These global conflicts are being politicized, pinning people against each other instead of fostering unity. It helps no one. Israel's actions, even if provoked, are causing immense suffering. There are always better solutions than killing others. The land itself has been fought over for millennia; some people know nothing but war. Can you imagine that being your reality? Most of us can't, living in our "safe" homes, not fearing a bomb striking at any second. The constant stress on the nervous system must be unimaginable. Having lived on the streets, I have a small glimpse – the fear of attack or theft while you sleep is a burden tough to put into words. Losing everything, especially in a foreign land, is soul-crushing.
Even just these few hours offline this morning, disconnected from the constant digital stream, I can feel how much calmer my own nervous system is. My cells feel quieter. We walk around in a constant state of fight or flight, so normalized we often don’t even recognize it. It makes you wonder how different we'd feel if we weren't constantly consuming sugar and caffeine. When was the last time you went a full day without either? Forget gluten for a moment – just caffeine and sugar. What does humanity want? How can we help it achieve that? These are questions worth asking, not just of ourselves, but of everyone in our lives. Do you even know what your best friend truly wants? What about the person you pass on the street? Probably not, because maybe you’ve never asked. So, why not do something different today? Ask someone what they want and truly witness their response.
Will you take a different action today, even a small one? Or will you repeat yesterday? The philosophy I’m embracing is getting just 1% better today. Do that consistently for a year, and the improvement is exponential. Mr. Beast advises aspiring creators to film and release 100 videos before asking for advice. I'm committed to 100 blog posts, and just seven posts in, I can feel myself getting better. My words, my concepts, becoming more congruent with the truth I want to share. I know it will take time. Consistency is the name of this game. It’s a long game. When you commit to something for a decade, most of your peers will have given up long before. It’s a process. It's about showing up every single day, especially on the days you least want to.
Monetization? Chris asked about it yesterday. It's on my mind, but it's not the primary fuel for writing and publishing daily. I know that showing up consistently for a decade will open doors and create opportunities I can't even imagine right now. It’s about putting in the work today to build that unimaginable future.
What can you improve today, if even just 1%?
Connect... Gordon GordonBufton@proton.me @GordonBufton33