I am seeing a great decline of passion in our world today. People are walking around looking drained of life, miserable, or just uninterested. Just barely getting themselves out of bed, and only doing so because it’s their pattern of life; it’s what is expected of them.

No joy, no enthusiasm, no passion.

The COVID pandemic has taken it’s tole on us. That is part of it, but this problem started long before all that. I don’t know completely why, but there are MANY factors that brought us to this place:

• Lack of Connection. Nobody hangs out for no reason anymore. All correspondence is digital. Less gathering, less direct communication. Digital or not, people in general seem to have lost the motivation and eventually the ability to socialize. This is huge.
• No Community. What happened to neighborliness? Everyone treats each other like strangers. We behave as if everyone around us is a potential sex offender. We used to smile and say “Hi” to our neighbors as they passed us by, and maybe (God forbid) get some idle conversation.
• Streaming information we get in real time. We are constantly being fed information via all of our news channels which make us weary. Filtered information, distorted information, out of context information, flat out lies, and altogether just TOO MUCH information. Information that fills our heads and takes us away from our lives. Takes us away from real connection and simple pleasures.

These factors and probably many more are all contributing to the culture change that has sucked our passion for life right out of us.

We have to break this cycle, and force ourselves to LIVE in the moment again. Live for the here and now. Appreciate the simple pleasures of life. A sunset, a sunrise, a hug, a kiss, a scent, a touch, a laugh, a chit chat.

We need to put down our digital devices, let the sun shine on our faces and say “Hi” to our neighbors again.

Growth can only come with person-to-person connection, with two way communication. One must form healthy relationships with their family, friends, and community in order to evolve.

It is for this reason I will be hosting a Minimalism Meetup group events to occur periodically (I haven’t yet decided how often). It’s not enough that I reach people by writing posts and make the occasional video. Reaching people requires a real connection of some kind. Understanding requires “two way” communication.

In this group we will be discussing Minimalism basics (the philosophy, decluttering, best practices, and eliminating toxic elements in our lives), but even more importantly, we will be discussing the things of value; focusing on the elements that DO add value to our lives. Things like relationships, health/wellness, growth, and passion.

These meetups are to be an open forum where we can all freely voice our opinions, share our experiences, and explain our POV. I will be acting as facilitator and moderator only. The group itself will fuel the discussion, and it will be called “True Value.”

For the time being, these meetups will have to occur online via Zoom, as we still live in COVID times. Once this crisis passes, I fully intend to have in-person meetups in the Hudson Valley area. Please check the calendar for the dates, times, and Zoom link.

These meetings will kick off the new year. Stay tuned for more info on dates, times, and topics.

Let us continue to give more of ourselves this Holiday season by extending simple kindness and compassion to strangers:

• A smile and “hello” to someone on line at the grocery store.
• Spark a quick conversation to a neighbor. Check in on them.
• If someone appears to need help, reach out.
• Do some community outreach.

This is the kind of world we should be living in. Often even the smallest gestures go a long way. Even during this pandemic, there is still room to offer kindness, and there is even more reason to do so. Everyone could use a little extra cheer, a little extra smiles. There are many of us that find ourselves a bit lonely.

We could all do a little more to throw love out there for people to see and take a piece of.