StemCell Therapy

JK McKnight, Opinion contributor Published 7:03 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2019

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans John Lennon

Last summer I left the music industry the land of perpetual planning after a 20-year climb. Over the course of the last year, Ive had the opportunity to look around and see what escaped me previously.

When I drive around our city, I notice more and more concrete, less and less tree canopy. More honking,less patience. More frustration, less fulfillment. It wasnt long ago that we didnt have smart phones, online retail, delivery servicesand other modern conveniences advertised to simplify our lives yet we feel like we have less time than ever before.

What were missing is balance.

In 1980, there was a little-known independent film produced by Francis Ford Coppola titled Koyaanisqatsi.The title is derived from the Hopi tribeand means "life out of balance."The documentary has no words. It shows images of natural landscapes and elemental forces that over time transition to chaotic scenes of modern civilization and technology. Set in fast-paced, consumer-driven Los Angeles, the images move slowly against an orchestral backdrop to achieve maximum dramatic effect. Simple frame by simple frame.

The film reveals humanity growing further and further apart from its native environment. The message is simple: Balance is everything. From the moment of conception, our bodies must maintain the right balance of fluids, gases, nutrients and temperature to grow, surviveand thrive.

Today our lives are out of balance.

Too much time in cars, cubiclesand conference rooms, not enough time in nature. Too much screen time, not enough human time. The largest study of adult development in history (Grant Study, Harvard University) determined that relationships not genetics are the No. 1factor in determining happiness and longevity.

We are social beings whohave depended on one another throughout civilization to survive. We think weve evolved so much from our primitive ancestors. We have not.

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A life out of balance impacts everything we do, and Im convinced it is responsible for most societal ills. The solution is balance in three core sectors:

We need to get outside the concrete and spend more time outside. A 2017 UK study found 75% of children spend more time indoors than prison inmates. Immersing yourself, family and friends in nature and connecting deeply with them is the antidote we all need. I hear that families dont family anymore. Its true. Husbands and wives need to do a better job of putting their phones (and work) away, especially around children. We all need to talk less, listen more. As they say, no one knows everything, but everyone knows something. Go to great places with great friends, take your relationships off social media and into the real world. Forge real connections. Be vulnerable. Stop preaching, start doing.

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Find your purpose and passion. Work nourishes noble minds, but your work should be meaningful and worth doing for more than money and status. You are not a machine. You are a human being, capable of incredible things. Dream beyond your surroundings. Anything is possible with a plan, setting achievable goals with clear ends coupled with the will and determination to succeed. So consider cutting yourself loose from a job that brings no joy or fulfillment, or a boss that doesnt inspire and uses fear to motivate, and pursue what truly moves you. Work should be rewarding and have a positive impact on your family and community.

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Embracing community helps us live longer, be happier and more fulfilled, and happiness is the byproduct of fulfillment. We live in a global economy, and what happens on the other side of the planet impacts our daily lives.

Ive found service provides fulfillment that money, status or accomplishment cant possibly reach, a sense of wholeness that connects me to people and places all around the world. One of my most powerful life experiences came in 2015, when I visited the Guayaki Foundation a remote Argentina reserve my Foundation co-sponsors with Patagonia. It was there I met a man, Evaristo Borges, who was our guide through the week.

He was warm and welcoming, and while he couldnt speak a lick of English, I immediately connected to his energy, determination, pride and purpose. I didnt know it until the end of our trip, but his livelihood was made possible by our foundation, and the way he embraced that opportunity said everything I needed. A commitment to service helps mold a high-character person who leaves an enduring, inspiring, positive legacy. Isnt that what we all want?

I challenge us all to think about our daily routine differently, growing together to have greater life, work, community balance in the 2020s.

JK McKnight isthe founder of Louisville'sForecastle Festival, Forecastle Foundation and the Man of the Land: The Art of Impact. Reach him atjk@jkmcknight.com and manoftheland.org.

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Our lives are out of balance. Here are 3 ways we can straighten ourselves out - Courier Journal

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