I always wonder why we spend most part of our lives dealing with extremes. For instance let's consider weather. We are either sweating it out or shivering to the ends of our bones. We are either whiling away time with nothing to do or slogging like dogs. How desperately we crave for that perfect balance in life. Then again what would be the fun without such extremes. I mean come to think of it - without a harsh winter why would people need to worry about warm clothing, snow shovels, heaters etc. And of course I would feel so out of work without having the challenge to balance my work with my personal life.
Well, such extremes I guess are bearable and maybe to a considerable extent desirable as well. But what about those others - poverty, terrorism, corruption, human and environmental brutality.. the list goes on. One might argue that these are the by-products of advancement and we better learn to deal with them and live with them. I would rather live in a pre-civilized era than having to deal with such extremes.
Don't I like challenges? I do, but not at the cost of our present and even our future. What is then the solution to such extremes? I don't want to end this with a note saying I will leave it to the intellectuals to worry about (not that I don't consider myself one :-). Now that we are in this vicious spiral we - and by saying 'WE' I mean everybody on this beautiful planet earth - need to think about getting out of that spiral. And that brings me to the point of vision and futuristic thinking. I guess that is what we need.. and that does not just mandate the need for great leaders but also leaders who have the courage to sacrifice the present, think beyond vested interests and toil for the global good... (global? nope.. think big.. bigger).. universal good :-) I wish we could buy such leaders at a supermarket such as Wal-mart... wishful thinking, I know.. Good luck to us in the quest for such a leadership!
