when the world feels hopeless,
	be alive

be as alive as you possibly can

the river never learned 
to drink of its own marrow

nor the hummingbirds
of a nectar that is anything 
less than holy

remember that.

never cease to say, “aha!” 
when confronted by the vast 
	miracle of things

and allow the child-voice within you to sing 
	with an abandon 
that is almost terrifying

never yield to a consciousness
that doesn’t shudder 
before the unextinguishable poetry 
of a sunrise

watch birds:
when the world is falling,
you must learn to fly

never listen to anyone 
who doesn’t believe in miracles

and every morning, upon waking 
may you aspire to walk a path 
that is no more or less sacred

than a footprint 
	to a grain of sand

---

I went hiking with a friend last week, and we talked a lot about the dystopian times we’re living in—everything from the proliferation of surveillance cameras and data centers to the chemicals in our food.

I was meditating on these topics this morning when a thought came to mind: in times of uncertainty and hopelessness, or when the future looks bleak, our initial response is often despair. But beyond despair, there is another inner force which rises up (or should rise up) even more powerfully. And that is the force of vitality. In Jungian terms, it is the archetype of the Self, that which compels us in the direction of positive growth and which, for me, generally manifests as a desire to learn, grow, create, and live a good life.

The more keenly I feel humanity is moving in the wrong direction, the louder is the voice within me that says, “Then, be better than that.” Have the courage to live according to your values. Cultivate a strong moral compass. Be an example of goodness. Be creative and compassionate. Stay curious. Focus on what matters. Keep your heart open, and never stop learning or growing or actualizing your potential. That is, be vital. When the world feels like a wasteland, be as alive as you possibly can be, not in spite of the world, but because of it. That’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned, and that is where this poem comes from.