“America’s Future: Enlightenment or Dystopia?” By George Chanos

America’s Future: Enlightenment or Dystopia?

By George Chanos

The technological revolution will present a myriad of opportunities to advance humanity’s collective interests in ways that have never before been possible.

What we do with these opportunities will depend on the choices we make.

Social media is among the first of these opportunities. It represents the first wave of the technological revolution and provides an obvious path toward greater enlightenment.

Leveraging social media to create a path toward greater enlightenment will require a conscious and collective choice. It will require that we value intelligence over ignorance and learning over entertainment. It will also require that we prioritize the public interest over corporate profits.

The History of Enlightenment

Prior to the 18th century, most of western civilization’s collective knowledge came from the world’s churches and monarchies. It wasn’t until the 18th century that knowledge became more widely accessible, through the writings of scientists and philosophers like Newton, Voltaire, and Kant, in what became known as The Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment ushered in a new era of consciousness in which knowledge, access to information and a free exchange of ideas flourished. Scientific academies, literary salons, and coffee houses, together with printed books, journals and pamphlets gave birth to collective thought and elevated critical thinking. Knowledge was no longer the province or the privilege of those in authority. It was open to anyone — and it created a meritocracy of ideas.

A New Form of Cultural Influence

Today, social media represents a new form of cultural influence. It is both a repository of our collective knowledge and our collective ignorance. It contains both truths and falsehoods, offering good and bad examples. And it serves us only to the extent that we can recognize the difference.

The problem is that many of us lack the ability to discern the difference. Many of us don’t know how to learn or think critically. And some, whether out of arrogance, ignorance or a sense of hopelessness, don’t even try. Some simply imitate — the good and the bad.

In the early days of social media, most of us assumed that a massive increase in global connectivity and shared information would be good for humanity. That optimism has now subsided as the list of known or suspected social media harms has grown.

Online political discussions are now often less civil and more divisive than those in real life; face to face communication is becoming a lost art — replaced by texting; “ghosting,” “sexting” and “cyberbullying” are the new unwelcome additions to our cultural lexicon; networks of ideological echo-chambers fuel extremist views and violent fanaticism is used to lure the uninformed and the disenfranchised down troubling paths.

The influence of social media, which now increasingly focuses on scandals, pranks, and extremist views, is particularly threatening for younger generations, who have had less opportunity to acquire a broad base of knowledge; become familiar with humanity’s accumulated wisdom; and/or develop the ability to discern fact from fiction.

According to a recent PISA study by the Organization for Economic Co-Development, only 13.5% of 15-year-olds in the U.S. can distinguish fact from opinion in a complex reading assignment — only 9% globally.

Change is Coming

The world is at a tipping point, poised to either evolve into a “Second Enlightenment” or fall into “Dystopian Division.” The choice is ours.

The increasing political, social, economic and environmental volatility that we are all witnessing is unprecedented and alarming.

One thing is clear — this represents a technological tsunami on the immediate horizon.

To read Geoge’s timely full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“How We Can Help Humanity in the Midst of Chaos” By Judi Moreo

How We Can Help Humanity in the Midst of Chaos

By Judi Moreo

This pandemic has created chaos in many of our lives. We are not sure what to do for ourselves, much less for others. We seem to be separated, cut off from others, and in a way, a bit dehumanized. We need to take a few minutes and reach out to others. It will make us feel better, more connected, and more content.

1. Start by offering kindness. Pay attention to people around you, then do what you can to make their lives a little easier. Smile at others. It will make you both feel better.

2. Get involved in community service. If you don’t have a lot of time or money to donate, you can certainly donate some unused items from your home. Others need and can use things that are no longer needed by you.

3. When your birthday comes around, instead of having people give you a gift, ask them to donate to your favorite charity.

4. Ask someone how he or she is…especially if they have been going through hard times or have lost a loved one. We all need someone to care about us.

5. Help them move forward. If someone is suffering the loss of another or having difficult times, it could be they don’t know what to do. Help them by asking what they need and showing them how to do it. You may need to run an errand for them or teach them a skill like how to use a computer. Don’t do it all for them, just help them get started.

6. If they seem to be in depression or suicidal, urge them to get help. You may need to call a doctor or suicide hot line to find out how to help them.

7. Maybe your friend needs to lose weight or get active, offer to exercise with them or go walking together. Once they get started, the endorphins kick in and they’ll start to feel better, mentally as well as physically.

To read Judi’s amazing full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“Three Tips to Inspire Women to Achieve Their Greatest Potential!” By Aimmee Kodachian

Three Tips to Inspire Women to Achieve Their Greatest Potential!

By Aimmee Kodachian

Women are brilliant, can navigate through many challenges and are capable of achieving high levels of success. They have excellent problem-solving skills and are able to think creatively to come up with solutions to complex problems. Women are also very resourceful and able to utilize whatever resources they have to achieve their goals. In addition, women are highly motivated and driven to succeed, striving to reach their full potential.

Incredible things can be achieved when women come together to empower one another. From small and simple acts of friendship, such as providing support, kindness, and advice, to more powerful initiatives that give women the courage and confidence they need to reach their ambitions or even win a global honor, there is a strong sense of shared strength and unity that gives them an invaluable source of inspiration, motivation, and warmth.

This helps instill in them that anything is possible with hard work and determination. I say this from my personal experience.

The question is, how can you get support from other women?

Here is your first tip:  Build your TRUST.

In order to gain support from a woman, it is essential for you to understand that you must first take your time to build a good relationship before you expect her to TRUST you with anything. Trust requires clear communication and patience.

Over time, as you get to know one another better and develop a stronger connection, mutual respect will begin to form. With these measures in place, building Trust with another woman can become more natural over time and ultimately lead to more significant support from her.

My dear friend, Judi Moreo, who is a well respected Internationally known author, keynote speaker, TV Host, and coach, and I are a great example of how far powerful women can go when they build strong and trusting lasting relationships.

For the past 15 years, it has been a privilege to have such a talented friend like Judi in my life and a blessing to experience the power of two women helping and inspiring others for the good of all. Judi always inspired me with her remarkable and outstanding work ethic and perseverance.

For over a decade, Judi and I have understood the necessity of having each other’s back without ulterior motives or concealed desires. We are proud of our unwavering bond in selfless support. We hope to inspire others and create a legacy that demonstrates the utmost potential when women collaborate and support each other instead of competing with one another.

Our TRUST was not built overnight. It took several years before we began to trust each other 100%  to nominate each other for awards and recognitions. You can’t buy trust. You can only earn it.

When you build TRUST with women, they will come together to support you, recognize you, nominate you, and hold you up to your highest height.

Here is your second tip: TRUST yourself.

To read my full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“How To Turn Pain into Purpose” By Erica Wilson

How To Turn Pain into Purpose

By Erica Wilson

Starting out with my 1st “IT” (rape) at the age of 10, I can provide first-hand advice on what it takes to overcome, continually develop, and position yourself for past or future IT’S.

THE “IT” JOURNEY

I was 10 years old when I was taken into a dark room where there were five adult men. I had no idea what was about to take place. My heart was racing. I was scared and trying to figure out why they were there. They all were fighting over who was going to rape me first.

The tears falling.  I was saying no and didn’t know that the next few moments were about to wreck my life. Four of the men were holding my arms and legs while the one raped me. I started to scream only to be told to shut up and if I didn’t, they would kill me. I don’t know where the strength came from to dry up my tears, but the tears stopped immediately on the outside. I was literally dying inside. My body was in so much pain until I went numb. I remember one of the men trying to pull another off so he could begin raping me.

THE PAIN

Can you imagine the pain I felt? I felt disgusting, worthless, scared, violated, numb and empty as the blood on the bed and running down my legs. I couldn’t understand WHY these grown men would do this to me.  What did I do to deserve IT? Why was I feeling like this when IT was out of my control?

How would you feel towards men after being violated like that? For me, I started hating men. My Dad couldn’t protect me because he had passed away in a bad car accident five years before. I was already angry with God about my father, now this! I really thought God hated me and that I didn’t deserve to be happy.

Imagine going through life bleeding on people who didn’t cut you. I was angry and mean to almost everyone around me. I became my own worst enemy. I had plenty of fights physically and verbally. I was hurting so bad and thought people could read my mind knowing that I was hurting and wouldn’t help. The “IT” was causing me to lose myself.

THE PURPOSE

God can be a real character at times. He has a funny way of doing things. Here it is starting out with my 2nd “IT” finding out I was five months pregnant as a teen; then delivering the baby at six months on Christmas in my mother’s bed. We couldn’t make it to the hospital to deliver so here came this 1lb 12oz baby boy who was extremely small. His head was the size of an egg, tiny fingers, tiny toes; everything was so small. What would you do after seeing your baby so tiny and fragile? I was so afraid to touch him. I thought if I touched him, something would break. However, it was love at first sight.

To read Erica’s inspirational story, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“The Branding of You” By Brian G. Thornton

The Branding of You

By Brian G. Thornton

Have you ever wondered what life would be like  if we were all born as a brand and had no names?  What if we were born as 21-year-olds and college graduates ready to hit the streets with diplomas and plenty of positivity in hand?  With years of schooling, education, and adolescent experiences packaged and life-tested, the only thing left to do is to get that first big job. Well, life didn’t get that memo and neither did those of us reading this at the moment.

It’s sad commentary that this writer has worked for over four decades and enjoyed a creative career in architecture, interior design, and product design. The major was in architecture and minor in art.   With both parents as educators, it helped to navigate through primary, secondary, and high school.  By the university years, it was a natural translation into the five-year program I had selected. Fully on-board for the ride, I began the post-college search well into the junior year looking at internships.  What I wasn’t prepared for was the cyclical economic downturns that would shape and influence my professional career choices for the next 40 plus years.

Following each economic downturn, the early 80’s, 90’s, http://dot.com bubble and then the 9/11 lessons learned I was sort of prepared for the great Recession of 2008-2010.  I had the big corporate jobs, the powerful exposure to international design projects and human resources sensitivity and insulation that created the personal branding.

That personal branding is the connective tissue, the common denominator and recurring theme that got me to the next logical steps on the ladder. So here is the key:

You will always be you, so love, like and promote yourself.   If number 1 isn’t realized, learn what you are missing and work on fixing that.  If you don’t believe in yourself, why should others?

Find a mentor.  It doesn’t necessarily need to be formal but there has to be someone along the way that will impart their life foibles – small lessons learned, mini-failures that you can learn from.

Take the lessons learned and make sure you apply them to yourself – realizing you may not have the same skill set as your mentor but being true to yourself – what am I good at?  Whatever that is, honestly be the best at it and build from there.  Not everyone is good at everything.

To read Brian’s empowering full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“Serendipity in Site: Choosing for Good” By Dennis Pitocco

Serendipity in Site: Choosing for Good
Dennis Pitocco

Car-Chasing is a totally natural behavior for a dog, as a dog’s natural instinct is to chase anything that moves, be it a cat, rabbit, a jogger, or a bike. … But what happens after all the years of chasing if the dog actually catches the car? What’s next? Well, the analogy works here, because my wife Ali and I faced the very same question over a decade ago after chasing our
respective careers up and down the proverbial corporate ladder for many years only to arrive at the intersection of “too young to retire” and what’s next?”

Indeed, blessed with enough economic success from it all, we had the opportunity to step back and choose how, where, and when we wanted to invest our time, our talent, and our treasure. At the same time, we had a keen appreciation for the fact that few people are lucky enough to have such an opportunity, hence; the need to take our time to fully consider what the future might hold. And to make sure that whatever direction we headed, we were heading “for good”.

As with all of our important life decisions, we debated, discussed, and decided our way forward over the course of our ritualistic morning walks —away from all the noise and distractions of daily life. We spoke of what mattered the most to us and equally, how we could best leave a legacy “for good”. We spoke of the ripple effect of our choices on others. We spoke of the need to find the right balance between our passion and our overall well-being. Over the course of several months, our chosen path began to emerge —taking us in a number of complementary directions versus heading down a single road.

When the dust settled, our compass ultimately pointed us in three directions, each sustainable simultaneously. First; we wanted to roll up our sleeves and truly “serve” or “give-back in a meaningful way; second, we wanted to move beyond the shallow business-driven travel of our past (airport/meeting/airport) to what can best be described as intentional travel —truly discovering the world (beyond the USA); and third, we wanted to keep our minds active in a meaningful way (well-beyond any notion of crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc.). And to the extent possible, we wanted our choices to prevail over the long term in harmony with each other, versus
as “either-or” options.

Our desire to give back began with a hands-on commitment to an increasing number of nonprofits across our community. This took the form of delivering meals to seniors, cleaning stables at a local farm dedicated to equine therapy, office volunteering, serving meals at a homeless shelter, actively serving on local Boards of directors, and more. Added to that was the opportunity to act upon our desire to help those in need during natural disasters, by participating in hours of training to become part of the American Red Cross Disaster Recovery Team, poised to respond to local, national, and international disasters. We learned very quickly how relatively little time and effort can quickly make such a big difference to so many.

To read Dennis’ inspiring full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now! 

“Are Healthcare Providers Under Siege from Ransomware Attacks?” By Mack Jackson, Jr.

Are Healthcare Providers Under Siege from Ransomware Attacks?

By: Mack Jackson Jr

Healthcare businesses are, without question, threatened by ransomware. Hospitals have been the target of high-profile hacks in the United States in the past year, including an incident in which hackers held patient data hostage. This type of attack can have severe effects, not only on the hospital but also on the patients. Patients’ lives can be jeopardized if vital data is encrypted or taken hostage.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a person’s files and then demands payment to decrypt them. In recent years, ransomware attacks have surged, and many healthcare institutions have been the target.

Over the past year, hospitals in the United States have been the target of ransomware attacks that got much media attention. In 2016, the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center was the target of a ransomware assault, which resulted in the payment of a ransom of $17,000. In 2017, two other hospitals were targeted for violence: the Methodist Hospital in Kentucky and the Lake City Medical Center in Florida.

Ransomware is not only a threat to healthcare institutions. Every organization with sensitive data is susceptible to ransomware assaults. However, the stakes are incredibly high in the healthcare industry, where lives may be at risk. Therefore, healthcare companies must be aware of the issue and take measures to protect their data.

In healthcare institutions, ransomware attackers often target a few specific elements. Electronic medical records are one (EMRs). These data sources frequently contain sensitive patient information and are housed on internet-connected servers. This sensitive information makes them an appealing target for ransomware attackers, who can encrypt the data and demand a ransom in exchange for its decryption.

These attacks could have serious consequences, not just for the hospital but also for the people who go there. If critical information is encrypted or held captive, it jeopardizes patients’ lives. The attack significantly impacted the quality of care provided to patients when it came to the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.

Attacks using ransomware are, therefore, a significant threat to healthcare businesses. It is crucial for healthcare organizations to have a plan in place for how to respond to these kinds of attacks to safeguard both themselves and the people they serve.

To read Mack’s informative full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“Singers Secret to Success” By Coren Zai

Singers Secret to Success

By Coren Zai

Does winning a Grammy or Tony award mean success to you? How do you gauge something so intangible?

Success can mean different things to different people. Most singers define success as being famous, having lots of money, a great car, a beautiful home, and a record deal or starring in a Broadway show. Some define success as finding their epic love story, some want to own a label or recording studio. There are as many definitions of success as there are people on the planet.

In my experience, being successful professionally and unsuccessful personally usually leads to a very unfulfilled and unhappy life. I’ve been blessed with living my dream professionally and personally since I was a young woman.

I knew I wanted to be a performer since I was 3, I became a professional at 12 and haven’t stopped yet!! I met my best friend, soulmate, and performing partner at 19. We fell in love (an epic love story by the way!!) and we performed together onstage all over the world for decades. We opened a successful performing arts school in Las Vegas. My husband was an acting coach and I teach singing. We have been coaches for over 30 years (oh yes, ladies and he is good looking too!!)

The question here is… am I willing to share my secret?? Of course, I am! How did I become successful in both of these aspects of my life? Was I lucky? Did I have amazing role models for parents growing up? Did I come from money and my family bought my future? Did I have a magic lamp? Absolutely not!! I grew up dirt poor and my family was a mess. They weren’t successful in any aspect of their lives! So how did I accomplish success professionally and personally?

To read Coren’s amazing full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“How Music is Transforming Lives” By Stephanie Thompson

How Music is Transforming Lives

By Stephanie Thompson

It is so remarkable to see and discover new ways that music is transforming lives emotionally, mentally, and physically. Music is healing and it’s not only music therapists who are helping people to heal through music. Many musicians are getting on board to use their talents and gifts to help others use music in a healing manner.  This is making a difference not only in people who are suffering from trauma or dealing with health concerns, but is changing lives in those less fortunate, as well.

Vijay Gupta is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, musicians who connect with people who have been homeless, incarcerated or who are struggling with addiction. He is also the co-founder of the Skid Rowe Arts Alliance, an organization that provides art for and with the biggest homeless population in the United States. He, himself, has an impressive resume as a professional violinist, international recitalist, soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician spanning a career of over 20 years.

The Skid Rowe Arts Alliance has many programs to incorporate music into those less fortunate’s lives.  They provide music labs, performance workshops and every Wednesday, they have a Neighborhood Sing where they can connect with each other through singing. I found these programs in their magazine, “The Skid Rowe Artszine” which is an impressive compilation of everything arts and music that they have established.

In a Ted talk, Gupta tells the story of how he met Nathaniel Ayers, the inspiration for the movie, “The Soloist.” He recounts when he first met him, to give him a lesson, it seemed to Vijay Gupta that Ayers was too far gone in his mind and mental illness of schizophrenia to connect with him. But, in a moment of clarity, Gupta picked up his violin and started playing. A miraculous thing happened when he did that, Ayers calmed down and listened and then began to play with Gupta…

To read Stephanie’s insightful full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!

“How to Surf a Technological Tsunami and Dance with Machines” By George Chanos

How to Surf a Technological Tsunami and Dance with Machines

By: George Chanos

Change is coming. Like a Tsunami.

In 2014, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said, the “Singularity” (the moment when machine intelligence eclipses human intelligence) will be “the greatest event in human history”.

Ray Kurzweil, the head of AI for Google, has said that we may reach the “Singularity”, as early as 2029. That’s only seven years away.

Even more remarkable, is what Kurzweil says will happen next. Kurzweil says, that by the 2040s (twenty years from now), AI will not be our equal – it will be a billion times more capable than human intelligence.

Humans lack the intellectual capacity to even comprehend what an intelligence a billion times our own means. But one thing is certain. AI will impact every aspect of human endeavor. It will literally redefine life as we know it.

New technologies like AI, automation, and robotics, will change the nature of employment. They will allow for increased efficiencies, higher productivity, reduced costs, improved safety, and greater reliability. They will have a dramatic impact on wages, and create an urgent need for increased training and education.

Some argue that technology has been reshaping the workplace since the Industrial Revolution. That’s true. What’s different today, is the speed of change, and the scale of change that AI will create. Both will be entirely unprecedented.

As machines evolve and acquire greater performance capabilities, that match or exceed human capabilities, the adoption of automation will increase dramatically – at mind-bending speed.

On a global scale, McKinsey estimates that 47.5 percent of all current jobs, could be automated based on existing technologies. In ten years, that number will be closer to 90%.

Today, 30 to 45 percent of the working-age population around the world is underutilized, unemployed, inactive, or underemployed. 75 million youth are unemployed. Advances in automation will only increase these numbers.

Many are rightfully concerned about their children’s economic prospects. It is no longer an article of faith that every generation will enjoy a higher standard of living than their parents…

To read George’s insightful full article, click on this link https://rb.gy/e6xbbu and get your FREE access to Empowering Humanity Magazine™ Now!