The Way Forward

Ariana Huffington is on a mission. She, long a poster child for Type-A careerism and "I'll rest when I'm dead," is taking stock and embracing a more maternal view, if you will, of humans and society and the world. This new view is a complement to what I see as (and fervently hope is) a gentle revolution in many countries, including our own. From organics, sustainability, recycling, upcycling, the Occupy movement, and the holistic approach to medicine, to the renewed focus on back-to-basics and craftsmanship and small business, there seems to be a rejection of the excesses, self-centeredness, and greed of "the corporate ladder," the hypocrisy of politicians, and the "more, more, more" ethos of recent decades.
   "It's time for a third metric," Huffington recently told the graduating class of Smith College, "beyond money and power—one founded on well-being, wisdom, our ability to wonder and to give back. Money and power by themselves are a two-legged stool: you can balance on them for a while, but eventually you're going to topple over. And more and more people, very successful people, are toppling over. Basically, success the way we've defined it is no longer sustainable. It's no longer sustainable for human beings or for societies. To live the lives we want, and not just the ones we settle for, the ones society defines as successful, we need to include the third metric" (text and video of full speech): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/arianna-huffington-smith-college-commencement-speech_n_3299888.html