A Call to Action

My good friend Marty's an artful instigator as he often tells me, "Being an observer is not acceptable, being present is", a state of mind I find difficult to achieve but then again, I am not nearly as proficient, as Marty is, in the art of Zen and how best to use it to achieve harmony with one's reality but I'll give it a shot in being present while discussing how we can impact society in beneficial ways.

In the two years writing BRT, I've learned a great deal about reality, perception, art and creativity. At the same time, I've learned that morality is something personal and essential if we are to survive as a viable species on, in Carl Sagan's words, "this Pale Blue Dot, the only home we have ever known. "

Taking action to change the world centers on, IMHO, these common sense actions we all can do with just a little bit of effort.

• Demand Excellence - To become good at anything requires sacrifice
• Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish - Stewart Brand's motto
  
• Have Passion - Without it, nothing of consequence ever gets done
• Exercise Mental Discipline - Rigorous thinking at high level requires effort
• Take Risks - Creativity requires it
  
• Have Courage - Stating what you believe in takes guts
• Be Curious - It's the only way to grow
• Be Non Judgemental - Close mindedness simply doesn't work in today's connected world
• Be Relational - Nothing works in isolation
• Network With Others - We are social animals, be one
  
• Question Everything - Einstein's mantra to becoming informed
  
• Learn Economics - Especially on how money is created. The facts will blow you away
• Admit Ignorance - The smartest people have no problem saying "I don't know."
• Share - That how the Net works
  
• Be Flexible - Chaos rules, black swans are everywhere. To think otherwise is folly
  
• Be Lucky - Attitude plays a very big part on this number
• Be Positive - No one wants to be around a downer
• Don't Quit - It's easy to punt and let others manage your life
  
• Read - Absolute necessity to becoming educated
• Learn About Tech - It's pervasive 24/7. Ignore it at your peril
• Be Connected - It starts with people and extends to the Net
• Learn About Science - Science & research drives tech, period
• Be Ethical - Without it, civilizations break down
• Learn to Say No - This give one power when properly applied
• Learn to Say Yes - This give one power when properly applied
• Improvise - Jazz, science and art are founded on it, so is play
• Write - It's hard at first but, as Picasso said, practice makes better
• Steal (in a good way) - Picasso's motto: "good artists create, great artist steal"
• Adapt - Change rules, work with it, not against it
  
• Laugh - It's good for the soul
• Cry - That works too
• Be Amazed - Reality is all that and more
• Take Responsibility - Something not done enough in today's troubled world
• Become Educated - Admitting ignorance is ok, doing nothing about it, isn't
• Don't be Afraid of Making Mistakes - It's how one learns
• Beginner's Mind - Keeps one young
• Letting Go - Zen is the best way to describe it
• Contribute - It's how things get done
• Vote - it's a start
• Demand Data Transparency in Governance & Finance - It's the only way democracy can work
• Organize - There's power in numbers
• Help Each Other - One cannot do it alone
• Play - Kids do it all the time, why not adults
• Day Dream - Imagination depends on it & the brain requires it
• Don't Try, Do - Marty's & Yoda's mantra
• Get Going - Enough talk, do