The Paradox of Our Times

Today, we have bigger houses and smaller families;
More conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less common sense;
More knowledge, but less judgment;
We have more experts, but more problems;
More medicine, but less wellness;
We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, and drive too fast,
Get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired,
Read too little, watch TV too often, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too little and lie too often.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
We have wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less;
We buy more, but enjoy it less.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice;
We write more, but learn less;
Plan more, but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait;
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies, but have less communication.
We are long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
Tall men and short character;
Of steep profits and shallow relationships.
More leisure and less fun;
More kinds of food, but less nutrition;
Two incomes, but more divorce;
Fancier houses, but broken homes.
This is the paradox of our times today.

What should we do?

As of today, don’t keep anything for a special occasion,

Because every day you live is a special occasion.
Search for knowledge, read more, sit on your front porch and
Admire the view without paying attention to your needs.
Spend more time with your family and friends,
Eat your favorite foods, and visit the places you love.
Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment, not only of survival.
Use your crystal goblets.
Do not save your best perfume, use it every time you feel you want it.
Remove from your vocabulary phrases like, “one of these days” and “someday.”
Write that letter you thought of writing “one of these days.”
Tell families and friends how much you love them.
Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.
Every day, every hour, and every minute is special.
And you don’t know if it will be your last.

I’m still trying to figure out who actually wrote this. I’ve seen it attributed to Dr. Bob Moorhead, the Dalai Lama and even George Carlin.