Francis Fukayama wrote, in The End of History and The Last Man, that the tolerance and affluence of liberal democracy have "removed the will to fight great causes."

The honors we bestow on each other are hollow, even the highest ones such as Olympics honors. Fukayama said, "Such things do not bring forth great art or noble deeds, they don't stir the heart more than momentarily, nor do they foster revolutions. Like dogs, if we are well fed, we are content... there are no great causes anymore. We fill in our resumes in the hope that they may be the pathways to a style of life to which we feel accustomed."

Maslow, Hegel, and many other thinkers agree with Fukayama that when the end is in sight, we still want more, something bigger than we are.

Look into nature and the arts to find the footprints of your destiny. Whether tending a houseplant or hiking through the Grand Canyon, your experience will be like no other's. Wild plants and animals do not seek human attention. You must observe.

The desires and aspirations of risk-takers, when commerce is set aside, can make art and examples for others. Great art and natural beauty share a purity of existence worth basking in.

Enjoy such things and gain knowledge. When a CEO retires to grow orchids, chop wood, climb a Himalayan mountain, conduct a symphony orchestra, or learn to paint, the value of time takes on a new dimension.

Do you want to change? Nature and art can help. The people and circumstances you need will come into view. Latent powers of observation will be harnessed for change. The great singer Betty Lynn Buckley once told me,

"I really believe that the universe honors your deepest committed desires and yearnings for yourself. But what most people don't realize is, it might take years to be up to that vision."