I just finished writing a booklet called Navigating the Abyss of Modern American Culture. The booklet is about the problems within our culture and my solution of how to fix them. In the booklet, I break the problems down to two main areas: Our lack of a shared value system and our lack of a shared social system. My solution is a blueprint for a combined social and value system. I present the blueprint in the form of a list of values, priorities, principals, and guidelines. The value system element of the blueprint is designed to help individuals maintain focus on what is most important amidst the distractions of modern American life. The value system element is also designed to help individuals prioritize where they invest their time and energy. The blueprint focuses on individuals because individuals are the building blocks of the community. A community can only be as healthy as the individuals who inhabit it.

My intention with the value system element of the blueprint is to get individuals to think about what they are taught to value and what they actually value or care about. In the matrix-like, media-saturated climate of modern American culture, our attention and focus are constantly pulled away from us. We are encouraged to plug into passive mediums like television where we are made to feel inadequate. Then we are sold products which are intended to fix our superficial inadequacies and prepare us to be consumed by others. I believe this erodes us as individuals and allows for the atrophy of our hearts and minds. We are also made to believe that celebrities, actors, rock stars, musicians, characters on television shows, professional athletes, cell phones, cars, money, and so on are what are valuable. Many spend their entire lives in worship and awe of these things. It’s not necessarily their fault. It’s so easy to lose focus. So, what is truly valuable? People are what is truly valuable. You are what is truly valuable. YOU and the people you care about, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOUR COMMUNITY, are what is truly valuable. Doesn’t it feel good to remember that?

I am on a mission to start creating and dispersing healthy cultural ideas that aid individuals in their navigation of the abyss of modern American culture. I know from personal experience how confusing, deflating, and damaging our culture can be. I can no longer sit idly by while people suffer unnecessarily. I hope to have others join and support me in this effort to change our culture for the better. Thank you for reading.