change – Donna Goddard

Recently, a friend shared his concerns about what the future with AI might hold. He spoke about control, power, greed, and the possibility that technologies could be steered by ill intent. Beneath it was a fear that the world was moving in an unsafe direction.

In the past, my response to a conversation like this would have been somewhat different.

I knew that focusing on negative outcomes draws negative outcomes.
I viewed the world as a single, shared reality we are shaping together, and so it seemed vital to encourage a collective shift.

I would have said something like, “If we approach this with care, and enough people choose that direction, then things can turn out well. In the end, good prevails.”

However, this time, I did not say that.

I placed my hand on his arm and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll all be fine.”

He looked at me questioningly. I nodded and repeated, “I know we will be. We’ll all be fine.”

As simple as the response seems, the understanding behind it is not small.

One of the major reality shifts I described in my last post — leaving my first marriage — contained a very ordinary moment. Yet, three decades later, I still remember it clearly. So it can’t have been that small.

The marriage involved a considerable amount of money. I needed a property settlement lawyer, so I went into the city. At thirty-three, I didn’t understand what a property settlement was or how it worked. In fact, I had no idea what would happen or what I might be entitled to. For all I knew, I could walk away with nothing. I had two young children to raise, and I wasn’t working outside the home.

I went to the lawyer, and we discussed some initial details, but it was only a first visit. I still didn’t understand what was going to happen. The lawyer’s office was in an elegant building. When the meeting finished, I went downstairs to a cafe. It was the kind of place that feels expensive — and is. I ordered a cup of tea and a piece of cake. An expensive cup of tea. An expensive piece of cake.

Tag: change

We’ll Be Fine: A Conversation about Reality

Cake and Courage