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As I sit here feeling bloated and half frostbitten after suffering through weeks of subzero weather and eating way too many high-caloric Christmas foods I’m thinking of 2023 and what I want to accomplish. Finishing my next novel, Truth Is Stranger, is definitely high atop that list. Working on this new book has rekindled my love of writing fiction and has me thinking a lot about humanity’s next decade. 

One thing fifty-one years on this rock called Earth with this crazy, wonderful, terrifying, and kind human family has taught me is to accomplish anything of worth life must be lived with two things, *focus* and *intention*. Unfortunately, achieving some modicum of both of these things isn’t easy in the moment in time we’re all living in. In 2022 distractions abound and, right now, the world is an absolute shit show of chaos, division, and confusion. This often happens during times of radical transition. 

## Profound Change Is Coming ##
We’re on the cusp of a transition more profound than the average person can even imagine. As we’re just beginning to see with [ChatGPT](https://openai.com/) and A.I. art platforms like [Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/home/?callbackUrl=%2Fapp%2F). These two examples are just the very tip of the iceberg of what is coming.  

Down through the ages change has always been a constant in the human condition and, as a result, we’re equipped to deal with it better than almost any other species alive but in the next few decades change will come exponentially faster, sometimes more quickly than we feel like we can even process. Many problems that our human brains couldn't figure out will be effortlessly solved by A.I. but it will also present unimaginable challenges. 

Imagine a future where [deep fakes](https://www.creativebloq.com/features/deepfake-examples) are so convincing that we won’t even be able to trust our own physical senses to tell us what’s real and what is not. Next year could be the year this begins to happen en masse. 

## How Do We Best Deal With This Change? ##
I believe those who will most successfully navigate this next phase of humanity’s confusing and mercurial future will be: 1.) those who are anchored in some kind of spiritual routine that helps to keep them centered and anchored in a deeper reality (meditation, qi-gong, yoga…just to name a few) ; and 2.) individuals who’ve learned to navigate the many unknowns and challenges of life with the aid of some proven philosophical framework. 

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I, personally, think [Stoicism](https://dailystoic.com/) will be the best match for the phase of existence we’re on the cusp of entering but there are many others. 

Like any other change we’ve encountered in our evolution, we will find a way to prevail but this transition won’t always be easy or comfortable. We have no way of predicting the challenges and the breakthroughs that are awaiting us in the not-so-distant future. What we can do is prepare ourselves for the transition in other ways by focusing on our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The best time to prepare for your future is yesterday but today is better than tomorrow. Procrastination will be more painful than ever. It will never be more important to learn to trust your instincts and and take action by pursuing the things that ignite your soul. 
 
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## “The best time to prepare for your future is yesterday but today is better than tomorrow.” ##

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For 2023 I’ll be doubling-down on my meditation routine and will work harder than ever to keep my body fit and prioritize maintaining inner peace. I also want to be ever more present for family and friends. 

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## <center> What Are Your Goals For 2023?</center> ##

There’s no time like the present to ask yourself this question. Write down your answers and revisit them daily throughout this next year. 


I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday with your loved ones and I wish you an abundant and peaceful 2023! 


 

 
 
 
All for now.  Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances. 
 
 
 


<center> ~Eric Vance Walton~ </center>

















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<center> (Gifs sourced from Giphy.com.) </center>

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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/HxpLgqSl.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ) </center>

Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive. 

[Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ)  



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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/b5U8dqm.jpg?1)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) </center>

Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel. 

These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, [Mindful Moments](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com. 



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# <center> Let’s Keep In Touch </center> #

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<center> [www.ericvancewalton.net](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) </center>
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