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by Pat Rooney, Chairman and CEO at First National Bank of Oklahoma
“I think that worrying about what might happen takes my mind off worrying about what has happened,” New Yorker cartoon. This joke struck a note with me as we have many outstanding issues and worries effecting the country’s mood these days. There are a lot of things to be concerned about; wars, rumors of war, the potential perils of AI, and debates about our climate (to name a few). All these and other issues trumpeted through the media; national (paper), social (phone), and local (tv), all with edge of your seat tales of pending crises and potential disasters. Unfortunately, bad news sells and good news not so much.
To make things worse, we have a number of intersectional conflicts with new products and services not very well understood by many. Take AI, for example. It is as popular and unstoppable as it is scary and unknown. It’s capacity for efficiencies in business and life generates its momentum while others worry about losing control over it and the looming potential for job losses. Moreover, while most concede AI is here to stay, the electrical power it demands creates additional worries.
Data centers are in the planning stages all over the country to help deal with the power needs. This worries many who are against them. They are concerned about the future need for electric power and its effect on the environment. An article in last week’s Wall Street Journal referenced that even New England is now considering nuclear power plants in the future, to help the region stay up with the predicted, increased power demands. They don’t want to abandon renewables, of course, but they now acknowledge their limitations. I recently read a wonderful book by Michael Crichton titled “State of Fear.” A New York Times’ best seller published in 2004, it fictionally creates a scenario around our climate, the media, and scientific manipulations that create fear and anxiety.
Worries and concern about new ideas and technologies are not new. In the 1950’s we worried about Russia and the Cold War. Back then, the “new” nuclear bomb scared us all, and still does today. In 2000 or so, the new internet was going to “destroy” business as we knew it. Later, crypto currency was going to be the end all and be all of currencies, which of course didn’t happen. Nuclear power generation was set back terribly after the 3-mile island disaster in 1979. We are just now regaining momentum for new nuclear power plants in the country. The list goes on and on, continuously adding things to worry about.
So, to help keep a level head about all of this, I offer the 5 rules for being happy.
- Free your heart from hatred (forgive others).
- Free your mind from worries (most never materialize).
- Live simply.
- Appreciate what you have.
- Give more and expect less.
These work for me. They are also in the Bible, but that’s another story.
This blog post on OKC Rotary Club website.