This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the Spanish Flu epidemic. The scourge killed 675,000 Americans, over 1.5% of the population. If the same percentage were killed by an epidemic today, the death count would reach almost 5 million people. Some countries experienced even higher mortality rates. The total global death count from the epidemic was between 20 million and 200 million. That is a horrific number.
1. But I have question. How do we not have a better grasp of the numbers than that? The number of fatalities was at least 20 million, but might have been TEN TIMES that?
Maybe some countries did not accurately count. Maybe some deaths were attributed to other causes, or some from other causes attributed to the epidemic.
One thing we do know is that—in the U.S.—news of the epidemic was suppressed. The news was officially censored. Voters were unhappy about the death count from the Great War. And the government feared public morale could turn more negative as the death count from Spanish Flu rose. So they hid the truth.
2. Here is my main question: what if people had heard about the news via Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat: would they be less likely to die, because they would take precautions to avoid exposure? Imagine the same proportion of the world died today.
Or, would they be more likely to die because the news dragged them down with negative feelings? The Law of Attraction indicates we attract what we fear: if we focus on disease, we are more likely to attract disease.
Should I (1) worry about global catastrophe, or (2) ignore it and focus on what I can influence?
I vote for option #2.
What you focus on appears as your reality. Earl Nightingale told us that many years ago. Many others have wlso said it.
If you want wealth, think about money. If you want to be poor, think about the money you lack. If you want unhealthy relationships, think about the times you have been hurt. And if you want to he healthy, don’t think about disease.
A few years ago, I wanted to travel more, but lacked sufficient funds. I kept the travel desire in my mind. I didn’t think about the needed funds, only about the travel desire. Over the following two years, I traveled to 11 countries for free. I met amazing people and learned about other ways of thinking. The experience completely changed my life.
I am not a fan of goals. I think they are old fashioned, restrict flexibility, and detract from the basic requirements of success. But they do give us the opportunity to attract the desires of our hearts. I believe Nightingale, so I focus my mind on what I want.
::: Be fierce. Be kind. Be knowledge-hungry. :::
School of Brock 