From the moment we enter this world, we’re guaranteed two things:
1. We will die someday.
2. Every second we’re alive, we face countless choices.
It really is that simple.
Worrying about death is pointless. You can’t change what happens after you die, so why waste energy on it? When your time comes, it comes. What does matter is what you do with the time between birth and death. That span—your life—is a non-stop series of choices.
Life doesn’t follow a straight path; it’s a rotating wheel. Why rotating? Because we constantly cycle through experiences and lessons:
1. We all begin as fools—innocent, curious, and expecting the world.
2. We learn from people, experiences, and archetypes that shape our behavior and understanding.
3. We face highs and lows: successes and failures, growth and setbacks, destruction of what no longer serves us, reflection, rebuilding, and achievements that lift us up again.
And then? It starts over. Sometimes these cycles overlap: childhood, school, dating, jobs, marriage, careers, raising kids, volunteering, retiring, having grandchildren, and so on. At every stage, you didn’t begin as an expert—you learned. You gained wisdom and confidence from mentors, experiences, and failures. Sometimes, you were the mentor, guiding others.
Every step of the way, you’re faced with choices. Each decision you make shapes the next set of possibilities, narrowing, broadening, or changing the outcomes ahead. It’s complicated—yet simple. Simple—yet complicated.
This cycle is infinite. Life is a wheel, much like the Wheel of Fortune. Sometimes you’re on top, thriving. Other times, you’re headed down or feeling crushed at the bottom. But you can rise again. The wheel keeps turning, and as long as you keep moving—actively participating—you’ll climb back to the top.
And so it is with democracy.
You can’t sit on the sidelines and expect democracy to thrive on its own. That’s not how it works. Like love, joy, anger, calm, or gratitude, democracy demands active participation. It requires effort, attention, and choices.
Where do you stand? What have you done for democracy? What are you doing now? What will you do moving forward?
We must all ride the wheel of democracy—because, just like life, democracy has its ups and downs. Sometimes we’re on top; other times we’re in decline. But we can always rise again—so long as we make the choices that move us upward.
The most important thing is to stay engaged. Actively manage your life. Actively nurture democracy. Don’t be a spectator. Be a participant.
The wheel will keep turning—where it takes us is up to us.
By Joe Castagliola, Democracy Is Us Council Member
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