After a six-year hiatus of writing, I decided it was finally time to return to the laptop keyboard. Although the fingers are a little bit stale, I figured there was no better time to dust off the cobwebs than by writing a piece to commemorate the 13th anniversary of The CAT Principle Book, which first edition was officially published on August 22nd, 2013.
Hard to believe that it’s already been more than 13 years since I sat down to write this book about life’s three components of change, action and trust. Of course it’s cliché, but truly, where does the time go?! If anything, the book has held its own and remains poignant, if not more today, than ever before. Let’s just review what has all come to pass since that August of 2013.
Barack Obama was still President in 2013, and Donald Trump’s infamous escalator announcement to run for President was still two years off in 2015. November 2016 would bring us an election evening for the ages with the upset of Hilary Clinton by Trump, shocking not only America, but the world alike. The unexpected happened, and the world hasn’t been the same since.
Since 2013, we’ve witnessed mass migrations into the West unlike anything ever seen in the past. With the opening of Germany’s borders in July 2015 by then German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe underwent a migration of millions of people from the Middle East and Africa, that continues to reverberate throughout the European Union today. With it has come societal change that is testing the very foundation of Europe’s values and economics.
Then came the onslaught of Covid-19, a disease that captured the world and held it hostage for more than two years. Millions died and millions lost their jobs, their businesses and livelihoods, when overnight governments around the world shut down schools, businesses, and places of worship. It was change that hadn’t been witnessed since the great Spanish Flu outbreak during and after World War I. The fallout was tremendous, pitting people against people and causing nations to incur massive debts, ultimately leading to higher inflation.
Spanning the epidemic was Trump’s loss in November 2020, in what he deemed to be a “stolen election” to Joe Biden for the U.S. presidency. Thereafter, followed an open Mexican border with the US flooded by millions upon millions of Third World refugees. As in Europe, this has led to permanent societal changes in the US along with an economic impact still being felt today.
In February 2022 came the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which in turn has spiraled into an ongoing war in Eastern Europe, still without any end in sight. Layered on top of this is the now ongoing war in the Middle East against Iran led by the US and Israel, which came on the heals of Trump’s re-election to the US presidency in November 2024, and has now been going on for almost six months.
At the same time, we now learn that the US is about to embark upon a level of debt never seen before, namely some $40 trillion dollars. More than doubling from $19 trillion in ten years, never has the US ever witnessed a faster growth in debt, with Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, now trying to calm the bond markets. Could the US now be on the precipice of another major financial disaster akin to 2008, but only worse? Time will tell, and perhaps sooner than later.
As one can see, the change wrought over the past 13 years has been nothing short of epic. The world is spinning faster than ever in terms of the change that the average person experiences today; change that their ancestors could never have imagined a hundred years ago. It’s no wonder that anxiety and worry are at all time highs, particularly with youth, who can no longer afford the things that their parents and grandparents could.
In that vein, for those that have read it, The CAT Principle book has been an incisive guide in navigating this never-ending spiral of fast-moving events. Change, action and trust are more important than ever, and The CAT Principle brings these concepts to life. 13 years have past since the book’s launch, but the content remains a stolid beacon on those wanting to take up the challenge of living their best possible life during such turbulent times.
Still going strong, Happy 13th Anniversary to The CAT Principle!
PODCAST!
For those interested, The CAT Principle has a podcast! Change, action, trust as they relate to life, culture and society are its themes. Join me on Apple, Spotify and Anchor, among other platforms, for thought-provoking conversation and fascinating interviews.
For more check out the Global Ebook Awards GOLD & SILVER Winner of 2014 & 2016, The C.A.T. Principle: Change, Action, Trust – Words to Live By available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. See the latest Amazon reviews here. Sign up above and receive this blog to your inbox. Comments and thoughts welcome.