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January 2006 - Forecast for the Year
- Themes and trends for 2006
- Suggestions and Tips for 2006
- Disclaimer
- Resources (Internet resources and articles, books, movies and music, International Happy New Year)
Themes
and Trends for 2006
General Themes
- Interest in studying issues and researching facts thoroughly
- Tendency to be more discerning and critical in making choices
- More cynicism tempered by a realistic appraisal of situations
- Comparing our own internal values to our outside world
- Finding creative solutions to age-old problems
2006 looks like a year of cynicism, tempered by realism achieved by studying issues thoroughly in the United States at least. We have seen scandal after scandal without a serious change in the way some business leaders and politicians approach their responsibilities. People are tired of that. We expect to see average people being more vocal about their opinions and to want to delve deeper into the facts of situations.
We've also seen major disasters in this country (Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma), watched in horror as Southeast Asia struggled with the after-affects of the tsunami and seen many countries try to contain bird flu. We realize that our leaders are not really prepared to cope with major disasters. So, on a local level, we must find ways to help ourselves.
In 2005, our forecast talked about moving ahead, realistic/pragmatic perceptions, accepting what is and paying more attention to individual values and beliefs.
In 2006, we will expect cynicism and pickiness will become more prominent as people compare their own ideas, values and beliefs to what they see happening in their outer world and decide they are not happy with what they see. This will force some to take a more thoughtful look at what is truly important for them (continuing from 2005's focus), which provides an opportunity to re-evaluate our choices, clear out old ideas, make room for changes and discover new ways of doing things. We expect to see some new creative ideas coming forth from this re-evaluation and cleaning out process.
One way cynicism shows up is in our news media. A recent example of media cynicism was our local paper's question to local readers: "The holidays are a time of religious celebration, renewal and hope. And yet, during the past year, the world has witnessed the devastation of a major U.S. city, death and destruction on an enormous scale in Southeast Asia and Pakistan, and a war in Iraq with no end in sight. So what’s to celebrate? How can you be hopeful in a world filled with despair? How can you even believe that God is alive in such a world?" While the question might be cynical, most reader's responses were quite inspirational and filled with hope.
We expect this year's aspects to perpetuate the continued polarization that we have seen in recent years. We will see more of "us vs. them" talk and blaming of others. Eventually, we will come to realize that "we" are the problem and only "we" can solve it. We expect that will take a few years to achieve.
As we focused last year on what is true for us, we examined and reaffirmed what we believe is important. This year, we will see many people noticing that the outer world does not match what they believe is right. This year, people will be more willing to speak up about their unhappiness with what is happening and be more willing to step forward to do something about it. They will do this from a realistic assessment that things cannot be fixed overnight or by magic. They will realize that will take hard work and diligence to improve our world.
Recent news events show how this might show up. Recent revelations that the US government has engaged in secret monitoring of citizens without due process raises serious questions for many people who believe in our "inalienable rights" as defined in our Declaration of Independence. They will speak up that this type of secret monitoring is wrong. Others will just as adamantly believe that our government has the right to do whatever is needed to protect us from "terrorism." You can easily see how polarization occurs between these two opposing values and beliefs.
This re-examination of personal values as compared to what we see in the outer world also leads to more interest in ethics and how well justice is served (or not served). It means looking at how we do business, how well our government uses our tax dollars, how we treat other people, how we treat ourselves, how countries interact with each other, how we treat children, animals and the environment. We expect to see more citizens speaking out about things they believe are unethical or unjust.
This might be exhibited in citizens interacting with a government office and demanding their rights in a way they might not have done in past years. It might show up as people purchase products and services, demanding higher quality and attention to details that they might not have in past years.
For those in government, and those who sell products and services, expect to see more people who will challenge you about what you do and how well you do it. The positive side of this is that it will push us toward higher quality and to listen more to our customers, something that many government agencies and business people have been lax about in recent years. People who do not feel they are being treated fairly or appropriately will take their money elsewhere or demand that changes be made. And, they will be more willing to let others know about it.
This phenomenon has grown in recent years with the growth of the Internet and the ability for almost anyone to have a forum to express themselves, whether via their individual websites, "blogs" or group discussion boards. As people become more frustrated and dissatisfied with how their outer world compares to their inner values, we expect to see much more expression in general of people's feelings and beliefs. This, in turn, could contribute to more discord and challenging times, possibly even elevation to battles or violence as people demand to be heard.
We expect that some businesses and governments will be greatly challenged this year as more corruption is discovered and revealed. This is long overdue and will eventually lead to better business practices, better government, more attention to higher quality and stronger ethical behavior.
We already mentioned challenges to people who interact with customers. These include all organizations that provide products or services, both public and private. Shoppers, customers and clients will be more conscious of what they are buying, how the cost compares to the value they expect and more vocal about their unhappiness when a product/service does not live up to their expectations.
To counteract some of this criticism and pickiness, we expect to continue to see growth in industries that offer adventure, travel and new experiences. These offer relief from the day-to-day harshness and disillusionment with our outer society, and allow people to "get away from it all" for a healthy respite.
Technology in many forms continues to explode, fueled by the Internet and rapid methods of delivering information and products to customers. Spam, viruses and adware will continue to plague us, unfortunately. We expect to see even more focused attention to this issue and a realization that it needs to be somehow brought under control.
We expect that the health care and the medical field will continue to struggle with quality and cost issues. We also expect to see breakthroughs in many areas. As patients are more interested in their own health care and more vocal about they expect, this will challenge the health care industries to take a hard look at what they are doing and how to do a better job of providing care and services. We expect to see more revelations of drugs that are harmful and have been put into the marketplace without full disclosure of their risks and dangers.
As the population ages and "baby-boomers" near retirement age, we expect to see some real attention start to be paid to how this will affect our entire society and way of life.
As people question their outer world, we expect to see much stronger interest in spirituality and alternate forms of spiritual practice that resonate with individuals. We expect organized religions to be questioned and encounter many of the issues described for businesses and governments expressed as displeasure by their members. This questioning process often leads people to identify their own values, discard what is not right for them, deepen their beliefs or alter their beliefs based on new information. People won't tithe simply because their church demands it; they will tithe because it truly feels right for them. Or, they might choose to find other ways to express their support of the people and places that provide spiritual nourishment.
Overall, we expect 2006 to be a year of many challenges that will lead to better quality eventually, a step in a long series of changes in the basic foundation of our society that will make it stronger. In the short term, people will say "What is the world coming to?" or "What ever happened to our basic foundation?" Over the longer term, we will rebuild our society in a way that is even stronger than it is today.
We wish you satisfaction, comfort, adventure, good health, good friends and good times in 2006.
Our Suggestions for 2006
- Clean up your life, your closets, your house, your relationships. Throw out or donate what no longer serves you.
- Make space for new things, new ideas, new friends, new associations.
- Be gentle with yourself and others if you notice a tendency for pickiness.
- Be willing to offer constructive suggestions on better ways of doing things.
- Be willing to do something to make things better in your life, your business and your relationships. Don't just be critical of others.
- Take a hard look at what you really want and take steps to achieve your dreams.
- Study, research and ask questions.
- Be willing to change your mind about what you believe.
- Be willing to listen to others and acknowledge that you might not always agree.
- Make time for adventure and for simple pleasures.
- Find ways to have fun every day.
- Take appropriate risks.
- Remember that we are all on this planet for a reason and we have to find a way to co-exist, even when we don't agree with each other.
- Hold yourself and others to high standards. Don't accept inferior products and services.
- Be willing to express your views in appropriate ways.
- Trust in your own self and your own ability to manage your life and affairs.
- Acknowledge others who do a good job, create good products, offer good services or contribute to your life in some way.
- If someone criticizes you or your organization, try to listen to what they are saying with an open mind and find some value in their opinion.
- Take a good look at how you can improve your products, your services, your methods, your business practices.
- Operate ethically at all times and demand high ethical standards from the people you interact with.
- Be peaceful, kind and generous - with yourself and others.
Here's an exercise that you might try:
- Find a quiet place and meditate about what you want to release from last year.
- When you are ready, write down what you want to release on a piece of paper.
- Burn the paper, consciously releasing whatever is written there and knowing that it is also gone from your consciousness. If you are not in a safe place for burning, you can tear it up into little pieces and throw it away.
- Meditate on what you want for yourself in 2006.
- Allow yourself to be open to receiving a word, name or short phrase describing who you are and what is true for you in 2006.
- Write down whatever comes to you.
- Spend some time understanding the meaning of that word, name or phrase and allow it to assist you this year. Find ways to use that word, name or phrase all year. Each time you use it, reaffirm what it means for you.
This forecast represents our views and opinions. Please, don't just take our word (or anyone else's) for what will or will not happen. Use whatever methods work for you in planning for the future. Wise people will use all the forecasts they can find, then see what feels right for them rather than letting any one dictate their activities.
No guarantees about the future are implied or given - use our views as you would anyone's opinions.
Last year's forecast: January, 2005
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Internet Resources and Articles
- Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government: Inalienable Rights http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff0100.htm
- Definition of "blog" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
- N.J. woman enjoys celebrity of being 1st baby boomer http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-29-first-boomer_x.htm
- The Season for Non-Violence - January 30 - April 4, 2006 http://www.oly-wa.us/snv/
- Peace Center: Breaking the Cycle of Violence Through Circles of Peace http://www.salsa.net/peace/calendar.html
- SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute's Top 20 computer vulnerabilities http://www.sans.org/top20/
- Spam Laws - US, Europe and other Countries http://www.spamlaws.com
- Farmer's Almanac http://www.almanac.com
- Golden Globe Awards http://www.thegoldenglobes.com
- Entrepreneur Magazine "What's Hot for 2006" http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,324525,00.html
- Alternative Medicine resources http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/altmed.html
- New Year's 2016: A Decade of Risks Awaits http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2005/commentary05122920.htm?npu=y
- Mercury Retrograde schedule 2006 http://www.astroprofile.com/2006mercuryrx.htm
- 2006 Feng Shui annual forecast http://www.geomancy.net/resources/yearly-forecast/fortunes-2006.htm
- 2006 forecast for IT salaries http://www.cioupdate.com/article.php/3556121
- Prospects for the Global Economy (World Bank)
- 2006 Hurricane forecast http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/051206_hurricane_forecast_2006.html
- 2006 Economy Looks Solid
- Sports predictions for 2006 http://foxsports.foxnews.com/other/story/5206258
- 2006 Restaurant industry forecast http://www.restaurant.org/research/forecast.cfm
- Investing in Users: 2006 Forecast Preview http://shore.com/commentary/newsanal/items/2005/20051226forecast.html
- Toyota May Top G.M. as Biggest Car Maker in 2006 - New York Times
- 2006 forecast It's all in the cards - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- 2006 home health care forecast http://www.homecaremag.com/mag/medical_forecast_2/
- 2006 Health IT Forecast http://www.ihealthbeat.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=117748
- Employees will be bearing more health care costs in 2006 http://www.azcentral.com/health/news/articles/0913healthcosts-ON.html
- Media Companies: Not So Boffo in 2006 www.businessweek.com/investor/content/dec2005/pi20051213_5634_pi036.htm
- Stocks to Own in 2006 http://www.kiplinger.com/personalfinance/magazine/archives/2006/01/eightstocks.html
- Pet Industry Trends for 2006 http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2005/12/pet-industry-trends-for-2006.html
- Dave Barry puts 2005 into Perspective http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/13517336.htm
- CNN.com - 2006 vacation hot spots include Colorado, China, Croatia
Some of the products we recommend to protect your computer:
- Mozilla Firefox browser (free) http://www.mozilla.com
- Trend Micro's PC-cillin includes computer virus protection plus built-in firewall and spyware prevention www.pccillin.com (has a 30-day free trial version)
- Mailwasher (screens for spam) www.mailwasher.net (available as a free trial version or a paid version)
- Zone Alarm Pro professional strength firewall www.zonelabs.com (also offers a free home version)
Books - Disclosure:
We get a small commission for purchases made via links to Amazon.
- Clash of Souls, W. Lawton Brown. NEO Books, 2005. More about the book at www.clashofsouls.com. Amazon: ISBN: 0976958805. [A new adventure novel that pits the forces of good against forces of evil as the hero tries to deliver a message of hope to mankind. Like The DaVinci Code and The Celestine Prophesy, this fast-paced adventure story provides answers to questions long kept secret. The author is a dear friend who incorporates parts of the Michael Teachings to explain how the world works. We enjoyed his new book immensely].
- The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown. Doubleday, 2003. ISBN: 0385504209 [A best selling novel that takes a dramatically different look at Christian religion.]
- The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure. James Redfield, Warner Books; (November 1997) ISBN: 0446671002 [An adventure in pursuit of a spiritual mystery in the tradition of Carlos Castaneda's The Teachings of Don Juan].
Movies and Music
- Top movies and videos world-wide http://www.imdb.com/Top
- Peace Songs http://www.thepeacebeads.com/misc/songs.htm
- Imagine (words) by John Lennon http://www.john-lennon.com/bio.htm (bottom of the page)
- Happy New Year (history and music) http://www.celebratelove.com/newyears.htm
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year in many languages around the world:
Arabic: Kul 'aam u antum salimoun
Chinese: Chu Shen Tan
Slovakia and Czech republic:Scastny Novy Rok
Dutch: Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar
English: Happy New Year
Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
French: Bonne Annee
German: Prosit Neujahr
Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos
Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah Tikatevu
Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak
Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Italian: Buon Capodanno
Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai
Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo
Russian: S Novim Godom
Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina
Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo
Prospero Ano Nuevo
Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan
Welch: Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
About our resource links: We do not endorse or agree with all the beliefs in these links. We do keep an open mind about different viewpoints and respect the ability of our readers to decide for themselves what is useful.
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