Over the past few days I've been really challenged to rethink a few areas of my life - realizing how easy it is to be lulled to sleep in our consumerist society. I don't want to just live life as everyone else does, accepting that 'this is just the way it is.'

I recently read a quote by Zygmunt Bauman, a renowned sociologist of our time. He said,

A life so fragmented stimulates "lateral" rather than "vertical" orientations.

The full quote depicted the shortcomings of our modern lives. He described how there are fewer social structures to support "long-term thinking, planning and acting." And how when our lives are so compartmentalized, between work, family, friends, faith, hobbies, etc, etc, our progress in life is slowed and more lateral than forward.

I haven't been able to get that thought out of my head. I want my life to move forward, I want to progress in life in a direction that makes me better. I want to be able to think outside our cultural standards for life, ethics and success. I'm realizing that without intentionality my progress will be, at best, lateral in life.