Movies and books these days are highly entertaining but not that memorable. The U.S. is striving to create and sustain a golden era of story telling (such as that of ancient Greece or 19th century Russia) but failing. Why is this?

The culture of the United States is obsessed with youth and staying young. No one wants to get old. Yet we love it when a character in a story comes to a crossroads and makes a hard choice that shows how they've matured over the course of the story. They've reached a new level of growth. This is literally character growth. It feeds our subconscious and makes a great story.

Remaining obsessed with youth is resistance to growth. Growth is good. Growth is life.

Even while our culture is obsessed with youth, individuals find themselves drawn to the rituals and teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and native cultures from around the world. This comes from a need for wisdom born of growth, from a need for the elder. Rituals and teachings were not perfected by young priests, priestesses or shamans. They were developed over time and perfected by the elders.

You will not like what I have to say next; it will taste like bitter medicine. If you're in your thirties, forties, fifties, let go of your twenty-year-old body. By all means stay fit, but reap the rewards of your current stage. You cannot reap the rewards of a new stage without letting go of the old stage. In order to find new love let go of the old lover. Let go of your hair loss in order to take the staff of authority and leadership that your society needs you to take. Whatever your case may be, we all reach new stages and say goodbye to old ones. Acting in line with this process will give you the strength the world needs in you.