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Is Your Wagon Hitched to a Star?

October 13, 2010 //
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Here is your decoder ring information – “wagon” means your daily activities, “star” means your highest vision of the future.

Believe it or not, today I want follow all the advice of expert bloggers and be brief.  I realize I don’t generally follow that advice!  Besides, I wrote extensively on today’s topic earlier this year in a lengthy article for Integral Leadership Review.  You might go read that if the following whets your interest.

Recently, I have bumped into a number of people who seemed to be so absorbed into the details of their “doingness” that they appeared to have lost sight of why they’re “doing” what they “do”.  Their head has been down, their nose has been to the grindstone, they haven’t looked up enough recently to link what they’re doing to the vision of where they’re wanting to go.  Can you relate?  It’s an easy trap that we all fall into.

Here’s some guidance from the Bible that you have probably heard: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”  (Proverbs 29:18, King James translation).  In some versions, the word “perish” is translated as “unrestrained” or “scattered”.  To me, all of these words point to a state of consciousness where we are unfocused, where we have lost sight of what’s important.  When we enter this state of consciousness, we may feel that we are treading water with our life, that we are trying to “get by”, that we “live for the weekend”. Ever been there?

What then does it mean to “keepeth the law” so as to be happy?  To me, that is suggesting that we align our thoughts, words and deeds with our vision.  It’s recognizing the power of our thoughts and actions and ensuring that their creative power is focused consciously towards where we want to go.  When we shift our attention and see how what we are doing each day is working towards our vision, then we feel that we are “making a difference”, then our lives have greater meaning, work and play meld into just one big blob of “living life” and we can truly exclaim “life is good!”

So what is your vision?  Do you have a personal vision for your life?  Do you work in an organization that has a vision for the future?  Have you considered your vision of the most positive future for humanity?  What do these visions look like?  How is what you are doing today – in what you think, say and do – in alignment with that vision?

The truth is no matter where you are in life or what you feel called to do – from being a student to a retiree and everywhere in between – each day you have an opportunity to create that vision.  Hitch your wagon to that star, baby, and giddy up!

Mark Gilbert

www.consciousbridge.com

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Categories Consciousness, Featured Article, Positive Evolution

For Our Children’s Children

August 16, 2010 //
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Cayla and AmelieWhy is it important to me to continue to talk about how we can move to our highest future?   There are certainly a lot of other things I could be doing with my time.  And, what exactly do I mean by our “highest future” anyway?

Recently I was interviewed on a public radio station about this web site and the talks and classes I conduct around “positive evolution” and our “highest future” (a listing of my upcoming talks can be found on the “bridge” web site by clicking on “event schedule” on the top of any page).  In preparation for the interview, I stopped and reflected upon “just why exactly am I doing this, again?”.  What came out of that reflection was the following “manifesto”.  I share it with you so that you can reflect upon what you want for our future.

Conscious Bridge Manifesto

The purpose of the Conscious Bridge website as well as its related teachings (talks, classes, etc.) are to foster an awareness of the following:

  • Humanity is at a critical point in its history
  • There is a possibility for either a bleak or wonderful future.
  • Each person plays a role in the future we choose.
  • Where we focus our energy, our attention, our thoughts, our actions is how we choose.
  • Humanity’s challenges allow us to learn what we do not want as well as what we do want for our future–we can reframe the events towards the positive and where we want to go.
  • These lessons allow us to create a vision for humanity’s highest future.
  • Although there is no consensus on this highest future, there are useful first steps that can guide us.
  • Each of us must hold a vision for our highest future.
  • Each of us must keep our thoughts and actions focused on the highest future.
  • Each of us must treat others with dignity and respect, focusing on our similarities more than our differences.
  • Each of us must follow a plan for our personal development and evolution that develops our body, mind and spirit; works to heal our shadow; strengthens our relationships; and, develops our service to the world.
  • Each of us must become familiar with the issues facing the planet, pick one that calls to us, and move into action on it.
  • Each of us must work to develop partnerships and coalitions that move us in the direction of our highest future.

 

The term “Conscious Bridge” relates to the necessity of our becoming “conscious” of our role in guiding humanity to its highest future.  The word “Bridge” relates to moving us from the world we currently experience to the one of our dreams.  “Bridge” also references the importance of breaking down our sense of separation and division from one another, bridging our differences, and moving into a greater experience of unity.

Some current visions for our highest future that offer guidance:

  • United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  • United Nations Millennium Goals
  • Centers for Spiritual Living Global Heart Vision

 

Aspects of a vision for our highest future or “a world that works for everyone”:

  • We all have access to clean water, adequate food, and education.
  • We all have the right to life, liberty and security.
  • We live in peace.
  • We all have access to economic and social advancement.
  • We experience a melding of science and spirituality.
  • We have the freedom to individually express our unique creative abilities.
  • We live recognizing the interconnectedness of everything.
  • We act as good stewards of the Earth and its resources.
  • We purposefully use the power of our consciousness.
  • We meet our individual needs while meeting the needs of the greater whole.
  • We recognize we are evolving and consciously cooperate with the process.
  • We recognize we are on a spiritual path to be reunited with our source.

 

Bottom line

There are certainly some challenges we face based upon the direction that humanity is headed.  We can continue down this path of negativity where humanity harms itself with war, violence, unfair distribution of resources, one “winning” at the expense of others, and the general treatment of one another as if we are all not related somehow.  And, we can also continue down this path of destruction of the planet such that as it “rights itself” with mechanisms such as global warming, humanity ultimately suffers.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  We can change our direction.

I guess the bottom line for me is that I am ultimately optimistic about where humanity will eventually end up.  I am certain that our ultimate goal in our evolution in consciousness will be complete awareness of the unity and oneness of all life.  The question really is—we will wake up and take a more direct path in that evolutionary process or will we continue down the path of hardship before events get so harsh that we have no other course?

As a father and grandfather (my granddaughters Cayla and Amelie are pictured above), I care about the world my children and grandchildren are inheriting.  I truly want them to live in a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and peace is the norm.  I want them to live in a world where we care about the Earth and are good caretakers of our home.  I do not want them to come to me and ask “why didn’t you do something when you knew where we were headed?”  How can we “know” but not “act”?

Each of us knows the world that we want to pass along to our children’s children.  Each of us must step up and act on that knowledge now.

Mark Gilbert

NOTE–please redistribute this article to your friends and family.  Please encourage them to sign up for updates on the Conscious Bridge website by clicking on any of the orange “subscribe” buttons or to “follow” us on Facebook by clicking on the “follow this blog” button on the right side of any page.  Also, encourage them to pick an issue on which they are passionate about and take action!

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Categories Change Agent, Culture, Featured Article, Politics

Seven Keys to Your Personal Evolution

July 5, 2010 //
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keys to evolutionToday we look at seven key activities that are important for your personal evolution.  The fact is, life is evolving.  You are evolving, I am evolving, we are all evolving.  Although our individual and collective evolutionary path is, in my opinion, a given — that doesn’t mean we can’t stray off the path.

Where are we headed eventually?  Simply stated, we are ultimately moving towards higher levels of consciousness and awareness where we recognize the unity of everything.  We are realizing that although we are living through an experience of individuality and uniqueness, at our core we are all one.  There are intermediate steps along the way as our systems become more complex, as we are able to tap more easily the sum total of human knowledge, and as the groups of others for whom we exhibit care and concern expand and expand.

Each of us has a choice to cooperate with this evolutionary process or not.  If you wish to facilitate your personal evolution (which of course facilitates our collective evolution), then here are seven key actions which will move you in a positive direction.  Although all of these steps are important, the first ones start within you while the later ones move outward.

Turn inward – So much of our lives directs our senses outward, it’s easy to live with the belief that all the stuff we sense “out there” is the only stuff that is real.  A daily practice of turning inward allows us a degree of balance.  It shows us a truer reality where we know that there is a presence that connects all.  It is important that our lives experience this base.

Set the vision — As we turn inward, it’s important that we set a vision as to where we see our lives headed.  We must begin with the end in mind.  We must visualize the highest outcome for our lives.  What is it we are called to be?  This vision gives our life direction.

Feed the mind – We must continue to grow intellectually.  We must continue to learn.  It’s too easy to stay in our comfort zone and only learn more about what we already know and only pursue sources that are biased in the direction of our beliefs.  We must continue to challenge ourselves by exploring new areas and new ways of looking at things. 

Nurture the body — We must take care of these physical vehicles which serve us while here on earth.  We must ensure that these “temples” are exercised and well fed. 

Heal the shadow — We must recognize that our early life experiences buried deep within us hidden beliefs and motivations which must be healed.  We must seek to understand why we believe or act as we do when such beliefs or actions are not in the best interest of ourselves and others.  We must seek out and utilize established methods to bring our shadow into the light so we can heal it and make a higher choice.

Act in alignment – Our actions in the outer world must be in alignment with our vision for our life.  Each of us has unique creative ability which we are called to express.  As we express that ability in our work or play, we must consider how it serves our growth, both as individuals and as part of the collective humanity.

Cultivate relationships — As we move outward in our action in the world, we must seek to connect with others.  Developing relationships with others heightens our sense of interconnectedness.  Expanding our involvement with others allows our talents and gifts to touch them and for their gifts to touch us.  The interplay of our individual evolutionary gifts expands their influence and speeds up our collective growth.

These are the seven keys that I believe are essential for each of us to be utilizing in our personal growth.  Each is important. 

Do these seven steps resonate with you?  Are you developing all of them?  How might you grow one you are ignoring currently?  Would you add any other steps to this list?

Mark Gilbert

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Categories Change Agent, Consciousness, Featured Article

Going to Heaven in a Handbasket

June 11, 2010 //
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Both heaven and hell are states of mind. We create both heaven and hell right here and right now by our thoughts, words and deeds. So where are you and your world going? Are you going to heaven or to hell? 

When we look out at the external world and judge it to be heading in a direction that we think it not in our collective highest good, we tend to say “the world is going to hell in a handbasket”. Interestingly a quick internet search tells me that the origins of this phrase are not completely known although some conjecture that the meaning related to handbaskets allowing us to easily carry their contents. So, as we know the phrase generally means that things are deteriorating rapidly around us, we seem to also be saying that we are easily carrying out that worsening condition. 

Students of metaphysics are well acquainted with the Law of Attraction. That which we tend to place our attention upon is then that which we tend to draw into our existence. “The Secret” emphasized how we could use this law for material gain. Although many of us who were already familiar with the Law of Attraction were pleased over the publicity “The Secret” brought the teachings, we were somewhat critical of the film’s limited use of its power. Yes, it can bring material wealth and new relationships and the like. But its real power is in how it can bring us to higher levels of our spiritual evolution. 

So where do we want to go? Where are we being called to go? If by chance we look out and proclaim that “the world is going to hell in a handbasket”, could it be that we are contributing to the problem by the focus of our attention? What if instead we looked out and turned our attention on what we wanted to draw more into the world? 

This is not a “head in the sand” philosophy that denies that negative stuff is going on in the world, but rather it is a clarion call for us to wake up and move our focus away from that which we don’t desire and to place our attention on that which we do. What is that for you? 

For me, I can see so much. 

I see people who are assisting one another in meeting their basic needs.  

I see people who are valuing our diversity in lifestyles and opinions, knowing that all contribute to the beauty of the whole.  

I see people expanding their circles of care and concern to include the entire world.  

I see people who are honoring that there are many paths back to Spirit.  

I see the world making these shifts each and everyday.

I see us all going to heaven in a handbasket.

Blessings,

Mark

NOTE: An edited version of this article appeared in the November-December 2009 New Dawn Center for Spiritual Living “Messenger” Newsletter.

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Categories Change Agent, Featured Article, Spirituality

The United Nations: a Tool for Our Spiritual Evolution?

May 10, 2010 //
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Today we begin a three-part look at the United Nations with our spiritual evolutionary lens on.  First, we consider how the United Nations can be a tool for our spiritual evolution.  Next, we examine some reasons why many Americans are at best ambivalent towards and at worst strongly opposed to the United Nations.  We will conclude with some thoughts regarding how we might transcend current limitations of the usefulness of the UN.

Spiritual Evolution?

Although I have written about it frequently, let’s briefly recap what I mean by spiritual evolution.  Life, consciousness or God has always existed as a oneness… everything is connected and everything is embedded with this divine essence or consciousness.  From what science calls the Big Bang, this essence was defused out into the universe… through this process, consciousness identified more with its local incarnation, hence feeling separate and apart from everything else, than it identified with its awareness of unity.  Yet, all matter and consciousness were subject to physical and spiritual laws.  Through the process of physical evolution, stars and planets were formed, conditions were created for life to emerge, and from its early stages, life has grown in complexity and in depth of consciousness.  Eventually humanity crossed the threshold of self-awareness were not only it “knows that it knows” but also understands and can cooperate with the evolutionary process.  Humanity continues to evolve in consciousness with its ultimate goal being to return to awareness of its unity from which it sprang. This process of return to our awareness of our Oneness is our spiritual evolution.

What Are Our Next Steps in Our Spiritual Evolution?

Recently I explored what a positive vision for humanity’s future might look like (see What Is Our Vision for the Future of Humanity?).  Drawing from a number of sources, I outlined the key points of our positive future.  This is where I believe we are ultimately headed:

  • We live in peace.
  • We all have access to economic and social advancement.
  • We experience a melding of science and spirituality.
  • We have the freedom to individually express our unique creative abilities.
  • We live recognizing the interconnectedness of everything.
  • We purposefully use the power of our consciousness.
  • We meet our individual needs while meeting the needs of the greater whole.
  • We recognize we are evolving and consciously cooperate with the process.
  • We recognize we are on a spiritual path to be reunited with our source.

If this is where we are going ultimately, then there are some intermediate steps that will serve us on this journey.  What are some of those next steps?  Here are just a few that come immediately to mind:

  • We value our differences (cultural, historical, religious and spiritual, racial, etc.) while holding foremost in our minds our common nature.
  • We value the importance of coordinating human concerns at the global level while still retaining governance at the local level.
  • We value the importance of ensuring that humanity’s basic needs (food, water, safety and security) are met everywhere on the planet.
  • We value the necessity of humanity holding a common vision of its positive future.

What Good Is the United Nations?

As you read my description of our spiritual evolution, its ultimate outcome and humanity’s next steps, you may not agree with me on everything I describe.  Yet, even if you do not buy into the concept that we are “spiritually evolving”, hopefully there is some resonance within you for the positive vision of our future that I detailed.  Hopefully, at a minimum, you agree with the desire that we live in peace, all have access to economic and social advancement as well as the freedom to express their unique creative abilities.  Even accepting that small subset of my vision, I hope you can ascertain how the next steps I described would move us in that direction.

The question then becomes how do we harness the power and passion of humanity’s various opinions and beliefs to gain traction working on these steps?  Who or what will bring us together as a people to get us on the same page?  Religious leaders?  Scientists?  Strong governments such as the United States?  Each of these play a role in our next evolutionary step of bringing us together.  However, only the United Nations has the unique overarching role to bind all these brokers towards this goal.

Has the United Nations done good since its inception?  Undoubtedly, the answer is yes.  Has the United Nations lived up to its potential?  For most of us, the answer unfortunately is no.  Can the United Nations be reinvigorated so as to serve as an agent for positive change?  I believe that it can.  That’s where we are going in our next two parts.

Next: overcoming America’s love-hate relationship with the UN.

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Categories Bridge Building, Consciousness, Culture, Featured Article, Politics, Uniting Nations

Five Steps to Creating a Positive Future

May 5, 2010 //
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All of us want to see humanity move to a positive future.  Each of us play a role in creating that future.  Today we break down that role into five steps.

Step One: Create a Vision of the Future

It sounds almost obvious, but in order to move to a positive future you’ve got to have an idea what that future looks like.  This is the reason that many of my articles are focused on what a positive future might look like.  I recognize that many of us don’t spend much time, if any, visualizing the world’s future.  When I listen to people, I especially tune in whenever I hear anything they say about where the world is going.  More often than not, such talk is more about expressing concern regarding a negative future towards which they fear we are headed.  Although it’s useful to know where you don’t want to go, if that’s all you focus on, then that’s where you’re headed.  Use your concern on a potential negative future to help you gain clarity on its opposite — that being a more positive outcome.  Meditate, vision, journal, talk with others and visualize as necessary to gain clarity on what our highest future can look like.  This is good to do for your personal life, your professional life and our collective global life.  What would you like to see your life and our life look like in five years?  10 years?  Write it down.  Play with it.  Refine it.  Continuously gain clarity on that vision.

Step Two: Turn Away from Anything Not in Alignment with That Vision

Once you have your vision, then you know the direction towards which you wish to head.  Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone around you and the world at large are going to be headed in that direction too.  You’re going to bump into plenty of evidence that says we’re not moving towards our highest possibilities.  You’re going to have people attempt to engage you in negative talk and negative action.  Don’t buy in to any external forces that seek to have you expend your energy in the opposite direction from your vision.  Stay informed on world events but don’t inundate yourself with negative news.  Seek to find the positive where you can.  Kindly remove yourself from conversations that are headed into negativity and complaining.  Turning away from the negativity tossed at us each day is such a challenge for so many people.  This is one reason that many of my articles are directed at reframing world events. 

Step Three: Turn Towards the Vision

Begin to see that every thought, word and action you take is focusing energy out into the world in a particular direction.  Ensure that direction is towards your vision.  When you awake each day, spend a few moments “creating your day” in your mind.  As you visualize your day, see your actions working towards manifesting your vision and your personal life, professional life and our collective global life.  When you create your to-do list and plot actions on your calendar, ensure they include specific tasks directed toward your vision.  You are, of course, beginning to take action in that one area where you have control — yourself, your personal “sphere of influence”.

Step Four: Align Your Life Passion and Purpose with the Vision

Each person on the planet has a special unique talent is being called to express through them.  When we can align our thoughts and actions with our purpose, then we ignite something special within us.  Expressing our life passion is one of the reasons that we are here on earth.  It’s in the living fully of our purpose that work no longer becomes “work”, where we experience a divine flow where we transcend time, where life appears to line up for us and provide us what we need just when we need it with effortless ease.  It is in this space where we accomplish so much.  By finding where your life purpose aligns with your highest vision for all aspects of life, you surely become an evolutionary change agent moving us collectively towards our greatest potential.

Step Five: Expand Your Sphere of Influence — Develop Your Network

Finally, as you find yourself living your passion and moving in the direction of your dreams within your own life, you can’t help but attract others into your sphere of influence.  The spirit that is ignited within you is like a flame that attracts others naturally.  Allow your flame to burn brightly, allow yourself to show others what the life possible looks like.  You’re a teacher, you’re a model, you’re an example for everyone.  As you find others seeking you out, cultivate it.  Expand your friends.  Expand your network.  Expand your sphere of influence.  Allow your positive energy to cascade out around you and in encompass those near you.  Claim your greatness.

Conclusion

What would it look like if everyone followed these five steps?  Yes, there might be some variance from person to person regarding our vision for the greatest possible future, but I truly believe we would find that there is more on which we are in agreement than not.  And, with everyone turning their attention and energy in that direction and igniting their personal passion in the manifestation of such a future, not only would all of our individual lives be a pure joy to live, we would solve humanity’s challenges and create a legacy for our children and our children’s children to come such that there would truly be heaven on earth.

Mark

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Categories Bridge Building, Change Agent, Consciousness, Featured Article

What Is Our Vision for the Future of Humanity?

April 30, 2010 //
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It would be naïve to consider that we have consensus on what our collective future should be.  In fact we can make a good case that many of the current conflicts on the planet are because of differing opinions as to where we should be going and on how to get there.  Yet there are a few sources that we can look to for a potential collective vision.

First let’s look at the United States (writing as an American) and the United Nations.  Do either of these entities have a vision statement? 

The United States does not have a formal vision statement.  Wikipedia’s article on mission statements does point to the preamble to our constitution as being a perfect example of one: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  That statement does outline the purpose behind the creation of and the ongoing actions of our government.  But as far as a statement saying this is where we as an American people are headed towards collectively, neither this statement nor any other than I can find outlines such a path. 

The United Nations does spell out what could be considered a mission and vision statement in the preamble to its charter.  Here is the beginning which might be considered their “mission”:

“We the peoples of the United Nations determined: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and; to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and; to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom…”

And then the following words which might be seen as their vision statement:

” And for these ends: to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and; to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and; to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and; to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.”

(Taken from United Nations website)

We could consider that the essence of this “vision statement” is — to work towards a peaceful world where all people have economic and social advancement.  Elsewhere I have read the UN’s vision statement is simply the word “peace”.  Either way, these words give us a noble statement and cause, although it might benefit from the UN creating what business writer an researcher Jim Collins terms a ”big hairy audacious goal” to make it more inspiring. (To be fair, there are a number of goals that the UN has established in specific programmatic areas. Yet, none that I see that are very specific and inspiring.)

Next let’s look at Spiral Dynamics.  Simply stated, the theory of Spiral Dynamics comes from the data gathered by social scientist Clare Graves in the late 20th century and further supported by  ongoing data gathered by researchers such as Don Beck and others.    Individuals values were measured on a number of social instruments over a period of time and then charted.  What arose from the data was that we tend to have a set of values through which we look at life called worldviews or “value memes” (often written “v-memes” or I have shortened here to memes).

Spiral Dynamics paints an outline of worldviews through which humanity has evolved.  As we met the challenges of world conditions at one level of existence, we moved into a higher worldview where we faced new life conditions.  Through this evolutionary model we can see both humanity’s past, present and to some degree our immediate future.  Although it does not offer us a “vision statement”, the data does offer us suggestions as to where we appear to be headed by looking at the values held by those at the spiral’s higher levels.

At these levels, moving into what Graves called “second tier”, individuals are able to see all of the worldviews and how they are interacting.  Although at first they might use this knowledge for their own personal gain, at some point their motivation swings to working towards the health of the entire spiral (i.e., everyone).  They see themselves as part of a larger whole — a conscious, spiritual whole.  The blending of science and spirituality is a natural process.  They seek to express their personal freedom in a manner that causes no harm to others.  They begin to develop competencies and expanded use of the powers of the brain or mind.  They let go of the need to accumulate  material obsessions and see that having less is really having more.  They see everything as an integrated system  of Oneness.

If we were to consider boiling down these values at the spiral’s higher levels in order to distill a description for our future, then we might see a vision statement that includes words like “a world where there is a melding of science and spirituality, where in meeting individual needs there is alignment with meeting collective needs, where there is an expansion of consciousness to sense the oneness of everything”.

One of the great connections I have always sensed in Spiral Dynamics is the alignment of many mystics’ descriptions of the ultimate purpose of life and the higher turns of the spiral at yellow, turquoise, and what we imagine coral worldviews to be.

Many mystics and spiritual teachers have gathered “inner data” via meditation and other spiritual practices on the nature of human and spiritual existence.  The fascinating fact is that there has been much agreement on what they see as our “ultimate truth”.  Most have pointed out that after we release this material world and embrace the spiritual world, we must come back to the material world and integrate it into our spiritual world. They tell us that we have some inner urge that calls to be expressed “in the world”. This urge has a unique creative expression that varies from person to person. This urge includes a component of service which takes us outside ourselves and connects us with others. And through our expression of our unique creative desires we grow in our sense of interconnectedness to everything.

Ultimately, these spiritual teachers tell us that this urge is simultaneously one force pushing our growth from within to be creative while pulling us externally towards our return to wholeness and oneness.  For example, Ernest Holmes (Holmes, 1938) called it “the divine urge” and even described its unfoldment as being like a never-ending spiral.  Similarly, Teilhard de Chardin  termed it  ”the Omega point” which exerted both a force pulling us towards it as well as an internal push to grow to it.  He described evolution as “an ascent towards consciousness” culminating in some sort of “supreme consciousness”.  It is a direction in which he said every one of us cooperating and participating.

In fact, cooperation between individuals and groups is a key component as we move down this evolutionary path.  For example, evolutionary writer John Stewart detailed that the direction of evolution and the future of humanity included both higher levels of cooperation and the development of our ability to consciously use the evolutionary process. Interestingly, mystics agree. For example, Ernest Holmes put it this way, “The whole process of evolution is to produce a being who can consciously co-operate with the Evolutionary Principle, which is Pure Spirit.”

Yet this statement of Holmes describes another characteristic mystics say is our evolutionary future. They tell us that the ultimate goal of evolution is to return us “back home” to the source from which we came.  Evolution is seen as the time and process of our awakening to our truth, the development of our consciousness, the unfolding of our awareness, our return to Oneness. 

Although there are other sources from which I could’ve drawn that offer visions for our planetary future, I believe we have enough here already to draw some conclusions.  Here are some potential components of a vision for our positive future:

  • We live in peace.
  • We all have access to economic and social advancement.
  • We experience a melding of science and spirituality.
  • We have the freedom to individually express our unique creative abilities.
  • We live recognizing the interconnectedness of everything.
  • We purposefully use the power of our consciousness.
  • We meet our individual needs while meeting the needs of the greater whole.
  • We recognize we are evolving and consciously cooperate with the process.
  • We recognize we are on a spiritual path to be reunited with our source.

So does that resonate with you?  Does that sound like a positive future?  If so, then the question becomes—how are you going to move towards that vision?

[This article was extracted and edited from a longer piece submitted to the Integral Leadership Review.]

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Categories Consciousness, Positive Evolution

See the Good Everywhere You Look…Even in Bad News

March 29, 2010 //
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Moving to Love

Here’s your assignment for today and everyday… no matter what life looks like “out there”, see the good in it… see the perfection that is playing out for yourself and the world.  I admit this is hard sometimes, especially when we immerse ourselves in the news of the day. 

As I write this, the headline in the New York Times today is about suicide bombers who killed dozens of people in a Moscow subway.  The story is horrific.  Where is there any good in this? 

My heart goes out to all the people who were impacted by this tragedy.  I’m sure yours does too.  Neither of us would ever choose for an event like this to occur.  It seems like so much of the news which makes it to our senses are events like these, global or local. 

I want to stress that when we moved to see good everywhere we look, even in these tragic events, doesn’t mean that we would choose for these tragic events to occur.  What it means is that we can look at an event that is something we would never wish to occur, and we can look beyond it and focus our attention and energy on the potential good that is occurring beyond the horrible events. 

When we use our thoughts, words, and deeds, we are directing our energy in a specific direction.  When bad news occurs and our hearts are open, we are at a choice point.  Yes, we feel sympathy and sadness, that’s normal.  What are we going to think, say and do next? 

Choosing fear 

On the one hand, we can see this news as reaffirming our fears that the world is going to hell.  It can feed a sense that everything is out of control… and who am I to change its direction?  I can feel a sense of powerlessness and despair over our future.  These emotions can lead me into talking and acting out of fear.  I begin telling everyone the world is a dangerous place, people are not to be trusted, we need to protect ourselves and folks like us… I began developing a bunker-like mentality where I attempt to close myself off from the world….fearing anyone who is different.  If this is how we react to negative news, then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.  We help to create the world we fear. 

Choosing love 

On the other hand, we can move beyond her sadness over the negative news and ask ourselves questions such as — what good can come from this?  Or, how can I choose the highest and most positive response in relation to these events?  Instead of fear, we respond with love.  Instead of shutting ourselves off from the world, we look for ways to connect us all.  We visualize the world would like to create, and we move our energy in that direction.  We help to create the world of our dreams. 

Moving forward to love 

So how can we respond to events such as the Moscow suicide bombers?  After feeling normal emotions such as anger, disappointment, and sympathy towards those lives touched by the event, how can we move forward?  

Here are some suggestions, but don’t let my ideas limit you from seeing other good: 

  • It used to be the tragedies around the world didn’t seem to impact us personally as much as they do now… could it be that such events that occur far away are expanding our circle of people for whom we have care and concern such that the world is shrinking in our minds?
  • Could it be that more and more people around the world are so touched by these tragedies that we are reaching a critical mass of people who say “no more” and move more towards nonviolence as a means of solving differences?
  • Could it be that this event opened my heart a little bit more?  Could it be that today in my interactions with everyone I’m going to act more from love?

What are you going to choose? 

Mark

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Categories Consciousness, Positive Evolution

Two Strategies for Dealing with He Who Shall Not Be Named (that media person who angers you)

March 13, 2010 //
2

Turn off negativity, turn towards what's best for all

 

It seems like this past week that a lot of complaints have come across social media sites I frequent about divisive comments made by certain individuals who for whatever reason hold a media platform.  Friends are sharing YouTube videos via Facebook, blogging and tweaking their disgust over the commentary of certain radio and TV personalities. 

I’m not naming these people for two reasons.  One, my intent here is not to get into any political debate.  No matter what your political beliefs, you probably can find some media spokesperson, who in your opinion makes divisive comments.  Two, I don’t want to give these people any more attention or energy.  In my opinion, they’ve already gotten way too much. 

Now I understand why these people are protesting.  I’ve written here many times about my concerns over any individual in the media, who uses their bully pulpit as a forum for dividing us.  However, a lot of these people are putting way too much energy into pushing back.  So here’s my advice for all of us to consider. 

Strategy One: Notice, but Ignore 

Here, I admit, you walk a fine line.  I do believe we have to be well informed as to what is going on in the world but we don’t need to immerse ourselves in negativity.  It’s one thing to be aware of the negative comments made by individuals in the media and quite another thing to get into a battle with them.  To be aware, allows us to know that this individual’s comments are not truly serving humanity, that they are less than what we desire.  To battle against them, continues to direct energy towards their negative message, serving to highlight it and perpetuate it.  As it’s often said, “what you resist, persists.” 

I certainly understand the desire to inform your like-minded friends by passing on your tweets of disgust when he who shall not be named makes his crazy comments.  But I invite you to consider that when you forward that negative comment about the individual’s rantings, you continue to give energy to his message and grow it in our collective consciousness. 

What should you do?  It’s okay to notice their negativity when it comes into your field of awareness.  It’s okay to disagree.  It’s okay to say to yourself, that his comments are not serving our positive growth, nor serving to bring us together.  Then, let it go.  Ignore he who shall not be named any further.  In the Harry Potter novels, most people were afraid to utter the name Lord Voldemort out of fear that using his name would bring the dark lord’s attention to them.  Here we avoid using the name, not out of fear, but out of conscious awareness.  We know that by ignoring him and his negative message, we reduce the conscious flow of energy to it, limiting its growth.  If enough of us turn away from media negativity, then the media will become less negative. 

Strategy Two: Focus Your Attention on What You Want to Grow 

After the media spokesperson has upset you, you now know what you don’t want.  Armed with that knowledge, consider what you do want.  Define it clearly in your mind.  Then, any anger that you had towards he who shall not be named, should be directed as positive energy in the direction of that you want to grow. 

Turn away from that which does not serve us and towards that which does.  I know that this is “simple”, but not necessarily “easy”.  Notice that these two strategies are designed to change you, not the other person.  After all, the only person you have control over is yourself.  

If you get successful at noticing then ignoring he who shall not be named, and then directing your energy towards what you want to grow in life, then you may want to move on to the following advanced strategy.  Kids, don’t try this at home.  This is only for those who have mastered the first two strategies! 

Advanced Strategy: Separate the Person from their Actions 

People who upset us are generally some of our best teachers.  Whether they know it or not, they are offering us an opportunity to grow.  When someone does something that challenges us, what we need to realize is that at the core of their being they are a spiritual person just as we are.  We don’t need to condone the other person’s behavior, but we do need to look beyond their behavior and see the truth of who they are.  Just like us, before birth they were pure spirit, eternal beings connected to everything and everyone.  Just like us, they were born on the planet and forgot who they really were.  They now have created, just as we have, a story about who they are and what they believe about life.  Their story, just like ours, is not really real… it is an illusion.  Our challenge is to see the person as they really are, to separate their truth from their story, their behavior, their illusion.  When we can do this, it brings forgiveness into our hearts, and puts us one further step on the path of our spiritual evolution. 

Mark

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Categories Consciousness, Culture, Entertainment, Politics, Uniting U.S.
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