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Thetimehascometoawakenfromourslumberandforthistherightmessagehastoreachourheartandupliftourspirit.

P a g e |I mindyourelephant ForewordbyDrErvinLaszlo

MIND YOUR ELEPHANT


HOWTOGETRIDOFYOUREGO,CONNECTWITHOTHERSANDSAVETHEWORLD
TomiAstikainen

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WHEREAS,humanitynowfacesanunprecedentedopportunityfordialogue,worldwideunderstandingandrenewal sinceglobalcrises,acceleratingdysfunctionaltrendsandpatternsinallaspectsoflifethreatenoursustainabilityand veryexistenceonthisplanet; Thatthesediversetrendsandpatternshavereachedadangeroustippingpointthatmayprecipitateinthecoming yearsacatastrophiccollapseandimplosionofoureconomic,political,social,ecological,andculturalstructuresand institutions; Thatthecrisescatalyzedbythesetrendsandpatternsaresystemicallyinterconnectedandarethecumulativeeffect ofchronicallydysfunctionalwaysofthinking,outdatedvalues,andobsoletebeliefsthathavedominatedhumanlifefor thepastseveralgenerations; Thathumankind'scollectivewisdomthroughtheagesmakesclearthatthekindofworldweliveinisadirectconse quenceofourmentalityandsothattotrulychangeourworldwemusttransformthedominantmentalityofthecur rentcivilization; That,accordingly,thediversecriseswenowfaceareattheircoreacrisisofconsciousness,andthusthemostpowerful andeffectivewaytotransformthestilldominantcivilizationistoaddressandredresstherootcauses,creatingatime lytransformationofthementalitiesandpatternsofconsciousnessthatproducedit; That,further,thecreativeforcesofhumanwisdomandvisionhavealsobeenatworkinthelifeofpeopleacrossthe planetandhavebeentheprimaryengineofimportantadvancesinevolvingthehumancondition,inparticularofad vancingtheethicalvalues,spirituality,andpolitical,social,economic,scientific,artistic,technological,educationaland otherinnovationsthatservethebettermentofhumanity; Andthat,inconsequence,thecreativeconsciousnessevolvingforcesthroughoutoursocialandculturaldevelopment exerciseacumulativeeffectincounteringthedestructivementalitiesandformsofconsciousnessthathavebroughtus tothecurrentcriticalpoint,andbringhumanitytothethresholdofagreatplanetaryawakening; That,finally,inlightoftherealizationthatnothinglessthanthepositivetransformationalforcesinourculturecan stemthetideofthedestructivetrendsandpatternsofthedominantcivilizationandgettotherootcausesoftheeco nomic,socialandecologicalcrisesthatnowthreatenhumanwellbeing,prosperity,andsurvival BEITRESOLVED... Thatweshallhenceforthmakeitourhighestprioritytodoallinourpowertoactivateandignitetheimminent,and rapidlyemergingevolvedconsciousnessinthelifeofthepeopleonaplanetaryscale,soastofacilitateandaccelerate theblossomingofahigherformofcivilizationthatembodiestheglobalwisdomofhumankind,inorderthatgenera tionsnowlivingmaybringforthaworldinwhichtheentirehumanfamilymayflourishinharmonywithallofnature onthispreciousplanet; That,tothisend,weshallconcentrateoureffortsinbuildingpowerfulandsustainablenetworks,cocreativepartner ships,seekingtoactivateanddrawtogetherincommoncausethevastandgrowingdiversityofinitiativesnowwork ingaroundtheplanettobringforthanewlyawakenedpeacefulandsustainablecivilization; Thattheaboveresolutionsaretofocusoncallingforthacriticalmassofawakenedglobalcitizens,buildingaglobal communityofempoweredpeople,tappingtheenormouspotentialofourYouth,ofWomen,andpeopleofallageswho recognizetheunprecedentedglobalcrisisandopportunitywenowface,andarereadythroughtheirawakenedand empoweredconsciousnesstotakepersonalresponsibilityfortheirownthinking,theirownvaluesandmentality,mak ingmindfulchoicesinconfrontingandtransformingthecurrentlythreateningunsustainabletrendsoriginatingfrom obsoleteformsofthinking,values,andconsciousness;And,asahighesturgency,tousethemassmedia,thepowerof theInternetandthedigitalmultimedia,aswellasallappropriateformsofcommunicationtobuildaglobalnetworkof solidaritysoastococreateacriticalmassofawakenedcitizensandactivatethecreativeresonantenergyofmass consciousnessthatisessentialtoovercometheinertiaofcomplacency,fearandparalyzingpessimismandturnthe courseofhumanitytowardanewplanetarycivilizationasaconcrete,livingreality. MembersoftheWorldWisdomCouncil,Tokyo,November11,2005

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Contents
MINDYOURELEPHANT.....................................................................................................................................1 Theobsessivecompulsivegeneration...........................................................................................................4 Possessiveness...........................................................................................................................................4 Externalpleasure.......................................................................................................................................4 Fear............................................................................................................................................................5 Predictability..............................................................................................................................................5 Keepingbusy .............................................................................................................................................6 . Thinking.....................................................................................................................................................6 Youarenotyourelephant.............................................................................................................................7 Sufferingiselephantfood.........................................................................................................................8 HomelessinHelsinki................................................................................................................................10 Theelephanthastakenover...................................................................................................................11 Elephantsgoshopping............................................................................................................................12 Presentisagift........................................................................................................................................13 Silence!Ikillyou!.....................................................................................................................................13 Dealingwithfear.....................................................................................................................................15 Switchingtolove.....................................................................................................................................16 Chapteronesummary.................................................................................................................................19 CROCODILEDENTIST .......................................................................................................................................20 . Awakeningtoconnectedness......................................................................................................................23 Learningtodepend.................................................................................................................................24 Theelephantinthecrocodilesmouth...................................................................................................26 Appreciativeinquiry................................................................................................................................29 Egolesssynergyinhumanrelationships..................................................................................................32 Fromolddoingtonewbeing......................................................................................................................39 Cultureoflettinggo ................................................................................................................................41 .
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Chaptertwosummary.................................................................................................................................43 COMMUNITYOFANTS....................................................................................................................................44 Whatistheantnaturethatmakesthemsosuccessful?............................................................................47 Appreciativeexamplesofindividuals,relationshipsandcommunities......................................................48 Socialentrepreneurship..........................................................................................................................48 Polyamory................................................................................................................................................50 Opensourcecommunities......................................................................................................................52 Gettingouracttogetherthroughnewvaluesandculture.....................................................................54 Equalopportunityisthekey ...................................................................................................................56 . Possiblescenariosforfuturesociety...........................................................................................................58 Businessasunusual.................................................................................................................................58 Freemarketsocialism.............................................................................................................................58 Scientificspiritualsociety........................................................................................................................59 Choosingtheblueprint............................................................................................................................60 Asystemiccrisis...........................................................................................................................................61 Whocreatesmoney? ..............................................................................................................................62 . Therootofallevil....................................................................................................................................62 Stuckinthegripofscarcity.....................................................................................................................64 Thesystemperpetuatesitself.................................................................................................................65 Goingbeyondmonetarism..........................................................................................................................66 Transitioningfromolddoingtonewbeing.................................................................................................68 Proposedalternativestocurrentmonetarysystem...............................................................................69 Chapterthreesummary..............................................................................................................................71 HUMAN,ATLAST.............................................................................................................................................72 Newdemocracy,leadershipanddecisionmaking......................................................................................74 Gettingorganizedfordevelopment........................................................................................................75 Intelligentautomation.............................................................................................................................75

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Agiledevelopmentforcommongood ....................................................................................................76 . Theneweconomy,prosperityandwellbeing............................................................................................77 Thehumanhabitat..................................................................................................................................78 Theneweducationsystem..........................................................................................................................80 Newmediaandcommunications................................................................................................................82 Spiritualrenaissanceandinterreligiouscooperation................................................................................83 Newscienceandtechnology.......................................................................................................................84 Fearoftechnology...................................................................................................................................85 Enjoymentfromawakeneddoing...............................................................................................................86 Youareacreatorofthenewculture......................................................................................................87 Letyourcallingcometoyou...................................................................................................................88 Putyourcallingintoaction......................................................................................................................90 Betheawakening....................................................................................................................................91 Chapterfoursummary................................................................................................................................93 INSIGHTFROMTHEFUTURE...........................................................................................................................94

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Dedicatedtoallchildren borntoday.

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Acknowledgements
Althoughwritingisoneofmypassions,gettingabookdonecanbealong,lonelyandburdensomeprocess unlessyouapplyprinciplesofP2Pproductiontoit.BasedonthefeedbackthatIgotIwasconvincedthat were onto something great here. When you hear peoples moving personal accounts and realize how similarhopes,dreamsandworriespeoplehaveinColombia,IndiaandTheNetherlandsyouknowthatwe aredealingwithuniversalissuesthat,intheend,weareallone.Thesubstandardsystemwewereborn intoisgivingwaytosomethingextraordinary.Itbecameobviousquitesoonintheprocessthatthiswasnt mybookatanygiventimeitwasbornasabookofthecommons,forthecommons,bythecommons. Idliketoexpressmygratitudetoallthosepeoplewhohelpedmeengageinthewritingprocess;Mousta pha,Kalle,Saija,Pete,Eija,Chris,Gaya,Frano,Ljerka,Paul,Kristo,Liev,Rik,Ivan,Deniss,Ervin,Livia,Levi, Szymon,Urszula,Martin,Katarzyna,Sandra,Darius,Mindaugas,Edgars,Mirko,Janne,Oscar,Aritaandall the others whose names I didnt quite catch while hitchhiking around Europe Im grateful that you showedmethegoodnessinhumanityduringmyjourney.Itwasaninwardjourneyandyourselflesswil lingnesstobestowinspiredmetotellotherswhatliesaheadofhumanity. Duringthewritingprocessseveralpeopleprovidedtheirvaluablecomments,feedback,inputandediting help.Markus,Sifaan,Helge,Mari,Pooja,Tero,Mark,Renuka,Bart,Johanna,Sandra,Janne,Marina,Deniss and Helena your contributions have been invaluable. Thank you ever so much for being both brutally honestandlovinglysupportive.Withoutyou,thisbookwouldhaveneverbeenfinished. IstandinaweofopenheartedpeoplelikeErvinLaszlo,adoubleNobelPeacePrizenomineeandanauthor of83books,whodecidedtosupport meafterreading themanuscript.Heunderstoodmeaspartof the samefamilyanddidntneedtopersonallyknowmeinordertotrust,respectandencourageanotherhu manspirit.ErvinslatestbookWorldshift2012MakingGreenBusiness,NewPolitics&HigherConscious nessWorkTogetherisyetanotherproofthatideasinthisbookarenotunique,butpartofalargershiftin humanconsciousness. Finally,Iwouldliketoextendabighandtoaprofessionalproofreader,LauriGardner,whowentthrough the trouble of checking the language in the book as well as supertalented illustrator Petteri Laakkonen whobroughtthetextalivewithhiselephantasticimagery! Noonehasbeenpaidanyfinancialincentivesfortheirpricelesseffort.Thesepeopleselflesslycontributed toacommongood.Maytheuniverserewardthemandgivethemgoodkarmafortherestoftheirlivesand beyond. If you like what you are reading, please join the Community of Fans in Facebook: just search Mind Your Elephantandyougettoengageindialoguewithotherreaders.Also,besuretogivefeedbackandspread thewordbytellingyourfriendsaboutthebookinwww.mindyourelephant.org. TomiAstikainen 11November2009

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Foreword
Weliveincriticaltimes.Theyareatthesametimeexcitingtimes,timesforrethinkingandrenewingfor reinventingourlifeonthisplanet.Asthisbookssubtitlesuggests,weliveintimesthatgiveusboththe urgentneed,andanunparalleledopportunity,tosavetheworld. Youngpeoplemustbeintheforefrontofreinventingourworld.Theymustwakeupfromthecomfortable (orperhapsuncomfortablebuthypnoticallycompelling)slumberofdoingthingsthewaythepreviousgen eration has been doing them. There is no better way to get young people to wake up and engage their energiesandcreativitythantotalktothem.Talktothemintheirownlanguage.TomiAstikainenisamas teratdoingjustthis.Hisbookisanultramodernandultratimelyclarioncallforwakingupanddoingwhat needstobedone.ItsalsoaclarioncallforhowyouandIneedtobe.BecauseGandhiwasrightwhenhe said,bethechangeyouwanttoseeintheworld. OnlykeepinmindthatGandhialsosaidfirstfirstbethechangeyouwanttoseeintheworld.Forbe ingthechangeisnotinitselfsufficienttochangetheworld,althoughitsentirelynecessaryforit.Being thechangeneedstobefollowedbyaction.Yetactionaloneisnotenougheither.Actingastheoldyou, youwillonlydirectotherstodosomethingthatneedstobedonebutthatcanonlybedonefromthecon textofanewmentality.Youmustincarnatethatnewmentality.Thismeansthatyoumustadoptanewand betterviewofwhoyouare,whattheworldislike,howyourelatetotheworldandhowtheworldrelates toyou. Icanrecommendthatallyoungpeopleandallpeopleyounginheartandinspiritreadthisbookand takeittoheartandtospirit.Thetimehascometoawakenfromourslumberandforthistherightmessage hastoreachourheartandupliftourspirit.Whentherightmessageisclothedintherightlanguagewhich isthelanguageofthisbookithasthebestchanceofbeingreceived. Sositdown,byyourselforwithyourfriends,andreadthisbookandreflectonit.Itcanhelpyoutosee yourselfinanewlightandreinventtheworldaroundyou.Doitforyoursake,andforthesakeofallofus, onthissmallandinterdependent,andnowcriticallyendangeredplanet. ErvinLaszlo 1November2009

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INTRODUCTION
Forsomepeople,thereisasuddenorgradualbreakwiththeirpast:theirwork,livingsituation,relation ship everything undergoes profound change. Some of the change may be initiated by themselves, not throughanagonizingdecisionmakingprocessbutbyasuddenrealizationorrecognition:ThisiswhatIhave todo.Thedecisionarrivesreadymade,sotospeak.Itcomesthroughawareness,notthroughthinking.You wakeuponemorningandyouknowwhattodo.1 Formeitwasntamorning;itwasaneveningwithtwoofmyverygoodfriendsinmyfavoritebar.They asked me two powerful questions that triggered my awakening. Ill reveal those questions later. Whats importanthereistheintenseeffectthosequestionshad:Idecidedtodiveintotheunknown. ForwhatfeltlikeeonsIhadsearchedforsomethingthatwouldexplaintherootissuesofwhyitseemed oursocietywasplungingintothedeepestabyss.Ihadfoundalotofanswersthatraisednewquestions: why do we have such a selfcentered, egoistic, greedy society that allows this horrendous inequality to happen, a society where half of the soontobesevenbillion population is lacking access to basic human necessitiesandopportunitytoleadadignifiedlife?Whatisitinoureconomythatpushesforwardtheprof itmotiveanddemandsforcontinuousgrowtheventhoughtheplanetiscryingoutforhelp? Wehaveputourplanetatrisk.Wehavebecomeourgreatestenemy.Butontheotherhand,Weareon thethresholdofanextraordinary,mindboggling,newageofourhumanprogressandevolutiononplanet Earthifwedonotsticktoobsoletebeliefs,values,systems,institutionsandlaws.2.Iknewthatwecould liveinamarveloussociety,alreadytoday,ifwejustmanagedtoletgoofwhatwasholdingusback:theold paradigmofadogeatdogworldwhereeverythingrevolvesaroundmoney.Myfrustrationgrewstronger andIstarteddoubtingifanyofmyactionswerecontributingtoamoresustainablesociety,orifinfactI waspartoftheproblem. So,therewewerewithmyfriendsinmyfavoritebarcalledIltakoulu(EveningSchool;wherealotoflearn inghashappenedovertheyears).Again,Ihadbeenrantingaboutthebetterworld,howitwouldlooklike, whatitwouldenableandhowgreatitwouldbetolivetherewithoutbeingaslavetothesystem.IsaidI would be playing much more football if I had all that free time. They asked me: Why dont you do that now?Itreallystruckme:itcuttomybone.WhyamIhopingforthingstohappeninthefuturewhenthe onlytimeIcanactuallyliveanddosomethingisrightnow?Thesecondquestionpushedmeintoaction.I had introduced them to Ubuntu, an African community philosophy: I am because you are because we are.Theyaskedme:Cantyouthinkofittheotherwayaround:Weare,becauseyouarebecauseIam? Inotherwords,theymeant:thissocietyiswhatitis,becauseofthenatureofrelationshipsaround,andif youwishtoseeanotherworld,youaretheonewhohastoact. Thatmadeitveryclear:Ihadtotakeresponsibility.IhadtobethechangeIsought.Itfinallydawnedonme whatGandhimeantwhenhesaidBethechangeyouseekintheworld.Hesaidbe.Henevermentioned anything about doing. All this time I had tried to help others and save the world although I should have startedbychangingmyself.AndIwasnotsupposedtobedoingsomethingdifferentlybutbeingthediffer ence.Soonafterthat,Idecidedtoletgoofmyflat.Igaveawaytherestofmyearthlybelongings.Istopped worryingabouthavingnomoney.Ihadnowork.Ihadnoties.Ifeltfree,althoughmyheadwasamess notreallyknowingwhatistheoutcomeofthejourneyIhaddecidedtoundertake.Ipackedmybagand headedforafiveweektriparoundEurope,hitchhikingandmeetingmyoldbuddiesthatIhadnotseenfor awhile. 1 EckhartTolle:ANewEarth
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RobertMuller:http://robertmuller.org/voladnl/v9adnl.htm

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After about a week on the road I found myself walking down the streets of Amsterdam without a plan. Since Ihadnodirectionoranymotivationtoattendtowhatthecitywasfamousfor,Isomehowdrifted into a bookstore. I had no intention on buying anything because I really didnt have that much money. I decidedIwilltakealookandiftherewasabookforfiveeurosorlessIdgetsomelightsummerreading.To mysurpriseprettymucheverythingwasfiveeuros.Ilazedaroundtheshelvesanduninterestinglyskimmed thebooks,readytoleavethestore.Then,myeyeslockedintoasmallbluecoverbookcalledThePowerof NowAguidetospiritualenlightenmentbyEckhartTolle.InstantlyIknewIhadtoreadit.Ihadnochoice buttotakeit.AguidetospiritualenlightenmentLightsummerreadingindeed. IwentallthewaytoCroatiawiththebookasmytravelcompanion,andthenhitchhikedmywaybackto Finland.DuringthatjourneyIlearnedtodifferentiatebetweenmylifeandmylifesituationthatnomat terhowbadmylifesituationlookedlikeexternallyIcouldbeatpeacewithmylife.Ilearnedtoliveinthe now.IrealizedIshouldnotseekforhappinessfromexternalsourcesbutconcentrateontheinternalpeace, loveandjoy.LittlebylittleIbecamemoreofthechangethatIsoughtintheworld.Icouldhaveneverim aginedhowonebookcanutterlychangeyourlife.WhenIcameback,aftertouringelevencountries,Itried tocapturethelearning pointsfromthejourney.Iwenttositinthepark,heldmynotepadandpen,but couldntwriteanything.Irealizedthatthejourneyhadnotyetended.Iclosedthenotepadandcontinued mynomadlifewithoutknowingwhatIwasabouttodo.Outofthatspace,thisbookemerged. On my Eurotrip some of my buddies had asked if I was ever to Ijustwrite.Ihavetowrite.Iliketosay publishthepreviousbookthatIhadwritteninSriLanka:Republic that I didn't choose writing, writing ofEelamLtd.Iprettymuchdisregardedthosecommentsbecause chose me. This may sound slightly itdidntfeelimportant.RoELtdisonthewebsite3forthosewho mythical, but I sometimes feel as if my wishedtoreadit.Evenpeoplewhogavemearidestartedsaying writingissomethingbiggerthanIam. things like Are you going to write a book about your journey? ChimamandaNgoziAdichie Remembertoincludeusinit.Itsgoingtobeabestseller.Ihad not even told them that I liked writing, or that I was keeping notes. Then the final trigger was back in Finland when my friend had recommended that I should meet someone.WithoutknowingwhyIwasmeetinghim,Ididitanyways.Wehadalengthyconversationand therewasonethingthatreallystruckme.Hesaid:Yoursouliscryingtowrite,sogoandwrite!Hedidnt evenknowme,butthiscommentsentshiversdownmyspine.ThenIknew:thisbookhadtobewritten.As Iwasonlystartingtofindmyinnerpurposetheawakeningthesepeoplehadpointedmetowardsmy outerpurpose.Theyshowedmewhatwasmycallingrightnow. However,themostimportantpersoninthiswholeprocessisthereader.Intheoverflowofinformationyou shouldputyourfreewilltogooduseanddecidewhetheryouwanttocommityourtimetoseewhatsbe ingoffered.Thisbookmightbeusefulforyouifyouansweryestoanyofthesequestions: Doyouoftenfeelrestlessandanxiousinyourfreetime;yethavenodrivetodoanything? Isyourmindconsumedbyfear,doubtordisbeliefregardingthefuture? Doyouoftenworryaboutthethingsyoudidordidntdointhepast? Doyousometimesfeellonely,emptyorseparatedfromothers? Aretherepeopleinyourlifethatdriveyoumad;peoplewhojustdontgetit? Doyoufeeloverwhelmedbytheincreasingpressureofsociety? Doyouthinkthereshouldbemoretolifethanworkingyourwaytoretirement? Wouldyouliketoimproveyourcommunity(family,workplace,city,country)? Wouldyouliketoleaveanotherkindofworldforthegenerationstocome?
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Unquestionablywearelivinginatumultuoustimeinhumanhistory.Thenagain,althoughsomeseeonly thecrisis,anewbetterworldisinthemaking.Forustocreateabettersocietytheresnootherchoicebut to start the change process from oneself. Thats why this book is structured according to the aforemen tionedUbuntuphilosophy.Beforewecananswerthequestionhowtosavetheworldweneedtoanswer twootherquestions:howtoconnecttoothersandevenbeforethathowtogetridofyourego.Thisis thecoreofchapterone.ItdealswiththeIampartoftheUbuntuphilosophy.Itisaboutfindingthereal me beyond the thinking mind. It is about being the change. It is more about stopping certain behaviors ratherthanstartingnewones.Itisaboutunveilingwhoyouare,bylookingbeyondyourego.Itisabout reducingthinkingandincreasingknowing.Ifyouwishtohaveapositivechangeintheworld,youvegotto be aware of who you really are, or at least of who you are not. You are not your ego, not your thinking mind.ThischapterwillbenefityoubyansweringquestionslikeHowcanIunderstandmyego,HowcanI seeifImincontrol,andWhoamIifnotmyego. ThesecondchaptertakesUbuntuforward:Iambecauseyouare.Ourthinkingmindshavecreatedthe separationbetweenpeople.Ifwewishtochangetheworld,weneedtobridgethisgapsoon.Ifyouredriv ingandyourcarstopsontheroad,itspointlesstogetmadattheengineifyouverunoutoffuel.Ineedto seeyouandmeaspartofthesamesystem,partofthesameoneness.Yourexistenceenablesmetobe. Thesecondchapterdealswithawakeningtotheconnectednessofalllifeonourplanet,concentratingbut notlimitedtoyourclosestrelationshipswithotherpeople.Itisaboutrelatingtooneanotherwithoutthe egointheway.Itisaboutunderstandingwhyyoursuccessissovitalformine.Bycompletingthischapter youmightfindanswerstoquestionssuchasWhyshouldIcareaboutothers,Howtoimprovemyrela tionships,Howtogofromseparationtoconnectedness,andHowcanIlearntoforgive. ChapterthreecompletestheUbuntuphilosophyaswelookatthecommunityasawhole:Iambecause youarebecauseweare.Itisaboutseeinghowtheimprovedrelationshipscompriseanimprovedsystem. Wewilltakealookatoptionsavailableforhumankind,andseewhatisneededtobuildanewkindofsocie ty. We will examine what kind of values and culture are needed if we are to become a species of con nected,compassionateindividualssharingthesameplanet. Finally, in chapter four, these learning points are gathered together to suggest a very different kind of worldviewanddevelopmentpathforhumanity.Wewilllearnhowwecanindividuallyengageinfuture alignedcommunitiesandhowweareabletomakeapositivechangeinourcommunities.Afterall,weare justborrowingthisplanetfromourgrandchildren.Idontwanttobepointedatbytomorrowsadults:You wereyesterdaysnextgeneration.Youweresupposedtomakeitright! SeeingtheworldthroughthelensofUbuntuphilosophyisagoodapproachifwewanttohaveamorejust civilization.Ubuntuemphasizesselfawareness,qualityofrelationshipsandthepowerofcommunity:Iam becauseyouarebecauseweare.Inshort:beingyourselfwithouttheegointheway,connectedtoothers inhealthyrelationshipsletsyoubecomeanagentofpositivechangeinyourcommunity.Tofullyunder standthis,Iurgeyoutoreadthisbookcovertocover.Theremightbetimesthatyouquestionwhatdoes thishavetodowithanything?oryoumightevenquestionthesanityoftheauthor.Youmightfeelawk wardasthetextjumpssuddenlyfromverypersonalstoriestograndsocietalthemes.However,itallbuilds upfromindividualperspective(Iam)torelationshipsbetweenpeople(Iambecauseyouare)tomattersof communityatlarge(Iambecauseyouarebecauseweare)sopleasedontjudgebeforeyouvereachedthe end.Itsaprocess,asisthewholeawakening. Whatawakening?Youmightfindsomeoftheterminologyabitforeign.Herearesomedefinitions: Ego is your mental image of who you are, based on your personal and cultural conditioning; its whoyouthinkyouare.Egoismreferstoselfishness;seeingtheworldthroughyourmentalimage. Mind is a tool you can use for rational thinking. However, most of the time the mind is idle and thentheegousesitforuncontrolledthinking(brainchatter).

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Consciousnessisthepowerofawareness;anabilitytobeawareofyourownthoughtsandthinking process. Awakening is the gradual process when you start to let go of identifying with the ego and learn whoyoureallyare.

I have started seeing that another world is not only possible; we are al Believe what you wish, but trust readyheadingtowardsit.EckhartTolleconfirms:Weareinthemidstofa yourdirectexperience. momentous event in the evolution of human consciousness, but they DanMillman won'tbetalkingaboutitinthenewstonight.Asyoubecomeacquainted thatthereis,indeed,alargershiftinconsciousnesshappeningglobally,you canengageonseekingthetruthonyourown.Foryoutogetthemostoutofthisbookandlifeingeneral itisvitaltounderstandthattherearethreelevelsoftruthinexistence: Theheardtruth:Thingsyoureadorhearthatyoubelievetobetrue.Theheardtruthishighlysub jective:someonetellsyouorangesarehealthyandyoubelieveit. The reasoned truth: Things you put together to form an understanding and feel to be true. The reasonedtruthissomewhatsubjectivebutbasedonyourownlogic:youfindoutthatanorange has53milligramsofvitaminCper100grams,soyoureasontheymustbehealthy. The experienced truth: Things that you learn by experiencing yourself and know to be true. The experienced truth is the most objective: you include oranges in your diet and after a while start feelingbetter,soyouconcludeorangesarehealthyandpepyouup. ItrymybesttodeliverasmuchaspossibleofwhatIknowtobetrue.However,sinceIamsuchanovicein theschooloflife,Idontclaimthateverythinginthisbookisexperiencedtruth.Infact,itseemsthatideas assucharenotuniquebutsomehowpartofacollectiveconsciousness:thesamethoughtsarisearoundthe world in a synchronistic manner. I try to convey important wisdom from many philosophical sources like Buddhism,Taoism,Hinduism,Christianity,Kabbalah,Bah,Gnosticism,andfreethinkersaswellasmod erndayscience,designandtechnology.Thegoodpeoplewhohavereadalotandhavealottosay,may teachyoumanyusefulthings,buttheyarenottherealGuruswhosewordsinvariablycometrue.4Never treatmeasaGuru;amessengeratthemost. Sincethisbookisnotstrivingforacademicaccuracy,Ivetriedtokeepreferencestoabareminimum.At theendofeachchapter,youwillfindasummary,frequentlyaskedquestionsandsometips.Theyarecol lectedattheendofthebook.Youcanchoosetoreadthemorleavethemunnoticed.Pleasepayattention tothegrandvarietyofquotes.Theyaresignpoststofindoutmorebyyourself;sopickwhatyoulike.Final ly,throughoutthebookwefollowanimaginarystoryofAnnaWereandherencounterwithamysterious teacherwhointroducesustotheconceptofanelephant.

NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat

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Chapterone MINDYOURELEPHANT
HOWCOMPULSIVETHINKINGCREATESPROBLEMS ANDHOWTOSOLVETHEMWITHOUTTHINKING Althoughquitesocialbynature,AnnaWerehadalwaysfeltlikealonewolfthatintheendshewasalone in this world. She had taken her destiny in her own hands, graduated with best grades from a respected universityandfinallyendedupunemployed.Shewasconfusedbutknewtherewassomethingmorewait ingforherthanajobatamultinationalcompany. OnebrightdayAnnahaddecidedtotakeaboatridetoclarifyherthoughts.Thereshecameacrossadeli catefiguredpersoninabrightbluerobewhopreferredtobecalledateacher.Rightaftertheintroductions, theteacheraskedAnnaapowerfulquestion:Howdidyoumanagetogrowyourelephantthatbig?Thisis howtheirconversationstarted. A:Saywhat?Whatareyoutalkingabout? YourelephantHowdiditbecomethatmassive? A:Whatelephant? Theoneyouaretravelingwith. A:UmmIdonthaveanelephant. Yesyoudo.Itseemsyouhaventjustnoticeditbefore.Youhavenotbeenawareofitspresence. A:WhywouldIhaveanelephant? Youtellme.Thatisaverygoodquestionindeed:whydoyoukeepdraggingitwithyou? Annastillcouldntfigureoutwhattheteacherwasmumblingabout.Shethoughttheteacherwasjustold andfoolish.AsAnnastoodtherespeechless,theteacherdecidedtoenlightenher. Isntitsothatmostofyourlifehasbeenquiteadrama? A:Iguessso.Ivegonethroughalotofshit. Iwouldcallitelephantdung. A:What? Well come to that later. Youve had a lot of worries, people have been unfair towards you and youvehadtoputupwithallkindsofnegativity.Butnowyouhavefinallymadeit,isthatso? A:Well,IdontknowifIvemadeitbutImdefinitelymuchbetteroffnowthanbefore. Youareproudofyourachievements,arentyou? A:Uhhuh Butyoustillseemtobeconfused. A:Iam.Idontknowwhichdirectiontotake. Howaboutinwards?Areyoureadytogettoknowyourelephant? Itjustkeptgettingweirder.Isthereanelephantinsideofme?Annathought.Maybeshewasthinkingout loudbecausetheteacheranswered. Yesthereis.Somepeoplecallitego;somerefertoitasself,andtherestcallitthethinkingmind.I callitanelephant.Itsmuchmorepreciseexpressionthananyofthesemoreprofessionalbutambi guousterms. A:Isee. Youdo? A:Notreally.Tellmemore. Fromthemomentyouwerebornyoubecameundertheinfluenceoftheprevailingculture.Yourcul turalconditioningstarted.Andwhatdoyouthinkwastheprevailingculture?
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A:Westernculture? True,butthatsnotwhatImeant.Therewasahintinthequestion:whatdoyouthink? A:Cultureofme?Thecultureofbeinghighlyindependent? Alsotrue.Wearegettingthere.Onemoreguess.Lookatthequestion:whatdoyouthink? A:Think? Correct. A:What? Youwerebornintheeraofthinking. For a while Anna thought she was on to something but now she was just more perplexed. What did this havetodowithelephants? So,thereyouwere,aninnocentlittlegirlgrowingupandlearningnewthingseverydaygetting furtherandfurtherawayfromtheSource.Thenyourparentsorsomeoneelsepoppedthequestion: whatareyougoingtodowhenyougrowup? A:Yes. So,whatdidyouanswer? A:IwantedtobecomewhatIcalledamultifunctionwoman.Ididnthaveadreamjob.Iwantedtodoalot ofdifferentthings. Ok,sowhatwastheeffectofthatquestion? A:Theeffect?IguessIbecamemoreconsciousofwhatthefutureholdsforme;thatIshouldbecomesome thing. Exactly. I would say you became a bit less conscious because your cultural conditioning now said thatyoushouldstartworryingaboutthefuture. A:ImnotsureifIfollowwhatyouresaying. Howfutureorientedareyounow? A:Well,Iam.Ihavebigambitions.IsetgoalsandIdomyutmosttoreachthem. Ok.Thatslongtermthinking.Mostlikelysomeonesaiditsgoodforyou.Anditis,ifyouarenot consumedbythefutureallthetime. A:Iam.Ifeelrestless.Ievenworryabouttheshorttermfuturealot.Ioftenfeelthattodayisnotenough, Imalreadythinkingwhatshouldhappentomorrow.IguessIseeyourpoint.Ishouldbemoreinthenow, moreinthepresentmoment. Veryclever.Butdontsaythatyoushouldbesomething.Justbe. A:Ok.Nowwhatdoesthishavetodowiththeelephant? Goodquestion.Theelephantlovescreatingproblemsforittosolve.Andonceyouhavetackledone problem,anotheronearises.Youkeepincessantlyfeedingyourelephantwithworries. A:Isee.Anditsthesamewiththepastisit? Itis.Itakeityouarequiteanopenperson.Itseasytogettoknowyouonapersonallevel.AmI right? A:Definitely. Well,howdoyouintroduceyourselfwhenyougettoknownew peoplethatyouaresupposedto workwith,forinstance? A:Iripmyheartopen.Itellmylifestory;alltheupsanddowns.Ithinkthisisagoodwaytoshowexample forotherstofollow;cleartheairandcreateanatmosphereofopennessandtrust. Mightbe.Butatthesametimeyouidentifywiththoseupsanddowns.You thinkthats whoyou are.Withoutthatstoryyouwouldntbeanything,right? A:Ofcourse. No.Thatsyourelephantintheforefront.Youareonlyhereandnow.Youarenotthosestoriesof thepast.Noryouarethefutureyouimagine. Annawaslostinherthoughtsforawhilebutshehadtoadmitit:Theteacherwasright.Annathoughtfor herself:Igotit.Icompletelygotit.AllthistimeIthoughtIwasmymind,myegomyelephant.Shecon tinued:
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A:OnceIwasinasituationthatyoudescribedbefore,andeveryonetoldtheirlifestories.Afterwardssome onesaidtomethatItwasamazingtohearhowdifficultlivespeoplehavehad,exceptyouwhodidnthave itquiteastough. And?Howdidthismakeyoufeel? A:Iwaspissedoff.Icouldntsayanythingoutloud,butIrealizedIwantedmylifehistorytobeasdramatic aseveryoneelsesorworse Canyounowseethatitwasyourelephantthatwasoffended? A:Yes,itmakessense.Itsinsanitytothinklikethat. Itisinsane. A:So,areyousayingthattheelephantwantsmylifetosuck? Yes,itfeedsonyourworriesandproblemsthatitcreates.Inyoursituationthiswasevenmagnified bythefactthatyouresoemotional.Mostlikelysomethinghappenedinyourhistorythatmadeyou callforsympathyfromothers. A:True.Butletsnotgointhere. Ok.Canyounowanswermyfirstquestion:Howdidyoumanagetogrowyourelephantthatbig? A:Sure.MyelephantgrewandgrewbecauseIkeptfeedingitunconsciouslywithworriesofpastandfuture. Igotdisconnectedfromlifefromthismoment.BecauseIwasntawareofitIwasntawareofwhoIreally was. Verygood.Improudofyou. The boat came into the shore and the teacher went silent. Anna kept waiting and waiting for him to say something.Theywalkedoutoftheboattogetherincompletesilence.Astheyreachedtheharbortheteach erfinallyspoke: Thisidentificationwithmindhassurelyhadaneffectonyourrelationshipswithothersalso. A:Ohyes.Alotofdramainthere. Verywell.Howaboutfulfillingyourlifespurpose?Haveyoubeensuccessfulinit? A: Not really. I wanted to change things for better, but I was unsuccessful. I blamed it on the others. I blameditonthesociety.Ievenblameditonthewholeworld,butIdidnttakeresponsibilityofitmyself.I guessthatwasagaintheelephant Imhappyyouseethatnow. A:Metoo. Ineedtogonow. Annawasshockedtoseethattheteacherturnedaroundandstartedslowlywalkingawaywithoutsaying anotherword.Annastillhadsomanyunansweredquestionsaboutherelephant,otherselephantsandthe wholeworldofelephants.WhatshallIdo?sheshoutedwhentheteacherleft. Mindyourelephant. God is a very misunderstood concept and also misused by egodriven individuals. Sometimes God and religionhaveverylittletodowitheachother.People'sperceptionsofGodarealwayswrongforGodis much greater. Therefore blasphemy is pointing out the ridiculousness of the perceived God and in fact praiseoftherealGod.UsuallywhatisconsideredblasphemyisnotridiculingGodbutsomepretentiously sacredphenomena.Theseusuallyhavealottolaughabout.5AccordingtoreverendHeinimki,religionis likepainleftbytheabsenceofGod. HereisatruestoryfrommyColombianfriend:Aroundtheworld,mainlyinEurope,wherelifeisverycom fortable,wherehungerisjustonTV,andthebiggestproblemistheweather,peoplearedeeplydepressed. This is something that the rest of the world cannot understand, when they are starving to death. Since I
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JaakkoHeinimki:OutoHartauskirja

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wasachildIwasalwayslookingforsomethingexcitingandinteresting,newthings,newplaces,andnew people.WhenIgotwhatIwantedIwasnotsatisfied.Istartedtolookformore:tochangetheworld,to impactpeople,tohelp.Thatdidntmakemylifefulleither.EverydayIsawpoorpeople,abusedpeople, peoplewholiveonthestreetswithoutoptions.Theseterriblethingsneverhappenedtome,andIwasstill notsatisfied,notfeelinghappyandfulfilled.WhenIcametoEuropeandsawsomanyluckypeoplewith plentifullivesfeelingmiserable,itreleasedme.Itmademeunderstanditwasnotonlymewiththefeeling ofemptinessthatinfacteveryhumanbeinghasanemptyspirituntilmeetingtheonlyonewhocanfulfill thatemptiness:God. PersonallyImnotreligiousbutIknowexactlywhatsheistalkingabout.Itdoesntmatterwhatwordsyou use:God,spirit,soul,consciousness,thetruemeitsallthesame,aslongasitisnotjustbelievinginsome GodouttherebutknowingtheGodwithin.Beforeyoufillthatemptyspacewithin,youcontinuebelonging totheobsessivecompulsivegeneration.

Theobsessivecompulsivegeneration
Peoplewhogoeverywhereinamadrush,running,theyaredreaming.Itisnotnecessaryfortheirphysical bodies to be resting, snoring in their beds at midnight, in order for them to be dreaming. People dream righthereinfleshandbone,justasyouseethem,runningasmadpeopleinthestreet,astheygoaroundin thisconstantcomingandgoing,likemachineswithoutrhymeorreason,noranyorientation.6 Inourcontemporaryworldtherearecertainculturaltraitsthatyoushouldbeawareof.Theseincludebut arenotlimitedtoafewimportantones:possessiveness,externalpleasure,fear,keepingbusy,predictabili tyandthinking.Manyofusarenolongerconsumedbythesetraits,butstillamajorityofpeopleareliving atleastoneofthesebehaviors.Seeifyoucanidentifyyourself,yourparents,yoursiblingsoryourfriendsin thesetraitssocommontoourage.

Possessiveness
Whenever I hear someone referring to consumers I have Theentireworldeconomyrestsontheconsumer; hard time relating to that term. Demands for continuous ifheeverstopsspendingmoneyhedoesn'thaveon growth,sotypicaltoourtime,haveestrangedusfrombe thingshedoesn'tneedwe'redonefor. ing human and made us consumers. As if buying things BillBonner woulddefineourexistence.Sadlyformany,ithasbeenthe case.Yougraduateandgetagoodjobinordertofinancewhatseemstobeexpectedfromyou.Youtakea mortgagesothatyoucanownahouse.Thenyoubuyacar,atelevision,furniture,clothes,dishesuntil youcantfigureoutwhatmoretobuytomakeyourlifeworthwhile,anddecidetobuyamargaritamachine tofillthevoid. Ifowningthingsissoimportant,wereason,thenIshouldpossessmoreandmoretobehappy.Sub consciouslyweextendthedemandforpossessivenesstootherareasofourlives.Wegetmarriedinorder tocreatesenseofsecurity.Althoughfewofusadmitit,wewanttoownpeoplealso.Wefeeltheneedto beincontrol.Ifwelosethatcontrol,wehaveaproblem.

Externalpleasure
WhenIwassittingonabeachinCroatiaImadeaveryprofoundrealizationthatIwroteinmynotebook: AllthistimeIwaslookingforexternalpleasure,whereasIshouldvebeensearchingforinternaljoy.Al thoughIwaspennilessandcluelessofwhatfuturewouldholdforme,atthatmomentIhadnoproblemsat all.Ofcoursethesunshineandcrystalclearwaterhelpedinthisrealization,butitchangedmylifeforever.
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SamaelAunWeor:http://dreamyoga.org/dreaminterpretation/uselessdreams

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Ivebeenabletoholdontotheinternaljoyeversince.ForyearsIhadknownthatenjoyingthemoment wasoneofmycorevalues,butonlynowIknewwherethatenjoymentshouldcomefromifitwastobe genuinejoy.Onceyoubegintoexperiencethepeace,loveandhappinesswhichneednooutercauses,all yourdoubtswilldissolve.7 Wehavelostourselvesintheworldofentertainment.Theresnothingbadinsaymovies,butifweneed togotomovieseveryFridaynight,weareclingingtoanexternalsourcetogiveusjoy.Samegoesforsuch elementarythingsaseatinganddrinking.Inthewesternworldwehavedevelopedanunhealthyrelation shiptofood:atthesametimetherearepeoplewitheatingdisordersandoverweightpeople.Wetrustthe food,snacksandcandiestobringusjoy.Nottomentionalcoholanddrugabuse,includingexcessiveuseof caffeineandnicotine.Ithasbeenaneraofaddictions,andwereafraidtoletitgo.

Fear
Adominatingforceinoursocietyhasbeenfear: Thebestremedyforthosewhoareafraid,lonelyorunhappy fearofillnessanddeath,fearoffailure,fearof is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone change and uncertainty. Although in many withtheheavens,natureandGod.Becauseonlythendoesone countries weve managed to double our life feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see expectancyinjustonecentury,wehavenotrid peoplehappy,amidstthesimplebeautyofnature. ourselves of the fear of death and become AnneFrank carefree. On the contrary, we use excessive amountsofmedicinetobothpreventandtreatillnesses.Wearedamagingourbodieswithvaccinesand pills. Fear of death has been used in most imaginative ways to justify political and economical aims. The birdfluwas supposedto killmillionsandmillionsofpeople,butonly262deathshaveoccurredinseven years(20032009).Instead,billionsandbillionsweremadewiththeTamiFlumedicine.Itshowsthatfearis agooddrivertomakemoney.AnotherexampleistheWaronTerrorism.Prettymuchthesameamountof Americans die of terrorist attacks and nut allergies each year, yet no American politician has proposed a waronnuts. Itispossibletolivewithoutfear,butweneedtotrickourselvesinthat.Whatonethingwouldyoudoif youknewyouwouldsucceed?isapowerfulquestionthatremovesthefearoffailurefromtheequation. Thatcoupledwithfearofchangehaskeptthestatusquoprevailinginmanyareasoflife.Wehavebeentoo afraidtochange.Wehavebeenafraidofuncertainty.

Predictability
Ionceknewanelderlygentlemanwhowasnotonlyaddictedwithwatchingthenewsseveraltimesaday, but also very interested in weather forecasts. He could not live with uncertainty. Instead he needed to knowhowtheweatherwillbe,aphenomenonthatisoutofoursphereofcontrol. Inscienceaswellasmanagement,wehavedevelopedeloquentmodelstopredictthefuture.Largelythese toolsfailtopredictthefuture,becauseitcannotbepredictedduetolifesunlinearnature.Inthepast, science tended to ignore nonlinearity because it was just too hard to deal with. Science was focused on prediction,andnonlinearsystemsrefuseprediction.8Thefutureisemergentandtiedtoouractionsand inactionstoday.Whythenkeepupthecompulsiveneedforprediction?Itallboilsdowntoourlackoffocus onpresentmoment.Wearesooverwhelmedbytryingtopredictthefuturethatweforgettolivetoday.

NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat MargaretWheatley:LeadershipandtheNewScience

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Keepingbusy
Work has become a virtue and sometimes it feels that the bureaucratic establishment is trying to create anykindofjobtokeeppeoplebusy.Thisleadstothequestion,whyareeveryoneintheirninetofivejobs lookingforwardsomuchtowhatevershortvacationstheyhavecomingup?Althoughinourcontemporary system one needs to have a source of livelihood, ones worth as a human being is not supposed to be measuredbyhowbusyweare. Sometimeskeepingbusyisoneswaytorefusethattherecouldbesomethingmoretolife,somethingdee perthatcaterstoourspiritualside.Inthe2004movieCrash,JeanCabot(playedbySandraBullock)realizes this first hand when her anger surfaces, after her car gets stolen. She calls her friend to say that every morningshewakesupsheactslikethis,shesangryeverydayanddoesntknowwhy.Herfriendistoobusy to listen. Right after this she slips on the stairs and gets hurt. None of her so called friends answer the phonewhenshecallsforhelp,exceptonewhoistoobusygettingamassagethatshedoesntcometotake hertothehospital. Foralongtimewehavedefinedourraisondtrebyconstantlydwellingontasksundone.Thisfixationwith timecreatespsychologicalpain.Thoughtistime.Thoughtisbornofexperienceandknowledgewhichare inseparablefromtimeandthepast.Timeisthepsychologicalenemyofman.Ouractionisbasedonknow ledgeandthereforetime,somanisalwaysaslavetothe past. Thoughtiseverlimitedandsowelivein constantconflictandstruggle.Pureobservationisinsightwithoutanyshadowofthepast,oroftime.This timelessinsightbringsabouta deepradical mutationinthemind.Krishnamurti9pointsouthowweare shiftingtoanewlevelofconsciousness. Inrecentyearsanincreasingnumberofpeoplerealizedthatitispossibletoleavetheratrace,tostopbe ingaslavetothepsychologicaltimethatwecreateforourselvesbydwellingsolelyinthepastandthefu ture.InTimothyFerrissbook,The4hourworkweek,henotesthatonceyouhavedefinedwhatkeeps youbusy,eliminatedtheunimportantchores,andautomatedtheremainingtasks,youmightfeelabitan xiousaboutyournewlyfoundliberty.Youmightendupasking:WhatshallIdowithallthisfreetime?In theabsenceofpsychologicaltime,yoursenseofselfisderivedfromBeing,notfromyourpersonalpast. Therefore, the psychological need to become anything other than who you are already is no longer there.10 Thus it can be argued that its not enough to liberate yourself from chores, but also from your mind.Maybewecouldfinallydolessandbemore;thinklessandlettheuniverseappearbeforeusasitis.

Thinking
People whose conscious minds remain underdeveloped often suffer from cluttered and unfocused thinking. Needlessworries,trivialdistractions,inaccurateobserva tions, false beliefs, and negative emotions run rampant throughtheirthoughts,andmostofthetimetheyarent even aware of it. Its like being stuck in a mental fog. Whenyoutalktosuchpeople,youcansensetheyarent fullythere.Thelightsareon,butnooneshome.11
JidduKrishnamurti:http://www.kinzaza.com/home/tought.html EckhartTolle:ThePowerofNow StevePavlina:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/14reasonstobecomemoreconscious/ Watchyourthoughts;theybecomeyourwords Watchyourwords;theybecomeyouractions Watchyouractions;theybecomeyourhabits Watchyourhabits;theybecomeyourcharacter Watchyourcharacter,foritwillbecomeyourdestiny. HilleltheElder

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You might be surprised if you checked out the video on YouTube12 where Krishnamurti and David Bohm discussthecurrenteconomicandecologicalcrisis.Ofcoursetherewouldbenothingweirdinitifyoudbe readingitfromyourdailynewspaper,butthevideoisfilmedin1983!Nothinghaschanged,atleastforthe better.Thus,awordofwarning:Itisverynaturalforhumanbeingseventodaytotryandsolveissues withtheirmind,bythinking.Youmightthinkthatyouareyourbodythatwasborntoyourparentsandwill diealone.Youmightthinkyourlifeisyourduties,yourworkanderrands.Youmightthinkyourlifeispain fulandyouarealwaysfrustrated.Mindyou,Idontmeanwhimsicalbadmoodthatforinstancemightwell beduetolowbloodsugar.Instead,Irefertothegnawingpsychologicalpainthatcanpotentiallytakeyou over for a longer period of time. If it was your thinking mind that got you there, you need other kind of remediestoeasethepain. Youmightnotevenbeawareofyourincessantthinking,becausesometimesourthoughtpatternsaresub conscious. Neurologist Vilayanur Ramachandranmapsfunctions ofthemind tophysicalstructuresofthe brainbyworkingwiththosewhohaveveryspecificmentaldisabilitiescausedbybraininjuryorstroke.In hisTEDtalk13hesharesanexcitingstoryoflearnedparalysisofasocalledphantomarmanarmthat hasbeenamputatedfeelsasifitwasstillthere.Accordingtohim,halfofthepatientsfeelthattheirphan tomarmisparalyzed,asitwasbeforeamputation.Thisisbecausethepatientsbrainhastoldthearmto movebutitalwayskeepsrespondingnoanddoesntmove.Themindbecomesobsessedwiththisargu mentbetweenthebrainandthearm:move,no,move,no,move,noThepatientsbraincontinuestotell thearmtomoveevenifthereisnoarmanymore.Thisishowourthinkingcankeepusparalyzedliterally andmetaphorically. Thinking is limited and as Krishnamurti puts it everything that is limited creates conflict. Themindhasnottakenustoofar.Yesweare launchingrocketsintothespace,gulpingdown antibioticsandconsuminggeneticallymodified organisms.Butonapsychologicallevelweare representingacivilizationinitsinfancy.

Youarenotyourelephant
Somepeoplecallitthemind,otherstalkabout theegoandsomecombinetheseandreferto the mindcreated ego. Semantics aside, lets callitanelephant.Peopleespeciallytheedu catedlottendtoenduparguingoverwords andgetlostinanendlessmazeofdefinitions. Egoisamentalimageofwhoyouare,based onyourpersonalandculturalconditioning.14 Becausethesearejustwordsnotthetruth it doesnt matter really what we call them, as longasweunderstandthemeaningbehindthe word.Iusetheelephantasametaphorforthe mindmade selfimage (or ego) that we have Picture1.Youarenotyourelephant.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knu4ujA1rfU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl2LwnaUAk EckhartTolle:ThePowerofNow

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constructedovertheyearsandthatmostofusidentifywith.Theelephantisthatmonstrousthingthatyou seewhenyoulookintoyourinnermirror,andthinkitsyourselfimage.Youthinkthatyouareyourele phant.Butyouarenot.Beyondtheelephantthereissomethingorsomeonethatistherealyou.You aretheconsciousnessthatdoesnthaveaname,age,certainkindofbodyoraprofession. Thisdistinctionhashelpedmealotbothinmyeverydaylifeandonmyspiritualjourneytowardsgreater understanding.Ihopeitwillhelpyou,too.Givinganametotherootissueisagoodstartforsolvingit.

Sufferingiselephantfood
Have you ever wondered why the car toonsandTVprogramareattheendof the newspaper? Or have you thought whytheeveningnewsshowsyoufirstall that suffering and negativity and then finish with a humorous insert at the end? The media is not selling us news butsufferingandfear.Theycatertoour needfordramaandholdusinthegripof horror. And then as if none of that disease, murder, war and scandals mat teredtheyremindusthathey,youre justfineonyourcomfycouchathome. Heres a personal story from Dorothy Figen15awomanwhowasexpectedto die:WhenIfirstcametoSriLankafrom America, I had just about given up all hope of living. The doctors in America had provided me with maybe twenty fivedifferentdrugsfora verybadheart condition and other ailments. I found the hospital conditions [in Sri Lanka] so Picture2.Sufferingiselephantfood. deplorable; I felt it would be better to dieinbedathome.Consequently,Ileftthehospital.Aftermuchpainandemotionalupheavalmyhusband foundaBuddhistlaybrotherwhocametoourhomeandperformedamiracle,ortostateitbetter,pointed outtomethepaththatIshallfollowfortherestofmydayshereonearth.Wewentthroughfourstages andintimeIthrewoutalldrugs,andthelifehereandnowbecameclearandmeaningfulIbegantofeel thatIwasonanotherplaneofconsciousness.Inolongerhadaself,sickorotherwise.Iwasatonewithall, allofusinanewworld,withallnonbeingstoo.Ifoundthattheegothatnearlywreckedmylifewasnow gone. AccordingtoSiddhartaGautama16,allthatexistsintheuniverseissubjecttothreecharacteristics: Aniccatheimpermanence:Everythingislimitedtoacertaindurationand,consequently,liableto disappear.Thewaytodealwithimpermanenceisacceptance,ornonattachment. Dukkhathesuffering:Everythingisunsatisfactory.Thereisnothingthatcanbereliedupon;there is nothing that can bring true happiness. The way to deal with suffering is acceptance, or non resistance.
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DorothyFigen:http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/beginning_insight_meditation.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

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Anattathenoself:Everythingisdeprivedofaself.Thereisnoselfinherententity,nothingthat canbecontrolled.Thewaytodealwithnoselfofeverythingisacceptance,ornonjudgment.

Acceptingthesethreemarksofexistencemakeslifeeasier. Whyareyouunhappy?Because99.9percent MichaelRuppert17talksaboutthreestagescommontoany of everything you think, and of everythingyou human individual and culture, before acceptance. First is do,isforyourself.Andthereisn'tone. denial:Youdontwanttoadmitthewaythingsarebecause WeiwuWei its too hard to take. Second step is anger. Its when you realizethefactsandyoudontlikewhatyousee.Inthirdstageeverythingsinksinandyoustartbargaining. I.e. you start thinking what you could have done otherwise. This can be a long process but, fortunately, leadstoacceptance.Dorothysacceptancegaveheranewlife.Sheridherselfoftheego.Shestoppediden tifyingwiththesicknessthathadfedherelephantforsolong.Sheunderstoodtheimpermanenceandac ceptedshemightdie.Sheacceptedthesufferingasitis. Inpractice,acceptingtheimpermanentnatureofallthingscanhelpa40yearoldfootballplayertoaccept hiscareeriscomingtoanendoraformerbeautyqueentoretire.Itputsthingsinperspective. Sodoestheacceptanceofsuffering:Nothingnothingbringstruehappiness.Thushappinessassuchis notevensomethingoneshouldtrytoattain.Insteadofseekingsatisfactionfromthings,onemightaswell concentrateinconnectingwiththeinternalpeace,loveandjoywithin. Havingnoselfcanbethehardestparttounderstandbecausewehavebecomesodisconnectedfromeach otherandthesourceofallthings. Wehavedisconnectedourselvesfromourselves.IfImnotmy ele phantmystreamofthoughtsthenwhoamI?youmightbeasking.Thatsagoodstart.Acceptitfor now.Youwillsoonrealizethebeautyofreconnectingwithallthatis. Evenscienceisfinallytakingstepstowardswhatphilosophersandspiritual IamthatbywhichIknowIam teachers have tried to convey since Buddha. Scholars and scientists like NisargadattaMaharaj Niels Bohr, Ken Wilber and David Bohm have drawn links with conscious ness and quantum physics. Integral theory seeks a comprehensive under standingofhumansandtheuniverse bycombiningscientificandspiritualinsights.Brain scientistswould tellyouthatthisispurebiologyofthebrain.Andinaway,itis. JillBolteTaylor18revealsthatourbrainsleftandrighthemispheresareliketwodifferentminds,that,when functioningnormally,workseamlesslytogether.Sheexplains:Totherightmind,notimeexists,otherthan thepresentmoment.Andeachmomentisvibrantwithsensation.Lifeordeathoccursinthepresentmo ment.Theexperienceofjoyhappensinthepresentmoment.Ourperceptionandexperienceofconnection withsomethingthatisgreaterthanourselvesoccursinthepresentmoment.Toourrightmindthemoment of now is timeless and abundant Just opposite to how our right hemisphere thinks and pictures and perceivesthebigpictureofthepresentmomentourlefthemispherethrivesondetails,detailsandmore detailsofthosedetailsItisthehomeofyouregocenterwhichprovidesyouwithaninternalawarenessof whatyournameis,whatyourcredentialsare,andwhereyoulive.Withoutthesecellsperformingtheirjob youwouldforgetwhoyouareandlosetrackofyourlifeandyouridentity.Wedefinitelyneedbothhe mispheres. Without the left brain it would be impossible for us to comprehend the text in this book, or evenwhatisthisblackstuffonthiswhitebackground.Yet,itseemswehavebeendominatedbyourleft hemispheres,andlargelyignoredtherightone.
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MichaelRuppert:Collapse(http://www.videoweed.com/file/rv5fh4cfbce75) JillBolteTaylor:MyStrokeofInsight

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ItisenoughtoknowwhatyouarenotAllyoucansayis:Iamnotthis,Iamnotthat.Youcannotmea ningfullysaythisiswhatIam.Itjustmakesnosense.Whatyoucanpointoutas'this'or'that'cannotbe yourself. Surely, you cannot be 'something' else You observe the heart feeling, the mind thinking, the bodyacting;theveryactofperceivingshowsthatyouarenotwhatyouperceive.19 Whatdoyoudowhenyouarehungry?Yougoandgetsomethingtoeat,right?Whatdoesyourelephant dowhenyouarenotfeedingit?Inotherwords:whatisthereactionofyourmindasyoustartbecoming moreandmoreconscious?Itisnaturalforyourmindtofightback:totryandcreatemorethoughtsand moresuffering.Notethisandbecomeawareofthosethoughts.Itsyourelephantstarvingandcravingfor morefoodmoresuffering.

HomelessinHelsinki
A fresh start will put you on your way said a fortune cookie I opened last summer. I developed accep tance to anicca, dukkha and anatta by choosing to let go of the so called normal life in a Nordic welfare state,atleastforthetimebeing.Majorityoftheworldspeopledonthavethischoice.Itistheireveryday reality.BeinghomelessinFinlandhasbeenahumblingexperience.Whenyoudontknowwhereyouare goingtostayforthenightandyoufeeldependentfortherestofthecommunity,youdevelopanapprecia tionforlifethepresentmoment. Thisappreciationdirectstobasicneeds,thesurroundingsandhumancontact.Whenyouchooseoryou areforcedtosurvivewithless,youautomaticallyletgooffmostofluxuries.Yoursuperficialdesiresand wantsvanishandyoustartpayingmoreattentiontotheverybasicneeds.Healthandhygiene,shelterand nutritionbecomeapriority.Oncethoseneedsaremetyoufindyourselfstandinginaweoflife.Yousud denlyhavetimeforanythingthatmightcallforyourattention;beitnature,otherpeopleorevensearch fornewinformation.Youdonthavetogoanywherebutinsteadyoucanstayinthenowandtrulyenjoy themoment.Beingalonecalmsyourmind.Youarealonebutnotlonely. However,Happinessisrealonlywhenitsshared20.Humancontactbringsmeaningtoourlives.Wecan bemorepresentwithpeoplesurroundingus.Thisappliestoourfriendswhohavegivenusaplacetosleep butalsotocompletestrangers.OnedayIrealizedeveryoneissmilingatmefornoobviousreason.Andthis isabigthinginFinlandwhereindependencehasturnedintoexcruciatingseparation:smilingtostrangersis notonlyrarebutcanbemisinterpreted.Whyaresuddenlyunfamiliarpeoplesmilingatme?MaybeIhad startedsmilingtoeveryone. Foodbecameimportantbothformeandmyelephant.Ilearnedtobewiththe Anelephant'stusksare nevertooheavyforit. feelingofhungerandappreciateit.SometimesIwenttobedhungryandwoke Zimbabweanproverb upinthemorningjusttorealizethehungerhadgone.Forawhilemyelephant wasconfused:therewasnothingforittoeateither.Thehumblingexperience hadmadetheelephantuseless.BybecomingawareoftheelephantIhadforcedittomakespaceforthe real me. However, the elephant is a cunning creature. Fairly quickly my elephant got accustomed to the newsituationanditsurfacedagain.InoticedthatwheneverIwastalkingaboutelephantstopeoplewho didnotagreewiththischildishmetaphor,Ifedthemwithmoreandmoreevidencesothattheywouldtake mypointofview.WhenIrealizedmyneedtobecorrectIsawthatitwasmystarvingelephanttriumphing again.Itwasmyarrogantelephantwantingtoshine. My elephant creates new addictions Choosingtobehomelessandsurvivewithverylittleisbynomeansananswertogetridofyourelephant.I noticedthatonoccasionmymindwasconsumedwiththinking:wheredoIgetfood,whereshallIsleep,
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NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat AlexanderSupertramp:http://authspot.com/shortstories/alexandersupertramp/

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whatshallIdonextBydivingintotheunknownIcouldcreatespacefortherealme,buttheelephantis notgoinganywherejustlikethat.

Theelephanthastakenover
So,howdoesoneknowifitsreallyyouor just your mind playing tricks on you? Its quite easy. The mind thinks. The elephant thinks. You dont think as such. You can observe the silly little games of the ele phant silently, without condemning andyoucanconsciouslyaskyourelephant tostopthinkingandjustbeinthepresent moment. Or can you? Different cravings, needs,wantsanddesiresarecomingfrom theelephant.Howoftendoyounoticethe followinginyourmind:Ineed,Iwant, I desire or I should, I could, I would? You dont need, want or desire. Itsyourelephant.Watchthelanguageyou useandyoureonestepclosertocatchthe elephantasittakesover.Viaourlefthe misphere language centers our mind speakstousconstantlyaphenomenonI refer to as brain chatter. It is that voice remindingyoutopickupbananasonyour way home For some our dialogue of brainchatterrunssofastthatwecanbare Picture3.Theelephanthastakenover. lykeepupwithwhatwearethinking.21 Conditionalforms(should,could,would)arealsoelephantwords.Oneofmybestteacherstoldmenotto use the conditional forms at all: You either do or you dont. The same goes for the past: you say you couldvedonesomethingoryoucomeupwithexcusesthatyouwouldvedonesomethingunless[placean excusehere].Yourelephantgetsitsenergyfromsufferingthatiscreatedinthepastorinthefuture.You areinthepresentmoment.Everythinghappensinthenow.Lifeisnow. Herecomesthebomb:yourenotalone!Ourwholeworldthemajorityofhumankindistakenoverby theelephants.Wecreateproblemswiththemindandtrytosolvethemwiththemindthinking,thinking andthinking.Educationisaccumulatedthinking.Politicsisfullofthinking.Scienceisthinking.Somepeople thinksomuchtheystartfeelingphysicallyillorstartsufferingfrominsomnia Thisloopofthinkinggoesonandonandwearenevergoingtoseeabetter,morejust,worldifwetryto thinkourwayoutofit.Sufferingiselephantfood.Thinkingcausessuffering.Thus,theonlywayistobeone withthesuffering,acceptitspresenceandletitgo.

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Rememberthatwethinkthatweareourelephants.Thus,spottingtheelephantinyourbehaviorisvery importantsothatyoucanstartchangingyourbehavior.InspiredbyEckhartTolle22hereare12modelsof behaviorthatcanhelpyoubecomeconsciousofyourelephant. Thefirst,alongingforrecognitioncanbeasignalthattellsyoutheelephantisinaction:Demandingrecog nition for something you did and getting angry or upset if you don't get it. The second, playing out the poormemeansyouaretryingtogetattention bytalkingaboutyourproblemsorthestoryofyourill nesses.Thethirdtraitisattentionseeking:ifyouareknowntomakeascenetogetattention,itsyourele phantinaction.Thefourthsignisunnecessaryovertalkativeness:Givingyouropinionwhennobodyhas askedforitanditmakesnodifferencetothesituation.Thesixth,ifyouarecarefulwithyourwordsand choosingwhattosay:itmeansyourelephantmightbeconcernedhowyouappeartoothers.Theseventh, choosingyourcompanyaccordingtohowtheyareperceivedmeansyoumightbeusingother(famousor important)peopleforegoicreflectionorasegoenhancers.Theeighth,areyoutryingtomakeanimpres siononothersthroughpossessions,knowledge,goodlooks,status,physicalstrength,andsoon?Theninth traitisselfrighteousanger:bringingabouttemporaryegoinflationthroughangryreactionagainstsome thingorsomeone.Thetenthistakingthingspersonally(whichIusedtobeverygoodat):Youareoffended whenthingsdontgoyourway.Theeleventhtraitistheneedtowinandberight:Youaremakingyourself rightandotherswrongthroughfutilementalorverbalcomplaining.Finally,thetwelfthtraitiskeepingup appearances:wantingtobeseenortoappearimportant. Thesemodelsofbehaviormightnotevensoundtoobadforyou,thatisifyouarestilldrivenbyyourego. Asmentioned,themajorityofthepeopleinourworldactlikethis;butmanyarealreadylettinggoofthe oldegocentricbehaviors.

Elephantsgoshopping
Allthestuffthatkeepstheconsumerismgoingisboughtbytheelephants.Theelephantlovestoidentify withstuff:mycar,myhome,mybankcard,myshoecollection.Whoisthatmewhoownsallthatstuff?Is itreallyyouorisityourelephant?Howbadlywouldyoubehurtifyoulostsomeofthosethings?Isityou whoishurtorisityourego? Ifyoucontinuouslywantmoreandmore,youwillneverbecontent.Pleasureistheflipsideofsuffering. Thiscravingforpleasureislikeaprisonyoucannotescape.Ithascreatedmanyofthechallengesweface today:environmentaldegradation,growingmountainsofwasteanddiminishingnaturalresourcessuchas cleanwater.Ofcourseitwasntyouwhoconditionedyourmindtoactthatwaytowantmoreandmore. Thedecadesofbrainwashinghasmadeourelephantsthinktheyreallyneedallthatstuff.Inretrospect,it makesmewonderwhyIspenteightyearsinbusinessschools Bearinmindthatthesearchforpleasureisnotalwaysaboutmaterialneeds,wantsordesires.Otherforms ofsensualdesires,forinstancethecravingforsex,arepredominanteverywhereinourcontemporaryso ciety.Allthesesensualdesiresarehindrancesforourspiritualdevelopment. Why has sex become that important? According to Krishnamurti in every Sex is the way your body field,ineveryactivity,youareindulgingandemphasizingyourself,yourim respondstothefuture. portance,yourprestige,yoursecurityandthatthesexualactisawayofself FredAlanWolf forgetfulness:Inthatactthereiscompletefusion;atthatmomentthereis completecessationofallconflict,youfeelsupremelyhappybecauseyouno longerfeeltheneedasaseparateentityandyouarenotconsumedwithfear.Hedoesntseesexasthe problem,butrathertheissueisthinkingofsex.Hecontinues:Thoughtsustainspleasurebythinkingabout
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somethingthathasbeenpleasurableandcultivatingthatimageandpicture...Thinkingaboutthesexualact becomeslust,whichisentirelydifferentfromtheactofsex.23 Thishasalltodowiththeabilitytostaypresentandenjoythenow.Itisinevitablethatphysicalattraction towardsanotherpersonwillsometimesoccur.Thatsnomorethanpartofnature.Whenyouidentifywith thatimpulse,itbecomesyouandturnsintowanting.Theotherpersonthenbecomesameanstoanend theendbeingsex,theattainmentoftheobjectofyourdesire.24Notethatsexassuchisnotforbiddenor bad.Justthecravingforthissensualdesirecanbecomeahindrance.

Presentisagift
Wanting,cravinganddesireisyourelephantlongingforsomethinginthefutureorcorrectingsomethingin thepast.Forsomepeopleitsdifficulttoacknowledgethattheonlymomentthereeveris,isnow.Youcan notdoanythingoutsidethepresentmoment.Isyourmindstilldoubtful? Maybeithelpsifyouconsideryourownlifeinthecontinuumofalllife.Trytovisualizeyourlifewithits startandendpointonthelifelineofthewholehumankind.Takeaboutthreemillionyearstothepastand tothefutureandputyourownlifeinthemiddle.Zoominandyouseethatshortblip.Thatsyourlife.Got it?Good.Now,wherewereyoubeforeyouwereborn?Howaboutafteryoudie;whathappenstoyou? If you were able to live in the past or in the future, you should be able to answer these questions. That smallbliponthetimelineisyourlifeyourpresentmoment.Thereisnopastorfuturetoit.Inyourfe veredstate,youprojectapastandafutureandtakethemtobereal.Infact,youknowonlyyourpresent moment.Whynotinvestigatewhatisnow,insteadofquestioningtheimaginarypastandfuture?Justas everydropoftheoceancarriesthetasteoftheocean,sodoeseverymomentcarrythetasteofeternity.25 ThePeacefulWarriorisamoviebasedonDanMillmansownstory Id rather have a moment of wonderful and the book he wrote26. The movie ends in a powerful dialogue thanalifetimeofnothingspecial. thatcapturesthisessence: SteelMagnolias Socrates:WhereareyouDan? Dan:Here. Socrates:Whattimeisit? Dan:Now. Socrates:Whatareyou? Dan:Thismoment.

Silence!Ikillyou!
Interestinglyenougheventheelephantstherealones;theanimalsthinkthattheyaretrappedwhen theresachainaroundtheirleg.Haveyouseenanelephantbeingheldbyachain?Apparentlythechainis putonwhentheyareyoung,andthenthechainobviouslyholdstheminoneplace.Overtheyearstheyare conditionedtothinkthatthechainisstillholdingthembackevenwhentheygrowupandtheyareactually strongenoughtobreakfree.Theconditioningpreventsthemfromtryingtobreakthechain.
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JidduKrishnamurti:http://soulcurrymagazine.com/sc/krishnamurtionsex.html EckhartTolle:http://eckharttolle.com/dear_eckhart_29 NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat DanMillman:WayofthePeacefulWarrior

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Youcanbreakfreeifyouwantto.Whenyouhavelearnedtospotyourelephantinyourbehavior,itiseasi er to silence it already before acting from the egoistic standpoint. But what if all these years youve col lectedexperiencesandlivedyourdramathinkingthatsyou?Isntitabitdifficulttoletgoofthatfalseim ageofyourself? Yearsofaddictiondontdieeasily,especiallywhenoneselephanthasidentifiedwiththehabit.Therewas atimewhenIhonestlythoughtthatsmokingispartofwhoIamaswaslonghairandblackjeans.Ialways knewthatssomehownavethinking,butonlynowIknowitwasmyelephantcallingtheshots.Apartfrom theirrefutablephysicaladdiction,smokingismostlyasocialandhabitualaddictionitsanaddictionofthe mind. I never liked the idea of quitting because having a cigarette was what my elephant liked when I wakeup,withcoffee,withbeer,aftermeals,whilestudying,whenhavingawalk,beforegoingtobedetc. We wont do anything that is not comfortable, satisfying and We often miss opportunity because it is secure both psychologically and physically.27 For many people dressedinoverallsandlookslikework. ThomasEdison awareness especially selfawareness is a frightening notion. Some people just dont want to change. Quitting smoking is not comfortable, satisfying or secure even if it was the right thing to do. However, quitting is not that easy, especiallyinthebeginning:yourheadisfilledwithpastandfuturethoughts,itsimpossibletostaystilland youfeelrestlessallthetime. An addiction lives inside you as a quasientity or subpersonality, an energy field that periodically takes youovercompletely.Iteventakesoveryourmind,thevoiceinyourhead,whichthenbecomesthevoiceof theaddiction.Itmaybesaying,You'vehadaroughday.YoudeserveatreatAtothertimes,theaddic tionmaybypassthethinkingmindcompletelyandyousuddenlyfindyourselfpuffingonacigaretteorhold ingadrink,actionsperformedincompleteunconsciousness.28 InthissituationEckhartTollesuggeststostopandtakethreeconsciousbreathswhenyounoticethecom pulsiveneedarisinginyou.Tollesaysthisgeneratesawarenessoffeeling,theneedtofulfilltheaddictive behavior.Hesaysthatitmightnothelpandyoufeeltheneedtoindulgeoractitoutagain.Heencourages acceptance: Don't make it into a problem. Make the addiction part of your awareness practice As awareness grows, addictive patterns will weaken and eventually dissolve. Remember, however, to catch any thoughts that justify the addictive behavior, sometimes with clever arguments, as they arise in your mind.Askyourself,whoistalkinghere?Andyouwillrealizetheaddictionistalking.Aslongasyouknow that,aslongasyouarepresentastheobserverofyourmind,itislesslikelytotrickyouintodoingwhatit wants. Anotherquestionisshouldyoucompletelygetridoftheelephantorjustacknowledgeitsthere.Eckhart Tolleclaimshehasgotridofhisegobutaccordingtohimit'senoughtobeawareoftheego.Gnosticsare stricterandworktoabolishtheegocompletely.AccordingtotheKabbalah,theegoisdefinedasthewill toreceivepleasure.Itsnotthat havingawilltoreceivepleasurecauses clashesamong us.Itsthat the intentionforwhichweusethiswillisaimedatpleasingourselves.Transformingourintentiontoserveoth ersortobestowistheteachingintheKabbalah.ItisthesameastheunderstandingofUbuntu:Iam becauseyouare.Whatmattershereisthatyourelephantproducescertainmethodsofbehaviorandifyou workconsciouslytoreplacethosebehaviorswithnewkinds,youwillsoonfindoutthatyouarenolonger basingyourbehaviorontheelephantbuttherealyou.Whethertheelephanthasbeencompletelyelimi natedisanotherquestion;mostlikelyitsstillthere,andyoucannotjustregressbacktounawareness.
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JidduKrishnamurti&DavidBohm:TheFutureofHumanity EckhartTolle:ANewEarth

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The bottom line is that if you are tired of constant worrying and complaining how miserable life is, you mightbereadytounderstandyourelephantandwhatlifecouldbewithoutit.Thefirststepinthisunder standingisthenotionoffearandlove.

Dealingwithfear

Itstimetogreetyourelephantandgettoknowit.Allsocallednega tivefeelingsderivefromonesourcefear.Likewisethepositiveemo tionsarerootedinwhatwecalllove.Ifyouwish,forsimplicityssake you can consider fear the opposite of love for now. This realization canalreadyhelpyou. Anynegativefeelingssuchaslackoftrust,suspicion,insecurity,loneliness,insignificance,powerlessness, inhibition,anger,worthlessnessareallderivingfromfear.Ifyoujustdwellinyournegativityandgivelabels toallyournegativeemotions,lifecanbeharshindeed.Butifyoutrulyunderstandthatitisyourelephant whichisforwhateverthereasonafraid,twothingshappen.First,itsnotthat complicatedanymore. Second,youstopblamingothersforyournegativefeelings,startlookinginwardsandrealizeitsyourfrig gingelephantthatisafraidinthecorner.Afterthatitsuptoyouhowyouhandlethesituation. One idea might be to find out where the fear is coming from: is it your childhood, upbringing, previous traumas,ormaybeexpectationsfromothers?TommyHellstenhaswrittenaboutcodependencythatac cordingtohimisanailmentorsimilarconditionthatariseswhenonelivesinthepresenceofapersonwith strongissuesandcannotdealwiththeminherpersonalitybutadaptstotheirexistence.Hecallsthiship pointhelivingroom29.Thishippopotamus(childhoodtrauma)isthusafriendtooneselephantasource offear.Onedoesntlikethisfriendbutshouldbeawareofit.Onceonehasidentifiedthesourceofthefear namethehippoanddealtwithit,lifemightsuddenlybecomemuchlesscomplicatedandlessnegative. This realization also helps you put other peoples comments on perspective. Even if you had understood thatallnegativeemotions,doubtanddisbeliefareallspawningfromfearothersprobablyhavent.When Idecidedtoletgoofapermanentplacetostay,whenIgaveawaymostofmyearthlybelongingsandwhen Istoppedworryingaboutmakingmoney,peopleclosetomeeitherthoughtIdlostmymind(hmm,maybe Ihad!)ortheywereconcernedifIwouldsurvive.Theyweremerelyprojectingtheirownfearsinmyac tions.Itwasquiteeasytojustaccepttheirworriesandconcernsandletthembe.Theywerenotproblems formetosolve. The weakening or dissolution of form, whether through old age, illness, disability, loss, or some kind of personaltragedy,carriesgreatpotentialforspiritualawakeningSincethereisverylittlespiritualtruthin ourcontemporaryculture,notmanypeoplerecognizethisasanopportunity,andsowhenithappensto themortosomeoneclosetothem,theythinkthereissomethingdreadfullywrong,somethingthatshould notbehappening.30 Fear is a good signpost for noticing your elephant in action It Ihavefoundtheparadox,thatifyoulove takespracticetorecognizethedifferencebetweengenuineintui until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, tiveguidanceandegobasedmessagesFalseguidanceisrooted onlymorelove. infear.Theunderlyingassumptionisthattheworldisunsafeand MotherTheresa thatyouarenotsecure,sotheguidancewillbeaimedatincreas ing your degree of control. Genuine intuitive guidance comes
ThiscomesfromEnglishlanguageidiomelephantintheroom.ItwaspopularizedbyMarionH.Typpoinabook calledAnelephantinthelivingroom:aleader'sguideforhelpingchildrenofalcoholics.
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Fear is the path to the dark side. Fearleadstoanger.Angerleadsto hate.Hateleadstosuffering. Yoda

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from a place of love and the assumption that you are perfectly safe and secure as you are so instead of tryingtogaincontrol,thefocusisonexpressingyourtrueself.31

Switchingtolove
Ram Dass said I came here to learn about two things: suffering and love.32 When he said that, he had beenthesilentobserverofhiselephantfordecadesalready.Hehadacceptedthatinthisworldthereisa lotofsufferingmostlyduetotheelephantsonarampagebuthehadalsofiguredouttheimportanceof love. Betweenthebanksofpainandpleasuretheriveroflifeflows.Itisonlywhenthemind refusestoflow withlife,andgetsstuckatthebanks,thatitbecomesaproblem.ByflowingwithlifeImeanacceptance letting come what comes and go what goes.33 This notion of love is much grander than mere romantic love.AccordingtoRomanticloveisnotanemotion;it'sadrivefromthecravingpartofthebrain34.Ro manticloveismoreofaverbforyoutobeinaloverelationshipyouneedtodothingsfortherelationship togoon.AsafriendofminesaidItsadecisionyoumakeeveryday.Thelovethatwearedealingwith hereisdeeperandrequiresonlybeing. Thelovethatwearetalkingaboutisasourceofallinternalhappiness,friendliness,care,empathy,vibran cy,excitement,patience,relaxation,inspiration,selfworth,passion,security,importance,peace,joy,and courage.Youcantraceallyourpositivefeelingsbacktolove. Evenifyouwerejusttakingyourfirststepsunderstandingyourselfandyour When an elephant becomes elephantitispossibleforyoutoconcentrateonloveratherthanfear.But assmallasamonkey,itceases youwillsoonrealizethatthereisaplacewherenofearexists.Thatplaceis tobeanelephant. beyond the elephant. You start accepting everything coming your way as a Africanproverb gift. You start feeling grateful for everything. The division to good and bad dissolves.Loveconquersall. Everythingintheworldischangingwithoneexception:ournegativementalstate!Weshoulddevelopa minddevoidofegoismamindthatdoesntfallapartinfailure,amindthatfindsjoyingivingandaccepts adversitywithlove.Suchamindwillneverexperiencesorrow.35 Change is inevitable but how do we react to it? Lets take the economic crisis for example. Most of the peopleseemtothinkthatthesocalledcrisisissomehowbad.Mypointofviewisthatitsinevitableand neededinorderforpeopletostartrealizingwhatistrulyimportantinlifethatthemonetarysystemthat wevebeenbornintoisnotonlymalfunctioningbutobsolete.Thefractionalreservebankingsystemthat wehavenearlyreligiouslytakenforgrantedhascreatedmoneyoutofthinair.Theonlywaytokeepthe systemupandrunningistoensuretherichgetricherandthepoorgetpoorer;i.e.getpeople,organiza tionsandcountriesintodebtslavery.Itstimetogetintoanewparadigm.Ofcoursemanypeoplecannot deal with this paradigm shift. As long as you stick to your old views, things like employment, work and moneyremainimportant.Butiflosingitallisatriggerforyoutoputthingsinperspective,itcanbeoneof
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StevePavlina:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/asksteveintuitionvsego/ RamDass:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV9cXKHkX34 NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat HelenFisher:http://www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_tells_us_why_we_love_cheat.html Amma:http://www.ammaeurope.org/latestmsg.html

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themostprofoundgiftsinyourlife.Nothingiseithergoodorbaditjustis.Thisrealizationofmereis ness is an important step in one's spiritual development. The Buddhist calls this upekkha or equanimity andinGreekphilosophyasimilartermisAtaraxiaafreedomfromworryoranyotherpreoccupation. Onecandevelopequanimitythroughvariouswaysofpractice.Meditationisofcourserecommendedifyou are serious about calming your mind. In meditation you dont need to go anywhere, you dont have to achieveanything,butyougrantyourselfamomentofabsolutestillness.Beinginthenaturecanassistyou to appreciate the grandiose beauty of nature and stop the continuous brain chatter. Sports and exercise helpsalso:whenyouareengagedinaphysicalactivityyouareinfacthelpingyourbrainbynaturallyreleas ingneurochemicals(Serotonin,Epinephrine,Dopamine,andEndorphin).Thatswhyduringandrightafter exerciseyoufeelgood.However,thereasonwhyyoudontusuallyseeBuddhistmonkstheequanimity professionalsrunningaroundcouldbethatthisisonlyatemporarysolution. Stoppingtheidentificationwithyourelephantandseeingbeyond ittotheplacewhereonlyloveprevailsisalreadyasteptowards A man who is trampled to death by an elephantisamanwhoisblindanddeaf. awakening. The process of awakening is slow, gradual, natural, Nigerianproverb withoutspectacular,sensational,emotional,andbarbaricevents. When consciousness already has completely awakened it is not somethingsensational,orspectacular.Itissimplyareality,asnaturalasatreethatgrewslowly,unfolded and developed without sudden leaps or sensational events. Nature is nature.36 Although the process of awakeningisslow,itstartsonindividuallevelitstartswithyou. Formethisawakeningprocessstartedon16July2009onthatbeachinCroatiathatImentionedearlier. Thisisadirectquotefrommytraveldiary: ShouldIstayorshouldIgoisnotadecisiontobemadeaslongasIholdontothepreciousmomentof nowpresentisagift.Iwillbecompletelyfreerightnowaslongas: Iunderstandmymindisnotme Irejectfear,knowingitsmymindtryingtosurvive Ireplacefearwithlove,consciouslykillingmymind Istopworrying,becausetherearenoproblemsinthenow Ilettheworldintome;lettheuniversehandlemyfate Iacknowledgemymindcreatedpoormedramaandletitgo Iknowthatmylifeisunderneaththelifesituation Iunderstandthatcollectivelythedawnofneweramarkstheendingoftime Iwilldonothing;justbe!

Thiswasanotherbreakthroughday.IfeltIhaditallfiguredout.Ichanged.Allthoseyearsoftryingtosave theworld,carryingthepainoftheworldwithme,suddenlyitwasallmeaningless.Ihadbeenlookingfor salvationinthewrongplaceinthedoing,ratherthanbeing.IlearnedthatIcanstilldonoblethings,but notwithoutthepower,directionandmeaningstemmingfromtheBeingwithin. Haveyouhadthiskindofdefiningmomentsinyourlife?Youknowitwhenithappens.Thatisthestart.In theendthetransitiontoanewworldisquiteeasy: 1) ReducethinkingindividuallyanddealwithyouregoBemorepresent.Learntoletgo. 2) ImprovetherelationshipsConnecttoothers.Partnerwithawakenedindividuals.


SamaelAunWeor:http://gnosticteachings.org/theteachingsofgnosis/thewritingsofsamaelaunweor/the awakeningofconsciousness
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3) ConnecttohumanityWorktogetherforcommongoodincommunitiesaroundtheworld. Seeingthesimplicityofthisiseasierifoneadoptsasystemicview:Youdevelopaverydifferentworldview ifthestartingpointisthewholeuniverse,thenoursolarsystem,thentheplanetcalledearth,thenalllife onearth,thenthehumanrace,thenmaybeEurope,yourcountry,yourcommunity,yourrelationshipand onlyafterthatyourself noticingthatevenyouareasystem consistingof physical,mentalandspiritual subsystems. The focal point of ones observation is no longer ones silly little life but the whole system consistingofsmallerinterrelatedsystems. InthenextchapterwedealwithIambecauseyouarestrengtheningtherelationshipsinyourlifeand connectingtootherswithouttheelephantintheway.Wegoandmeetthecrocodiledentist.

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Chapteronesummary
*** Keypointsofthischapterwere: Ifwearetofeelcomplete,bringmeaningintoourlivesandfillthevoidwithin,weneedtoleave theratracebehindandgetconnectedwithwhowereallyare. Thefoundationlevelfeelingsarefearandlove.Thesearebothpresentandgivebirthtootherso called negative and positive feelings as long as you identify with your elephant. But as you go beyondyourelephant,thefeardoesnthaveaplacethere.Onlyloveprevails. Gettingridofyourelephantmeansthatyourbehaviorchangesoneiselevatedtoanewlevelof being.Acceptanceofimpermanentnatureofallthings,sufferingandnoselfhelpsyoutobenon resistant,nonjudgmentalandnonattached.Thiscreatesspaceforbeingtherealme. Beingyourselfwithouttheegointhewayenablesyoutobuildhealthyrelationships,throughwhich youcanchangetheworldtothebetter. Seetips,tricksandtoolsattheendofthebook: Powerfulmoviesyoushouldseenow Mykindofmeditation Seefrequentlyaskedquestionsattheendofthebook: Whydidyoutaketheelephantasametaphor?Isn'titthesameasHellsten'shippo? Whydoestheteachercalllifedramaelephantdung? WhatistheSourcetheteachermentions? Areyousayingthinkingisbad? Iagreewithwhatyousayaboutidentifyingwithyourpastdramabuthowaboutgoodstories;can't wetelleventhem? Areallneeds,wantsanddesiresfromtheelephant?Forexample,ifIhaveadesiretoescapethe ratrace,thenisthatstillmyelephantorisitthetruemesayingthat? God,spirit,soul,consciousness,trueme...Areallthesesynonyms? Areyousayingwedon'tneedclothes,dishes,andhomeelectronicsatall? Doesleavingtheratracemeanthatweshouldallbecomehomelessanddonothing? Whatdoesitmeantobemoreconscious? Isn'tselfishbehaviorinhumannature? Whatdoyoumeanmoneyiscreatedoutofthinair?

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Chaptertwo CROCODILEDENTIST
HOWUNLIKEORGANISMSCANCOEXIST ANDLEADFREE,INTERDEPENDENTLIVES Anna was lying on the lawn and gazing at the clouds as they slowly slid past the sun. She smiled and breathed easily. A few months had passed since she had met the teacher. She had understood what her elephantwasallabout:shehadfoundpeaceofmind.Thisserenemomentwassuddenlyinterrupted.Anna wasstartledtonoticetherewassomeonelyingnexttoher,staringatthesky.Itwastheteacher. A:Gosh,youscaredme.Howdidyouappearwithoutmenoticinganything? Imnotaccompaniedbymyelephant,soIdontdisturbothers. A:Ofcourse. Anna smiled although she thought the teacher had a very dry sense of humor. She was happy that the teacherwasback.Theteacheraskedanotherpowerfulquestion:Doesacrocodileneedtogotoadentist? A:What?Stopitwithyourriddles.IwasexpectingyoudwanttohearhowIhaveusedtheknowledgeyou gaveme.Ivethoughtofmypersonalhistoryandtheeffectstheelephanthashad. Goon.Imallears. A:Ok.SomeyearsagoIthoughteverythingshouldgomyway.Iwasoverconfidentandarrogant.Success seemedtobreedmoresuccessandmyegowhichyoulaternamedtheelephantgrewandgrew. Andhowdiditaffectyourbehavior? A:Mysocialbehaviorwasnexttounacceptablebecauseofmydistortedselfimage.Inactualityitwasnta selfimageinthefirstplaceitwasareflectionofmyelephant.ButIwasblindtoitbecauseIlikedtheway itwas.Right? Soundsyouvedoneyourhomework.Carryon. A: Then I faced disappointments. I started failing which was unheard of for me. As I told you before, I didntacceptresponsibilityforthefailuresbutblamedothers.IfIcouldntblameindividualsIwouldblame institutionsoreventhewholeworld.Ittookmanydisappointmentsandaverycourageousindividualwho mademeseeitsmyfaultIwastheonewhoneededtochange. Theteacherwasenticedaboutthestory. Sowhathappened? A:Iwasgratefulforthispersonstillamandstartedbuildingthenewmewithamorehumbleattitude. Whatdidyoudo? A:Isetpersonaldevelopmentgoals,gatheredfeedbackofmybehavior,didpersonalitytests,readalotof selfhelpbooks,clarified mypurpose andvaluesandallsortsofthings that onlyabadly beatenelephant couldimagine. Youusetheelephantmetaphorveryeloquently. A:Yeah,Ilikeit.Anyways,soItriedtothinkmywayoutofmisery.Ithoughtandthoughtandthought.And finallyIthoughtagainthatIhavechangedbecauseIwasseeminglysuccessfulagain. Butyouwerenot,wereyou? A:MaybeIhadlearnedsomething,butitwasstillmyelephantintheforefront. Canyougivemeanexample? A:Forinstance,Iwasobsessedtoberight.Itwasstillmywayorthehighway.Irefusedtolistentotheother personspointofviewletalonetrytounderstandwherehewascomingfrom,whatwasthelanguagehe wasusingorwhyhewouldfeelthatstronglyofhisstandpoint.Gosh,Icouldbehavingthesameviewpoint butstillargue,becauseIwasjustusingdifferentwordstoexpressthesamething. Soyouhadtowinoneveryoccasion,amIright?
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A:No.Myelephantneededtowin. Annaturnedtopickupsomethingfromherbackpack.ShegaveabookcalledCelestineProphecytothe teacher. HmmJamesRedfield.Soundsfamiliar.Whatdidyoulearnfromthis? A:Ihaventfinishedreadingityet,butIalreadylearnedoftheconceptofcontroldramas.Inoticedthat IvebeenrepeatingthepoormedramainmyselfsomethingthatIhadlearnedearlyoninmychildhood frommyparentsandmyupbringing. Andwhatdoesthishavetodowithwhatyoutoldmebefore? A:ThispoormedramawasthereasonwhyIwasactingthewayIwastryingtogetattention,tellingmy sadstoryandblamingthewholeworldifthingsdidntgomyway.ButalthoughInoticeditinmyself,Ifelt helplessnotknowinghowtoletgoofit,untilIrealizeditwasnotmewhowascarryingtheburden,butmy elephant. Ofcourse.So,noticingthatyouhaveanelephantwashelpful. A:Yes.Creatingthedistinctionbetweenmeandmymindcreatedegohashelpedmealot. The teacher did not look satisfied. Anna was wondering why the teacher was not happy that she had learnedsomuch. Youstillhaventansweredmyquestion. A:Whatquestion? Doesacrocodileneedtogotothedentist? Annawasbewildered:Whatdoesthishavetodowithanything?Thensherealizedshesbeingtestedfur therandwasgladtoanswerthequestion. A:No.Idontthinkcrocsseeadentist. Andwhyisthat? A:Becausetheirteetharejustfine. Why? A:Idontknowwhymaybetheybrushoftenenough. Correct.Butwhobrushestheirteeth?Theycannotdoitalone,canthey? Anna knew this had something to do with what she had already learned. She let the teacher wait for an answer.Sheknewthinkingwouldnthelphermuch,soinsteadshejustgazedattheskyShelethereyes wanderawayfromthecloudsandintothetreesAbird?shethoughttoherselfsuddenly. A:Theresthebird.Thebirdisthedentist! Excellent.ThebirdiscalledanEgyptianPlover.Didyouknowthat? A:Notreally. Why? A:Ijustknewitsthecrocodilebird. Exactly.Whydopeopleassociatethebirdwiththecrocodile? A:Becausetheyhangouttogethersomuch. Yes.Whydoyouthinkthecrocodileletstheplovertobeinitsmouthanddoesnteatit? A:Becausethebirdisuseful. Correctagain.Andwhatsinitforthebird?Isitjustdoingthecrocodileafavor? A:No.Iguessitseatingthestuffbetweenthecrocodilesteeth. Precisely.So,whatdoyoucallthiskindofrelationship? A:TheCrocandploverareinacooperativerelationship?Idontknow Comeon.Thinkagain.Whatisitwhenanunlikelyspecieslivesincompletepeaceandharmonyand helpseachother?Whatisthatrelationship? A:Symbiosis? Yes.Itsamutualisticrelationship.Inthe19thcenturysymbiosiswasdefinedas"thelivingtogether ofunlikeorganisms."
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Annawassilentlycongratulatingherselfforputtingtwoandtwotogethersoeasily.Butshewasstillbaf fled. A:Whatdoesthishavetodowithelephantsagain? Canyounameanyunlikeorganismsthatyouknow? A:What? In a symbiotic, mutualistic, coexistence both organisms benefit from each other in fact they wouldntsurvivewithouteachother. A:Yes,and? Otherthanthecrocsandplovers,commonsymbioticrelationshipsincludeforinstancebeesandpol linatingflowers,Gobyfishandshrimp,ClownfishandRitterianemone,humanandthehorse.Can younamegroupsofpeoplewhohavethiskindofcoexistence? A:Notreally. Well,letsturnittheotherwayaround.Doyouknowgroupsofpeoplewhodontgetalong? A:Ofcourse.Youmeanlikepoliceanddemonstrators? Yes.Whoelse? A:IsraelisandPalestiniansYoungandoldMenandwomenHutusandTutsisThislistreallyisendless. Itis.Howdoyouthinkwecouldbetterconnectwithothers? A:Bylettinggoofourelephants!Byunderstandingthevalueofcooperation!Byseeingthatmylifedepends onothersIguess. Yes,yesandyes.Improudofyourprogress. Annas smile was radiant although it had started to rain. The teacher took out his umbrella and left in a typicalmanner,withoutevenafairwarning. A:Dontdoitagain!Tellmemore!HeyWhatsmyhomework? Goseeadentist. Howwillwetreateachotherwhenpushcomestoshove?Insixbillionyearsthesunisgoingtodieandstop providinglifeforplanetEarth.Noonewillbeabletoliveonthisplanetanymore.Doesitmatterifitssix billionyearsorsixdays?Howwillwetreateachotherwhenpushcomestoshove? The malfunctioning relationships and separation between people causes "With the monetary system we have problemsbothinourindividuallivesandsocietyatlarge.Atrendforecas now, the careful saving of a lifetime ter,GeraldCelente,haspredictedforexamplethecrashofSovietUnion, canbewipedoutinaneyeblink. thecrashof1987andthehousingcollapse.Hehasbeenspotonwithhis LarryParks work,uptothepointthatNewYorkPostcheeredIfNostradamuswere alivetoday,he'dhaveahardtimekeepingupwithGeraldCelente.Now heispredictingwhathecallstheGreatestDepression.Weareatthevergeofaglobaleconomiccollapse. Theoldeconomyisgoneandthemultitudeofgovernmentbailoutsisonlymakingthingsworse. CelentesaysWhenpeopleloseeverythingandtheyhavenothinglefttolose,theyloseit.37Whenpeople cannolongersustainthelivingstandardstheyareforcedtodowngrade.Iftheycannolongersettletheir billsorpayofftheirmortgage,itwillforsureincreasetheirstresslevels.Butwhathappenswhentheyno longercanaffordfoodorcleanwater?Aglobalfamineisnotonlypossible;itsalreadyonitsway.13.7%of Americansarelivingbelowthepovertyline.Socallednormalpeoplehavelosttheirjobsandtheyarenow livingincommunitysheltersorworseonthestreets.
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Irepeat:howwillwetreateachotherwhenpushcomestoshove?Isourbehaviorgoingtobedrivenby fearasithasbeenforsolongorareweabletoshifttoaparadigmofloveandworkourwayoutof globalpoverty?Nowisthetimetocomebacktogether.Nomatterhowtemptingathought,thisisnota timetogoaloneinthewilderness.Loveyourneighborasyourself.Jesussaid.Howfarhavewegonefrom thatsimpletruth?Weliveinatimeofchaos,asrichinthepotentialfordisasterasfornewpossibilities. Howwillwenavigatethesetimes?Theansweris,together.38 Underthesubjectiverealitymodel,themostobviousinterpre The consciousness in you and the con tationofLoveyourneighborasyourselfisthatJesusistelling sciousness in me, apparently two, really ustorecognizethatallofusegoichumanbeingsareprojections one,seekunity,andthatislove. of awareness, and your true identity is that awareness. Fur NisargadattaMaharaj thermore,unconditionalloveforeverythingisonewaytoregain that awareness. Unconditional love is essentially unconditional connectedness. So,Jesus issuggesting a shiftinyourmindsetratherthanyourbehavior,whichisawholedifferentsortofchallenge.39 FinlandistheonlyWesterncivilizationwhereyoucanstillbejailedforyouropinions.WhenIwas18Ifaced adilemma;Ididntwanttogotojailasaconscientiousobjector,butIdidntwanttosupportthesystem either.Ididntwanttogotothearmyagainstmybeliefsnordoalongercivilserviceandpostponethe startofmyuniversitystudies.ItallboileddowntoaveryrunofthemillquestionofwhetherIcouldpulla triggerwhenIwasaimingatanotherhumanbeing.Itssuchatrivialquestion,butatthattimeIhadtoreal lypondermyansweranditwasalwaysno. Humanlifenomatterwhatnationality,raceorgenderissopreciousthattakingitawayiswrong.Iwas nearlycryingwhenIthoughtofthatpersonontheothersideofthemanmadeborder:hewasalsosome onesbrother,someonesson,someonesbeloved,maybeevensomeonesfather.Althoughatthatstageof my life I really didnt have a choice but to go to the army for the shortest possible time period, it was a good exercise in thinking and feeling. It made me respect humanity. And it ensured that I wouldnt take those6monthsofvainservitudetooseriously.Handlingthesekindsofmoraldilemmashelpedmestartmy awakeningprocessquiteearlyon.

Awakeningtoconnectedness
Once you have understood that the world is love in action, you will look at it quite differently. But first yourattitudetosufferingmustchange.Sufferingisprimarilyacallforattention,whichitselfisamovement of love. More than happiness, love wants growth, the widening and deepening of consciousness and be ingWheneverloveiswithheldandsufferingallowedtospreadwarbecomesinevitable.Ourindifference toourneighborssorrowbringssufferingtoourdoor.40 Itisfromonethatwehaveallcome,anditisbackintothatonethatweallmustmerge.Thisisthesu premegoalofallofourlives.However,inourhecticschedules,wehaveforgottenthis.saysAmma.She continues:OnlywhenhumanbeingsareabletoperceiveandacknowledgetheSelfineachothercanthere berealpeace.41WhenAmmatalksaboutselfshereferstotmantheuniversalselforthesoul.Thisis thesecondpartofUbuntu:Iambecauseyouare.Inotherwords,yourexistenceismyexistence.Weare notseparate,butone.
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MargaretWheatley:LeadershipandtheNewScience StevePavlina:http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/09/understandingjesusbuddhaandothermystics/ NisargadattaMaharaj:IAmThat Amma:http://www.amritapuri.org/4700/onam09/

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As you adopt the Ubuntu philosophy in your life, you start connecting to others on a deeper level, even strangers. In fact there are no longer strangers, just sisters and brothers you still havent met. This hap pened to me on a fairly ordinary day when I was simply walking outside. Until that point I had merely thoughtofUbuntuasaniceconceptIcouldrelatetoonanintellectuallevel.Butsuddenly,Iexperienced theconnectednessinaverypowerfulway:IfeltlikeIwastrulyonewithhumanitythatallhumanbeings weremeandIwasthem.Itsdifficulttodescribeitinwordsastherewasnothingmysticalaboutit.Isaw the colorful autumn nature and people strolling on the streets. Thats all. But suddenly there were no strangersanymore:Icouldfeeltheonenessandlove.Itallkickedintomyconsciousnesswithoutonepar ticularreason.Wemustseetheworldwithglobaleyes.Lovetheworldwithaglobalheart.Understand theworldwithaglobalmind.Mergewiththeworldandtheuniversethroughaglobalsoul.42 Allthingsinexistence,frommicrobestohumanbeingstogalaxies,arenotreallyseparatethingsorenti ties,butformpartofawebofinterconnectedmultidimensionalprocesses.Therearetworeasonswhywe don'tseethisunity,whyweseethingsasseparate.Oneisperception,whichreducesrealitytowhatisac cessibletousthroughthesmallrangeofoursenses:whatwecansee,hear,smell,taste,andtouch.But when we perceive without interpreting or mental labeling, which means without adding thought to our perceptions,wecanactuallystillsensethedeeperconnectednessunderneathourperceptionofseemingly separatethings.Theothermoreseriousreasonfortheillusionofseparatenessiscompulsivethinking.Itis whenwearetrappedinincessantstreamsofcompulsivethinkingthattheuniversereallydisintegratesfor us,andwelosetheabilitytosensetheinterconnectednessofallthatexists.Thinkingcutsrealityupinto lifelessfragments.Extremelyunintelligentanddestructiveactionarisesoutofsuchafragmentedviewof reality.43 JillBolteTaylorsuggestswecanfeeltheconnectednesswiththerighthemisphereofthebrain:Ourright mindisspontaneous,carefreeandimaginative.Itallowsourartisticjuicestoflowfreewithoutinhibition or judgment. The present moment is the time when everything and everyone are connected together as one.Asaresultourrightmindperceiveseachofusasequalmembersofthehumanfamily.Itidentifiesour similaritiesandrecognizesourrelationshipwiththismarvelousplanetwhichsustainsourlife.Itperceives thebigpicture:howeverythingisrelatedandhowwealljointogethertomakeupthewhole.44 Ifyoucontinueonlywithyourrationalthinkingmind(thelefthemisphere),itisimpossibletoeveradmit thatthereismoretolifethanwhatyoucanperceivewithyourlimitedsenses.Evenifyouwouldhaveby nowridyourselfofincessantthinkingandacceptedthatthereismoretolifethanmeetstheeye,wemight need to experience the interconnectedness to truly know its there. You cannot force it. One day it will strikeyouifyourereceptive.Butagain,ifyouwishtohelpthedestiny,youcangetyourselfinsituations whereyouhavetodependonothers.

Learningtodepend
Withhighspirits,neitherwealthnorknowledgewillhelp.Rather,onepersoncanhelpanotherItfollows thateachandeveryoneshouldpayattentionandthinkhowonecanhelpone'sfriend,andmakeone'sspi rithigh,forinhighspirits,anyonecanfindaplaceoflackinone'sfriend,thatonecanfulfill.45
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RobertMuller:http://robertmuller.org/documents/021024/index.htm EckhartTolle:ANewEarth JillBolteTaylor:MyStrokeofInsight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Ashlag

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Theonlydownsideofbeinghomelessisthatyoudonthaveahome.Itisdifficulttoconcentrateonone thingsuchaswritingabookwhenyouareconstantlyonthemoveandyouhavetorelentlesslyfocuson thebareessentials.LuckilyIhavegoodfriendswhoallowedmetostayattheirplaces.Oneofthemoffered me a deal. He said: I wouldnt mind having a chef who has prepared a meal when I come home from work.ThissimplearrangementensuredthatIdidnthavetofocusonfindingashelterandfood,butin steadIcoulddowhatIwasdestinedtodoatthattime.Icouldconcentrateonlife. We built a mutualistic relationship, a winwin situation. I was living my dream: writing and cooking were twothingsthatIlovedtodo.IcametoarealizationthatIwouldbeverylonelywithouttheserelationships. I had no need to deny it or fight for my independence: it was okay to be dependent. This acceptance of dependence is something that we have lost as our culture has emphasized a highly individualistic value system. EmperorpenguinsareabletobufferthemselvesagainsttheintenseAntarcticcoldbyhuddlingtogether duringthewintermonthsindense,heatsharingcoloniesnumberinginthetensofthousands.Experiments haveshownthat,insodoing,thepenguinsareabletoreducetheirindividualenergyexpendituresby2050 percent.statesPeterCorning46.Meanwhile,allmajorcitiesintheworldaregoodexamplesofpeoples indifference:therichinhabittheirmansionsandthepoordwellinslums.Thisisevidenceofourmanmade separateness.Searchfortheculpritwithin.Theideasof'me'and'mine'areattherootofallconflict.Be freeofthemandyouwillbeoutofconflict.47Theonlywayforsurvivalofourspeciesistoworktogether, toliveinasynergisticrelationshipwitheachotherandotherspecies. As long as we dont understand the science of relationships, we cannot act like penguins depending on each other. We need to let go of our selfishness. According to Kabbalah we are now moving away from selfishnessbecauseourintentiontoreceiveischanging.Ourmodusoperandidependsonourintention toreceive.Ifwearereceivingforthesakeofreceiving,mostofouractionshappeninanunconscious modewherewehavenoideathatweareconstantlytryingtomaximizeourownbenefit.Thisisaveryfa miliarmodeformostofus.Wetakewhateverwecanbecausewefeelthatthismakesussuccessfulinlife. Webecomemoredevelopedwhenourintentiontoreceiveshiftstogivingforthesakeofreceiving.The worldaroundusdoesntseemtochangemuch,butwestartgiving,serving,andhelpingothers.Howeverin thismodeofbehaviorwearestillactingunconsciously.Wearegivingwiththetrueintentiontogetsome thingback.Ourmotivationtogiveisthefactthatitmakesusfeelgood.InhisbookWhatisMan?Mark Twaincontemplatedthateverythingwedoisbecauseofselfishintentions.Hewasreferringtothesefirst twomodes. Ifwewishtoclearwayforemergenceofanewhumanconsciousnesswehavenochoicebuttostartcon centratingmoreonspiritualrealm.Wecanstartunifyinghumanitythroughswitchingourintentiontore ceivetothenextlevel.Givingforthesakeofgivingisamodewherewerebelagainstintentiontore ceiveandstartservingothersunconditionally.Theintentiontogiveispure.Wedontexpectanythingback. Thiscanbeonlyachievedinternallywithouttheelephantintheway. The final mode of operation is where one receives thinking how it willpleasethegiver.Inthisfullyspiritualdegreeofreceivingforthe Ihavebeenaselfishbeingallmylife,in sakeofbestowingitisoktoreceivebutnotfromaselfishpointof practice,thoughnotinprinciple. JaneAusten view. We are free to enjoy the abundance provided to us by our community of peers. Selfishness is long gone, when we are able to
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pleaseothersbylivinglifetothefullest. Thisallmightsoundabitconfusingnow,butwewillcomeback tothisconceptofintentiontoreceiveinnextchapter.Fornow, trytospotyourownmodeofbehaviorandseeifyoucouldim proveyourrelationshipsbyswitchingtoanewmode.

Better the cold blast of winter than the hotbreathofapursuingelephant. Chineseproverb

Theelephantinthecrocodilesmouth
Synergyisnotthat easily achievedbecauseittakestwo totango.Evenifyouwereready,theotherone mightnotbe.Butyoucannotgoandtrytoshapetheotherpersontobelikeyouwant.Theonlypersonyou canaffectisyourself.Bemindfulinyourrelationshipsandseeifitsreallyaploverinthecrocsmouth,orif itisanelephantdisguisedasabird.Needlesstosaythelattercanbetoomuchtotake. Therearefourmainstylesofcommunications:Aggressive,Passive,PassiveAggressiveandAssertive.Only assertive communication models healthy, productive communication. The other three styles are full of tricks,deviousbehaviors,andmanipulativegimmicks.Unfortunately,theyusuallycomprisethevastmajori tyofpeople'scommunicationwitheachother.48Thisisalltrue,andbynowyoushouldknowwhy;aslong asyouaredrivenbyyouregoyouarepronetousetheotherstylesinordertogetwhatyouwant,need anddesire. Therealityofhumaninteractionisthatweallmoveinandoutofthesepatternscontinuouslythroughout ourlife...Wealwayshaveachoiceofwhichcommunicationstylewewilluseineverygivensituation.The stylewechoosegenerallydependsonwhatourpastexperienceshavetaughtuswillworkbesttogetour

Picture4.Elephantindisguise.

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needsmetineachspecificsituation.49Thatchoicebecomesmucheasierwhenyouvemovedyourfocus beyondyourelephant.Whyshouldyouevengetyourownneedsmetifitmeanstheotherpersonisleft withnothing?Itisimportanttoknowthesecommunicationstylesandobserveyourowncommunication becausetheelephantcancomeindisguise. AggressiveCommunicationisthebulldozerway:itmeansthatyouhonoryourownrightssomuchsothat othersfeelhumiliated,defensive,resentful,andhurtaroundyouduetoyourdirectandforcefulcommuni cation.Youchooseandmakedecisionsforothersandyouarebrutallyhonestwithouttakingintoaccount othersfeelings.Youareselfenhancingandderogatory:youmakeyourselfthecentreofattentionandmay insultpeoplewithwhatyouthinkishumor.Youllparticipateinawinlosesituationonlyifyoullwin:You demanditseitheryourwayorthehighway.Youfeelrighteous,superior,controllingandonlylaterpossibly feeling guilt. Others view you in the exchange as angry, vengeful, distrustful and fearful. The outcome is usuallythatyourgoalisachievedattheexpenseofothers.Yourrightsareupheldbutothersareviolated. Yourunderlyingbeliefsystemisthatyouhavetoputothersdowntoprotectyourself. PassiveCommunicationisshyingaway:itmeansyoudontdefendyourownrightsincommunicationsitua tionsandmakeothersfeelguiltyorsuperiorandfrustratedwithyou.Youallowotherstochooseandmake decisionsforyouandkeepyourfeelingstoyourself,thusbeingemotionallydishonest.Youareinhibited, indirectandselfdenying:Ifyougetyourownway,itisbychance.Othersviewyouintheexchangeasa pushoverandthatyoudontknowwhatyouwantorhowyoustandonanissue:Theoutcomeisthatoth ersachievetheirgoalsatyourexpense.Yourrightsareviolated.Youfeelanxious,ignored,helpless,mani pulated, and angry at yourself or others. Your underlying belief is that you should never make someone uncomfortableordispleasedexceptyourself. PassiveAggressiveCommunicationisthewittystyle:youmanipulateotherstochooseyourwayandifyou dontgetyourwayyoullmakenastycommentsormopeandplaythevictim.Youappearhonestbutunder lyingcommentsconfuse.Youtendtowardsindirectnesswiththeairofbeingdirect.Inwinlosesituations you will make the opponent look bad or manipulate it so you win. You are selfenhancing but not straightforwardaboutit.Othersfeelconfused,frustrated,notsurewhoyouareorwhatyoustandforor whattoexpectnext:Theoutcomeisthatthegoalisavoidedorignoredasitcausessuchconfusionorthe outcome is the same as with the aggressive or passive style. You feel confused, unclear on how to feel, youre angry but not sure why. Later you possibly feel guilty. Others view you as someone they need to protectthemselvesfromandfearofbeingmanipulatedandcontrolled.Yourunderlyingbeliefisthatyou needtofighttobeheardandrespected.Ifthatmeansyouneedtomanipulate,bepassiveoraggressive,so beit. AssertiveCommunicationisthewayofthecrocodileandthebird:itis When people talk, listen completely. often confused with aggressive communication because you do stand Mostpeopleneverlisten. upforyourownrights,butyoualsotakeothersintoconsiderationand ErnestHemingway makethemfeelrespected.Youaredirectandmakedecisionsforyou. Youaresensitiveandcaringwithyourhonesty.Youareselfrespecting, self expressive and straightforward. This makes others feel valued and respected. You convert winlose situations to winwin ones. You are willing to compromise and negotiate: The outcome is determined by genuine negotiation. You feel confident, selfrespecting, goaloriented, and valued: Later you may feel a senseofaccomplishment.Othersviewyouwithrespect,trustandunderstandwhereyoustand.Yourun derlyingbeliefisthatyouhavearesponsibilitytoprotectyourownrights.Yourespectothersbutnotnec essarilytheirbehavior.
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It should be noted that this has nothing to do with the grand variety of personality type tests available (MyersBriggsTypeIndicator,BelbinsTeamRoles,Enneagrametc).Thosecanbehelpfulforyoutofindout whatisyourlearnedtypeofbehaviorinrelationshiptootherpeople,buttheyarenotwhoyouare.When themindisquiet,wecometoknowourselvesasthepurewitness.Wewithdrawfromtheexperienceand itsexperiencerandstandapartinpureawareness,whichisbetweenandbeyondthetwo.Thepersonality, basedonselfidentification,onimaginingoneselftobesomething:'Iamthis,Iamthat',continues,butonly asapartoftheobjectiveworld.Itsidentificationwiththewitnesssnaps.50Ialwaysthoughtthatpartofmy personalitywastolookatthegeneral,thebigpicture,andthatIwasntgoodwithdetails.WhenIwentto workinSriLankaandmybosstoldmethesamethingabouthimself,Iwasforcedtopayattentiontode tails,andintimeIbecamemuchmoredetailorientedperson.Hereweareinterestedinourwayofcom munication,inordertoseeiftheelephantissurfacingagain.Werenotinterestedinfindingoutwhatyour perceivedpersonalitymightbe. So,dontassumewhatyouare,anddontmakeassumptionsofothers.Itseasiersaidthandone.Although Iveconsciouslytried tostopmakingassumptions,I caughtmyselfofassumingonceagain.Iwenttosee YannArthusBertrandsartworkSixBillionOthers51whichportrayspeoplearoundtheworld.Fromthe mosaicof5,000facesIrandomlychoseawomanwhoturnedouttobeaguycalledSeemi.NextIwanted toseesomethingreallyexoticandchoseahalfpaintedblackguycalledGaira.IthoughtImgoingtohear someweirdtriballanguageandhespokeperfectAustralianEnglish.AtthispointIrealizedIwasfooledby myassumptionsagain.However,IfeltlikeIwasforgiven,forGairarecitedthisbeautiful poemnamedI am(byStephenClayton): Iambornoftheland,mysoulisthesun Natureismymother,Iam,mothernature'sownson Thewindismyspirit,runningwild,runningfree Thewaterismymirror,reflectingvisionsofme Iamlikeagreatriverthatslowlyrunsdry PollutedandabusedIamtheriver,slowlyIdie Iamachildoftheearth,createdfromdust Ilivefortheland,takingonlywhatImust Iamahunterofanimals,imitatingtheirstance Iamapainterofwalls,Iamanartistofdreams Depictingmythologicalcreatures,andspiritsinmyscenes Iamfromthenevernever,alongtimegoneby TheDreamingismycreation,IamathomewhenIdie Iownnoland,forthelandownsme That'sthewayithasbeen,howitalwayswillbe ForIamwhatIamIamAborigine Picture5.Gaira,Australia. Thestrongertheegois,thestrongerthesenseofseparatenessbetweenpeople.Theonlyactionsthatdo notcauseopposingreactionsarethosethatareaimedatthegoodofall.Theyareinclusive,notexclusive. Theyjoin;theydon'tseparate.52 David J. Pollay calls this The Law of the Garbage Truck: Many people are like garbage trucks. They run aroundfullofgarbage,fulloffrustration,fullofanger,andfullofdisappointment.Astheirgarbagepiles
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up,theyneedaplacetodumpit.Ifyouletthem,theylldumpitonyou.Whensomeonewantstodump onyou,donttakeitpersonally.Youjustsmile,wave,wishthemwell,andmoveon.Youllbehappyyou did.53 InTaoismthisisknownasWuWei:Aselflessactcanonlybeperformedbysomeoneinanegolessstate. Everyactperformedbysomeoneintheusualwayofthingshassomekindofrewardattachedwhetheritis financial,power,love,statusorjustfeelinggoodaboutone All thru' the day I me mine, I me mine, I me self.Allthesethingsareegoreinforcing.Toperformaselfless mine.Allthru'thenightImemine,Imemine,I act one must let go of one's ego and pass into an altered memine.Nowthey'refrightenedofleavingit, state of consciousness. This is called wu wei the state of Everyone'sweavingit,Comingonstrongallthe doingwithoutdoing.Hereeveryactisselflessfortheegohas time,Allthru'thedayImemine. ceased to exist. There is no I making decisions and the out Beatles comeisalwaysperfect.54

Appreciativeinquiry
As noted before, to start creating mutualistic relationships it is not enough for us to understand these things on our own. We need the other person to tag along. Once we understand the first two parts of Ubuntu,thatIamnotmyelephantandthatthereisnoselfwithoutothersthatthereisadeepconnec tednesswestartappreciatingotherpeopleinanewwaybecauseboththeegoandtheothernessdilute. Fromthategolessonenessthecommunicationwithothersbecomesmoreeasyandnatural.Stillonehasto understandthatinacommunicationsituationtheotherpersonmightnotbeasawakenedasyouare.In thatcaseweneedmoretoolstobesuccessfulinourcommunication. Unfortunatelythehumanmindisstilllimitedandmostofusareunabletocommunicatewitheachother telepathically.Ourwayofcommunicationistheprocessofsendingandreceivingmessagesthroughame diumofcommunication.Itinvolvesthesender,themediumandthereceiver.Allthreeoftheseareparts where conflict can arise even if the intentions for communication were pure. Lets imagine an example communicationsituationwhereyou(thesender)needtodeliveramessagewhilespeaking(mediumone) onthephone(mediumtwo)toyoursignificantother(thereceiver).Letssaythatthemessageisthatyou needtocancelFridaynightdinnerwithyoursignificantotherbecauseyouneedtogoandmeetyourfriend whoisgoingthrougharoughpatchinherrelationship. Possiblepitfallsforcommunicationinthissituationincludeforinstance: Thereceiver:Shehasbeenwaitingtoseeyouthewholeweekandhasbuiltupexpectations,sheis abitofjealousforyourfriendwhohappenstobe yourexgirlfriendthuslettingpersonalhistory haveaneffecton thecommunicationsituation,orshemighthavemade timeonFridayandtold herparentsnottocomeforavisitprioritizingyouoverthem. Themedium:Whenyoucallherthephonebeepstonoticeyouthatthebatteryisrunningoutforc ing you to deliver the message quickly, or there is a bad connection and she cannot hear all the words.Eventhelackoffacetofacecontactcandistortthemessagebecauseshecannotseeyour facialexpressionsandbodylanguage. Thesender:Youfeelthatyouneedtoletyourgirlfriendknowassoonaspossibleofthechangein plans(outofrespectforher)butyouarerushingtoameetinganditsnotreallythebesttimeto call,youmightthinkitsnotsuchabigdealtopostponeyourdinnerplans,oryoumightjustbeus ingwordsthatsheinterpretsdifferently.
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Thissimpleexampleshowshowinterpersonalcommunicationisnotalwaysthatstraightforward.Ifyouhad been aware of these possible pitfalls you might have chosen another method of communication, for in stance quickly meet up with your girlfriend to ensure facetoface communication. Even if this was not possibleyoucouldhavebeenmoreawareofthereceiverandsetyourselfinherposition(useofempathy), acknowledgethatyouareusingapoormediumandforexampleusesomeoneelsesphonethathasbat tery(ensureyourmessagedistortsaslittleaspossible),andmostimportantlyyoucouldhavebeenmore selfaware.Thiskindofawarenessisthebasisofcommunicationbasedonappreciativeinquiry(AI). Thecornerstonesofgoodcommunicationareappreciationandinquiry.Appreciationmeansthatyoucon centrateonwhatisbestinpeopleandsituationsandhonorthemastheyare.Inquiryontheotherhand emphasizes that you value exploration, discovery and asking questions instead of just bluntly delivering yourmessage.Moreover,inappreciativeinquiryyoutakeasystemicviewtolife.AIinvolves,inacentral way,theartandpracticeofaskingquestionsthatstrengthenasystemscapacitytoapprehend,anticipate, andheightenpositivepotential.55 In the aforementioned example a person being an appreciative inquirer would have thought of the rela tionshipasasystemthatconsistsoftwoofthemasindividualsandothersystems(suchaspersonallives) having an effect on the system. This awareness would have made him act differently in the situation; to appreciatethereceiverofthemessageandtouseinquiryinhiscommunication.Inpracticethisishowthe phonecallcouldhavegone: Hidarling!ImcallingfromJoesphonebecauseminewasrunningoutofbatteryandIwantedto ensurenothinginterrupts.Isthisagoodtimetotalkforyou? Sure,Imjustdressingupforourdinner.Whatsup? Thats what I needed to talk about. I need your help. How would you react if one of your best friendscallednowandsaidshedesperatelyneedsyourhelp?Wouldyoupostponeourdinnerfor tomorrow? Iguessso.Whatareyougettingat? Doyouhaveanyplansfortomorrow? Well,Iwashopingtobewithyou. Metoo.Imdyingtoseeyou.Howwouldyoufeelifwedhavethedinnertomorrow? HmmWhynotButwearenotmeetingtodaythen,arewe? Iknowthiscomeslateandwehavebeenwaitingfortonightforthewholeweek.Myfriendisgoing throughacrisisandshereallyneedsmysupport,butIwouldntliketoletyoudown. Itsok.IddothesameifIwasyou. Really?ShallIreschedulewiththerestaurantthen? Icandoit.Gomeetyourfriend. Thanks.Iloveyousomuch! Iloveyoutoo.Seeyoutomorrow. Mostoftheappreciativeinquiryguidesaremadeforpullingthroughorganizationalchangeprocessessuc cessfully.ButAIcanbeusedtoimproveanyrelationshipevenwithyourself.Theprocessofappreciative inquirygoesinaloop:Discover,Dream,DesignandDeliver.Firstyoudiscoverwhatworks,thenyoudream whatmightbe,thenyoudesignthesolutionandfinallydoit.Generally,ifyouneedchangeinanyrelation shipitsbettertoaskhowquestionsthatleadtoactionratherthanfindscapegoatsandpassblamewith whyquestions. Insteadofdwellinginproblems,youcanappreciateandvalueofwhatisbest(e.g.Whatworksinourrela tionship?). That could be followed with How might we... questions that are powerful tools to unleash
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yourcreativityandproducealargenumberofoptions.Whenchoosingthebestoptionyoucanchangethe questiontoWhatshouldbe? Wewilluseappreciativeinquiryasoneofthegeneralguidelines,especiallyinchapterthreewhenwelook athowwecanimprovecommunitiesandsocietyatlarge.However,maybeamoreindepthlookisneces saryalreadyatthispoint.JoeHallandSueHammondformedtheeightassumptionsofappreciativeinquiry: 1. Ineverysociety,organizationorgroup,somethingworks. 2. Whatwefocusonbecomesourreality. 3. Realityiscreatedinthemoment,andtherearemultiplerealities. 4. Theactofaskingquestionsofanorganizationorgroupinfluencesthegroupinsomeway. 5. Peoplehavemoreconfidenceandcomforttojourneytothefuture(theunknown)whentheycarry forwardpartsofthepast(theknown). 6. Ifwecarrypartsofthepastforward,theyshouldbewhatisbestaboutthepast. 7. Itisimportanttovaluedifferences. 8. Thelanguageweusecreatesourreality. According to Hall and Hammond when you do more of what works, the stuff that doesnt work goes away56. Understanding these assumptions is of utmost importance if we wish to successfully transition fromourpresentstatetocommunitiesandorganizationsthatcreateabetterfuture.Insteadofblaming, complainingandfindingscapegoatsweshouldconcentrateonwhatworks.Wecanbecomesuccessfulonly bycapitalizingonwhatis alreadygoodrather than merely tryingtofixmistakes.Whatwefocusonbe comesourrealityistrueonalllevels.FromtheindividualsperspectivethisiscapturedinBuddhaswords: Allthatweareistheresultofwhatwehavethought.Inhumanrelationshipswearebetterofappreciat ing whats good in another person rather than trying to fix their shortcomings. And in organizations, we shouldliveourvalueseveryday. As was seen in the phone call example, the reality for me differs from your reality. Acknowledging this makesinterpersonalcommunicationsuccessful:realityiscreatedinthenow.Inanorganizationoracom munity,questionscanshapetherealityandinfluencepeopletofindtheirownanswers.Ratherthanusing the hierarchic command and control, questions unlock the creativity in egalitarian community. Change becomesnexttoimpossibleifthesuggestedfuturenomatterhowenticingitmightbeisutterlyunfami liar.Peopleneedtobeabletobuildonwhatis,andthesepartsofthepastshouldbethebestthatwe have. Valuingdifferencesdoesntmeanthatweonlyacceptthatpeopleare Don't enter a defecating competition different.Toleranceisnotenough.Weneedtotrulyvaluethediffer againstanelephant. ent ways people see the reality, the way they process information Africanproverb andtheir preferredworkingstyles.Usingthisdiversitycanbring to getherthebestinbothanalyticalandexpressive,theintrovertsand extroverts.Finally,thelanguageweusecreatesourrealityreferstowhatwasmentionedalreadyinchap terone.Ineed,Iwant,IdesireorIshould,Icould,Iwouldareallwordsthatkeepyouaway fromthepresentandfillyourmindwithworry.Whenweusepositivelanguagewebecomemorepositive. ThisiswhatAJJacobsnotedinhisTEDTalkofMyyearoflivingbiblically57.Hesaidhisbehaviorchanged histhoughts:Hepretendedtobeabetterpersonandhebecameabetterperson.Letsnowlookhowwe canuseappreciationtocreatesynergyinrelationships.

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Egolesssynergyinhumanrelationships
Inordertohavesuccessfulrelationshipstheruleofthumbistolearnempathy.Rememberthatsympathyis anemotion,whereasempathyisaskill.Empathymeansthatyouwalkamileinanotherpersonsshoes. Rememberthatbeforethis,youhavetoremoveyourownshoes. Althoughfunctioningfromtrue mestandpointwithoutthe elephantin the waymakesallrelationships easierandmorenatural,stilldifferenttypesofrelationshipscallforslightlydifferentapproaches.Letslook at normal issues in todays relationships and how egoless synergy can make being a partner, a parent, a child,andaleadermorefulfillingexperienceforeveryone. Beingapartner InatleastWesternsocietiestheamountofsinglehouseholdshassignificantlyincreased.Manypeoplefind ithardtofindasuitablelovingrelationshipandeitherchooseorendupbeingalone.Thosewhoareina relationship, often struggle. Being a partner is no easy role. The issues in relationships vary but many of themfallinoneofthesecategories: Mental, emotional and physical distance: Often the needs for emotional and physical proximity alsodiffer;oneneedsdistanceandtimealonewhereastheotheroneismorepronetoclingand seeksattachment.Sometimespeoplearesodifferentthattheyfindithardtoconnectevenona mentallevelandthenneededdeepfriendshipdoesntdevelop. Communication: People have differing needs already for the amount communication: not being abletohavemeaningfulconversationsisatypicalsourceoffrustration.Asforthecommunication skillsespeciallyactivelisteningseemstobeproblematicformany.Unsolvedgrudgescanbecome insurmountableiftheyarenotdealtwithintime. Honesty and trust: Past experiences and individual styles of communication shape the way how wemuchwetrustotherpeople.Deceptivebehaviorandevenwhiteliescanleadtoadeadend. Unfulfilledneeds:Onepersoncanhardlyeverfulfillallofyourneeds.Evenifyouwouldbe95% matchthe5%ofyourneedsremainunfulfilled.Ifoneisnotgettingthisfulfillmentfromotherrela tionships(e.g.fromfriends)thenissuesarise. Timeusage: Sometimespeoplespend toomuch timetogether,sometimes notenough. Thiscan easilycausefriction. Lackofvariety:Relationshipscanbecomemonotonousroutinewithoutenoughadventure.When the new relationship energy is gone its not enough to have mere friendship. Most couples face If thisissueatonepoint. we are, we are never bored in a relationship or action Jealousy and other fears: Jealousy means different things for different people but usually its a feelingderivedfromonesownfears.Ifthesefearsremainsuppressedandtheyarenotdealtwith, jealousycanruintherelationship. Differingexpectationsandplans:Usuallypeopleendupinrelationshipswithouttoomuchexpec tationsettinginthebeginning.Forwhateverreasonitsmorecommontomakeagreementsina business partnership to avoid conflict in the future. Also later on in the relationship the parties mighthavedifferingfutureexpectations. Feeling trapped: Possessiveness and growing demands from ones partner can cause feelings of beingimprisonedintherelationship.Ifpeopledonthavealifeoutsidetherelationshiporcannot spendtimeontheirown,problemswillarise. We don't own anybody (anything) Daily disputes: Still the majority of conflict arises from the very runofthemill topics and small disagreementscanescalatetohugearguments.Thisisespeciallytrueifpeoplelivetogether. Respect each other and consider their differences. Live their point of view. Oneofthemostdangerouscaveatsinrelationshipsbasedonlovearisesiftheotherpersonusesthepart nertobecomewhole.Youcannotexpectsomeoneelsetobeyouryinoryangifyouareoutofbalancewith yourself.Whenapersoniscompleteheismorereadytoloveandtobelovedbecausehedoesntcounton receivingthejoy,peaceandhappinessfromtheotherpersonbutitsarisingfromwithin. Shared happiness is, however, better
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Inmyopinionthenotionofeverlastingromanticlovebelongstofairy Romancehasbeenelegantlydefinedas tales.Arelationshiphasitstimeandplace:sometimesitdoeslastalife theoffspringoffictionandlove. timebutthatshouldnotbeanassumption.Whentwoadultsdecideto BenjaminDisraeli enter a relationship it should be in order to enrich the lives of both individuals.Atbestthepartnerscanbecomeeachotherscompanions inspiritualdevelopmentaswellandcontinueawakeningtogether. I was afraid to lose myself in a relationship Inthebeginningoftherelationship,expectationsshouldbemadeveryclearthroughgenuinedialogue.A love based relationship takes conscious, consistent effort to maintain and to flourish. [Romantic] love is notafeeling.Itsadecisiontobemadeeveryday.saidafriendofmine.Peopleshouldchoosetolove, honor,andrespecttohelpempowereachother,nottoownnorpossess.Theyshouldcommittoatruth fulandreliablediscourse,andtomaketheirarisingneedsandexpectationsknowntoeachotherwithout expectingthattheotheroneisamindreader.Likewise,peopleshouldnotbepossessiveorjealousofeach otherstime,butrecognizethatthefulfillmentandjoytheyreceiveawayfromeachotherbenefitsbothof them. Appriciate every moment with another being. Be honest. Whentherelationshipisbasedonmutualrespectpeoplecancountoneachothertoalwaysseekawinwin situationwithoutintentionallydemeaningorputtingdowntheotherperson.Whentheelephantisoutof the way, you dont need to take things personally and even com plicated issues can be resolved respectfully. There is a common understanding that when frustra tions and bad feelings of anger, sadness, fear, and pain are ex pressed they are not treated as attacks towards the partner. If it seems that the relationship is coming to an end, people should be able to part from each other peacefully, respectfully, and as wholeandfreepersonsifthiswas madeclearinthebeginning.Thus thefriendshipandlovecanprevail even if people would grow apart Picture6.Elephantoutoftheway. andgotheirdifferentways. Beingaparent Manyofushavethoughtthatwhenwehavechildrenofourownwewillbebetterparentsthanwhatwe had.Howcanthisbe?Mostsaneparentswanttobeasgoodtotheirchildrenaspossibleandyetwewant tobebetter.Parentingisnotthatsimple.Itsfullofpossiblepitfalls,especiallyifitinvolvesoneormore elephants.Childrenneedloveandcompassion,buttheyalsoneedtoknowwhatthelimitsare.Parentsplay apivotalroleincreatingthefirstimpressionsofmoralunderstanding:whatisallowedandwhatisnot.Of course giving love and compassion becomes impossible if youre not present; first and foremost the kids needanadulttobethereforthem. For example, you dont own your kid, it is not a part of your ego Parenting can be very stressful, especially for firsttimers. If you are an egocentric parent you easily get disgruntledbecauseofyourkidsbehavior.Thepsychologicalstressaccumulatedatworkandathomecan becomeoverwhelmingifyouarestilldrivenbyyourelephant.Moreover,sometimesparentslivetheirown childhoodagainthroughtheirchildren;ifIcouldntbecomeapianist(orahockeyplayer,oraballetdancer) mykidhastohavethatchance.Theresnothingwrongincreatingopportunitiesforthechildbuttheycan easilybecomeanobsessionfortheparents.
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Since Im not a parent I cannot pretend to be an expert here. So, I When elephants fight, it is Googled! (Folks, if youre reading this; Googling doesnt refer to baby thegrasswhosuffers. talk). I found a list of 16 basic social skills parents should teach their Acholiproverb kids58: following instructions, accepting criticism, accepting no for an answer, staying calm, disagreeing with others, asking for help, asking permission, getting along with others, apologizing, having a conversation, giving compliments, accepting compliments,listeningtoothers,beinghonest,showingsensitivitytoothersandintroducingyourself.Are youthinkingwhatImthinking?AtfirstIthoughttheseareguidelinesforparentstolearn.Ifyoulookatthe listthereareseveralskillsthataredifficulttolearnifyourbigparentegoisontheway:e.g.acceptingcriti cismfromyourchild,stayingcalmwhentheteenagerisbadmouthingyou,ormerelyaskingforhelp. Be strong and compassionate Parentsshouldnotthinkitstheirdutytotakecareofparenting.Itsnotatask,itsagift.Worstexamples are the cases where parents stick together in an unfulfilling relationship, sacrificing for their childs sake. Weshouldnotfightinfrontofourkidsisaridiculousbutquiteusualcomment.Dontyouthinkthechild willsenseifthingsarenotwellathome?TheextremeversionofthisisWeshouldbetogetheruntilthe kidsleavethehouse. Parentchildrelationshipisreciprocalandatbestamutualisticgrowthexperienceforall.Heresoneofthe greatestparentingstoriesIveheard59: MynameisVinceandIamadivorcedfatheroftwolittlegirls.Ihavesplitcustodyofmydaughtersand have a pleasant relationship with their mother, which is developing back into a friendship. When we di vorcedin2005,weagreedthatourdaughterscomefirstandthatweneededtokeepthatintheforefrontof ourminds.Wedevelopeda50/50splitphysicalcustody.Wearealwaysthereforeachotherwhentheother needs flexibility. We are more considerate of each other as a divorced team than as a married team. Mystyleofparentinghasrevolvedaroundtworules:everythingbelongstoeveryoneandrulesforchildren applytoadults,soitisnobigsurprisetohavemyoldestremindingmetomakemybedorbrushmyteeth. Justtheotherday,shecamedownstairstoturnmymusicdown.Sheisonlyseven.Shepolitelyrequested thatIturnmymusicdownbecauseshecouldn'thearthemovieshewaswatching.WhenIdidn'timmediate lyrespond,shewentovertotheCDplayer,turneditdownandsaidkeepitat66orlower.Thenshewent backupstairs.ThoseweremywordsthatsheusedagainstmeandIhadtoacceptit. My house revolves around transitioning them from childhood to adulthood and is constantly evolving as theyevolve.Wehaveabasementforthemtointeractandplaywitheachother(andtheirpets);theyeach havetheirownroomstoexpresstheirownindividuality;Iamredoingthelibrarytoaccommodatetheirnew passionforartandwriting;myroomiswheretheycanbearwitnesstomyownevolution(whichischanging fast,ifnotfasterthanthem);andthe'runaround'roomisthefreerangeroomwhereanythinggoes.Itis whereweasafamilyimagineanddiscover.Werunandplay;jumpandbounce;andsitandthink.Italso doublesasmyplaceformeditation.Withblankwallsandlackofstuff,itiseasyformetocleanseandclear mymind. IcannotputitbetterthanVince.Itsgoodtotreatchildrenaspeople,too.Mostimportantthingonecan givetoachildispresence.Beingwiththechilddoesntrequiremuch;gifts,commonactivitiesanddoing thingstogetherarejustanaddedbonus.
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Beingachild Imhopingthatsomekidswouldalsoreadthisbook.Therecanbealotofinsightsthatsavethemfroma lotoftroubleduringtheirteenageandearlyadulthoodyears.Moreover,thesepeoplearethemoversand shakersinhumanevolution.Andifyouthinkthesekindsofthingsaretooheavyforchildrentoread,you mightwanttocheckyourpreconceivednotionsagain.IwaswatchingEckhartTolleandOprahintheNew EarthWebClassanda13yearoldgirlcalledthemtoclarifyonethingthatwasunclearforherinthebook (ANewEarth:AwakeningtoYourLifesPurpose).Shesaidthebookmadealotofsenseforher.Kidstoday aresmarterthanweeverwereatthatage. Achildparentrelationshipcanbeverytricky,especiallyifneitherthekidnortheparentsknowaboutthe elephantsthatinfluencetheirlife.ManyparentsunlikeVincearenotawakenedenoughtotreattheir kidsrightandtellthemabouttheirtrueidentity.Thusthekidscangetawaywithamazingamountofego drivenbehaviorwithouteverbeingcorrected.Veryearlyonintheirlifekidslearnhowtomanipulatetheir parentsandhowtogetwhattheywant. Lookingback,atleastIhavebeensometimessuchamonsterespeciallyduringmyteenageyears.Onoc casion,Iusedtobehaveveryarrogantlytowardsmyparents.WheneverIgaveahardtimetomyparents mytrainofthoughtwasthatIneveraskedtobeborninthisworld,soyoubeartheconsequences.Hav inggonethroughmyparentsdivorceattheageoften,Iwassuretouseitagainstthemwheneverpossi ble. Later, I started appreciating the good sides of the divorce and learned that this helped me to become independent and Wemustdevelopandmaintainthecapacity toforgive.Hewhoisdevoidofthepowerto surviveonmyown.Alas,ittookmemorethanadecadetofor forgiveisdevoidofthepowertolove.There give. issomegoodintheworstofusandsomeevil inthebestofus. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and MartinLutherKing,Jr. all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past and not enough presence Forgiveness is to relinquish your griev anceandsotoletgoofgrief.Ithappensnaturallyonceyourealizethatyourgrievanceservesnopurpose excepttostrengthenafalsesenseofselfItseemsthatmostpeopleneedtoexperienceagreatdealof sufferingbeforetheywillrelinquishresistanceandacceptbeforetheywillforgive.60Theparentsareer roneousattimes.Achilddoesntonlyneedtoforgivetheparents,butalsoforgivehimself. IwasneverafanofTenCommandmentssohonoryourfatherandmotherdidntbelongtomylifephi losophy.Notadheringtothisruleledmetoseekequalitywithmyparents.Irefusedtobeoppressedand letmyegodictatemybehavior.TherewasatimethatIevenstartedfeelingsuperiortothem:Oh,grow up!wasmyanswerwhentheytriedtosharetheirpainandsorrowwithme.Ifailedtoseethatallofus hadsomegrowinguptodo.NowIfeelatpeaceandIrespectmyparentsnotonlyasmomanddad,but ashumanbeings. Sometimeskidsandtheirparentsgrowapartespeciallyastheteenagerisdevelopingtoanevermorein dependentperson.Suddenlyrelatingtoeachotherbecomesdifficultifnotimpossible.Asiftheparents werefromadifferentplanet.Sometimesittakesatragedytoreconnect.DrLeoraKuttnerwritesbeautifully ofwhathappenswhenafamilyisfacedwithcancer:Whensomeoneyouloveisunderthreat,deepinner resourcesarecalledforthandourheartsopen.Webecomeacutelyattunedtotheother,sensing,observ ingcloselyinanefforttounderstandanddeterminehowbesttohelp.Throughthisopenheartedcompas

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sion,thepowerfulenergyoflovecreatesasynergycombinedenergiesofbothparentandchildconnect ingonewiththeothertocreatealifesustaining,lovingsupport.61 Ineverydaylifethislifesustaininglovingsupportcannotemergeunlessboththeparentsandthechildcoo perate.Butiftheelephantsarenotintheway,thiscanbecomeawonderfulrelationship.Ifachildfunc tions from an egoless standpoint, parents can become much more than a source of weekly allowance or hostsathome.Momordadcanbecomeonesmentor,coach,traineror evenagurubutthisrelationshipcanworkalsotheotherwayround.If We worry about what a child will theparentsarereadytolistenachild bornintoanotherkindofworld become tomorrow, yet we forget thatheissomeonetoday. can educate them in practicalities such as using the social media but StaciaTauscher alsomorephilosophicaldiscussionsmayemerge. Beingaleader Alifeisfullofsituationswhereleadershipiscalledfor.Itsnotaposition,butaskillset.Althoughabulkof leadership literature has been published (because it sells!) the basic understanding of leadership is very simple.Thereisnoruleofthumbforgoodleadership,butthereisaruleofhand62.Ifyoulookatyourown hand,thebasisforgoodleadershipisthere: Thumbstandsformodelingtheway.Firstpersontoleadisoneself.Acongruentleadershouldbe anauthenticlivingexampleofbothpersonalandcommonlyagreedonvalues.Arolemodelleader iscommittedtoprogressandcreatessmallvictoriesalongtheway.Thethumbisamarkofaffirma tion.Greatleadersgettwothumbsup. Indexfingerstandsforinspiringashareddream.Aleadershouldworkwiththeteamtocreatean inspiring and meaningful future direction and make sure peoples own passions, strengths and dreamsarealignedwithit.Aleadercommunicatesthestrategyconstantlyandensurestheteamis ontherightpath.Theindexfingerisusedtoshowdirection. Middlefingerstandsforchallengingtheprocess.Itsleadersresponsibilitytocreateanenviron mentwhereexperimentation,questioning,risktakingandlearningfrompersonalandmistakesof othersarecherished.Thisleadstobothincrementalimprovementsandbreakthroughinnovations. Whentheprocessorsystemisflaweditshouldbeshownacertainfinger. Ringfingerstandsforenablingotherstoact.Aleadershouldfostercollaborationandtrust.This happensbyservingothers,ensuringavailabilityofinformationandresources,involvingeveryone, sharingthecreditandotherwiselayingafoundationfortheteamtobesuccessful.Whenyouputa ringonthisfingeritsamarkofacollaborativeunionofequalpartners. Littlefingerstandsforencouragingtheheart.Thismeansthataleaderfindscreativewaystocele bratesuccessandrewardforgoodprogress,keepthemoraleupbeingacheerleader,andencour agepeoplethroughdialogue.Whenwalkingachildacrossabusystreettheonlyencouragement neededisextendingyourlittlefingertoholdonto. Fortheleadertobuildsynergyintotheteam,sheshouldknowthepeople,theirpersonalityandtheirwork ingstyles.Oneeasywaytoquicklydefineyourpersonalworkingstyleistoaskyourselftwoquestions:Am Imorepeopleortaskoriented?andDoIratheraskortell?Seeifyoucanspotyourpreferredstylein table1below. WHY I tend to be task oriented and tell rather than listen? Because it is easier way to be present in the moment.
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Orientation: HowtoRecognize: EXPRESSIVE People/Tell Theygetexcited. Theyareloudand enjoybeingthecen treofattention. Who?(thepersonal dominantquestion) Boringexplana tions/wastingtime withtoomanyfacts.

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DRIVER Task/Tell Theyliketheirown way;decisive& strongviewpoints.

AMIABLE People/Ask Theylikepositive attention,tobe helpful&tobere gardedwarmly.

ANALYTICAL Task/Ask Theyseekalotof data,askmanyques tions,behaveme thodically&syste matically. How?(thetechnical analyticalquestion) Makinganerror, beingunprepared, spontaneity. Seekingmoredata andinformation. Explain,providelots ofdataandinforma tion. Activity&busyness thatleadstoresults. Makedecisionsat ownpace,notcor neredorpressured. Interpersonaland communication skills. Face.Theyhateto makeanerror,be wrongorgetcaught withoutenoughinfo. Structureaframe workor"track"to follow.

TendstoAsk: WhatTheyDislike:

What? (theresults orientedquestion) Someonewasting theirtimetryingto decideforthem.

Sellingtheirideasor becomingargumen tative. BestwaytoDeal Getexcitedwith With: them.Showemotion andfeelings. LikesToBeMeas Applause,feedback, uredBy: recognition. MustBeAllowedTo: Getaheadquickly. Likeschallenges. WillImproveWith: Recognition&some structurewithwhich toreachthegoal. Effort. Theyrely heavilyonhunches, intuition,feelings. Inspirethemtobig gerandbetterac complishments.

ReactstoPressure andTensionBy:

Why?(thepersonal nongoalquestion) Rejection,treated impersonally,uncar ingandunfeeling attitudes. Takingcharge, taking Becomingsilent, morecontrol. withdrawing, introspection. Letthembein Besupportive;show charge. youcare. Friends,close relationships. Relax,feel,care, knowyoucare,ob servethesituation. Astructureofgoals &methodsfor achievingeachgoal. Relationships. Friendshipmeansa lottothem. Care&providede tail,specificplans& activitiestobeac complished.

LikestoSave:

Results,goal fulfillment. Getintoacompeti tivesituation.Likes towin. Apositionthatre quirescooperation withothers. Time.Theyliketobe efficient,getthings donenow. Allowthemfreedom todothingstheir ownway.

ForBestResults:

Table1.Personalworkingstyles63

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To reap the rewards of synergy in a team, it is important to engage different Picture7.Accumulating personality types into the decisionmaking process and utilize this diversity ef weightofcapability. fectively. Expressive people like to rely heavily on hunches, intuition, and feel ings.Usetheminthebeginningtogenerateideas.Thenpassthebucktodrivers tofilterouttheworstideasandthenlettheanalyticalpeoplebackupthebest ideaswithfacts.Youcancountonthem:theyhatetomakeerrors,bewrongor get caught without enough information. Use amiable people to moderate dis cussionsandfacilitategroupwork.Theyaregoodwithpeople:relationshipsand friendshipmeansmoretothemthanprogress.Usethedriverstoensureoverall progressandaskexpressivepeopletocommunicatethedriversstrategytothe team. Oneperson's"weightof A leader should know people on both a professional and personal level: one capability". person can be a wonderful bundle of potential. The accumulated skills and knowledgecanbeputtofullusewhenthepersonfeelsmotivatedtowardsthe task. However, one person is only capable of so much. When two or more people work together, synergistic relationships add to the capability of the wholeteam. Forvisualpeopleitsgoodtoillustratehowtheclich1+1=3ormorefunc tions:whatmattersinpicture7isthecoverageoftheblackarea.Inthetoppic ture one persons weight of capability is the area of the pin portraying that person.Assoonasyouaddanotherpersonintotheequation,theweightadds Twopeopleandtheir up.Theadditionisnotonlytheindividualcapabilitybutthecombinedcapability relationship. ofthesetwopeopletogetherthesynergisticweightoftherelationship(inthe middle). Finally, in the picture in the bottom there are six people with strong relationshipswitheachother.Youcanseehowtheweightofcapabilityadds up due to the synergistic relationships between people. Great care should be taken by the leader when new people come along: it is of utmost importance that they are able to build a relationship with everyone else in the team. The strongertherelationships,thestrongertheteamis.64 Nowahastyconclusionwouldbe:ifrelationshipsarethisimportantandtheir importance grows exponentially we should grow the number of people infi Sixpeopleandtheirrela nitelyandnurturetheirrelationships.Thisistruetoacertainextent,anddefi tionshipnetwork. nitely many good causes and grassroots movements wither away because not enoughemphasisispaidtotheimportanceofinterpersonalrelationships.How ever,thereisalimittothenumberofpeopleinthisequation. Thislimitisapproximately150andiscalledDunbarsnumberaccordingtoanthropologistRobinDunbar who found out that in order to function effectively, we should not organize in groups of more than 150. Thislimitisposedtousbythesizeofourneocortex.Thispartofthebrainisinvolvedinhigherfunctions suchassensoryperception,generationofmotorcommands,spatialreasoning,consciousthoughtandlan guage.AccordingtoDunbar150isthemaximumamountofpeoplethatwecanhavearealsocialrelation shipwithknowingwhotheotherpeopleareandhowtheyrelatetous.Althoughthisisnowscientifically proven,thiswisdomof150seemstodatebackmuchearlier.Heresomeexamples: Edney65:theupperlimitforasimple,selfcontained,sustaining,wellfunctioningcommonsmaybe aslowas150people.
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ThisislooselyconnectedtoMetcalfesLaw(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metcalfe%27s_law) J.J.Edney(1981).Paradoxesonthecommons:Scarcityandtheproblemofequality.
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Hutterites: Hundreds of years, through trial and error, this religious group have known that the maximumsizeforacolonyshouldbe150people.Everytimeacolonyapproachesthisnumber,the colonyisdividedintotwoseparatecolonies. TheBible66:Sotheysatdowningroupsofhundredsandfifties.

Nowadays,forexamplewebbasedsocialnetworks,Swedishtaxauthority,GoreAssociates(GoreTex)and massivemultiplayeronlineroleplayinggames(MMORPGs)areutilizingthiswisdom.Sincerelationshipsare what form communities, their strengthening is needed to bridge the gap from mere selfawareness to creatingcommunitiesthatwork.Thisissomethingoftenforgottenintherhetoricofpoliticianswhenthey callformorecommunalityinourhighlyindividualisticsociety.ThisisthemiddlepartofUbuntu:Iambe causeyouarebecauseweare.Nowthatweknowtheimportanceofgoodrelationshipsandknowhowto organizetheserelationships,letstakealookathowthenewegolessandcooperativeparadigmiswhatwe aregoingtowards.

Fromolddoingtonewbeing
InTable2Ivetriedtocapturetheessenceofourolddoingthewaywehaveledourlivesthusfar.For toolongwehaveemphasizedtheimportanceofdoingthings:killingtasks,correctingmistakes,sortingout ourproblemsandsoforth.Ifwedonthaveanythingtodowegetboredorfeelrestless.Mostpeopleare pained by their elephants without even realizing that they are. What I call ordinary unconsciousness meansbeingidentifiedwithyourthoughtprocessesandemotions,yourreactions,desires,andaversions.It ismostpeoplesnormalstate.Inthatstate,youarerunbytheegoistmind,andyouareunawareofbeing. Itisastatenotofacutepainorunhappinessbutofanalmostcontinuouslowlevelofunease,discontent, boredom,ornervousnessakindofbackgroundstatic.67 Wehavebeenlargelydrivenbyfear.Wehavebeenafraidthatwearenotgoingtomakeit,thatweloseor fail. We have mirrored our own fears towards others through feelings like jealousy. Plus, we have been influencedbythefearmongeringinsociety:terrorism,pandemics,climatechangeandthelikehavekeptus alarmed.Fearhasmadeustocompetewitheachother;alreadytheelementaryschoolgradingsystemsare basedoncompetition,comparingustoothersataveryyoungage.Youneedotherstofailinordertowin; andforyoutohavemeaninginyourlife,youhavetobebetterthanothers.Wefeelalone;separatefrom everyoneelse,andwefightforthelimitedresourcesaroundus. We have tried to solve our problems through reason. We have tried to think our way through. We have tried to make the best decisions by removing uncertainty. Thinking has led to just more problems. Al thoughmanyofusmaythinkofourselvesasthinkingcreaturesthatfeel,biologicallywearefeelingcrea turesthatthink.68Also,ourfutureneeds,wantsanddesireshaveincreasedourmentalburden.Sohasthe worriesanddramaofthepast.Eventhepresentmomentwetreatasourenemy.Bydenyingthenow,we saynotolife. Luckily,Table2alsohasthesecondcolumnthatcapturestheessenceofwhatliesahead.Thenewwayof lifeisbasedonbeingratherthandoing.Theinactionnolongerleadsustofeelboredbutenticesusinits excitement. We feel energized by everything that surrounds us when we concentrate on what is rather than thinking what could be. Eckhart Tolle suggested a very simple method for this: a method of non labeling.Tryitoutwhenyougooutthenexttime:lookaroundyouconsciouslyanddontlabelwhatyou see. This can breathe new life even into environments that you have considered ugly or uninspiring. Ive
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beenverysuccessfulwiththismethod.OnceIwassittingwithafriendofmineinthemiddleofaconcrete jungle.AsIlookedaroundIsawwonderfulshapesandcolorsthatIdidntlabelasbuildings.Theseshapes andcolorsintertwinedwiththebeautifulshadesofblueandwhite(thesky)formingapicturesqueportrait fulloflife. OLDDOING NEWBEING STATEOFINACTION DRIVER OTHERPEOPLE DECISIONMAKING APPROACH ATTITUDE OUTCOME FUTURE PAST PRESENTMOMENT
Table2.Fromolddoingtonewbeing

Boredom,restlessness Fear,scarcity Competitors,separated Reason:minimizingdoubt Thinking Clinging Moreproblems Needs,wants,desires Worries,drama Thinkingwhatshouldbe

Bliss,concentration Love,abundance Onthesameside,interconnected Intuition:maximizingtrust Feeling Lettinggo Moresolutions Emergent,uncertain Perspective Acceptanceofwhatis

Inthenewbeinglovereplacesfear.Whenyougetfearoutofyoursystemyouautomaticallyreducethink ing.Thisreleasessomuchspaceforbeing.Butyoucannotjusttakefearoutandleaveavoid.Youcanfillit withloveforeverythingandeveryonearoundyou.Goodthingsstartcomingyourway,whenloveisyour newfocusanddriver.Youdenyscarcityandawakentoalifeofabundance.Youdontseepeopleanymore asobstaclesforyoursuccessbutyourealizethereisnousandthem.Weareallatthesameside.Onceyou feel that unity with others you can never be lonely again, you have no more enemies and people start smilingatyouliterallyandmetaphorically. New partnerships are formed as people see how interconnected they are and how important relationships are. People can trust each other "The problem with the future is that andtheirintuition.Decisionscanbemadefasterandcorrectionscanbe itkeepsbecomingthepresent." Calvin madeonthefly.Thisfeelingbasedapproachmakesusmoreagile;we letthefutureemergeandunfoldandtreatthepastonlyasateacher. Wesavorthepresentmoment.Ourbeingproducesmoresolutionsinsteadofmoreproblems. Oncewearedonewiththeeraoftheelephant,wecanmoveontomeetthebasicneedsforeveryoneon theplanet.Butthetransitionisnotgoingtobeeasyhumankindwillhavetoadopttoawholenewframe ofreference.Wehavehadenoughtroublebecauseofegoisticcraving,attachmentanddelusion.Thereis noneedtoown,buttoshare.Thereisnoneedtofight,buttoconnect.Thereisnoneedtoneedbutto becontentofwhatis.Andthereisnoneedtowait.

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Allyougetbywaitingismorewaiting.Absoluteperfectionishereandnow,notinsomefuture,nearor far.Thesecretisinactionhereandnow.Itisyourbehaviorthatblindsyoutoyourself.Disregardwhatev eryouthinkyourselftobeandactasifyouwereabsolutelyperfectwhateveryourideaofperfectionmay be.AllyouneediscourageAllyouneedyouhave.Useit.Behaveasbestyouknow,dowhatyouthink you should. Don't be afraid of mistakes; you can always correct them, only intentions matter. The shape things take is not within your power; the motives of your actions are.69 In order to start this transition from old doing to new being, our culture has to change one person at a time. Be foreintroducinganewculture,weneedto learntoletgoofthepast.

Cultureoflettinggo
Enlightenment, that is acknowledging the facts,callsforlettinggooffamiliarandsafe andseeingthereality.saysreverendJaak ko Heinimki. Simultaneous awareness of thelifeofbeing,andthelesserimportance of the personality to which we have be come attached, is a second enlightenment that comes to all humans who grow up beyond the stage of adolescence. But it feels like dying. To avoid the trauma of it, thegreatmajorityofusremainadolescents untiltheendofourlives.Thisisnotaminor philosophical point. This is the heart of the matter. Most of us would rather kill our selvesthanbe,particularlyifwhowethink wearekeepsdying.70 Tohelpusinlettinggoofouregothevery essence of who we thought we were, we can practice by letting go of less important things. You can start by making a list of all thethingsyouhave,andputtheminorder Picture8.Lettinggoofyourelephant. of priority. Then let them go give them awayorsellthemonebyone,startingfromtheleastmeaningful.Youwillsoonrealizethatyourelephant hasidentifieditselfwiththosematerialthings.Youcanbeconsciousofthisprocessoflettinggoandevery timeyougetridofsomething,ratehowbaditfeelsonascalefromonetoten.Inthatmomentyouknow howidentifiedyouwerewiththatthinginyourlife.LettinggoofmycarmeantthatIlostthefreedomto travelwhereeverandwheneverIwanted.Butitalsoreducedalotofworryfrommylife:nomorecostly maintenance,annualcheckups,insurancefeesorscrapingtheiceoffthewindowsinthewinter.AlthoughI hadthoughtitwouldtakeawaymyfreedom,itinsteadincreasedit. RecentlyIhadtheopportunitytobeapartofaseriesofworkshopsthatlookedattheFinnishsocietyfrom afutureperspective.Inthisformidablegatheringwasoneparticipantwhosaidthatifwearetosurvivewe needtolearnhowtodowngradeourlives,weneedtocreateacultureoflettinggo.Whatthismeansthat onapsychologicallevelaswearelettinggoofwhatwealreadyhave,wealsostartlettinggoofwhatwe
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donthaveyet.Inotherwords,webecomeconsciousofwhatwedontneed,ofourvainwantsanddesires. Ofcourse thisisdestructiveforthe currenteconomyifitstartsuponalargescale,butwhatis thereto destroyanymore?Wecannotspendourwayoutofthefinancialcrisis,becausethesystemwasflawedin thefirstplace(seeChapteroneFAQtolearnmoreaboutfractionalreservebankingsystem). Through understanding the importance of letting go, we have One thing to realize about our fractional started making space for a new culture to emerge. Once we reservebankingsystemisthat,likeachilds havepersonallyfoundwhowereallyareoratleastwhowe gameofmusicalchairs,aslongasthemusic arenotandstrengthenedourrelationships,wehavecovered isplaying,therearenolosers. theIambecauseyouarepartofUbuntu.Itistimetomove AndrewGause from mere being to also doing and see how we can organize ouractiontosavetheworld. OneofmygreatestlifeexperienceswasmytimeinAIESEC.Itistheworldslargestyouthdrivenorganiza tion in more than one hundred countries offering teamwork, leadership and work abroad opportunities. This international platform enables young people to explore and develop their leadership potential for themtohaveapositiveimpactonsociety.AIESECconferencesgavemetasteofwhatitistotrulyfeelas onewithpeoplewhojustamomentagowerecompletelystrangers,onlyunifiedbyastrongculturalbond. In the conferences you could connect with other AIESECers from around the world, and feel as part of somethinggranderthanyou.Itisacommunitythatisbasedonstronginterpersonalrelationships.Itislike acommunityofants,whereeachpartcontributestothewhole.

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Chaptertwosummary
*** Keypointsofthischapterwere: Myworthisdictatedbyyourexistence:WithoutyouIwouldntbe. Functioningastrueme,helpsrelatingtoothersbecausetheelephantisnolongerintheway. Whendealingwithpeoplewhoarelessawakened,youneedtopayextraattentiontoyourcom munication.Appreciativeinquiryhelps. Communitiesareonlyasstrongastherelationshipsinthem. Youshouldpayextraattentiontoyourbehaviorinsocalledordinaryrelationshipsorrolesthatwe have;beingapartner,aparentandachild. Theculturaltransitionstartswithlettinggoofthepast.Foryouitcanalsomeanlettinggoofsuf fering:forgiveandstopbeingselfish. Seetips,tricksandtoolsattheendofthebook: Learnmoreaboutyourpersonality Changetheworldonecouchatatime Gohitchhiking Alettinggoritualforforgiveness Seefrequentlyaskedquestionsattheendofthebook: Areyousayingtraditionalpersonaldevelopmentliteraturedoesn'twork? Whatarethecontroldramas? Whatdoyoumeanhumanandahorseareinasymbioticrelationship? HowcomepeoplegotojailfortheiropinionsinFinland? Canyougiveafewmoreexamplesofappreciativeinquiryquestions? Whatdoyoumeanwithscarcityandabundanceasdrivers? Whatismaximizingtrustindecisionmaking? Withlettinggo,doyoumeanweshouldalsoletgoofourtechnologicaladvancement?

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Chapterthree COMMUNITYOFANTS
HOWAEUSOCIALSPECIESCANGETITSACTTOGETHER ANDDEVELOPINTOASUPERORGANISM AnnawokeuponagloomySundaymorning.Shethoughtsheheardthedoorbellring,butshedidntwantto getoutofbed.Shehadaslightheadachefromlastnightsadhocdecisiontogetdrunk.Thedoorbellrang again.Whocanitbeatthishour?shethoughtandforcedherselfoutofthebedtoopenthedoor.Shewas surprisedtoseetheteacheratthedoor. HelloAnna.IhopeIhaveawakenedyou.MayIcomein? A:What?Sure.Sorryforthemess. Annaputthekettleonandwashedherface.Shedidntevenbotheraskinghowtheteacherknewwhereshe lived.Soontheysatdownonthecouchwithwarmcupsoftea.Themomentofsilencewasbrokenbythe teacher:Dotheantshavealeader? A:Ohgosh,herewegoagain.Pleasedontintroduceanymoreanimalsinmylife.Thedentistvisitdidntgo thatwell. Theyareinsects. A:What?Sure,insects,whateverIhavebadnewsforyou. Tellme. A:IguessIfailedinthehomework.Rightafterwemetthelasttime,myboyfrienddroppedabomb.Hesaid thatalthoughheisverymuchinlovewithme,hewouldliketoseeotherpeopletoo. Andhowdidyoureact? A: Of course I got mad. I ran out of his place and broke in tears. I know what youre saying next: that I shouldhavecontrolledmyelephant.Butthiswastoomuchtotake. No,thatswonderful.Yougotareallifechallengetotestyourfirsttwolessons.Iseeyoucannotdis cussthisnow.Icomebackinaweek.Rememberwhoyoureallyareandhowyoucanconnectto others.Whateverhappens:takeitasagift. *** Theteacherleftonlytoreturninaweekstime,aspromised.NowAnnawasmoreprepared. A:Welcome.ImsorryIcouldnthandleanymorelessonslastweek. Thatsok.Nowtellmewhathashappened. A:Ispentacoupleofdaysalonegoingthroughmyfeelings.Irealizeditwasntmebutmyelephantthat washurt.Itookitasagift. Excellent.Didyoureconnectwithyourboyfriend? A:Yes.Irealizedheneversaidoreventhoughtofleavingme.Hewasveryhonest.Hehadnotcheatedon me.Hewantedtostaywithmeandloveme,buthecouldntbefullysatisfiedwithmeonly.Heexplained thatIfulfillhisneeds90%butthat10%ismissing. Really?Andwhatdidyoudecide? A:Theremightbesomeoneelsecomingtoourrelationshipacommonfriendofours.Itsoundsweirdbut allthreeofusarefinewithit.Sheslikeasistertomeandseemstobegenuinelyinlovewithmyboyfriend. IfitwasanyoneelseIwoulddoubtit,butshescool.Idontknowwhatsgoingtohappenbutatleastwe knoweachothersrealfeelings.Actually,IfeellikehisaffectionandloveformehasonlygrownafterIlet himbewhatheis.BysettinghimfreeIsetmyselffreetobemorehonest. Good.Iwontpryonanymoredetailsregardingyourpersonalthings.Canwemoveon? A:Yes.
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Annahadpreparedevenpenandpaper.Shewaseagerforhernextlessoninlife.Infactshefeltabitlike cheating:shehadbeendevouringinformationaboutantsthewholeofSaturday. A:So,whatwasthenewquestionaboutants? Dotheantshavealeader? A:Theresthequeen.ButaccordingtoDeborahGordonthequeenisonlylayingtheeggs. Verygood.Itseemsyouvedoneyourhomeworkagain.WhosDeborahGordon? A:SheandherassociatesinStanfordhaveusedmorethantwodecadesinresearchingants. Ok.WellthenyoumostlikelyknowmorethanIdo. A:Ido.Ineverknewhowfascinatingtheworldofantscouldbe.Theydontreallyneedaleader. Whyisthat? A:Theantcoloniesaresometimesreferredtoassuperorganismsbecausetheantsappeartooperateasa unifiedentity,collectivelyworkingtogethertosupportthecolony.Itsasysteminwhichthepartsuseonly localinformationandthewholethingdirectsitself.Theresnoneedforhierarchy. Wow.Imimpressed.Thatwasexactlymypoint.Isntitawonderfulidea:actingcollectivelyfora commongood? A:Yes.Thatswhatmademesoexcited!Althoughitwasabitdisappointingthatwehumanshavenoticed thepotentialandstartedresearchingtheimplicationsforsuchusefulareasasmilitaryandmanagement. Annarealizedwhatshehadjustsaid.Shewaslostinherthoughtsforawhile. A:Waitaminute.Wasyourpointthatwearecapableoflearningfromtheantsbutasofnowwehaveused thatwisdominwrongpurposes? Well,thatswhatyousaid.Youreontosomethingmagnificenthere.Canyoutellmemoreofhow theantsgoaboutdoingwhattheydo? A:Sure.Assaid,noantdirectsthebehaviorofothers.Thusthecoordinatedbehaviorofcoloniesarisesfrom thewaysthatworkersuselocalinformation. Whatdoyoumean? A: Well, look at the start of seed foraging every day: a small number of patrollers returning to the nest communicatestoforagersboththesafetyanddirectionoftheroute.Andiftheseforagersreturnsuccessful lywithfooditencouragesmoreantstotakeontheroleoftheforagerandleavethenest.Theresnoneed forassessmentsorgivingdirections.Itsadecentralizedsystem. Ok.Nowyouaretrulyeducatingme. Annawasproudofhowwellshehadprepared.Shegotcarriedawayandwantedtotellmore. A:Apartfromforagersandpatrollers,other taskstheantcantakeonarenestmaintenanceandmidden work.Astheenvironmentalconditionschangetheantscanquicklyassumeanewrole. Howdoesthishappen? A: As ants are leaving the nest they communicate with returning ants and decide what kind of work is neededrightnow.Thus,ifmorefoodbecomesavailable,moreantsassumetheroleofaforager.Orifthe nestneedscleaningupaforagermightturnintoacaretakerinaninstant. Ok.Givemeanexamplehowthisworksinpractice? A:Sure.SomeyearsagoonavacationinSpainIleftasweetstainonthetableovernightandinthemorning Iwitnessedanantsuperhighway.Iobservedforawhilehowstructuredtheywere.ThenIplayedaprankon themanddisturbedtheorderbyspillingwateronthehighway. Whathappened? A:Asuddenchaosemergedandmostoftheantswentwildlyrunningaround.Thefactthatinlessthana minutetheyhadcreatedadetourisaclearmessagethattheydidntpanicbuttemporarilyswitchedtopa trollerroleandcommunicatedtoothersthenewroute. Impressive.Doyouthinkhumanorganizationscouldworklikethis? A:Notinamillionyears. Really?Areyousayingtheantsaremoreintelligentthanus? A:Wellyes.
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Anna blushed a bit when she realized how absurd it was. Human beings as the pinnacle of evolution yeah,right.shewasthinking.TherewasonemorethingAnnawantedtodiscuss. A:TheressomethingthatIdontquiteunderstand. Whatsthat? A:OneofthemoststrikingrevelationsofGordonsstudiesisthathalfoftheantsarejustrelaxingandrest inginthenest,doingnothing. Isthatso? A:Yep.Theyarenotthathardworkingafterall! Whatdoyouthinkistheirrole? A:Theydonthavearole.Maybetheyarereservesifsomethinghappens. Coulditbethateventheantsthatareseeminglydoingnothing,serveapurpose?Whyelsewould halfofthembeengagedinthistedioustaskofdoingnothing? A:Thatsexactlymyquestion. Well,doyouhaveananswer? A:Yes,Ithoughtofonethingbutitssilly. Whatsthat? A:Coulditbethattheyareinaveryantkindofwaymeditatingandthuscontributingtothesuccessof thewholesuperorganism?Couldthisbeasecretforthefactthattheyvebeenaround110to130million yearsandarenowcoveringalmostallcornersoftheEarth? Mightbe.HaveyoureadMarkTwainsWhatisMan? A:No.Why? Theresaquoteinthere:Asathinkerandplanner,theantistheequalofanysavageraceofmen; asaselfeducatedspecialistinseveral arts,sheisthesuperiorofanysavageraceofmen;andin oneortwohighmentalqualitiessheisabovethereachofanyman,savageorcivilized! Ifwetakeasystemsperspectivetolookatourplanetweseetheinterconnectednessofeverything.Wesee thewholeplanetasasystem.Zoomingin,itseasytoseethatonesubsysteminparticularismalfunction ing:thehumanrace.Theinterplayofchaosandorderinourplanetarysystemwilleitherremovethemal functioning part or correct it to contribute to the balance of the system. Since the malfunctioning sub systemislinkedtothelargersystemoflifeontheplanet,thedecisionmakingisnotremovedtofaithor destinyonlybutthesubsystemcanhaveaneffectonthesystemsdecisionofwhetheritshouldbere movedorcorrected.Thisabilitytoinfluencethelargersystemisthefreewillofthesubsystemcompo nents,us,individuals.Letssay,hypothetically,thatmostofuswouldratherchoosethecorrectivemeas ures than total destruction as species, we have a basis to assume that we want to get our act together. Consequently,themalfunctioningsubsystem,thehumanrace,realizeseventuallythatithasnochoicebut tounderstandtheinterconnectednessagaininordertosurviveaspartofthelargersystem;andtobecome asuperorganism,muchlikethecommunityofants. Therefore,whetherthehumanraceshouldbecomeagloballyconnectedspeciesisnolongeraquestionto be asked. We are already connected. But the way how we want to utilize this connectedness is in our hands.Inordertogetouracttogether,itisessentialtohavearightsetofcommonvaluesthatshapethe commonculture.Ifwewishtocreateamoresustainableandjustsocietywecannotexpectthecontempo raryculturetoworkinthenewsystem.Thevaluesthatworkedinthe20thcentury,willnottakeustoour desiredfuture.Then,howdoweknowwhatvaluesshouldweembraceinthenewculture?Ifwewantto learnfromtheants,wecouldtryandseehowhumankindcouldfunctionlikeeusocialspecies.Eusocialityis atermusedforthehighestlevelofsocialorganizationinahierarchicalclassification.Couldwebedefined throughtherelationshipsinthesystem,notonlyasindividuals?Couldwefunctionthroughourcommuni tiesasoneglobalentity,allcontributingtocommongood?

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BrandonKeimcitessociobiologistE.O.WilsoninWired:Whileonly2%ofknowninsectspeciesareeuso cial,thesespeciescomprisemostoftheinsectbiomass.Kleimgoesontowrite:Whileonehastobecare fulindrawingearlyconclusionsandthenapplyingthemtopeople,itsclearthatinsomewaysthiscooper ativesystem,somuchmoresubtlethantheclassicallyselfcenteredDarwinianideal,isextraordinarilysuc cessful.71 Inthepreviouschapterwetouchedthetopicofappreciativeinquiry.Wehaveseenthatratherthangetting buriedintheendlessswampoffixingmistakes,itiseasiertobuildonwhatworksalready.Wecanlookat oursocietyandseewhatexemplarycollaborativecommunitiestherearealreadyandwhatworksinthem. Wecantaketheselearningpointsandstartdraftingoutlinesforanewcultureaccordingly. Wecandesigntheglobalsystemtoworkforus.Thereareoptions.Eachoftheseoptionshasadifferent degreeofUbuntuinthem:eachhassomeindividualfreedom,somealtruismandsomecommunality.We needtolookattheseoptionsandchoosewhichonewewanttotakeasourblueprint.Noneofthemisa perfectsocietyandnoneofthemcanbe100%actualized:chaoswillalwayskickinandreshapethenew order.However,wecanmakeachoiceonthegeneraldirectionwewanttotake. Butfirst,letsseewhattheantscanteachus.

Whatistheantnaturethatmakesthemsosuccessful?
Itsoftenclaimedthattherehavebeenwarsaslongastherehavebeenpeople,andthattherewillalways besickpeoplewhomurderothersjustlikethat.Aretheantssomehowinherentlybetterthanhumanbe ings?Oppositetothepopularbelief:ruthlessselfinterestatthecostofothers,continuousgreedformore anddishonestbehaviorpatternsarenotinthehumannature.Ourcustoms,behaviors,andvaluesareby productsofourculture.Iftheenvironmentisunaltered,similarproblemsandbehaviorswillreoccur.72 The1billionmalnourishedpeopleonthisplanetarenotpartofanaturalphenomenon,butresultofasys temwhichisbasedontherichgettingricherwhilstthepoorgrowpoorer.Asocietyreapswhatitsows.If your societys foundation inherently supports selfinterest, elitism, greed and dishonesty then no one shouldever besurprised when certainmembersofsociety continuouslyfallintoextremityofmurder, fi nancialcorruptionorindifferentselfishgame.73 Thereisnosuchthingashumannatureintheconventionalsenseofbeingasetofpredetermined,pre programmed behaviors and values to which all human beings are predisposed. What we are concerned withishumanbehaviorandvalues,whichcancertainlybechangedTake,forexample,thesituationwit nessedafterW.W.II:eventhemostrespectablefamiliescouldbeseenfightingoverscrapsoffood.When people'sbasicneedsarenotmet,theyresorttowhateverbehaviorisnecessarytoensurethenecessitiesof lifeforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Bymakingthenecessitiesoflifeavailabletoallinthisparticipatory democracyandthroughameaningful andproductiveeducation,wecandramaticallyreduce counterpro ductivebehavior.74Inourcurrentcrisisweareforcedtoquestionourassumptions:ahomelesspersoncan wellbeahighlyeducatedmotherofthreechildren.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/01/ishomosexualit/ http://tinyurl.com/venusprojectfaq http://www.vimeo.com/6346955 http://tinyurl.com/venusprojectfaq

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Competitionandhierarchyarenotinhumannatureeither,butemergedonlyaftertheagricultural(Neo lithic)revolutionsome10,000yearsago.Equality,altruismandsharingwere typicalforhuntergatherers beforethat.Notrelyingonhundredsoffoodsourcesanymorepeoplestartedstockpilingtheiragricultural productsinanunevenway.Themindsetshiftedfromtakingwhatisneededforthecommunity(andbeing thankful for it) to hoarding for the rainy day. Little by little this has led to increased levels of inequality; somepeoplehaveaccesstonutrition,richesandresourceswhileothersarelackingeverything. Yetachangeforbetterhasstarted.Therearealotofthingsthatwork.Letslookattodayinanapprecia tivemannerandseewhatisgoodinsomeofthecommunitiestoday.

Appreciativeexamplesofindividuals,relationshipsandcommunities
In the margins of our society lie the weak signals tomorrows megatrends or obsolete fads. There are threeparticularlyinterestingphenomenathat coverallpartsofUbuntu that havegained popularityover therecentyears: Individualschangingtheworld:Socialentrepreneurshipisproducinginnovationstodogoodand dowell. Responsiblerelationships:Polyamoryisunrestrictedloveandadherencetovalueledrelationships. Creativecommunities:Inopensourcecommunitiescollaborationhappenslargelywithoutmoney. Althoughtheseexamplesarepickedtorepresentindividual,relationshipsandcommunitiestheyallportray theimportanceofthefocalpointofthischapter:Iambecauseyouarebecauseweare.Letsdedicate sometimetoexamineeachofthese.

Socialentrepreneurship
Socialbusinessideasarebasedonsolvingasocialorenvironmentalissue; combiningprofits,peopleand the planet. They are radically innovative solutions, i.e. they revolutionize the existing systems. Thus they haveanimpactonthesocietyatlarge.Usuallysocialentrepreneursaimtomaximizetheimpactbyscaling thesolutiontoothertargetgroupsorgeographicalareas.Finally,whatmakesasocialinnovationstandout frommeresocialworkcarriedoutbythepublicsectorandtheNGOsisthattheyarefinanciallysustainable entrepreneurialsolutions.Thatistosay,theyareinnovationsindependentofexternalfunding. Indeed,thereisalottoimproveinthisworld.Socialentrepreneurscoverawiderangeofissues,depending ontheindividualspassionwhostartedthesocialenterprises.Theyanswerquestionslike; Howmightweensureavailabilityofcleanwaterandnutrition? Howmightweprovidesanitationandhealthcareinslums? Howmightwemakeyoungpeoplesvoicesheardandenabletheirfuturethrougheducation? Howmightweprovidesustainableenergyforfuturegenerations? Howmightweenableasmoothintegrationofworkbasedimmigrants? Howmightwegetpeopleoutofpovertywhilecreatinglocalinnovatorsforthepublic? Howmightwepreventdiseaseandimprovematernalhealth? Howmightweuseentrepreneurshiptokeepreleasedprisonersfromgoingbacktoprison? Howmightweactivateelderlypeopletoleadfullandexcitinglives? Thelistgoeson There are two kinds of social entrepreneurs: those who made their With realization of one's own poten fortunesintraditionalbusinessandonlythendecidedtoparticipate tialandselfconfidenceinone'sability, in saving the world, and those who started with nothing and built onecanbuildabetterworld. solutions that revolutionized their local community. Example of the DalaiLama formerisJeffSkoll.HecreatedSkollFoundationandParticipantMe diawiththemoneygeneratedfromeBay.Thelattergroupisastea
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dilygrowingbunchofpeoplewhosawafailureintheircommunity,andwiththeirpassiontomakethings right, created organizations that would correct the failures in sustainable manner. Examples include for instanceRodrigoBaggio,thefounderofCDI(CommitteeforDemocracyinInformationTechnology).With recycled computers and free training space CDI offers an affordable computer skill training program that hasopeneddoorstobrighterfutureformorethan700,000poorpeopleinBrazil. Socialentrepreneurshipisbynomeansanewphenomenon.Ashokaisapioneerinsupportingsocialentre preneursworldwide.Ontheirwebsite75theylisthistoricalexamplesofsocialentrepreneurspeoplewho changedcommunitieswellbeforethetermsocialentrepreneurshipwasevencoined: Susan B. Anthony (U.S.): Fought for Women's Rights in the United States, including the right to controlpropertyandhelpedspearheadtheadoptionofthe19thamendmenttotheUnitedStates Constitution. VinobaBhave(India):FounderandleaderoftheLandGiftMovement,hecausedtheredistribution ofmorethan7,000,000acresoflandtoaidIndia'suntouchablesandlandless. Dr.MariaMontessori(Italy):DevelopedtheMontessoriapproachtoearlychildhoodeducation. FlorenceNightingale(U.K.):Founderofmodernnursing,sheestablishedthefirstschoolfornurses andfoughttoimprovehospitalconditions. Margaret Sanger (U.S.): Founder of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, she led the movementforfamilyplanningeffortsaroundtheworld. John Muir (U.S.): Naturalist and conservationist, he established the National Park System and helpedfoundtheSierraClub. JeanMonnet(France):ResponsibleforthereconstructionoftheFrencheconomyfollowingWorld War II, including the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC andtheEuropeanCommonMarketweredirectprecursorsoftheEuropeanUnion. Critiquesofsocialentrepreneurshipsaythatitisyetanotherformofcapitalismandthatthesocialentre preneurs actually benefit financially from the misery of other people. Its a valid point of argument and skepticism is natural after witnessing the green wash of larger organizations. Another critique is that sometimesevenentrepreneurswithgoodintentionsarelargelyjustcuringsymptoms,notaddressingthe rootissues.Whatisthesocialworkyouwantmetodo?Patchworkisnotforme.Mystandisclear:pro ducetodistribute,feedbeforeyoueat,givebeforeyoutake,andthinkofothersbeforeyouthinkofyour self.Onlyaselflesssocietybasedonsharingcanbestableandhappy.Thisistheonlypracticalsolution Societyisbuiltonmotives.Putgoodwillintothefoundationsandyouwillnotneedspecializedsocialwork ers.76 Indeed, the most successful social entrepreneurs dig into the root problems instead of patchwork andchangetheircommunitiesforgood. Regardlessofthecritiquetherearevariouselementswecanlearnfromthecommunityofsocialentrepre neurs.Thesearenamely: Passion and meaningfulness: Social entrepreneurs are driven by their passion to do good. More andmorepeople,especiallytheyoungergeneration,arelookingformoremeaningintheirwork. Opportunityrecognition:Socialentrepreneursseeopportunitieswhereothersseeproblems.This isamindsetthatmorepeoplewilladoptinthefuturewhenanegocentricworldviewisreplaced withthatofcommongood. Pilotingthesolutions:Nomatterhowambitious,socialentrepreneursarequitecautiousinimple mentingtheirgreatideas.Solutionsaregenerallytriedoutinsmallerscale,thenperfectedandco piedtohavealargerscaleimpact.Thisisagoodwaytoavoidhugeblundersandlearnfrommis takesalongtheway.
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Sharingthewisdom:Socialentrepreneursdontgenerallymindsharingtheirsecretsauceinorder tomaximizethepositiveimpactoftheirideas.Wheninformationhoardingisreplacedwithopen sharing,goodpracticescanspreadmoreeasilythroughouttheworld. Borderless partnerships: Social entrepreneurs are savvy in tying partnerships with previously un likelyalliesfromallsectorsofsociety.Thisincreasesconnectednessandshowsusawayofworking togethertosavetheworld. Abundanceofresources:Socialentrepreneursseemoneymerelyasatool.Fornowithasbeenjust slowingtheprogress.Whatmattersisthesocialimpact.Socialentrepreneursaresavvyincollecting themissingresources:peopleandknowledgebeingthekey.Theydontseeascarcityofresources butabundance.Impossibletakesalittlebitlongerisamottoformanysocialentrepreneurs.

Polyamory
HelenFisherhasstudiedthebrainofpeoplewhoaremadlyinlove.Sheexplains:Thethreesystemsinthe brainlust,romanticloveandattachmentaren'talwaysconnectedtogether.Youcanfeeldeepattach menttoalongtermpartner,whileyoufeelintenseromanticloveforsomebodyelse,whileyoufeelsex driveforpeopleunrelatedtotheseotherpartners.Inshort,wearecapableoflovingmorethanoneperson atatime.77Indeed,inthemainstream,serialmonogamyhasreplacedthenormofeverlastinglove.Young peoplechangepartnerslikesocks,stillthinkingthateverysingleoneofthemistheoneandonly.Thenat somepointyourlifegetsmorestable,yousettledown:internalattachmenttothepersonandcertainex ternalfactorslikemortgage,marriageandtheoffspringsupportyouinyourdecisiontostayintherela tionship.Butcomingfromacountrywhereabout52%ofmarriagesendupindivorceIcantresistthinking thatthemonogamyinoursocietymeansthateveryrelationshiphasanexpirydate. Thesocietythatweliveindictatesmuchofhowwethinkandhowweareexpectedtothink.ABelgian friendofminesaidthatifonewoulddrink34beersadayinhishomecountryhewouldbelabeledasan alcoholic, but in Czech Republic where he lives now its just normal. This analogy can be used in the matters of love also. Monogamy is the norm in most of the Western world at least and theres nothing wrongwithitperse.However,somepeopleareverypossessiveanddontevenwanttohearofotherkind ofarrangementswhenit comestolove.Coulditbethatoursociety whereowningandhaving posses sionsissoimportanthasspreadthisthinkingtoourrelationshipsalso?Isitpossibletolovetothefullest inanonpossessiveway? Polyamoryisalifestyleofhavingmorethanoneloving,intimaterelationshipatatimewiththefullknow ledgeandconsentofeveryoneinvolved.Sincethetermpolyamorywascoinedonlyaslateasinthe1990s itisworthwhiletodefinenotonlywhatitisbutalsowhatitisnot: Polygamyisamansrighttohaveseveralwives,oftentiedtoreligiousbeliefs. Swingingisonlysexual;polyamoryisphysical,mental,emotionalandspiritualsharingoflove. Cheatingisinfidelity,lyinganddeception. Although new as a term, polyamorous behavior is by no means a new phenomenon. Read for example ThreeinLove:MenagesaTroisfromAncienttoModernTimes(Foster,2000)ifyouareinterested.No wadaysforexampleAlanMooreaBritishwriter(e.g.Marvelcomics)andWarrenBuffetsecondrichest manintheworldarepolyamorists. Thereisnoonewaytoleadapolyamorouslifestyle:Polyamorousrelationshipsvaryonawidespectrum dependingofthepeopleinvolvedandtheagreementstheyhavemade.Howevertherearecertainvalues thatalloftheserelationshipsarebasedon,andthatdifferentiatepolyamoryfromlessdefinedopenrela tionships:
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Fidelityandloyalty:oneremainsfaithfultothepromisesandagreementsmade. Respectandsupport:oneisnonpossessiveandacceptshispartner'spartners. Honestcommunication:onediscussesfeelingsopenlyanddealswiththemimmediately. Compersion:onegetssatisfactionofhispartnersenjoyment,evenifthesourceissomeoneelse.

Whatiswonderfulofapolyamorouscommunityisthatalthoughpolypeopleareonlylooselyconnectedto each other and can be of very different life orientations otherwise, there is a sense ofmutual respect in theirmeetings.Itdoesntmatterifyoursexualorientationisstraight,gay,biorevenasexualyouareal wayswelcometoshareyourthoughts.Itdoesntmatterifyouareanengineer,businessperson,ahippie, oraliveactionroleplayernooneisdefiningyoubyyourprofessionorlackthereof.Peopleareopento discusswithanygender:men,women,transgenderedorandrogen.Evenwhatyoudoinyourbedroom whether its kinky BDSM or plain vanilla doesnt make you unequal in the eyes of other polyamorous people.Also,peopleinapolyamorouscommunitytendtobequiteselfaware,becausetheyhavehadtodo theirintrospectionbeforedecidingtochooseanonstandardwayoflife. MyownexperiencewithpolyamoryislimitedbutIcansaythatsucharelationshipisawonderfulavenue tofindoutwhoyoureallyare,andtodealwithyourpastfearsthatnowshowupasfeelingsofjealousy. Iverealizedthatlittlebylittleitspossibletoridyourselfofjealousybecauseitsnothingmorethanoneof thetoysyourelephantlikestoplayaroundwith.ThroughpolyamoryIvelearnedtodealwiththeNewRe lationshipEnergy(NRE)andpushitasidewithoutclingingtothefancifulfalseimageoftheotherperson. Ivelearnedwhatunconditionalnonpossessiveloveisandhowyoucanfeelgenuinelyhappyfortheother personshappiness.Formepolyamoryhasbeenagatewaytounderstandingtruehumanity. Havingsaidthat,polyamoryisbynomeanssmoothsailing.Theissuesinpolyamorousrelationshipsvaryas inmonogamousrelationships,andmostofthemarehighlypractical:howtomanagemytimewithseveral peopleandhowtofindpartner(s)inthefirstplace.Theparadoxofnonstandardrelationshipsisthatal thoughintheoryyouwouldaimtoopenmoredoors,inpracticemoreofthemremainshut.Considerfor exampleasituationwhereapersonisbisexualandpolyamorous.Atfirstglancethissoundslikeanendless seaofopportunities,doesntit?However,inpracticethepotentialpartnershavetobefinewithbothbi sexualityandpolyamory,andthusthepersonschancestofindpartner(s)arediminished,notincreased. Whetherornotweagreeoridentifywiththelifestyle,wecanlearnalotfromthepolyamorouscommuni ty.Inthefuturesocietythemutualrespectforhumanityandequalstandingplaysamajorrole.Valuessuch as loyalty, trust, honesty, dignity, support, communication, negotiation and nonpossessiveness are defi nitelyworthconsidering.Maybethemostimportantlearningpointisthenotionofhonesty.Themindisa jail built out of bullshit Withholding from other people, not telling them about what we feel or think, keepsuslockedinthejail.Thelongerweremaininthatjail,thequickerwedecline.Weeitherescape,or wegodead.Thewayoutistogetgoodattellingthetruth.78Polyamorouslifestylecanalsohelponetolet goofneedsforattachmentandclinging,traitsdevelopedalreadyinearlychildhoodandscientificallyprov entobepartofanaddictioncalledromanticlove.Quitesurprisingly,choosingnottorestrictlovetoany oneperson,Ihavelearnedhowtolivealonewithoutfeelinglonely. Learningpointsfrompolyamorouslifestyleinclude: Agreed understanding: Polyrelationships are based on values such as trust, dignity, non possessivenessandcompersion.Whenanewrelationshipisstartedormorepeoplecomeintothe equation, people ensure with common agreement that everyone knows what the rules of en gagementare.

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Compersion: Love and compassion are taken one step further with this fairly new term that de scribes how nonegoistic people can get satisfaction from the wellbeing of their partners, even if thesourceoftheirpleasurewouldbesomeoneelse. Facing your fears: Compersion doesnt take away the possibility that feelings of jealousy might arise. However, honest and loving polyamorous relationship helps you to discuss these feelings withyourpartner(s)andyoumightfindoutthattheyarejustfearsthatyouhavetowardsyourself: amIgoodenough?,willsheleaveme?,andistheotherguybetterthanme?areallthoughts inyourownhead. Dialogue:Itisquitecommonthatpolyamorouscouples(andtriadsandwhatnot)spendmuchmore timediscussingtheirfeelingsthanwhatmonogamouspeopleareusedto.Itisoverwhelminghow closeyougettootherpeoplesharingyourdoubtsandjoys. Valuingdifference:Apolyamorouscommunityconsistsofawidevarietyofpeoplefromallwalksof life,backgrounds,age,gender,professionsanddifferingsexualorientations.Thereisnoroomfor prejudicebutalotofroomfordifferencesofopinion. Acceptanceofimpermanence:Althoughsomepolypeoplearetogetherfromkindergartentothe grave, it is widely understood that all relationships change shape and might become obsolete. Nonetheless,thisdoesntmeanthatyoushouldcutallthetieswiththepersonyoulove,asisthe caseinmanymonogamousbreakups.

Opensourcecommunities
Imagine for a while you are living in the late 1990s. You are about to start a local youth club with your friends.YouhavebeenappointedtopurchaseallITandknowledgerelatedinfrastructuretheclubneeds. Youhavegotafewbrandnewcomputersandsomestartupmoneyasadonation,butyouneedtocalcu lateifitsenoughorwhetheryoushouldgetsponsors.Aftercarefulmappingofneedsyourpurchaselist lookslikethis:operatingsystemandbasicsoftwareforthreecomputers,virtualcollaborationtools(shared calendar, forum and email at least), website for marketing purposes, eLearning tools, and Encyclopedia Britannica on CD to let your members in on information they need in their volunteer work. How much wouldallthesecost? Now think about the same assignment today. You get Aconsumerdoesn'ttakeanythingaway:hedoesn't LinuxUbuntuastheoperatingsystemandOpenOffice actuallyconsumeanything.Givingthesamethingto a thousand consumers is not really any more expen asthesoftware.Yougetyourfreeemailaddressesand sivethangivingittojustone. virtualcollaborationtoolsfromGoogleandsetupyour LinusTorvalds phpBBforumwithease.Butyouhavehardtimedecid ing whether to use Joomla, Drupal or Wordpress to buildyoursite.Youchoosethelatterbecauseitssoeasy.FinallyyoumakeWikipediathestartpageinyour freeOperabrowserandopenupyourMoodleeLearningcommunity.CostofallthisiszeroEuros.Howcan this be? In just over a decade everything has become free thanks to people whove put in long hours to developsoftwareinglobalopensourcecommunitiesjustfortheloveofit.Mindyou,thedevelopmentin opensource world is so rapid that by the time this book comes out, Google Wave has most likely made mostofwhatIjustsaidsoundlikeremnantsofthepast. In Internetenabled collaboration its not only the end results that are free; also participation is free. Its becoming more and more commonplace that people have their most exciting collaborative communities onlinealthoughitdoesntevenfeellikework.Itisnowonderthatthisfreeandopenparticipationwas enabledbytheInternetaplatformmadeaccessibletoeveryonewithoutrestrictiverightsbyTimBerners Lee,theinventorofHTTPandHTTMLprotocols.IfheandhisemployerCERNwouldhavebeenselfish andgreedy,wemightnotbeagloballyinterlinkedspeciesyet. Linux Ubuntu community Code of Conduct starts by saying: Ubuntu is an African concept of 'humanity towardsothers'.Itis'thebeliefinauniversalbondofsharingthatconnectsallhumanity'.Thesameideas
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arecentraltothewaytheUbuntucommunitycollaborates.MembersoftheUbuntucommunityneedto worktogethereffectively.Thecodeofconductlaysdownthegroundrulesforourcooperation:beconsi derate; be respectful; be collaborative; when you disagree, consult others; when you are unsure ask for help; and step down considerately (if you decide to leave, do it so that it minimizes disruption to the project).79 These ground rules are so ingenious that any parent could apply them directly in upbringing, anyteacherinaclassroomoranyleaderataworkplace. More and more software developers have learned an agile mindset. We are uncovering better ways of developingsoftwarebydoingitandhelpingotherstodoit.Throughthisworkwehavecometovalueindi vidualsandinteractionsoverprocessesandtools,workingsoftwareovercomprehensivedocumentation, customercollaborationovercontractnegotiation,andrespondingtochangeoverfollowingaplan.80Agile software development is based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaborationbetweenselforganizingcrossfunctional teams.Thisislargelytheapproachalsoin mostsuccessfulopensourceprojects. OrganizationalbenefitsfromtheuseofOpenSourceSoftwareincludereliability,stability,auditability,cost benefits,flexibility,freedom,supportandaccountability.EventheBritishgovernmentisastrongproponent ofopensource.Theyvechosenthispathinordertogetbestvalueformoney,toavoidgettinglockedinto a particular product and to reuse what it has already bought. Their Chief Information Officers council declares:OpenSourcehasbeenoneofthemostsignificantculturaldevelopmentsinITandbeyondover thelasttwodecades:ithasshownthatindividuals,workingtogetherovertheInternet,cancreateproducts thatrivalandsometimesbeatthoseofgiantcorporations;ithasshownhowgiantcorporationsthemselves, and Governments, can become more innovative, more agile and more costeffective by building on the fruits of community work; and from its IT base the Open Source movement has given leadership to new thinkingaboutintellectualpropertyrightsandtheavailabilityofinformationforreusebyothers.81 Whatcanwelearnfromopensourcecommunities? Ubuntuincocreation:Iambecauseyouarebecausewearegivesasenseofunityfortheopen sourcecommunity.Everyoneispitchingintheirtime,andhelpingeachotheroutinordertocreate somethingtogetheronaglobalscale.Thisisselflesscocreation. Richnessofopportunity:Anyonecanjointheprojectsbasedontheirmotivationandtalent.This enablespeopletoworkonseveralprojectssimultaneouslyandgivetheirbestcontributionwithout gettingbored.MyfriendsLinkedInprofiletellseverythingoftodaysyoungadultsattitude:I've doneandseenalotthankstopartlymystrongcuriosityaboutthings,mydrivetoseeandexpe rienceaswellasthefactthatIstilldon'tknowwhatIwanttodowhenIgrowup.Thus,onehasto keepexploring.Therearewaytoomanycoolthingstodointhislife!Meditation or exploring outerly. Pick Needbasedsolutions:Typicalforopensourceprojectsisthattheyareansweringtorealneeds,in a subject steadofjustdevelopingnicetohavesolutions. to focus on Qualitymatters:Commercialproductscharacteristicallyhavealotofvisiblefunctionsandfeatures thatgivemarketingadvantage,whereasimportanceinopensourceproductsisplacedonharderto measurequalitiessuchasstability,securityandsimilarlessglamorousattributes.Alsothelifespan ofopensourcetechnologyislonger,duetothelackofprofitmotiveandavailablefreeupdatesand newversions. Interaction of individuals: Opensource communities put great emphasis on communication and dialogue.Peoplehelpeachothertoovercomeissuesandshareinformationopenly.
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Acceptingchange:Acknowledgingthatchangeisinevitablehasmadeespeciallytheagiledevelop ers successful. Although they have an overall vision for the project, they develop the solution in sprintsstepbystepandmakecorrectionsalongtheway.Thiswaytheendresultisalwaystime lyanduseful,notthoroughlypreplannedbutunusablepieceofsoftware.

Gettingouracttogetherthroughnewvaluesandculture
Thenewtheoryisthat onanyplanethavinglifeinthecosmosonespeciessoonerorlaterevolvesto a pointofgainingatotalknowledgeoftheplanetitliveson.Itwillthenbeinitspowereithertocontinue evolutionortobringittoanend.Thefirstcoursewillrequirethattheformervaluesofthatspecies,values not respectful of the new phase of evolution, must be replaced by new ones which cater to evolution. Thesenewvaluesareamajornewevolutionaryimperative.82 Thematterofasharedvaluesystemisofthehighestimportancewhendesigningcommunitiesofaction thattakeustowardsstrongercommunitiesandanewsociety.Thisshouldnotbeconfusedwithpersonal values;anyonecanstillhaveandrespecttheirownvaluesbutweshouldbeabletoagreeonacommon valuesetthatweadhereto.Fromtheexamplesabovewecancollectalistofgoodpracticesfromanindi vidualsperspectiveaswellasonthelevelsofrelationshipandcommunity(seeTable3). VALUE INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIP COMMUNITY
Meaningfulness Passionandmeaningfulness Agreedunderstanding Needbasedsolutions Awareness Opportunityrecognition Facingyourfears Qualitymatters Agiledevelopment Pilotingthesolutions Acceptanceofimpermanence Acceptingchange Dialogue Sharingthewisdom Dialogue Interactionofindividuals Cocreation Borderlesspartnerships Valuingdifferences Ubuntuincocreation Abundance Abundanceofresources Compersion Richnessofopportunity Table3.Goodpracticesfromsocialentrepreneurship,polyamoryandopensourcecommunities.

Thereisacertainsimilarityintheindividual,relationshipandcommunityperspectives.Thesegoodpractic esportraysiximportantvalues:meaningfulness,awareness,agiledevelopment,dialogue,cocreationand abundance.Buthowcanweknowifthesesixvaluesareagoodfoundationforacommunitytofunction well?Letsforawhileassumethatyouareabouttocreateanorganizationoraprojectfromthegroundup. Howwouldyouusethesesixvalues? Meaningfulness:Youwouldensurethatwhatyouaredoingisabsolutelysignificantforthepeoplewhoare comingalong.Youwouldguaranteethatwhatyoudoisalignedwithpeoplespassionsandthateveryone understandswhatyouareengagingontogether;whatistheimpactofyourwork.Finally,youwouldmake surethatyouareaddressingarealneedanddevelopingsolutionstothat. Awareness: You would make information available and remove all obstacles from people to obtain the informationthattheyneedtocontinuouslytapintoopportunitiesintheexternalenvironment.Youwould coachpeopletoincreasetheirselfawarenessandremovewhateverfears,doubtsanddisbelieftheymight have.Youwouldensurethatpeopleareawareofwhatqualitymeansinwhatyouareabouttodo;andsee toafullcommitmenttodeliverexactlythat. Agile development: You would quickly get down to business and start implementing the plans through pilotexperiments.Youwouldmakeadjustmentsalongthewayandacceptthefactthatwhatworkedyes terday might not be relevant tomorrow. Your acceptance of impermanence would also mean that your organizationwouldchangeshapeallthetime;somepeoplewouldleaveandnewonesmightjoin.
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Dialogue:Youwouldremovealltheobstaclesfromsharingindividualswisdom,andreservealotoftime for transparent dialogue. You would develop tools and practices to enable interaction regardless of per ceivedgeographical,cultural,linguisticorotherhurdles. Cocreation: You would develop winwin partnerships also outside of your organization, and bring in neededincompetence.Youwouldcelebratedifferencesandensurethereisenoughdiversitythatenables a variety of pointsofview in decisionmaking and development. You would constantly communicate the importanceofrelationshipsandcommunitytotheindividuals,inyourorganizationandoutsideofit. Abundance:Youwouldnotsettleforthelimitedresourcesthatyouhave,butinsteadyouwouldreachout toensurepeoplehavewhattheyneedtogettheworkdone.Youwouldopenpeopleseyestocompersion: successofoneissuccessofeveryone.Youwouldletpeopletotapintoopportunitiesthattheyneed,know ingthatthisrichnessofopportunitycontributestotheirwellbeingandthusyourorganizationthrives.
Meaningfulness aspiration commitment confidence dedication determination enthusiasm fulfillment idealism meaning passion purposefulness steadfastness will Awareness acceptance aliveness clarity contemplation contentment critique education insight knowledge reality reflectiveness selfawareness truth Agile development betterment completion development excellence flexibility industry patience perfection pragmatism resilience risktaking simplicity uniqueness Dialogue consideration courtesy discernment gentleness understanding humor integration joy magnanimity nurturance objectivity openness peace tact Cocreation altruism citizenship cooperation diligence fairness friendliness helpfulness ingenuity reliability Abundance beauty courage creativity curiosity hopefulness liberty optimism richness wonder Authenticity wholeness dignity equanimity integrity justice loyalty mercy morality respect righteousness selfconfidence selfdiscipline serenity trustworthiness honesty Generosity attentiveness benevolence caring compassion empathy faithfulness forgiveness generosity gratitude humility kindness love selflessness service thankfulness

Table4.Valuesofwisdomorganizedincategories.

Whatwouldbetheoutcomeofrunninganorganizationinthismanner?Peoplewouldbepassionatelyen gagedincocreationofcommongoodonasustainablebasis.Notbad.However,isthisconvincingenough? Haveweforgottensomething?Ifwetakealookatthelistofvaluesthatvariouspeoplehaveassociated withwisdom83wecancategorizesynonymousandinterrelatedvaluesfromthatlistwithwhatwealready have(Table4).Wethenseethatthesesixcategorieswerenotenough,butweshouldincludetheauthen ticityortherealmethatwediscussedinchapteroneandgenerositythatwasintroducedbefore whenwediscussedgivingforthesakeofgiving. Acultureisdefinedasasetofsharedattitudes,values,goals,andpracticesthatcharacterizesaninstitu tion,organizationorgroup84.Whatkindofaculturewouldwebuildbasedontheaforementionedvalues? Hereisonesuggestionthatcapturesitall: Culture of meaningful cocreation and agile development: People contribute to meaningful projectsthatgivethemfulfillment.Peoplecreatesolutionstogetherwheretheyareneeded.Strict structuresandhierarchygivewaytodevelopingeverythingwithanagilemindset. Cultureofgenerosityandabundance:Peoplehelpeachotherandshareresourcesforeveryones benefit. Theres no more artificial scarcity, but best practices are transferred freely around the world.
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Culture of authenticity, awareness and dialogue: Egoless people stay uptodate on common issues. Dialogue is based on honesty and trust. One doesnt need to be afraid of being deceived becausetheresnolongeramotivefordishonestbehavior.

Equalopportunityisthekey
InWesterncountriesweoftenforgettheinescapablefactthatwhatweseeasaneconomyisonlyafrac tionofreality.Firsttimeinhumanhistorynearlyallcountriesarepartofthesameglobalmonetarysystem but unfortunately there is no equal access to its fruits. Alleged informal economy all unregistered eco nomicactivitieswhichcontributetotheofficiallycalculated(orobserved)GrossNationalProductaddsup to41%indevelopingcountries,38%intransitioncountriesand18%inOECDcountries85.Notethatthisis measuredwithmoney,notbypeoplebelongingtoit.Ifwelookatthejobsininformaleconomy,i.e.people tryingtosurviveoutsidetheofficialsystem,thefiguresareevenmoreoverwhelming.InIndiaastunning 93%ofjobsareintheinformaleconomy,whichinpracticemeansforinstancethatofthe12millionpeople inMumbai,2millionsleeponthepavementsand6millionliveinslumsbecausethepeoplesfocusison howtoliveanotherday.Thisquestionofsurvivaliswhatcapturestheessenceofinformaleconomyinmost partsoftheworld.

Picture9.LifeexpectancyinIndia19092007.

Picture10.LifeexpectancyinChina19092007.

Inlessthan40yearstheAfricancontinentwentfrombeinganetexporterofbasicfoodstaplestorelying onimportsandfoodaid.TheGreenRevolutioninIndiawaslargelyafailure,leavingIndianfarmersindebt and committing suicide more than ever before, and poisoning the environment. Now the same is rolled overinAfricabyAGRA,anAllianceforaGreenRevolutioninAfrica.Itisquestionableifthelatesttechnolo gy (genetically modified seeds, pesticides, and herbicides) coupled with loan money made available will helpthesmallscalefarmers,butthiscooperativeeffortofTheRockefellerFoundationandBillandMelinda GatesFoundationwillunquestionablyopenanewmarketforthemultinationalcorporationsprovidingthe technology.Aslongaswearedrivenbytheoldvaluesandtheprofitmotive,eventhewellmeaninginten tionsperpetuatethesystemoftherichgettingricherandthepoorgettingpoorer.Itstimeforustounder standthatduetoourconnectednessitsineveryonesbenefittoprovideequalaccessandequalopportuni tytoeverybodyeverywhere. All starts within an indivitual to understand the importance of only this moment. Not to be afraid of lacking tomorrow but to be thankful and share

what we have Now.

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Whitehall Study has dispelled the myth that the gradient of healthinindustrializedsocieties is simply a matter of poor health for the disadvantaged and good health for everyone else. According to the studies (where both poor and rich had access to universal healthcare), the more inequality there is in society, the more health prob lems there are. A key factor in health of people is psychologi calstress.Inhierarchicsocieties there is a lot of inequality and thisposesalotofstressonthe majority of people. Therefore, it can be concluded that egali tarianism is a healthier choice forasocietythanhierarchy.86 Picture9.DevelopmentofFinlandandDenmark19092006(gapminder.org). So,whatifwewouldmovetoa system where even that 1,000,000,000 people that go hungry today would have enough to eat? What if 24,000peoplewouldntdieeverydayofeasilycurablediseasesandhunger?Wouldntitmeanthatthey wouldsoonhaveincreasingneedsregardingtheirhousing,transportationandentertainmentalso?Thisisa fearexpressedmostoften:whatwouldhappentoourplanetifeveryonewasleadingaluxuriouslifelike peopleintheWesternsocietiesdo?Ifwecommittochangingthesystemthisworryisofnoavailbecauseif our systemwas not based on maximizing profit (i.e. continuing scarcity, ineffectiveness,piling waste and debtslavery)itwouldbebasedonsomethingmorereasonable:asustainablelifeforpeopleandtheplanet. Itwouldbebasedonharnessingthetechnologyavailableandensuringabundanceforall. Thereis clearevidenceofcorrelation betweenincreasedlifeexpectancyandsmallerfamilysize (see pic tures9and10).Whenpeoplebecomehealthierthereislessreasonforhavingalotofbabiesinorderfor someofthemtosurvive.Inotherwords,themoreprosperousthenationis,thesmallerthefamilysize. Thiscanbeillustratedalsootherwise.LetstaketwoNordicsocieties,DenmarkandFinland,andseetheir developmentforthelast100years.Onlynow,letschangetheYaxistobeinfantmortalityrate(picture 11).Wecanseethatbothcountrieshavehadverysimilardevelopment.InjustacenturytheFinnishinfant mortalityratehasdroppedfrom11.1%to0.3%whilethefamilysizehasdecreasedfrom4.7to1.8kidsper woman.Danishfiguresarefrom9.9%to0.4%ininfantmortalityand3.8to1.8infamilysize.Wearenow sowelloffthatsometimesweforget;weweredevelopingcountriesjust100yearsago.Morechildrenwere neededbothbecauseofchildmortalityandduetotheagriculturalnatureofwork. In conclusion, ensuring equal opportunity and equal access to abundance is the most important tool to slowdownthepopulationgrowthandmakethesystemsustainable.

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Possiblescenariosforfuturesociety
Wecannotpredictwhatthefuturewillhold,butweshouldacknowledgethefactthatwecanplayanactive roleincreatingasocietythatwewanttosee.Ofcoursetherewillbesurprisesandthingsdontalwaysgo as planned. However, it doesnt harm anyone to envision what could lie ahead. Three scenarios are pro posed(seepicture12): 1. Businessasunusual:asocietybuiltupontodayspoliticalandeconomicaltrends. 2. Freemarketsocialism:asocietywithmarketscreatingcommongoodglobally. 3. Scientificspiritualsociety:afreeandaltruisticsocietywithoutobsoleteinventionsofhumanmind.

Businessasunusual
Thisisamodelthatislikelytohappenwithoutintervention from the civil sector. In this elitedriven global model the governmentsarelikelytocontinueharmonizationingeo graphical areas (NAFTA, CAFTA, EU, African Union etc) and between them. It is probable that global organizations like UN,WTO,IMF,WorldBankandWHOaregivenmorepower to manage the global system. One example would be an introductionofglobalpeacekeepingforcesthatkeepnation statesinlineandresolvearmedconflictsaroundtheworld. Independenceoftheseorganizationsisquestionableaslong as the moneyelite rules the world and unelected decision making bodies such as G20 and the Bilderberg Group con vene behind closed doors. The trend is clearly that ultra large multinational corporations continue extending their griptoallareasoflifefromfoodproductiontohealthcare. Picture12.Possiblescenariosforafuturesocie Smallernationstatesarelosingsovereigntytothecorpora ty(0=CurrentWesternSociety). tocracy of large governments, banks and corporations. In thismodelthesystemwouldcontinuetobedrivenbytheneedforperpetualgrowth,artificialscarcity,the profitmotive,distortedvaluesandfiscalmanipulationoffiatmoneyonlynowonatrulyglobalscale. Soon for instance agriculture is governed completely by companies like Monsanto who deliver the seeds andpesticidestofarmersandcollecttheprofitsattheotherendofthesupplychain,andwhosepoweris reinforcedbypolicieslikeCodexAlimentarius.Smallscaleproduction,manufacturingandservicesarehelp lessinthefaceofeverincreasingcompetitionandcentralizingofpower.Globalfinancialarrangementscan eventuallyleadtoadoptionofaglobalcurrencythatfirstgoeshandinhandwithexistingcurrenciesand then replace them completely. This could potentially balance the economy but would not decrease the inequality:therichwouldstillgetricherandthepoorgrowpoorer.Itwouldnothaveaneffectonresource depletion either. In essence, everything would depend on the individual: selfinterest, greed, profit orientation and competition would continue to flourish. However, individual freedom would decrease as theharmonizationandunificationcallsforincreasedcontrol:policiesarealreadybeingintroducedtode creaseindividualfreedomandtopreventcollectiveuprisingofthecitizens.Businessasunusualwouldcon tinueonthesameegoisticparadigmofreceivingforthesakeofreceiving.Itwouldbeasocietyofsurvival, statusquoandstagnation;notofdevelopment.But,needlesstosay,itwouldbewonderfulfortherichest 15%ofworldpopulation.

Freemarketsocialism
Freemarket socialism is a hybrid of capitalism and so cialism.Itwouldmarktheendofcapitalismasweknow it, but it would preserve the notion of freemarkets in order to develop solutions for common good, thus in

Whenplunderbecomesawayoflifeforagroupof menlivingtogetherinsociety,theycreateforthem selves in the courseof timea legal system that au thorizesitandamoralcodethatglorifiesit. FredericBastiat

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troducingthegoodsidesofasocialisticsystem.Infreemarketsocialism,peoplewouldactastheyseefit butforsharedbenefit:workaccordingtotheabilityandreceiveaccordingtotheneed.Inessence,every onewouldbeasocialentrepreneur(runningacompanythatdoesgood)orsocialintrapreneur(workingin acompanythatdoesgood).Therawmaterials,meansofproductionandthefruitsoftheearthsharvest wouldbeseenasourcommoninheritance,andusedforoursharedgoodwhereneeded.Inotherwords, theoilfoundinNorwaywouldbelongnolesstothepeopleinMozambiquethantotheNorwegians.Every countrywouldhaveequalstandardsofliving,governedgloballylikeonestate. Thismodelwouldneverworkwithoutanonnegotiableglobalunity,strictadherencetotherulesandcon trol mechanisms. This oneness of mankind would be ensured by universal peace upheld by a world gov ernment, a world religion, universal compulsory education, a universal auxiliary language and a global worldcurrency.Theethicalbehaviorforcommongoodwouldbeensurednotonlywitheducation,butalso with strict control of moral adherence and rewards for exemplary behavior of working class heroes: the greater benefit one contributes to society, the higher honor one shall receive. Refraining from working diligentlytobenefitsocietywouldinducepunishmentaccordingtothelawsofsociety.Also,thecommunity andpublicopinionwouldensurethategoisticpeoplegetbackinlinetoservecommongood. People would be seen as one multicultural race, but they would be only relatively equal, not in absolute terms.Peoplewithhighintellectswouldbeinthepositionsofpower;theaveragelyadequatewouldbethe middleclass;andthestupidthelowerclassquitesimilartoGeorgeOrwells1984.Everyonewouldhave theirbasicnecessitiesprovidedforthembythesystem.Inessencetherewouldbenorealsenseofcom munityduetothelackofindividualfreedom,butthesemialtruisticrelationshipwouldmaketheworlda bitbetterplace.Thiswouldstillbeanegoisticsocietywheretheparadigmisgivingforthesakeofreceiving.

Scientificspiritualsociety
Only by promoting high individual freedom to evolve spiritually as human beingscanweimproveourrelationshipsandbringintruealtruismthatwill To whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he was eventually lead to a true sense of global community. In the scientific enteringhisownhome. spiritual society both science and spiritual wisdom would be used to en Bahullh hance the common good. The world would be seen as a single system whereboththewholeanditspartsmatter:Peoplecouldfollowtheirowntraditionsandcherishtheircul turebutnoonewouldharmothersbecausetheconceptofothernesswoulddilute.Itwouldbeinsanity tohurtanotherpersonbecausebyharmingsomeoneinthesystemwherecommonsuccessleadstoindi vidual success, you would be just harming yourself. In this strongly valuedriven society the wisdom of communitywouldbeformedbasedonuniquelyhealthyrelationshipsofawakenedindividuals.Thiswould makemostoftheobsoleteinventionsofegoistichumanmindlaws,money,artificialscarcityandcontrol uninvited. The world would be energized with only renewable sources like geothermal, wind, tidal, wave and solar energy.Theproductionofbasicnecessitieswouldbeautomatedandrudimentarydecisionmakinginrepe titivetasks(regardingcleaning,constructing,recycling,repairingetc)wouldbeoutsourcedtocomputers. Developmentprojectswouldbecarriedoutbylocalcommunitieslinkedglobally.Thereforetimewouldbe releasedtoworkthatmatters.Morefreetimewouldbeavailableforscientificexploration,education,spi ritualendeavorsandmerebeingandenjoyinglifeinthenow.Justasthetwentiethcenturyfarmingrevo lutionhasmadeitpossibleforasmallnumberoffarmerstofeedhundredsofmillionsofpeople,soanoth er revolution currently in progress will surely make it possible to meet the world's demand for most massproduced consumer goods (even homes) on the same basis. Many service functions, too, will be transformedbytechnologiessuchasvoicerecognitionandautomaticresponse,makingitpossibletoshrink hugelythenumbersemployedincallcentersandsimilarroutinetasks.Ineducation,interactivetechnolo gieswillreplacemanyoftoday'steachers...Healthserviceswillbepartlyautomated,allowingselfdiagnosis andremotemedicalcare...Itcouldevenbetruethatby2100theworld'sbasiceconomicproblemwillbe
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solved,asKeynesforecastin1930,andpeoplewillatlastbefreetocultivatetheirmindsandtheirsensibili ties.87 In a scientificspiritual society priorities would It is a degradation to human beings to chain them to an oar be freeing humanity from tedious work; clean and use them as a source of power, but it is almost an equal air,landandwater;biodiversity;nutritiousand degradationtoassignthemtopurelyrepetitivetasksinafacto healthy food; abundance and usability of rywhichdemandslessthanamillionthoftheirbrainpower. needed material objects; fast, clean, and effi Dr.NorbertWiener cient transportation; relevant individualdriven education;efficientuniversalhealthcare;personallibertyandfreedom;aesthetics,userdrivendesignand arts; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth; and a stressfree environment providing equal accesstofulfillallphysiological,mental,socialandspiritualneeds.Scientificspiritualsocietywouldgeneral lybemoreorganized,balanced,humane,sustainableandproductive.Itwouldbebuiltonaspiritualpara digmofgivingforthesakeofgivingandfurtherenabletheultimateparadigmofgenerosity:receivingfor thesakeofbestowing.Ifnothingelse,atleasttherobotmadehealthyandnutritiousBigMacswouldtaste deliciousandtheywouldcostnothing.

Choosingtheblueprint
Inthepreviouschapterwelookedbrieflywhatitmeans tomovefromolddoingtonewbeing.Oneoftheareas thatwereincomparisoninTable2wasdecisionmaking. Intheolddoingweemphasizedthevalueofminimizing doubtthroughreasoning.Inthenewbeingdecisionmak ingthroughfeelingbecomesmoreimportant.Wecannot possiblygatherallthedataofwhatmighthappeninthe future and analyze every last detail of it to arrive at a decision.Weneedtotrustourgutfeeling;whatgeneral directionmightbebesttotake?Itsimportanttounder stand that none of the aforementioned scenarios will happenassuch,buttheyaremerelyexamplesofgeneral directionwecantake.Letslookatpicture12againand seeitfromanotherangle(Picture13)withallthreeaxes equally visible, portraying the degree of Ubuntu in 1) Business as Unusual, 2) Freemarket socialism and 3) Scientificspiritualsociety. Picture13.Futuresocietiesinnewperspective. Note that this comparison is made from a global angle: thesamesystemworldwide.Thustheareaeachsystem cover,couldbeconsideredtobeequalitythatwasaddressedbefore.TheissuewithBusinessasunusual isthattherepowerisverycentralizedtothosewhohavemoney.Equalityisnotbuiltintothesystem.Quite onthecontrary:thesystemcannotfunctionunlessthereisaneverwideninggapbetweenthehavesand havenots.Thoseinpowercontrolandmakedecisionsfortherestofus.Iwouldnotpersonallysupport thiskindofstructureunlessIwaspartoftheelitethatcallstheshots.Freemarketsocialismisaslightly betterchoice,becausenoonewouldhavetogohungryordiebecauseofcurablediseases.Givingforthe sakeofreceivingwouldbethenewnormandthuseveryonewouldbetakencareofbecausehelpingothers wouldgivepeoplepersonalsatisfaction.Therewouldbenopovertyintraditionalsense.However,thissys temwouldhavetobestrictlycontrolledonaglobalscaleandwouldthustamperindividualfreedom.Rela tionshipswouldbebasedonpeerpressureandfreeriderswouldgenerallybefrowneduponandultimate
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ly punished. Without free individuals and healthy altruistic relationships there is no room for genuine communality. The next evolution of humanity will depend on a new convergence between science and spirituality. A complex system does not evolve stepbystep. It reaches a chaos point where it either breaks down or breaksthrough.Thequestioniswhetherwecanmasterthechangeorwewillbecomethevictimsofit We can create a viable civilization because of the rise of a new spirituality. If a critical mass of people achievesthisnewlevelofconsciousness,thechangeswilloccurthroughcivilsociety.88 Inallhonesty,choicenumberonewouldbetheeasiest.Wewouldnothavetochangeathinginourper sonal lives and we would drift towards that system eventually. We are already well on the way. Choice numbertwowouldbemuchmoredifficulttoimplement:Inordertoharmonizepracticesaroundtheworld we would have to put together the geographical unions to create a world government. Religions would have to merge and a global cur rency would have to be intro duced. All these are major changes nearly unfathomable for a common man. Then again, the choice number three is even more radical: a whole new cul ture and valuesystem should be adopted, billions of elephants should be tamed and a mass awakening to spirituality would be called for. Quite frankly, Im quite skeptical that we simple creaturesarereadyforthat(ants might be). Good news is that we have the scientific and spiritual wisdom ready. Bad news is that we are facing an obstacle that perpetuates selfinterest, greed and corruption. The largest reli gion of our time monetarism wouldnotsuiteventheants.

Asystemiccrisis
In the media we hear about world crises as if they were iso latedincidents.Warsarestarted, wagedandprolongednotonlyto sellthewarmachineryandtoget massive rebuilding contracts for largecompaniesbutalsoforgain ing access to valuable resources such as oil in Iraq or for logistics purposes like the gas pipeline through Afghanistan. The more Picture10.Evenantswouldn'tsurvivemonetarism.
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sickpeopletherearethemoreBigPharmaprofits.Andifthereisnoproofofapandemic,WHOismore thanwillingtochangethedefinitionofpandemicinordertogetthevaccinationsmoving.Intheenditsthe BigPharmawhosupportsthemfinancially.Itsawinwinsituation,isntit?Similarly,capandtradeschemes arecreatednottosavetheenvironmentbuttobenefitthecorporatocracy.And,ofcourse,financialcrisisis not only financial: the excruciating debt expands the crisis to all areas of our young civilization and the magnitudeofhumansufferingisunfathomable.Wearedealingwithasystemiccrisiswhereallissuesare interlinked.Intheendmostofourproblemsboildowntotheflawedmonetarysystem.

Whocreatesmoney?
Althougheveryoneseemstobeworryingaboutmoneyallthetimeitisamazinghowlittlepeopleknowof thewayitscreatedandcontrolled.Doyouknowwheremoneycomesfrom?Doyouknowwhocreatesit? Whatismoney?Ifyouransweristhatgovernmentcontrolstheprocessofmoneycreationorthatmoneyis created in the mint, your answer is only partly correct. Indeed, financial jargon can be difficult to understandforanordinarypersonasifitwasmadethatway. Nonetheless, the current system based on fractional reserve banking is fairly simple. Money is debt. It is createdbyprivatebanks.Thisishowithappens:whenyoutakealoanoruseyourcreditcardnewmoney iscreatedbyprivatebanks.Thenyouaresupposedtopaybackboththeprincipalthatwascreatedintothe moneysupplyandinterestthatnoonecreates.Thusthereisneverenoughmoneyincirculationtorepay boththeprincipalandtheinterest,andsomepeople,companiesandcountriesaredeemedtofail.Inother words,theyareslavestothedebtorsaslongastheyareunabletopaybacktheloansandsincesomeof themnevercan,theywillceasetoexist.Somepeoplehavetofaceforeclosures,somecompanieshaveto gobustandevencountrieslikeIcelandcangobankrupt. In fact, 24,000 people are dying every day due to this system and many more are forced to exile. In addition,thedemandsforcontinuousgrowth,inbuiltintothesystem,havedoneandarestilldoingserious damage to the environment. Products need to break down and people have to buy more. The poorer peopleget,theworsequalitytheyareoffered;alltheycanaffordistrashcommoditiesandjunkfood.This iswhatthelawofsupplyanddemandreallymeans. Only13%ofthemoneysupplyisactualbanknotesandcoins.Therestisonesandzeroesincyberspace.Of thatalargepartisdifferentkindsofshortandlongtermfinancialinstruments,notmoneythatyoucould carry in your wallet or purse. The money that has been created doesnt really exist: its mere data in informationsystems.Somepeoplestillthinkthatmoneytheyborrowfromthebankisintheirvaultand belongs to someone who has deposited it there. Thats not the case. In Eurozone the bank only need to haveminimumreservesof2%(thisiswherethenamecomes:fractionalreservebanking).Inotherwords,if all people would decide to go and cash out their money, the money would not be there. Similarly, if we wouldsomehowmiraculouslymanagetorepayallthedebtstherewouldbenomoneyanymore.Itwould ceasetoexist.

Therootofallevil
IfIcreatemoneyoutofthinair,Icommitaforgeryandgotojail.Ifabankerdoesit,hesbeingrewarded with a lofty paycheck. This system has benefited those who have money namely bankers, large corporationsandcertaingovernments.Thesystemensuresthattherichgetricherandthepoorgetpoorer. Itsaverygoodsystemforasmallpercentageofpopulation.Fortherest,itisinherentlyflawed.Therootof allevilisnotmoneyitselfbutthemonetarysystembasedonusury. ElisabetSahtourisisoneofmanywhohavenoticedtheseparatenessofoureconomy:Imaginethatyour bodyseconomywasrunthewayweruntheeconomyoftheworldtoday.Wewillcalltheheartlungsys temnorthofthediaphragmtheIndustrialOrgansandgivethemthepowertoexploittheresourcesofthe
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restofthebody,includingbonemarrowwhererawmaterialbloodcellsaremade.Theywillbringthisraw materialuptotheheartlungsystem,addoxygen,purifytheblood,andnowyouhaveausefulproduct.The heartdistributionannounceswhatthebodypriceforbloodistodayandyoushipittotheorgansthatcan afford it. Not all of them can We need a world that works for everyone. I say it is our evolutionary mandatetocreatesustainableglobaleconomicsandtrulybecomeaglobalfamily.89 Already at the time of World War II Alice Bailey90 said that the domination between people and nations mustdisappear,aswellasthecontrolofcapital.Baileysproposalforaneworderrecognizedthatthepro duce of the world, the natural resources of the planet and its riches, belong not to any one nation but shouldbesharedbyall. Economichitmen(EHMs)arehighlypaidprofessionalswhocheatcountriesaroundtheglobeoutoftril lionsofdollars.TheyfunnelmoneyfromtheWorldBank,theU.S.AgencyforInternationalDevelopment (USAID),andotherforeignaidorganizationsintothecoffersofhugecorporationsandthepocketsofafew wealthyfamilieswhocontroltheplanet'snaturalresources.Theirtoolsincludefraudulentfinancialreports, riggedelections,payoffs,extortion,sex,andmurder.Theyplayagameasoldasempire,butonethathas takenonnewandterrifyingdimensionsduringthistimeofglobalization.Ishouldknow;IwasanEHM.91 wroteJohnPerkinsalreadybackin1982.Hisroleasaneconomichitmanwastogetdevelopingcountries totakeonahugedebt(thelargerthebetter)andthenusethatmoneytobuyservicesfromAmerican,no wadays multinational, corporations. The point was that while the profits were reaped by the contractors thenationwouldneverbeabletorepaythedebtandwouldthusbeforeverinservitudeforAmericangov ernment.Thesaddestpartisthat,unknowingly,wehavebeenpartofthismachinery.Withouttheactive participationofMainStreettherewouldbenosuccessforWallStreet. Information about who controls money and who profit of it. RobertMullerexplainstheconsequencesofourcollectivebe Moneyisanewformofslavery,anddistin havior:During myfiftythreeyearsofglobalservicewiththe guishablefromtheoldsimplybythefactthat UnitedNationstherichcountriesandtherichinallcountries itisimpersonal,thatthereisnohumanrela becamericherandthepoorcountriesandthepoorinallcoun tionbetweenmasterandslave. triesbecamepoorerforthefollowingreasons:Therichpeople LeoTolstoi thanks to savings, inheritance and business can invest their money in banks, stockmarkets, mutual funds, retirement plans or in business ventures; many people do not have to work anymore to get richer; The poor cannot save much or anything to put in banks, stock markets, mutual funds, retirement plans or to engage in business, and as a result remain poor. The rich countries have the monopoly of inventions and patents, huge capitals accumulated over the years, sell highly elaborated, sophisticated goods at high prices to the poor countries from which they buy primary products at low prices. Investments, marketing techniques and advertisement are also extended to the latter countries to make huge profits and gain new consumer markets for the rich countries. Moreover poorcountriesandpoorpeoplehavethehighestnumberofchildren.Povertyeliminationmusttherefore becomeamajorfactorinstemmingthepopulationexplosionandviceversa.92 Whathastochangeisthat2%oftheworldspopulationcontrol50%ofwealthand20%consume80%of theworldsresources;mostofthepoorliveinresourcerichcountries,butoursystemkeepstheminsub human conditions. The largest cities of today dont grow because of increasing prosperity but because
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peopleareliterallydyingtosurvive:theyareforcedtomovefromruralareastocitiesinordertolive.This hasjustincreasedthefeelingofseparationbetweenpeople:Everytimetheeconomyhitsthefanpeople trytofindscapegoats,anditseasytoblamethosewholookdifferent.LatelyinEuropenationalisticfeel ingshavegainedpopularityand immigrantsaretheeasyculpritsfordraining theeconomy.Peopledont realizethatmostoftheimmigrationhappenswithinnationalborders.Hell,mybrotherwasforcedtofinda job500kilometersawayfromhiswifeandkids.Hehadnootherchoice. Meanwhile the overconsumption of things we dont need has led to resourcedepletion. Robert Muller imagineswhatMotherEarthcouldbesayingtohumankind:Ihaveanothermajorcomplaint,namelywhile thereisapopulationexplosioninthepoorcountriesyouhavealsotriggeredoffwildinventions,produc tion, business, marketing, advertising and an overconsumption explosion in the rich countries. In these countriesanindividualconsumes30timesmoreofmyresourcesthaninthepoorcountries.Frommypoint ofview,namelythedamagesyoudotomybody,yourpopulationstatisticsarewrong:whilethelessdevel opedcountriescount4.7billionpeople,themoredevelopedcountries'1.2billionshouldbemultipliedby 30,i.e.theyrepresentinmyeyes36billionpeople!93Wearenearlyrunningoutoffreshwater.Thefood thatweeattheonethatsaysmooiseatingfoodthatpeoplecouldeat.Oursystemissodeceptive that people in the West who think they are doing a green deed when topping up their tanks with bio fuels,areunawareofthefactthattheyarepartofthemachinerythatcaterstomassivedeforestationin LatinAmericaandAsia.Ourecosystemknowsnoborders.Ifwecontinuelikethis,weallsuffer.Prosperity isanemptyword,ifitsnotsharedbyeveryone,inbalancewiththenature.Wearebecauseyouarebe causeIam.

Stuckinthegripofscarcity
Whenyouareatworkyouhavethreethingsinmind:whenisthenextpayday,whenareyougoingtoget thenextraiseinsalaryandwhenthenextvacationis.Ihaveneverbeeninajobthatwasfun.Ifworkwas funitwouldnolongerbework,itwouldbeahobby.Inanewjobyoufirsthaveagoodtimewhenyoustill have so many things to learn but quickly it turns to boring routine. Machines could do my job but it wouldntbefinanciallywisetomakethatkindofamachine.Itwouldhavetobeinoperationforseveral yearsbeforeitwouldpayitselfback.ButbeforeIassemblethematerialsandpartsalreadyahundredma chineshavebeenusedtomanufacturethem.Thesearetheexactwordsofa28yearoldfriendofmine. Thiskindofstoriesraisesamyriadofvalidconsiderations.Howcomeweusethebestyearsofourlivesin servitude?Doesntthissoundlikemoderndayslavery?Whathappenedtofreechoice?Ifweweregenuine lyfreetochoosewouldntwelearnmore,bemoreexcitedandbemoreproductive?Woulditbepossible todowhatyouliketodoandwhatyouaregoodatinsteadofcarryingouttediousrepetitivetasksdayafter another?Whycantweoutsource the repetitiveroutines tomachines?Couldntwechangethe question Dowehavemoneyforit?toDowehaveresourcesandtechnicalunderstandingformakingithappen? Whydowecontinueallowthesufferingofpeopleandenvironment? Opposite comment: if we are present in the moment things do not become Scarcityandinefficiencyprevailsbecauseitisprofitable.Controllingfoodproduction,dumpingexcessfood, routines usingfieldstomakebiodieselandensuringscarcityareallmeanstokeepthefoodpriceup.Manufacturing electronicsthatbreaksdownrightafterthewarrantyperiodleadstoanewpurchase.Infact,peoplehave beenmadetobelievethatawarrantyisagoodthingitsbeenusedasamarketinggimmick!Atleastin Finnishlawthemanufacturerisalwaysliabletoreplaceamalfunctioningorbrokenproduct.Withawarran tytheycanlimittheirliabilitytoacertaintimeperiod.Nowondermostofushaveneverheardofthis:un awarepeopleareneededtokeepthesystemgoing.

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Iftherearenoneeds,themarketerswillcreateneeds,wantsanddesires.Themoreproblemstherearethe morebusinessitmeans.Thisisnotarationalsystem,butitisaprofitablesystemtosome.Themonetary systemcanbeconsideredstructurallyobsolete,servingonlyasaparalyzinghindrance.94

Thesystemperpetuatesitself
Ifthisisreallyalltrue,wemustbekindofstupidthatwehaventswitchedtoanewsystemalready,right? Whywehaventdonethatalready?Theansweristwofold:wehavebeenculturallyconditionedthatwe cantaffordthingsfromveryearlyoninchildhood,andthosewhoarewealthykeeptellingusthatthesys temisgreatoratleastdontproposechangingthesystem. Everything is connected to monetarism. The political system nowadays is corrupt due to the intertwined natureofprivateandpublicsector.MoreoverincountriesliketheUnitedStates,therearerevolvingdoors betweenthejobsingovernment(theWhiteHouse)andtheprivatesector(WallStreet).Evenonthemu nicipal level, across the globe it is customary that companies that supported the elected candidates are slidingtheirownagendaintolocaldecisionmaking.NoamChomskyremindsusthatitsnotthatthepeople intheseinstitutionsarebad,buttheinstitutionsthemselvesare95.Onceyougointoaninherentlyflawed institutionyoueitherplaybyitsrulesoryougetout.Manychoosetostaybecauseitsgoodforthemand its good for the institution. Unfortunately this kind of shortterm gain driven behavior perpetuates the institutionsthat,inturn,keeptheflawedsystemgoing.Andwhatstheoutcome?Peoplefeelthattheyare no longer in power and especially the younger generation has lost their interest to participate in the so calleddemocracy:inthepastEUparliamentelectionthevoterturnoutwasonly43%.Inotherwords:the majorityisuninterestedordisapprovesofthesystem.Butthepoliticiansdontseemtogetthehint.Their solution:obligatoryvoting.Theydontunderstandtherootoftheproblem.Ortheydontwanttounder stand. Oneofthemostridiculouswaystowasteresourcesandinflicthumantragedyiswar.Whydowewagewar inasocietywherenoonewantswar?Theansweris:itsprofitable!Butitisabsolutewaste.InFifthDiscip linePeterSengepointsouthowarmsracebetweenUSandSovietUnionwasmainlyduetothefactthat bothsidessawtheotheroneincreasingtheirarmaments.Itcouldworktheotherwayalso.Rawmaterials thatpreviouslywenttothemanufactureofbombs,tanksandgunscouldnowbeusedmorewisely.Evenif we wouldnt touch the system at all, we could end poverty by ending war. If the countries of the world wouldagreetostopmilitaryexpendituresaltogether,itwouldmeantheendofpovertytoday.Thereare 6.79billionofus.Abouthalfisestimatedtoliveonlessthan2dollarsaday;thatis3.4billionpeople.The annualworldmilitaryexpenditureis1.47trilliondollars.Donatingthistoworldspooresthalfofthepopu lationwouldgiveeachofthem433dollarsayearextraandliftthemoutofpoverty. Allitwouldtakewouldbeoneagreement.IfObamatheNobelpeacelaureatewouldreallywanttodeliver onhiscampaignpromiseshewouldtakealeadinthesekindsofdecisions.Obamasalltimehigh664bil lionmilitary budgetaccountsfor45%ofwhatthe wholeworld isspendingandit doesnteveninclude specialoperationsinIraqandAfghanistanthathaveseparatebudgets.Endingtheworldpovertywithone decision That would be a real change we can believe in. But unfortunately, its not profitable. It goes againsttherulesofthesystem.Thischangewillneverhappen,unlessweactonit. Ifwemanagetoridourselvesfromegoismandengageinproductivedialoguethiscanleadtoanonviolent humansociety:realizingtheunityofhumankindpavesthewaytodisarmament,demilitarization,denuclea rization and global security of the planet. Ending this immense waste of resources releases our focus on cooperativeeffortstosolveourmostpressingissues:wecanfinallyrestoretobalancedlivingwiththena
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tureandensureequalopportunityforall.CostaRicaservesasanexampleforotherstofollow.In1948the countryabolisheditsarmy.Thebudgetpreviouslyspentonthemilitaryisnowdedicatedtosecurity,edu cationandculture.Distinctfromitsneighbors,CostaRicahasnotenduredacivilwarsince1948.Arecent curiosity is that Costa Rica ranks highest in the Happy Planet Index96 measuring happiness around the world.

Goingbeyondmonetarism
IntheirlatestbookfuturistsAlvinandHeidiTofflertalkaboutthebeginnings Be thine enemy an ant, ofanewkindofeconomythatmaycometoreplacethemonetarysystem.The seeinhimanelephant. Turkishproverb authorsgoasfarastoyingwiththeideaofaworldwithoutmoney,proposing a system that is neither oneonone service exchange (barter) nor monetary exchange.Theysuggestthatthenewernonmonetaryeconomywouldfirstcoexistwiththemonetarysec tor. IfyouarenotfamiliarwiththeearlierworksofToffler(e.g.FutureShock,PowershiftandThirdWave)you mightbethinkingthisismumblingofsemisenilefuturists.Nevertheless,thenewgenerationbacksupthis thinking.InZeitgeistMovementoneofthebigideasisfuturewithoutmoney,andthatgrassrootsmove mentalreadyhashundredsofthousandssupporters.Tobeexact,therewere346735registeredusersat www.thezeitgeistmovement.cominOctober2009.Inadditionthereareplentyofpeoplewhoexplorethe sitewithoutbotheringtoregister.Atanygiventimeabout7.07.4%ofpeopleonthesiteareregistered members(theresallthetimenearly3000peopleonthesite,mostofthemguests). (registeredmembersonly) (membersandguests) Basis Afterayear Basis Afterayear 1 346735 693470 1 4815764 9631528 2 693470 1386940 2 9631528 19263056 3 1386940 2773880 3 19263056 38526111 4 2773880 5547760 4 38526111 77052222 5 5547760 11095520 5 77052222 154104444 6 11095520 22191040 6 154104444 308208889 7 22191040 44382080 7 308208889 616417778 8 44382080 88764160 8 616417778 1232835556 9 88764160 177528320 9 1232835556 2465671111 10 177528320 355056640 10 2465671111 4931342222 11 355056640 710113280 11 4931342222 9862684444 12 710113280 1420226560 12 9862684444 19725368889 13 1420226560 2840453120 13 19725368889 39450737778 14 2840453120 5680906240 14 39450737778 78901475556 15 5680906240 11361812480 15 78901475556 157802951111
Table5.6%monthlygrowthofmembersandguestsonthewebsite.

Letsimaginethateverymonth6%ofpeoplevisitingthesitetellaboutittotheirfriends.Thismeans6% monthlygrowthi.e.doublingtimeofcircaoneyear.InTable5aboveisaplayfulestimationofhowlongit wouldtaketoreachawarenessofmorethantwobillionpeople.Theansweris913years(dependingondo youcountonlymembersoralsoguests).Ofcoursethisisapurelytheoreticalcalculation;asofnowonly


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25%oftheworldspopulationisusingtheInternet(approximately1.7billionpeople).However,thispor trays the power of grassroots movements in spreading awareness and changing the world. These people are volunteers who convey an important message put through the Zeitgeist documentaries. Google re portedlyhasstoppedcountingafterthenumberofdownloadshit50millionanditisbelievedthatover100 millionpeoplearoundtheworldhavewatchedthefilms.97 On an individual level there are exciting examples of people who have managed to live for long without money.SatishKumaranucleardisarmamentadvocatewalkedfromIndiatoMoscowtoFrance,UKand finallytoUSAwithoutmoney.HegotthisadvicefromVinobaBhave,oneofGandhisfollowers:Therea sonIwantyounottotakeanymoneyisbecauseifyouhavemoneyyouwillarriveinavillageoratown afterwalkingallday,20,30miles,andyouwillbeexhausted,andyouwilllookforarestauranttoeatin, youwilllookforabedandbreakfasttosleepin,andyouwillmoveon,andyouwon'tmeetanybody.Butif youhavenomoney,youwillbeforcedtofindahospitable,kindpersonsomewherewhocanofferyoua bedforthenight.VerysoonhelearnedthatIfyouhavemoneythatisabuttressforfear,becauseyou don'ttrustpeople.Youthinkthatyoucanbuyanythingyoulike.Butwhenyouhavenomoney,thenyou cannotsay,IlikethispersonandIdon'tlikethatperson,I'llstaywiththisperson,Iwon'tstaywiththat person. You accept everybody without any judgment, without any questioning, without any criticism, withoutanysuspicionormistrust.Youtrusteverybody.Youareinthelapofpeople,andinthelapofGod. Youhavetohavetotaltrustandfaith.98 PersonallyIcancompletelysecondthesewords.AlthoughIvebeenusingapproximatelythreeEurosper daylately(duetomyoverwhelmingandunfathomablenicotineaddiction)Ihavewitnessedhowamazingly graciousandhelpfulpeopleare.Admittedly,somepeoplearestillaskingwhatsinitformebutitsun derstandable in our society. Some, however, seem to have this amazing trust that they help me merely becausetheyknowIfulfillmyplaceinsocietyinonewayoranother.TheyhavehelpedmeknowingIam notgoingtogivethemanythingback. Agreed,someofthemstillhavehelpedtofeelgoodaboutit.Yet, therearefewwhoweregivingforthesakeofgiving.Antscantaffordbeingselfish. Another more recent example is Heidemarie Schwermer who has lived 12 years without money. She workedformanyyearsasapsychotherapistandteacherinDortmund,Germany.Likemostpeoplearound her,shespentmostofhertimeworkingandearningmoneyinordertobuythethingssheneededand thingsshedidntreallyneed.Asapsychotherapistshemetmanywhoweredepressedandfrustrated,over workedandwithverylittlesparetime.Amongtheunemployedandpoorshefoundthattheyoftenconsi deredthemselvesworthlessShecancelledherflat,donatedallherthingstofriendsandstartedanewlife basedonexchangingfavorswithouttheuseofmoney.Hergoalwastocreateagreaterawarenessofthe relationshiptomoneyandconsumption.99 Some people have gone back to foraging in The Globalization of humanity is a natural, biological, evolutio order to reconnect with nature. Foraging nary process. Yet we face an enormous crisis because the most central and important aspect of globalization its economy is foodinthewildwasoneofourbasicskillsin currentlybeingorganizedinamannerthatsogravelyviolatesthe the past. Freegans are an urban version of fundamentalprinciplesbywhichhealthylivingsystemsareorga foragers; collecting what others have left nizedthatitthreatensthedemiseofourwholecivilization. behind. When I lived with money, I was al ElisabetSahtouris ways lacking. writes Daniel Suelo an edu cated anthropologist who lives in acave in
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Moab,Utah.Moneyrepresentslack.Moneyrepresentsthingsinthepast(debt)andthingsinthefuture (credit),butmoneyneverrepresentswhatispresent.hesaysinhisblog100.Danielhasbeenwithoutmon ey for nine years. When asked if he thinks money is evil his response is no. Money is illusion.Illusion is neithergoodnorevil.AttachmenttoillusionisevilThemoreIlivethisway,themoreabsurditseemsto gobacktolivingintheprisonofmoney.IwasunhappyundermoneyandI'mhappyfreeofit.101 EconomicsgraduateMarkBoyle,haslatelygotmediacoveragesincehelivedayearwithoutmoney.Hes alsoafounderofaFreeconomymovementthatisbecomingmoreandmorepopularbytheday.Boylesays heissickoflivinginafundamentallyflawedandecologicallydestructivecapitalistsystem102andwantsto provethereisanotherwaytoexist.TVshowsandbookshavebeenwrittenonthetopic.KathKellysHowI livedayearonjustapoundadayisjustoneexample.Readingthesestoriesonegetsgoosebumps:sym patheticfearoffinancialinstability,fearofchange,fearoflookinginwardarise.Thenagain,maybetheyare the pioneers whose example paves the way to a drastically different world. Im starting to be convinced that a) we cannot continue business as usual, b) I would not like to be tied to the strict control of free marketsocialismandc)scientificspiritualsocietyiswhatwedeserveinthelongrun,nomatterhowde mandingtheshiftwouldbe.

Transitioningfromolddoingtonewbeing
Althoughthemonetarysystemisinherentlyflawed,onecannotthinkthatmerelytakingmoneyoutofthe equation would solve all the issues. If nothing else changes, removing money out of the current system would most likely make the situation only worse. Imagine an electromagnetic pulse swept across every nationandbrokealltheelectronicsystemsandthatonlythe13%ofmoneysupplythatisactualnotesand coins would remain. In effect, all debt and all money would be wiped out overnight. What would be the reactionofpeople? Peoplewouldntgotowork.Insteadtheywoulddowhatevertheydamnwellplease:watchmovies,read books,goforlongwalksinnature,sleeplong,playgolf,gofishingandwhatnot.Soontheywouldrealize theresnooneworkingintheshopseither.Hungrypeoplewouldlootgrocerystoresandhoardasmuchas theycancarry.Itwouldendupintotalchaos.Finallyorderwouldbebroughtinbybringingintheoldsys temorequivalentandtheoutcomeofthiswholeexercisewouldcertainlynotbedevelopment. Thisisnotsustainableanddoesnttakeusforward.Instead,thetransitionneedstohappeninacontrolled manner,gradually.Wecanwaitforthepoliticianstoarriveatthisconclusionorwecanstartcreatingsmall scalechangesalreadytoday.Ifyoutakealookatwhatshappeningonacommunitylevelyoucanseethat wemightbealreadyintransitiontoaworldwithoutmoney.Thereareamultitudeofcommunitiesaround the world that are taking steps to function without money to replace competition with collaboration. Thesearereferredtoaslocalexchangesystems,mutualcreditsystemsortimebanking. ThedilemmawithanexchangeeconomyisthatifyouhavewhatIneed(e.g.abarbershop)butImafence painterandyoudonthaveafencewecannotbartertogether. Localexchangetradesystemshaveover come this dilemma with local money or community credit an agreement between the members to tradeserviceswithoutalegaltender.NowIcangoandpaintthemilkmansfence,hebringsyoumilkand youcutmyhair.Withafewclicksonthewebsitewestayuptodatehowmuchcreditorliabilitieswehave. Theselocalcommunitybasedmutualaidnetworksinwhichpeopleexchangeallkindsofgoodsandservic eswithoneanotherarefunctioningwithoutmoney.Astheselocalexchangetradesystems(LETS)become
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morecommonandnothingstopsyoufromstartingonepeopledonthavetoliveincavestoleadalife withoutmoney. Localexchangetradesystemsaregoodtoolsforthetransition,but All revolutions are spiritual at the eventually, even they have to go. We should be wise enough to source. All my activities have the sole stop moving ones and zeroes around and instead concentrate on purposeofachievingaunionofhearts. whatneedstogetdone.Wecancreateabundanceforeveryone.If VinobaBhave wearetoevolvetowardsthescientificspiritualsociety,theneedto value an individuals contribution and compare it to others no longer fits the frame. Freeconomists are peoplewhoaregivingouttheirservicestothecommunitywithoutexpectinganythingback(muchlikein theZeitgeistmovement).Thisisarealrevolution,awayfromasystemthatdidntwork.Andtheimportant thingisthattherevolutionisledbyordinarypeopleincommunitiesaroundtheworld.Letstakealookat whatkindofalternativesforthecurrentmonetarysystemhavealreadybeenproposed.

Proposedalternativestocurrentmonetarysystem
Alternativesareavailable,thatcanhavesignificantbenefits: increasedequalityandsocialjustice nomoreusuryandexploitation stabilityofthesystemandlesschaosfromfrustrationandconflictofinterest greatertransparencyandincreasedtrusttowardstheinstitutionsandbetweenpeople increasedempathy,cooperationanddialogueincommunities shiftoffocustowardsdevelopmentratherthanmerepreservationofthesystem investmentofresourcesandtimetowhatreallymatters freeingpeopletoconcentrateonwhattheyaregoodatandwhattheyenjoydoing lessidentificationontitleorjob:allowingmultiplesimultaneouscareers increasedenvironmentalsustainabilityandresourceconservation Anumberofpeopleandorganizationshaverealizedthatourcurrentsystemisnotsustainableforpeople ortheenvironmentandalternativeshavebeenproposedtoredesignourfinancialsystem.Reformshave beensuggestedinthemostmalfunctioningcomponentofthesystemthemoneycreation.Somegoeven furtherandsuggestaparadigmshiftofhowweunderstandpropertyownershipandcostsaltogether. Someofthesesuggestionshavebeenimplementedalready,yetsomearestillmeretheories. (Green=functioning,Orange=developing,Red=theoreticalproposal) Moneycreation Seigniorage reform (New Economics Foundation): criminalize moneycreation from everyone else butthecentralbanks,channelittogovernmentsandletthemcirculateitthroughspending. Statecreated money (e.g. Bank of North Dakota): allow only (local) government, states or countries,tocreatemoneyandcirculateitwithoutinterestforpublicgood. Goldbasedcurrency:tiethevalueofmoneyanditsamountincirculationbacktogold,thusmaking theeconomymorestable. Local currency (e.g. LETS, Time banking, Mutual credit systems, Metacurrency): allow anyone to create a new currency for a communitys use and encourage people to give credit to each other basedontrustandwithoutinterest. Costandpropertyownershipreform Shared ownership (e.g. Creative commons, P2P economy, ParEcon, OpenSource Economy): encourage cooperation, cocreation and sharing. Results of work shared with everyone. Supplementarytoprevailingsystem.

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Gift economy (e.g Freecycling, Couch Surfing, Book Crossing, Community Gardens): experience together, give away what you dont need, ask for what you need. Supplementary to prevailing system. Capitalism3.0(PeterBarnes):putacostoncommons(air,wateretc)andcreatecommonlyowned marketofcommonsonaonepersononesharebasis. Commonheritage(TheVenusProject,Freeconomy):abolishtheconceptofmoneyandproperty. Make everything open and free. Share everything and participate. Use technology for common good.Dowhatyouenjoydoingandwhatyouaregoodat.

Transitionfromthecurrentsystemintoanyoftheproposednewsystemswouldmostlikelybesupported bythevastmajorityofglobalpopulationexcepttheelitethatisnowinpowerandtowhomthesystem worksbetterthaneverbefore.Theproblemwiththeredesignisthattheintegrityofthenewsystemcould bedangerouslycompromisedbythosewhohavemostofthemoneyinthecurrentsystem. Of the moneycreation proposals statecreated money system and seigniorage reform would not necessarily function as intended because they still leave an option open for corruption; merely shifting powerfromcertaininstitutionstoothersdoesntnecessarilysolvetheissueofgreed,selfinterest,elitism anddishonesty.Seignioragereformcouldworkincaseeverycitizen,organizationandcountryatthefaceof theEarthwouldstartwithacleanslate;ifwecanzeroallmoneyanddebtatacertaindate,sure,letshave seignioragereform.Impossible?No,buthighlyunlikely. Goldbased system would be inefficient because it would merely limit the economic exchange and perpetuate scarcity. Even gold doesnt have value unless its used in production. In essence it would be bettertohaveacarrotbasedcurrency,becauseyoucannotreallyeatgold. Incomparison,economybasedonlocalmoneycreationisactuallyfairlysimpletoimplementandfacilitates exchangebetweenpeople.Itworksbestwhenpeopleknoweachotherandholdeachotheraccountableto thecommunity.Simplewebbasedtrackingsystemcanbeusedtofollowthevalueofexchangebetween individuals.Peerpressureandshameoflettingothersdownfunctionasgoodstickswhileincreasedtrust andcommunitysupportareaneededcarrot.Thisisbynomeansaflawlesssystembutcanworkwonders beforeamoreadvancedsystemtakesplace. Capitalism3.0isbasedonsoundprinciplesandgoodintentions.Unfortunatelyitisalsovulnerabletothe money elite and leads to a scary thought: what if the rich would have a legal right to control even the environmentandessentialstoalllifeonthisplanet(namely:sun,water,oxygen,carbondioxide,andsoil)? Commonheritagesystemsareeasiesttodenybecausetheyarenothinglikewehaveeverseeninpractice, althoughsharedownershipand gifteconomysystemsarealreadyin placeandtheyaresignalsthatshift towardsacompletelynewkindofsystemhasstartedalready.Thisrequiresadrasticchangeofvalues:from competitiontocooperation,fromgreedtosharing,andfromscarcitytoabundance.

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Chapterthreesummary
*** Keypointsofthischapterwere: Awakening to connectedness of individuals leads to improved relationships which in turn create strongercommunitiesandultimatelyabettersociety. The monetary system that we have is obsolete. It is based on distorted values and increases in equality.Itperpetuatesthestatusquoandthusglobally,regionally,nationallyandlocallyweare lackingawayforward.Ifwewishtomoveonandchangethesystem,weneedablueprint. ThechoicethatwemakeshouldmaximizeUbuntu:individualfreedom,altruisticrelationshipand powerfulcommunity.Whatwechooseasourblueprintwillneverhappeninitsentiretybutserves onlyaspositivegeneraldirection. Verylittleofourbehaviorisdictatedbythesocalledhumannature.Theprevailingculturehasan impactonwhatkindofvalueswelearnandpasstogenerationsafterus. In order to move towards a new society, the humanity needs a new set of common values that serveasabasisforagloballysharedculture.Toarriveatasetofnewvalueswecanseewhatal readyworks. Suggested scientificspiritual society could be based on the values of meaningfulness, awareness, agiledevelopment,dialogue,cocreation,abundance,authenticityandgenerosity. Scientificspiritualsocietyisthe mostambitiousoptionofthesuggestedblueprints. Itisfaraway fromourcurrentreality, but doable.Severalexamplesofwellfunctioning communities basedon merebestowalarealreadyagoodsignthatitispossibletofunctionwithoutmoney. Seetips,tricksandtoolsattheendofthebook: Websolutionstoencouragesharing Beinguptodateofdevelopment Seefrequentlyaskedquestionsattheendofthebook: Itfeelsyouhaven'tshownallpossibilitiesforfuturesociety.Isn'ttheresomethingmissingfrompic ture13? Howaboutlocalexchangetradesystems?Aren'ttheyalsousingsortofmoney? Canyougiveanexampleofthelocalexchangetradesystem? Youmentionedhuntergatherers.Couldn'twegobackintothatlifestyle? Ifeveryoneontheplanetwouldbenefitofthetechnologiesthathavehelpedthewesterncountries toprosper,wouldntthatleadtopopulationexplosionandutterdevastationofourplanet?

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Chapterfour HUMAN,ATLAST
WHATDOWENEEDTOCHANGE ANDWHATITMEANSTOYOU Annawasimpatientlywaitingforteachertoreturn.Sheneededtofindananswertowhatwasholdingback thehumanityoftakingthenextstepinevolutionandtreatingeachotherwithrespect.Shewantedtofind outwhytinycreatureslikeantsseemedtobemoresophisticatedthanherownspecies.Asherfrustrationto wait for teachers return grew stronger, the prophet she needed was closer than she had expected. One eveningherboyfriendstoppedherfordiscussion.Heexplainedherthathewasconfusedbyacoupleofdo cumentarieshehadseen.Thesedocumentariesexplainedhowthemonetarysystemworks. SoonAnnaslaptopwasfloodingwithfreefilmshehadfoundonline:TheMoneyFix,Wherearewenow, Wherearewegoing,TheMoneyMasters,ZeitgeistAddendum,MoneyasDebt,TheSecretsofOzShede vouredeverybitofinformation,checkedanddoublechecked.Sherefusedtobelieveitwasokforbanksto createmoneyoutofthinairandgetawaywithit.Shewasfuriousatthecorporatocracy:banks,corpora tionsandwealthygovernmentsthathadovertimetakenthewholeworldintheirgrip.Shedidntwantto believethatmostpeoplewereinvirtualdebtslavery. Annas night table was filled with books: Capitalism 3.0, The Web of Debt, Creating New Money, Confes sionsofanEconomicHitMan,ProsperityWithoutGrowth,Free,Worldshift2012,TheGreatTransition,The Best That Money Cant Buy, Rich and the Super Rich, Secret History of the American Empire, The End of Work,FromFreedomtoSlavery,PrinciplesofEconomics,TheAscentofHumanityShewantedtogetmore understandingandfindoutwhatthealternativeswere.Shekeptthinkingwhatshehaddonewrongtomiss outonthisinformation.Shekeptaskingherselfifshecouldhavedonesomethingdifferently.Sheblamed herselfofbeingsofixatedwiththeideaoffindingagoodjobforallofherlife.Nowsheunderstoodthat therewerenotenoughgoodjobs:thatshewouldhavetobemean,selfishandhighlycompetitivetoavoid thetrapoflifelongboredomintediousandrepetitivework. Littlebylittleshelearnedtoaccepthowthingsareandherfuryturnedtosomethingmoreproductive.She invitedsomeofherbestfriendsforadinner:alawyer,acopywriter,acashier,astudent,anurse,aclerk,a financialadvisor,abankteller,aneconomist,anunemployedstockbrokerandagame tester.Theywere havinganicethreecoursedinnerthatservedasaniceexcusetohaveaconversation.Annawantedtohear whatpeoplethoughtabouttheirlifesituation.Shefoundoutthatmanyofthemwerenotdoingwhatthey haddreamtofbuttheywereforcedtoholdontotheirjobsduetomortgagesandcreditcarddebts.Since manysaidtheyhadalreadyspenttheirnextmonthssalary,shethoughtthiswouldbeagoodpointtosubt lyleadtheconversationtoissuesregardingthemonetarysystemthatwerenowherrealinterest.Itwasnt acoincidencethatshehadinvitedalsofriendswhowereworkinginfinancialsectorandwouldsurelyedu catehermore.Shewasstartledtolearnthatonlythegametesterandthestudentwereawareofwhatshe was talking about. Everyone else was largely oblivious to facts the three of them told about fiat money, fractional reserve banking and compound interest. The majority laughed them off and refused to believe their silly stories. Topic was quickly changed to less profound matters, and the evening continued with peoplecomplainingabouttheirparents,jobs,bosses,wagesandweather. That night Anna slept restlessly. She rolled over from one side of the bed to another and kept waking up constantly.Whenshefinallymanagedtoclosehereyelidsapeculiardreamoccurred.Annafoundherselfin burning hot sun in what she figured was an African Savannah. Somewhere in the distant horizon a large cloudofdustwasapproachingher.Shenoticedthatgroundunderherfeetwastrembling.Thecloudofdust keptcomingcloserandshefeltaheavylumpinherthroat.Shefeltnauseatedandafraid.Finallyshecould
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makesenseofwhatwasmakingthegroundtoshakeandstirredthedust:acadreofwildelephantswas charging towards her. The thought of escaping came a moment too late and suddenly she found herself amidst a raging rampage of elephants. The sound of these berserk humongous animals running past her was overwhelming. She bent down and sought refuge by covering her head with her hands. She was knockedoverbytheherd.Shefeltlikechokingandthoughtshewoulddie. The rampage was over and dust started to settle. Anna noticed a plover flying in circles above her. It broughtherasenseofserenity.Shehopeditwouldcomecloser,anditdid.Soontheploverwasstandingon hershoulderandchirpinghappily.Annafeltthatitwantedhertofollowit.ThebirdflewoffandAnnafol lowed.Ittookherpastsomepasturesofgrassandintothejungle.Thepathwaspavedwithsuffering:kids were starving and crumbling in the ground, agonizing moaning filled the air, and there was blood every where. Somewhere in the bushes Anna could see people stuck under large rocks, hopelessly trying to get out.Shewantedtohelpbutcouldntstoprunning.Forsomereasonsheneededtofollowtheplover. TheploverledAnnatoabeautifuloasisandlandedontopofafatgreenishgraycrocodile.Foramoment Annasanxietywasrelieved,asshesawhowfriendlythecrocodileandthebirdweretoeachother.Anna wasnotintimidatedbythislargeanimalwithteethlikediamondssparklinginthe sun. Annaapproached thecrocodilebutsomethingelsecaughtherattention.Amirrorwasattachedtoacoconuttreenexttothe pond.Amirror?Whyisthereamirror?Annawascurioustofindout.Asshelookedintothemirrorshewas takenaback.Itwasaghastlyreflection:shehaddeformedintoacreaturewithastubofatrunkandsnake likeskin.Shenoticedthatherhands,legsandwholebodyhadchanged.Shetouchedherheadandfeltthat antennae were pushing through her hair. She felt like crying. What had happened? What had she turned into?Alarmedsobbingchangedtoanutterdumbfoundedsurprise.Shehadgonethroughametamorphosis andturnedintoanant. Annafoundherselfincompletedarkness.Shewasntsurebutquicklyfiguredoutshewasinsideofanest. Shewantedtogetout.Shekeptpushingtowardsadimlightthatshethoughttobeanexit.Shefelthow onebyoneherfellowantscrawledoverherastheywerereturningtothenest.Theytouchedherantennae as they went by and everyone seemed to be communicating the same thing: Im aware, Im aware, Im aware,Imaware.Shepushedoutofthenestintothesunlightandthoughttoherself:Imaware.Shewas human,atlast. Itwasmorning.Annaopenedhereyes,sweatingandbreathingheavily.Therewasonlyonethoughtinher head:Imaware.Inthatmomenteverythingmadeperfectsense.Itwasallsoclear.Imagesofthedream keptcomingback:deformedhumanity,rampantelephants,sufferingofyoungpeople,thefriendlyplover, andtheawareants. InthatmomentAnnadecided:shewouldcommitherselftospreadthisawareness.Shewoulddoherutmost tohelpyoungpeoplefigureouttheirpassionsandinterestsinlifeandtounderstandthesystemtheyhad beenborninto.Shedidntwanttoseeyetanothergenerationfallintothesametrapandturnintouncons ciouscreatureswithnoresemblancetohumanlifeform.Sheacceptedthefactthatshecouldntchangethe wholeworld,butshecoulddoherpart. Aweeklaterherphonerang,butitwasnttheteacher.Shewasbeingofferedajob. Youdontnecessarilyagreewitheverythingthatyouhavereadsofar,butifyoumadeitallthewayhere mostlikelysomethinginsideofyouissayingthatchangeisinevitable. Ifwenowdecidetocontinuewiththescientificspiritualsocietyasablueprintforfuturesociety,weneed togetanideahowtostartcreatingcommunitiesthatarefuturefriendly.Tofullyunderstandthesystem
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itsnotenoughwelookatthewhole;weneedtolookatpartsofthesystemalso.Wewilltakealookat how we can reach true democracy, what leadership means in the 21st century and how decisionmaking couldberestructuredbasedonthevaluesandculturewehaveproposedinpreviouschapter. Wewilllookattheneweconomicsandseehowprosperityandwellbeingcouldbecreatedforeveryone. Welltakealookatsomeofthecoreareasofworktohelpusinthetransition:education,communications andscience.Welladdressbrieflywhatkindofspiritualrenaissanceisneededandhowtechnologycanbe usedtofacilitatetheshift.Thiswillhopefullygiveyouanideaofwhatyoucandotodaytofindyourplace andparticipateinacommunitythatwillberelevantalsotomorrow. Technology is often misunderstood with technical machines, hardware and utensils. Technology in brief meansaspeciesusageandknowledgeoftoolsandcrafts,andhowitaffectsaspeciesabilitytocontrol and adapt to its environment. Freely translated from its Greek origins, technology means the study of craft.Inotherwords,nowthatweknowwhatkindofsocietyisinthemakingandwhatwillbeimportant in it, we would also benefit of knowing the how to guide the needed technology. Lets momentarily turnourattentiontowhatallwillchange;whatarethepartsofthesystemwearechanging. RobertMullerhasaproposalforthingstorenewin21stcentury.Hereisanadaptedlistbasedonhissug gestion103: A new democracy, leadership and decisionmaking: including a new political system, global lea dership, a nonviolent human society; the disarmament, demilitarization, denuclearization and globalsecurityoftheplanet;andanewscienceandartofplanetarymanagement. A new economics, prosperity and wellbeing: including a well preserved planet; a decent well beingforallhumans;astabilizationoftheworldpopulation;righthumansettlementsonthepla net;andanewworldethicsandjustice. Aneweducationsystem:includingprimary,secondaryandhighereducation,andanartandcul turerenaissance. A new media and communications: creating awareness worldwide and engaging people around thecommondreams. Aspiritualrenaissanceandinterreligiouscooperation:oldwisdominnewuse. A new science and technology: including a new anthropology, sociology and new ways of life; a newhumanbiology;anewphilosophy,cosmology,anewworldpsychologyandlongtermviewof evolution. Letstakealookattheseareasinthelightofsuggestednewcultureinthescientificspiritualsociety.

Newdemocracy,leadershipanddecisionmaking
As said before, the political system is corrupt and dysfunctional. People dont have trust in it anymore. Whatwouldbethealternativethen?Woulditbepossibletoshiftthepowerbacktopeople?Theproblem isnotwithsciencebutthegapbetweenwordsandactionTheconsumermodelofwesternsocietyhas outliveditself,andthereisnoadequatevisiononbehalfofpoliticiansWithoutapositivepushfromcivil society,politicswon'tchange.Soweneedtoraiseupcivilsociety.saysMikhailGorbachev104.AfterWorld War II we had an opportunity to come together as species, but at that time there was no technology to makethischangehappen.Nowthereis.Rudimentarydecisionmakingcanbehandledbycomputersina scientificspiritualsocietyandpeoplesfocuscanbeindevelopment:ofthemselves,theirrelationshipsand societyatlarge.
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Gettingorganizedfordevelopment
Powercanbedecentralizedbacktolocalcommunitiesthatare,forthefirsttimeinhistory,interlinkedglo bally.Peoplecanbeofferedmeaningfulparticipationopportunities,andanyoneisfreetousetheirskillsin theareasoftheirinterest.Ifadecisionathandbelongstotheareaofyourinterest,youarefreetopartici pateinresearchingitfurtheranddevelopingaproposaltogetherwithothers.Everydecisionandeverystep intheprocessismadeavailableforeveryonetoseeandcommenton.Thisultimatetransparencyisneeded toensurequalitydecisionmakingandtruedemocracy.Buthowtofunctioneffectivelyifanyonecanpartic ipateineverything? PreviouslywetalkedabouttheDunbarsnumber.GoreAssociatesutilizesthislawof150sothatitsunit sizeremainssmall:Thereare150parkingspacesintheparkinglotandifsomeoneparksonthelawnits timetodividetheunitintwo.Goredoesnthavebossesoremployees,butassociates.Everyonecantakea leadandpeoplevotewiththeirfeet:ifsomeonecallsameetingandnooneshowsupitwasprobablyabad idea.ThisappliestotheCEOaswell. Likewise, future society could be organized in democratic entities of 150 that would be coordinating the development and sharing best practices. This would ensure on one hand diversity and freedom, on the otherhandcoordinationandflowofinformation.Justforanexamplessake,letsassumetheglobalpopu lationtobe6.8billionpeople.Inthatcase,wewouldbeorganizedaccordingly: communityleveldevelopment:45,333,333communitiesof150peopleeach cityleveldevelopment:302,222citiesof150communitieseach regionaldevelopment:2,014regionsof150citieseach alliancedevelopment:13alliancesof150regionseach globaldevelopment:1globalplenaryof13alliances Eachofthecommunitiescouldhavearotatingrepresentativethatwouldattendincityleveldevelopment meetingswhennecessary.Thispersonwouldnotbeanauthorityfigurebutmerelyaliaisonbetweenthe city and the community. In each meeting a different person would attend. Their role would be to take communityswisdomtothemeetingandsharewithrepresentativesfromothercommunities.Inthisman nerbestcasepracticescouldbesharedandsynergiescreatedbetweencommunities. Insimilarveineachcitywouldhavearotatingrepresentativeinregionaldevelopmentmeetings,eachre gioninalliancedevelopmentmeetingsandeachallianceinglobalplenary.Thiswouldensurethatwhenev erpeopleconvenetoagreeondevelopmentactivitiestheywouldbeinanoptimalcommunityofmaximum 150people.Notethatthese5layersarenotexactlyhierarchybecausethepeopleinthemeetingswouldbe rotatingandtheirrolewouldbeaccountabletotheiralliance,region,cityorcommunity.Thiswouldleave noroomforegoisticbehavior,itwouldenableconnectingwithallparticipantsinthemeetingandgroup dynamicswouldfunctioneffectively.Nothingwouldbedonebehindcloseddoorsbutinsteadthemeeting couldutilizepeoplewhoarefollowingthemeetingvirtually.

Intelligentautomation
In186060%ofAmericansworkedinagriculture(includingminingandfishing).Todaysfigureislessthan 1%.In195033%workedinfactorybasedmanufacturingoftangiblegoods.Asofnowlessthan8%workin manufacturing.Today82%ofAmericansworkintheservicesector.Thismovefromagriculturetomanufac turingtoservicesappliestootherdevelopedWesterneconomiesalso:InFinlandonly2.9%ofeconomyis primaryproduction,31.4%industrialand65.7%services.Technologicaldevelopmentleadstoautomating jobs previously done by people, which in turn leads to greater productivity but also technological unem ployment.Theonlyreasonwhyourpoliticianswanttoputpeoplebacktoworkisthatinourcurrentsys temthereisnootherchoice:peopleneedmoneytoconsume,paytheircreditcardbills,getnewloansand

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keeptheeconomygoing.Inotherwords,politiciansarestrugglingtokeeppeopleemployedsothatthey wouldhavepurchasingpowertotakecareofthemselves,theirfamiliesandthecommunity. But is unemployment necessarily a bad thing in future society? Instead of trying to minimize the unem ploymentrate,whywouldntwetrytomaximizeit?Whatifthegoalwas95%unemploymentrate?Inoth er words, by automating production and taking away the need to have a permanent job we could free peopletobemoreanddowhatmatters.Whoneedsmoneytocomplicatethingsiftheoptionisamore equalsocietywithmachinesdoingourwork?WassilyLeontiefsaid:Theroleofhumansasthemostimpor tantfactorofproductionisboundtodiminishinthesamewaythattheroleofhorsesinagriculturalpro ductionwasfirstdiminishedandtheneliminatedbytheintroductionoftractors. InPlatosRepublichesaysthatastateneedsafarmer,abuilder,andaweaver,andalso,Ithink,ashoe makerandoneortwootherstoprovideforourbodilyneeds.Evenwithourcurrenttechnologywecan automate most of these tasks in the scientificspiritual society maybe still leaving the bodily needs for humanhands.Societyneedspeoplewhotakecareoftheelderlyandwhoknowhowtobecompassionate andhonest.Societyneedspeoplewhoworkinhospitals;societyneedsallkindsofskillsthatarenotjust cognitive,they'reemotional,they'reaffectional.Youcan'trunthesocietyondataand computerscreens alone.saysAlvinToffler105.However,mostoftherepetitivetaskscanbeleftformachinestohandle:moti vation and quality issues are eradicated when people are taken out of their repetitive jobs and replaced withmachineswhodontmindtheboringroutine.Whenemploymentrateisnolongerameasure,itsok tolettechnologyfreepeopletomoreimportantjobs. Withtheruleof150anystandardproductioncouldbeoptimizedandautomated.Geological,chemicaland biologicalsourcesoftheplanetcanbemappedoutandlinkedtoaconstantlyupdatinginformationman agementsystem,sothatatalltimeswestayawareofwhatisthehandweareplayingwith.Thisinforma tioncanbeusedbycomputerstoguideandoptimizebothproductionanddeliveryofbasicnecessities. Letslookatautomatedfoodproductionasanexample.Thestandardswouldbehigh:itshouldminimize logisticsneeds,beasorganicandsustainableaspossible,benutritious,freshandtastegood.Alocalcom munity would consist of maximum 150 people, a district would have maximum 150 communities, a city wouldhavemaximum150districts,andinaregiontherewouldbemaximum150cities.Thiswaycertain producecouldbelocaltocommunity(for150people),sometodistrict(for22,500people),sometocity (for3,375,00people)andsometoregion(for506,250,000people).Inotherwords,productionwouldhap peninanoptimallocation.Thiskindofnoncompetitive,optimizedandplannedapproachwouldnotonly reduceneedforshippingandwarehousingbutalsoeliminateoverlapinproduction.Specialtyrestaurants andhomebakerieswouldbelocaltothecommunity.Districtswouldtakecareofsemibulkproductionof vegetablesandfruitsincommongardens.Citieswouldproducebulklikeflourandmilk.Mensblacksocks couldbeproducedregionallyinhugequantitiesanddistributedquarterly(theyarefoodforwashingma chines). Very little decisionmaking would be needed for the standard automated production. The commonly agreeddevelopmentactivitieswouldthencomeintofocusandpeoplecouldgettogetherbasedontheir skills and interests to come up with new solutions or to implement good practices borrowed from else where.

Agiledevelopmentforcommongood
Thenewculturesupportsrapidtechnologytransfer:developmentideas,progressofworkandoutcomesof theprojectscanbesharedgloballyandacrossdisciplineswithoutaneedtohoardinformation.Peopleare
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generallymoreawareofwhatshappeningincommunitiesaroundtheworldandtheemphasisondialogue bringstogethertalentfromvarioussectorsacrosscultures. Whenpeopleandsocietiesactforacommongoodfromthestandpointofgenerosityandabundance,the incentivetoinnovateandcomeupwithuniquesolutionsisnolongeraboutselfinterestorprofit.Needfor rigid organizations decreases dramatically: adhoc project teams can be formed to fulfill a development functionandthendissolvedafterthejobisdone.Thuspeoplecanhavemultiplerolesandthereisnoneed toegoisticidentificationwiththetitle.Ilovewriting,cooking,badmintonandfacilitationbutIamnotonlya chef,anauthor,abadmintonplayeroratrainer.ThesearethingsthatIdo,notwhatIam. InherbookConsciousEvolutionBarbaraMarxHubbardproposesapeoplecentricmethodcalledSyner gisticConvening(SYNCON)forthiskindofdevelopmentprojects.Inthismodelalldevelopmentisdecentra lized:Peoplemeetineachsectoroftheinnovationswheel(picture15)lookingatthedevelopmentchal lengefromdifferentangles,andformcirclesaccordingtotheirinterestsandcalling.Eachgrouphasasec retary, facilitator and a spokesperson. Note that the sectors on the wheel can be changed. For example businessandlawarequiteirrelevantinthescientificspiritualsociety,ande.g.artists,designersandbiolo gistscouldbeaddedtotheinnovationswheel. Eachmemberofthecirclerespondstothreeques tions:a)whatismypassiontocreatenow;b)todo this,whatdoIneedthatIdonothave;andc)what resources can I give to others. This is shared and then participants form smaller groups based on commoninterests.Peoplesupportoneanotherand makeamutualplanofaction.Smallergroupsreas sembleintheirsectorofthewheelandsharetheir joint strategies. Each sector prepares a merged statementofgoals,needs,andresources.Thenthe wholebiggroupmeetsandeachsectorspokesper sonpresentsthesharedstatementofgoals,needs andresourcestotheassembly.Peoplelistenactive lyanddrawconnectionsbetweenneedsandwants. Synergies, linkages and connections are further sought by people visiting groups on other sectors. In the end each group represents its goals, needs and resources. These are shared on a cocreation websitethroughwhichmorepeoplecanpartakein Picture11.Theinnovationswheel.(fromHubbard,B.: projects or become inspired and guided for newly ConsciousEvolution,p.130) emergingprojects. Itshouldbementionedthatwedonthavetowaitforafuturesocietytobeinplacetousethiskindofme thod.Infact,organizationsaroundtheworldarealreadytodayusingnontraditionalmeeting,brainstorm ing and design processes. In general, multidiscipline approaches, sharing and peer support are currently takingalionsshareindevelopment.Hoardinginformationandresourcesishistory.

Theneweconomy,prosperityandwellbeing
When more and more people are released to use science and technology for everyones wellbeing and costisnolongeranissueforresearch,wecansoonexpectalotofscientificbreakthroughs.Oneoftheba sicnecessitiesthatcoulduseafewbreakthroughsisenergy.Thetimeoffossilfuelsislonggone.WhenI wasayoungboyIaskedsomeadultswhywecouldntbuildabeltintheequatortocollectsunsradiation. Theylaughedmeoffsayingitsimpossible.Nowweknowthattheareaofworldsdesertsgetenoughsolar
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radiation in six hours to power the earth for an entire year. The problem has been how to harness that energy.Desertec106isaprojectwheremirrorswillboilwaterinapipethatisthenturnedintoenergyand delivered from Africa and Middle East to Europe. Its costly to build but after the initial cost, this is very affordableenergy.Notethatthisisagainacommercialproject,wheremoneyisalwaysanobstacle.With out that obstacle, it would have been done already. In fact, in the scientificspiritual society a small boy withanideawouldbewelcomedandlistenedto. We have discussed the new moneyless economy already. We also touched on the issue of world population stabilization; not ing that equal opportunity and fulfilling the basicneedsofeveryonedecreasestheneed to have a large family. This effect is multip liedbythechangeofvalues:egolesspeople feelingtheconnectednessofthecommunity dont necessarily have a need to bring up a lotofchildrenontheirownwhenlove,com passion and affection surrounds the whole community. We discussed that one of the outcomes of scientificspiritual society is a Table6.Urbanpopulation(Hall&Pfeiffer:Urbanfuture21). well preserved planet and humankind that lives in balance with and as part of the na ture. We have definitely covered the topic of new world ethics and justice. That leaves us with only one issuethatwehaventyettalkedaboutregardingneweconomy,prosperityandwellbeing:thatofhuman settlements.

Thehumanhabitat
If in year 1000 the biggest city in the world was perhaps Crdoba in Spain with 450,000 inhabitants and nowadaystheTokyometropolitanareainJapanwithapopulationof32,450,000wecanonlyguesswhat thecitiesin1000yearstimewilllooklike(assumingweevenmakeitthatfar).Citiesareinfactquiteanew phenomenon;ithasnotbeencustomaryforpeopletoliveincitiesbutnowitisestimatedthatifurbaniza tioncontinuesatthesamerate,soon60%ofthepeopleoftheworldwillliveincities(Table6). TheVenusProjectisthelifeworkofsocialengineerandstructuraldesignerJacquesFresco.Frescowantsto createapeacefulandsustainableglobalcivilizationthroughthecreationofinterconnectedcircularcities fullyintegrativesystemsdesignedtoevolvelikealivingorganism.Theseenvironmentswouldbeefficientin theminimumexpenditureofenergywhileaffordingeachcitizenthehigheststandardofliving.Frescocalls thisaresourcebasedeconomy. Foranuneducatedmindthiskindoffuturevisionmightsoundlikeautopiandream,butitisnotthatfar fetched:sustainabilityisinthe coreofurbanplanningofthe citiesin themaking.Takenothingbutpic tures.Leavenothingbutfootprints.Killnothingbuttime.isamottoforbuildingtheDubaiWaterfrontan ecologicalmetropolis(althoughitcanbearguedhowwisealocationDubaiisinthefirstplaceorifthiswill everbebuiltnowthattheireconomycrashed). VaubandistrictinFreiburg,Germany,houses5,000peoplewithnoenergyconsumptionatall.Someofthe housesactuallysellelectricitybacktothegrid,muchlikethehouseholdsinUKpoweredbySolarCentury roofs.ThetechnologyfortransportationinVaubanisingenious:mainlybicyclesandpedestrianlocomotion
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takeVaubanersaround.ZeroemissionsandazerowasteMasdarCitybeingbuiltinUnitedArabEmirates willuseaPersonalRapidTransit(PRT)systemthatcombinestheconvenienceandprivacyofautomobiles withtheenvironmentalbenefitsofmasstransit(seepicture16).SongdoIBDinKoreaisagreencitywithan automatic garbage collection system that uses underground conveyers inside pipelines, with automatic sorting,compressionanddehydrationofwaste.Songdoisaubiquitouscity(orUcity)wherealltheinfor mation systems share data, and computers are built into the houses, streets and office buildings making thefunctioningofholisticautomatedsystemspossible. Leadingalifeinafullyautomatedcleancommunitysoundstoogood to be true. There is one caveat though: All these examples of future citiesmightbeoutofreachforanaveragecitizenaslongasmonetar ism perpetuates. Building cool new cities is not an answer if the un derlyingvaluesdontchange;ifonlytherichareworthytoenjoythe new technological solutions. Frescos thoughts go deep into the hu man nature, however: The greatest lesson we might learn could be that human beings free of debt, insecurity, and fear become much moreamiable.Noonewillbeouttosellanyoneanythingortodeprive another of possessions or money. In a resourcebased economy, the basisforunhealthyhumanaggressionwillbeoutgrown.Peoplewillno longerbeburdenedbythenaggingconcernsthatconsumesomuchof Picture12.PRTPodcarfits46 our attention, such as mortgages, health care costs, fire insurance, people,goesfasterthanabusand economic recession, the loss of jobs, recession, depression, and tax functionswithoutadriver. es.107 Itisnotsaidthateveryoneinthefuturescientificspiritualsocietywouldwanttoliveincities.Somepeople mightwanttogetbacktonatureandlivelikehuntergatherersintribes.ThomHartmannsummarizesthe fiveprimarytraitsoftribalgroups:1)tribeshavepoliticalindependence;2)theyhaveanegalitarianstruc ture;3)they gettheirresourcesfromrenewablelocalsources;4)theyhaveauniquesenseoftheirown identity; and 5) they respect the identity of other tribes.108 That doesnt sound bad either. The high technologysocietyandthesimplerlifeofthecountrysidecancoexistinharmony.Peoplewhochooseto liveinruralareasarenolongerforcedtoflocktothecitiesjusttosurvive.Thismightinfactalleviatethe unplannedurbanizationcharacteristicofourtimes.Whatsmore,sharetechnologywouldbeavailablealso forthevillagersandtribes.Iwouldntmindlivinginahightechecovillageinthemiddleofthenature. Onemorecriticalquestionremainsregardingthenewprosperity.Howdowegetthere?Wehavealready touchedonwhatyoucandoontheindividuallevelandhowyoucanhookupwithothersinyourneighbor hoodtoshareanddothingswithoutmoney.Howaboutcompanies?NoamChomskysuggeststhatwesuf fercollectivelyfromdemocraticdeficit;meaningthatpeopleknowexactlywhatshouldbedone,butthe politiciansarenotrunningpeoplesagenda.Thusheadvisesthatworkersshouldtakeoverthecompanies thattheyareworkingforespeciallyinthecaseoffactoryshutdowns.Accordingtohiminthe19thcentury itusedtobecompletelynormalforpeoplewhoworkinamilltoownthemill109. Thereisagoodlegalformforthiseventoday:thecooperative.AtleastinFinland,thistraditionalformof companythatissharedbytheworkersbecamepopularduringthe1990srecessionanditmightbedoingit againinthecurrenteconomicsituation.Itsnatural:whentimesaretough,peoplegettogethertosupport
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eachother.IsecondChomskysmotionandencouragepeopletogetoutoftheirslavejobsandstarttheir owncooperatives:Gettogetherwithpeopleyoulikeanddowhatyoulovetodo.Myhumblewishisthatat leastpartoftheeconomicactivityofthesecooperativeswouldbefreeofcharge,andthatthevaluesofthe cooperativeswouldfollowthegeneralguidelinesoftheculturewehaveoutlinedbefore.Inthatwaywe cantakegradualstepstowardsanewparadigmofamorejustworldwherepeopleareagaininpower.

Theneweducationsystem
Finlandhassupposedlyoneofthebesteducationsystemsinthewholeworld110although: Finnishstudentsdontstartschooluntiltheageofseven. Theresonlya4%differenceinachievementbetweenthestudentsatthecountrysbestandworst schools. Finnsspendlessoneducationthanmanyothernations,includingtheUSandSouthKorea. Finnishstudentstopthescoresespeciallyinmath,readingandsciencetests.AccordingtothePISAreport (2006): The national authorities in Finland attribute the high proportion of topperformers in part to a major development program for fostering excellence in science education (Luma) that was progressively implementedbetween1996and2002.Otheroutcomesattributedtothisprogramhavebeenraisinghigher educationenrolmentinscienceandtechnology,increasedcooperationbetweenteachers,agreaterfocus onexperimentallearningandtheestablishmentofspecializedclassesorstreamsinschoolswhichspecial izeinmathematicsandscience.111AccordingtoKrishnamurti:Educationisveryimportant,butnowedu cationismereaccumulationofknowledgeIntelligenceisnottheactivityofcunningthought.Intelligence canusethought.Withoutloveandcompassionthereisnointelligence.112Needlesstosay,wordslikelove andcompassionwerenotincludedinthePISAreport,yetitsinterestingtoseehowscience,cooperation andexperimentationareemphasizedalsohere. Theaimofeducation,generallyspeaking,hasbeentoequipthechildtocom School should be less petewithhisfellowcitizensinmakingaliving,inaccumulatingpossessionsand about preparation for life inbeingascomfortableandsuccessfulaspossibleThiseducationhasalsobeen andmoreaboutlifeitself. primarilycompetitive,nationalisticand,therefore,separativeWorldcitizenship JohnDewey is not emphasized; his responsibility to his fellowmen is systematically ignored; hismemoryisdevelopedthroughtheimpartationofuncorrelatedfactsmostofthemunrelatedtodaily living.113InuniversityIrealizedthattherewasnoemphasisforlearning;justmemorizingfactsforthenext exam. This had never interested me. Already elementary school history classes were about memorizing datesandnamesinthehistoryofhumansuffering:wars,invasionsandaggression. Twomajorideasshouldimmediatelybetaughttothechildrenofeverycountry.Theyare:thevalueofthe individualandthefactoftheonehumanity.114CrosssectororganizationcalledPartnershipfor21stCen turySkillshasmadeapropositiontochangetheK12(primaryandsecondary)educationsysteminAmerica sothatcoresubjects(likeEnglish,Arts,MathandScience)wouldbeamendedwith21stcenturythemesof GlobalAwarenessandliteracyinBusiness,CivicandHealthissues.Ontopofthistheysuggestlearningand innovationskills;information,mediaandtechnologyskills;andlifeandcareerskills.Heresasnapshotof thesesuggestedskills:
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21stcenturythemes GlobalAwareness:Understandandaddressglobalissues.Collaboratewithdiverseindividualsina spiritofmutualrespectandopendialogueinpersonal,workandcommunitycontexts.Understand othernationsandcultures,includingtheuseofnonEnglishlanguages. Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy: Making personal economic choices, understandingtheroleoftheeconomyinsocietyandusingentrepreneurialskills. CivicLiteracy:Stayinginformedandparticipatinginciviclife.Exercisingtherightsandobligations. Understandingthelocalandglobalimplicationsofcivicdecisions. HealthLiteracy:Enhancinghealththroughinformation,properdiet,nutrition,exercise,riskavoid anceandstressreduction.Understandingpublichealthandsafetyissues. Learningandinnovationskills Creativity & Innovation: Thinking and working creatively. Creating and implementing new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts) with others, and maximizing creativity throughopennessandresponsiveness.Viewingfailureasanopportunitytolearn. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Reasoning and using systems thinking. Evaluating evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs and making decisions. Analyzing and interpreting information, syn thesizing and making connections between arguments. Reflecting critically and solving different kinds of nonfamiliar problems. Identifying and asking significant questions that clarify various pointsofviewandleadtobettersolutions. Communication & Collaboration: Oral, written and nonverbal communication skills for different purposes. Listening effectively to decipher meaning. Utilizing multiple media and technologies in diverse environments (including multilingual). Collaborating effectively and respectfully with di verse teams. Being flexible, helpful and willing to make compromises to accomplish a common goal. Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions madebyeachteammember. Information,mediaandtechnologyskills Information Literacy: Learning to access, evaluate, use and manage information accurately and creativelyfortheissueorproblemathand.Managingtheflowofinformationfromawidevariety ofsourcesandunderstandingtheethical/legalissuesofinformationuse. MediaLiteracy:Analyzingandunderstandinghowandwhymediamessagesareconstructed,and forwhatpurposes.Examininghowmessagesareinterpretedandhowmediacaninfluencebeliefs andbehaviors.Learningtousemediacreationtoolsandappropriateexpressionsinmulticultural environments. ICTLiteracy:Usingtechnologyasatooltoresearch,organize,evaluateandcommunicateinforma tion.Usingdigitaltechnologies(computers,PDAs,mediaplayers,GPS),communication/networking toolsandsocialnetworksappropriatelytoaccess,manage,integrate,evaluateandcreateinforma tiontosuccessfullyfunctioninaknowledgeeconomyeffectively,ethicallyandlegally. Lifeandcareerskills Flexibility & Adaptability: Adapting to change: varied roles, jobs, responsibilities, schedules and contexts. Working effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities. Being flexible. In corporatingfeedbackeffectively.Dealingpositivelywithpraise,setbacksandcriticism.Understand ing,negotiatingandbalancingdiverseviewsandbeliefstoreachworkablesolutions,particularlyin multiculturalenvironments. Initiative&SelfDirection:Managinggoals,timeandworkload.Workingindependently:monitor ing, defining, prioritizing and completing tasks without direct oversight. Exploring and expanding ones own learning and opportunities to gain expertise. Showing initiative and commitment to learningasalifelongprocess.Selfreflectiontoinformfutureprogress.
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Social&CrossCulturalskills:Knowingwhenitisappropriatetolistenandwhentospeak.Conduct ingoneselfinarespectablemanner.Respectingculturaldifferences,respondingopenmindedlyto differentideasandvaluesandleveragingsocialandculturaldifferencestocreatenewideasandin creasebothinnovationandqualityofwork. Productivity&Accountability:Settingandmeetinggoals;prioritizing,planningandmanagingwork toachievetheintendedresultinateam. Leadership&Responsibility:Usinginterpersonalandproblemsolvingskillstoinfluenceandguide otherstowardagoal.Leveragingstrengthsofothers.Inspireotherstoreachtheirverybestviaex ampleandselflessness.Demonstratingintegrityandethicalbehaviorinusinginfluenceandpower. Actingresponsiblywiththeinterestsofthelargercommunityinmind.

Ofcourseyoucannotdemandalltheseskillsfromfourthgraders,butthesearegoodguidelinesforwhatis needed right now in education. As we move increasingly towards the scientificspiritual society, some of these skills become obsolete (like the financial literacy) but many (like the entrepreneurial skills) remain important. Nevertheless, its a bit questionable to assume that we can know what children should learn now to be responsiblecitizensin20yearstimebecausewecannotpredictwhatisrelevantinthefuture.Inscientific spiritualsocietytheconceptofcurriculummightvanishoratleastitsimportancemightreducewhenagile developmentisconsideredalsoineducation.Inthenewculture,educationcanbecomeevermoredriven bytheneedsandwantsoftheindividual:morefreedomtochoosebutalsomoresocialandpracticedriven educationthroughgroupwork.Furthermore,cocreationmeansthatyoungpeoplewillnotbemerepas siverecipientsofknowledgebutactiveparticipantsinthecreationofthelearningexperience.Inthe20th century,parents,teachersandsocietyweretheeducatorsofchildren,andthechildrenwerealwaysinthe position of being taught. In the 21st century, adults shall learn from the wonderful qualities of children, such as their purity, innocence, radiance, wisdom and intuition, to inspire and uplift one another. The younggenerationshallplayaleadingroleinthecreationofpeaceforabrightfuture.115 In a scientificspiritual society a formal education system would give hints for children to become self aware,butwouldalsoleaveroomfornonformaleducation;learningbydoing.Languages,communication andgroupworkindiverseteamswouldbeemphasizedtopreparekidsforegolessdialogueintheirevery daylife.Criticalthinking,curiosityandfreedomtoseekforinformationwouldbeencouraged.Finally,edu cationwouldnotonlybeforkids,butforeveryone.Inthespiritoflifelonglearningboundariesbetween generations would dissolve and childrens creativity would be used in development projects, work pre viouslyentitledonlytoadults.

Newmediaandcommunications
AlvinTofflerpositsthatoneofthemostpressingissuesrelatingtomediaisthatthegeneralpublicisde terminingtruthbyconsensus,i.e.thetruthisacceptedbyindividualsbasedonhowmanyotherpeople believeit.Thiskindofapproachdoesntinvolvecriticalthinkingorindividualinitiativetocollectandman ageinformationtomakesenseofitandturnitintoknowledge.Whenthisiscoupledwiththeaforemen tionedcorruptionofpolitics,peoplearegettingonlyafractionoftruth,andeventhatquitelatewhenthe decisions that affect them have already been made. The downfall of political reporting is well documented.Politiciansalwaysknewtheyneededthemedia,whichgavethemediapower.However,one daythepoliticiansrealizedthatthemedianeededthemjustasmuch.Byselectivelygivingexclusivesand interviews, politicians can condition the media. It's Pavlovian. Don't ask the difficult questions, you get moreinterviews.Reportfavorably,andyougetleakedmoreinformation.Getmoreinterviews,scoopyour
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competitionwiththenewstories,andyouratebetterthanthosewhohavethequestions,butnobodyto answerthem.116 Theriseoftheblogosphereandindependentmediaisaninterestingphenomenoninitself.Itseemsthat aroundtheglobetherearepeoplewhowishtobeheard,whoaregoodindocumentingwhatishappening aroundthem.Imaginewhatwouldbethepossibilitieswhenallthispotentialwasharnessedtoservehu manity.Thescientificspiritualsocietywouldgiverisetostorytellerswhowouldcaptureinwords,pictures, videos,artsandothermoreadvancedmediathegoodpracticesanddelivertheminanorganizedmanner to every corner of the globe. Thus meaningful cocreation and agile development would be further en hancedbysharingthesuccessstoriesbypeoplewholovewhattheydo.Therewouldbeagenuineprofu sionofgoodnewsspreadingtheglobe.Thesepeoplewouldalsobeparamountinideagenerationtosolve newchallengesthatunquestionablyarisewhenoldstruggleshavebeendealtwith.Theywouldcreatean abundanceofinformation,knowledge,andwisdomopentoeveryone.Theywouldbecomethebackbone of global oneness and unity; a new media and communications for planet earth. This new media would furthercreateawarenessandenhancedialogue.WehavealreadystartedthisdevelopmentwiththeInter net.InitiativeslikeTED117disseminateideasworthspreading.Justimaginewhathappenswhentheclut terisremovedandhumanitystartspullingtowardsthesamedirectionwithanewsetofvalues.

Spiritualrenaissanceandinterreligiouscooperation
Weve touched previously on the issue how science and spirituality have become closer to each other in recentyears,namelythroughtheriseofquantumphysicsanewstrandofsciencethathasincreasedour understandingofrealityandquestionedtheNewtonianreductionism.Awholenewworldhasopenedup toscience:aworldofchaos,unpredictabilityandwonder.Scientistsaroundtheworldhavehadtoadmit thatmaybeeverythingwasntthatstraightforwardafterall,maybetheresmoretoourrealitythanapiece ofmachinerythatisgovernedbyafewlawsofnature. Simultaneouslymoreandmorereligiouspeoplefromdifferentfaithshavestartedtorealizethatintheend theirstorydoesntdifferthatmuchfromotherreligionsastheyhadinitiallythought.Theyallcarryames sage of love, compassion and connectedness. And many of them are talking about a new golden age for humankind.CharterforCompassion118,UnitedReligionsInitiative119andParliamentofReligions120areex amplesofmanyinitiativesthatarespreadingthewordofcomingtogetherregardlessoffaithorlackthe reof. In the scientificspiritual society, understanding old wisdom and teachings is highly important in shaping peopleintoreachingtheirpotential.Spiritualityassuchdoesnthavetohaveareligiontobackitupinthe future its everyones own matter how they seek to pursue spirituality in their lives. A future society wouldmerelycreatespaceandtimeforindividualspiritualdevelopment.Thatisnotyetthecase,however. EspeciallyinWesternsocietyspiritualityisfrowneduponandrigidstructurescoupledwithhecticlifestyles leavelittleroomfortheseendeavors.Forthespiritualrenaissancetohappenitsbeneficialifpeoplefrom differentreligiousbackgroundscanteamupandprovidemeaningtothesomewhatemptylivesofcontem porarypeople.
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http://fishbowl.pastiche.org/2003/02/16/the_death_of_democracy/ http://www.ted.com http://www.charterforcompassion.org http://www.uri.org http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/

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AccordingtotheKabbalahthewilltoreceivehaspushedusfurtherinhumandevelopment.Humankind firstneededtoaddressitsdesiretofulfillbasicphysiologicalneeds:sex,nutritionandshelter.Oncethose werefulfilleditsoughtforwealth that isbasicallyjusttheaccumulationofthephysiologicalneeds. Note thatonlysomeculturesmovedtothewealthgenerationthroughtheagriculturalrevolutionsome10,000 yearsago;therestremainedashuntergatherersofwhichtheremainingtribesstillseemtoholdkeysto ancientwisdomandforexample pointsinthisbookwouldbeobviousformostofthem121.Nonetheless, since wealth didnt bring fulfillment, the focus of humankinds desire moved to power, the control of wealthandphysiologicalneeds. Eventhatleftpeoplefeelingempty,sotheysoughtknowledge:whatallcouldbeachievedinthephysical world.Eventhateraofknowledge,mindandtheegohasnotfulfilledtheemptinessandnowweareready toseekforamorespirituallife.Inconclusion,thewilltoreceivehastakenusthisfar.Nowweeithercon tinuefollowingthepathofpainandsufferingorconsciouslystartevolvingtowardsthespiritualworldand thewilltobestow:togiveandreceiveforthesakeofgiving.

Newscienceandtechnology
Todays science is also full of elephants. The amount of papers published is a measure functioning as an egoboosterformanyscientists.Thisdoesntreallyservehumanity.Anothershortcomingofthescientific community is that its so much tied to the world of money. This has a dual effect: 1) the agenda of the fundermightskewtheresultsoftheresearch,and2)researchthatdoesntservetheagendaofthefund ers,mightnevergetdone.Dr.StuartBrown122saysthatitwaseasyforhimtogetfundingforresearching drunkdriversandmurderers,butwhenhefoundoutthatacommondenominatorinthekillersstorieswas lackofplayinchildhoodandwantedtostartresearchingplayhecouldnotgetfunding.Evenwithhistrack record,hewasnottakenseriously,whenplayasatopicwasuninterestingtothefunders.(Regardlessof oppositionhewentonwithhisnewlyfounddesireandtogetherwithothersstartedtheNationalInstitute ofPlay.) AverynovelapproachtotheorganizationofhumanityanditsproperrelationswiththeEarthandnature istofollowthebiologicalmodelsofferedbytheformationandadmirablefunctioningofnumerouscolonies ofcells,bacteriaandlivingspeciesobservableinnatureandnowwellstudied.123DeeHockthefounder ofVISAcreditcardassociationcoinedthetermchaordicsystem.Itreferstoasystemthatblendscharac teristicsofchaosandorder.Innaturewecanfindalotofexamplesofthesesystemsthatworksurprisingly well.Biomimicryisafairlynewscienceinwhichweaimtofindsolutionsfromthewayhowlifehasorga nizeditselfinnature. Indeed,oneofthegreatestteacherswecanhaveisnature.Wehavealreadylearnedquitealotfromthe oldest sage in existence. Here are some examples of biomimicry. StoCoat Lotusan mimics a lotus plant thatresistsraindropletsthatfallontheplant.Lotusanwasdevelopedwiththisanalogyandservesnowas dirtproof coating for buildings: dirt runs off with the water that falls on the facade. Calera cement is createdbyaprocessthatisdesignedtosuckCO2outoftheatmospheremuchlikethecoral.WhalePower wind turbines replicate the bumps on the humpback whales flippers. This technology provides a more reliable,highperformancesilentwindturbinetechnology.Velcrothehookandloopfastenerismaybe themostfamousresultofbiomimicry.Itwasinspiredbyburdockburrs(seeds)thatsticktoespeciallywoo lenclothes.UltraCaneforvisuallyimpairedwasdevelopedbyateamfromLeedsUniversity.Theirsuccess
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ThisisexplainedindepthinDanielQuinnsIshmael http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html http://www.goodmorningworld.org/earthgov/

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ful bat cane innovation was motivated by blind but savvy navigators. Sharklet Hygienic Surface for Healthcareisanontoxicsurfaceinspiredbysharks.Itcontrolsbacteriaandgiveshealthcareprovidersa newtooltoreduceinfectionsandenhanceinfectioncontrolpractices.Aquaporinbiomimeticmembranes are used for desalination of water. REGEN Energy EnviroGrid couples the simplicity of nature's swarm logic (as in the beehive) with the energy management. EnviroGrid Building Automation System helps mi nimizepeakdemand,reduceenergyconsumptionandrelievegridstress.Thesearejustsomeexamplesof numerousbiomimicryachievementsfromtherecentyears,yetonlyafractionofpotentialthisnewmethod offersthescienceandtechnologycommunity. Someofthepositiveexamplesinourcurrentsociety(andinthisbook)mightmakeyouthink:Ifsomany things do work in our system, isn't it a sign that a moneybased system can take us to a good future? I wouldarguethatwehavetheseexamplesnotbecauseofbutevendespiteofthecurrentsystem.People aresocuriousandgoodheartedthateventherearealotofhindranceswearetakingstepstowardswiser solutions.Ourmonetarysystemisslowingdownthedevelopment.Weshouldnotbeaskingcanweafford itbuthowdowemakeithappen.Moneyisjustameasure,anidea.Aninchisameasure,amanmade idea.Youwouldntstopbuildingahouseifyouranoutofinches,wouldyou?Attheverymomentthereisa grandvarietyofdevelopmentshappeningwherepeoplearecontributingtheirtimeandenergytocommon good without asking anything back. This just proves that regardless of the system, people are good and willingtodevelopthesysteminsteadofjustmaintainingit. The fragmented science and technology gets a common direction through the new values of scientific spiritualsociety.Novelandexistingtechnologieswillbedirectedtocommongood,anddialoguewillmake theboundariesbetweendisciplinesdissolve.Wealreadyhaveanabundanceofsolutions:nowwejustneed toremovetheobstaclesontheway.Anewhumanbiology,anthropology,sociology,lifestyles,philosophy, cosmology,deepunderstandingofevolutionandanewworldpsychologyisinthemaking.

Fearoftechnology
There is one major doubt that has to be dealt with: the fear of technology. The phenomenon when ma chines become more intelligent than humans is called the technological singularity. If the machines are permitted tomakealltheirowndecisions,wecan'tmakeany conjecturesastotheresults,becauseit is impossibletoguesshowsuchmachinesmightbehave.Weonlypointoutthatthefateofthehumanrace would be at the mercy of the machines. It might be argued that the human race would never be foolish enough to hand over all the power to the machines. But we are suggesting neither that the human race would voluntarily turn power over to the machines nor that the machines would willfully seize power. Whatwedosuggestisthatthehumanracemighteasilypermititselftodriftintoapositionofsuchdepen denceonthemachinesthatitwouldhavenopracticalchoicebuttoacceptallofthemachines'decisions. Associetyandtheproblemsthatfaceitbecomemoreandmorecomplexandmachinesbecomemoreand moreintelligent,peoplewillletmachinesmakemoreoftheirdecisionsforthem,simplybecausemachine madedecisionswillbringbetterresultthanmanmadeones.Eventuallyastagemaybereachedatwhich thedecisionsnecessarytokeepthesystemrunningwillbesocomplexthathumanbeingswillbeincapable ofmakingthemintelligently.Atthatstagethemachineswillbeineffectivecontrol.Peoplewon'tbeableto justturnthemachinesoff,becausetheywillbesodependentonthemthatturningthemoffwouldamount tosuicide.ThesearethewordsofTheodoreKaczynskibetterknownasUnabomberwhoneededtokill twentypeopletogethisvoiceheard.124 Thepopularidea,fosteredbycomicstripsandthecheaperformsofsciencefiction,thatintelligent ma chines must be malevolent entities hostile to man, is so absurd that it is hardly worth wasting energy to refute it. I am almost tempted to argue that only unintelligent machines can be malevolentThose who
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picturemachinesasactiveenemiesaremerelyprojectingtheirownaggressiveness.Thehighertheintelli gence,thegreaterthedegreeofcooperativenessis.Ifthereiseverawarbetweenmenandmachines,itis easy to guess who will start it.125 Professor Aaron Sloman from University of Birmingham concludes: Therearepeoplewhofearthatmachineswillturnnastyandtrytotakeovertheworld.However,Idon't think machines can do anything nastier to us than humans already do to one another all round the world.126Whenaskedwhathethinksofmachinesbecomingmoreintelligentthanman,DalaiLamawel comedtheideaandwaslaughinglysayingoneofthemcouldbecomeDalaiLamasincarnation. Our current world view is so distorted, aggressive and feardriven that we cannot picture a world where technologywouldbeusedforgoodpurposesonly.Whenamachineisassignedtoalimitedtask,itfulfills thatfunctionwithoutaskingquestions,nomatterhowintelligentitwas.Splittingtheatomrequiresgreat intelligence.Usingthatintelligenceforbuildingandstockpilingatombombsisinsaneoratbestextremely unintelligent. Stupidity is relatively harmless, but intelligent stupidity is highly dangerous. This intelligent stupidity,forwhichonecouldfindcountlessobviousexamples,isthreateningoursurvivalasaspecies.127 Wehaveusedgreatintelligencealreadytousetechnologyforthegoodofhumanityandsomepeopleare dependentontechnology.Imagineyouhadahearttransplant,apegleg,ahearingaidorGodforbid eyeglasses.Youwouldbeatechnologyenhancedposthumanbeing. Enoughirony:Kaczynskihadagoodpoint.Wemightbecomesodependentontechnologythatweloseour griponreality.Somemightarguewehavealreadygonepastthatpoint.Bythetimewestartmakingde signerbabies,thealarmbellsshouldgooff.Thevanityofpeoplestandsoutinourcurrentsystem.Correct ing a gene in an embryo to prevent a hereditary disease might sound like a good idea at first. However, shouldwemeddlewithpartsofthesystemifweareunawareoftheinterconnectednessofthehumanDNA system?Wealreadyknowthatonegenecanhaveaneffecttomorethanonepartofthesystem,butwe dontknowwhichpartstheyare.Thereforefixingahereditarydiseasemightnotbetheonlychangeinthe outcome.Alargepartofthescientificcommunityiswellawareoftheethicalandmoralissuesoftranshu manityofimprovingthehumanbodyandmindwithtechnologybutsomeofthemarewillingtoexpe riment due to the immense potential the new technology poses. We cannot stop that experimentation fromhappeningbutitshightimewemakesurethatitisnotdoneforpurelyfinancialmotives.

Enjoymentfromawakeneddoing
Awakened doing is the outer aspect of the next stage in the evolu IhearandIforget.IseeandIremem tionofconsciousnessonourplanet.Thecloserwegettotheendof ber.IdoandIunderstand. our present evolutionary stage, the more dysfunctional the ego be Confucius comes,inthesamewaythatacaterpillarbecomesdysfunctionaljust beforeittransformsintoabutterfly.ButthenewconsciousnessisarisingevenastheolddissolvesThe modalities of awakened doing are acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm You need to be vigilant to makesurethatoneofthemoperateswheneveryouareengagedindoinganythingatallfromthesim plesttasktothemostcomplex.128 Acceptanceisafamiliarconceptformostpeoplewhohavegraduateduniversity.Beforeyoucangraduate youhavetopassthosefewcoursesthatyouhavepostponed,becausetheywereuninteresting,difficultor justutterlyboring.Youhavetoacceptthatyouarenotgoingtograduatewithoutthem.Onceyoudoso,
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ArthurC.Clarke:ProfilesoftheFuture http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/events/hotseat/panel_statements.html EckhartTolle:ANewEarth EckhartTolle:ANewEarth

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younoticethatitwasntthatdifficultafterall.Thenonacceptancehadjustcreatedaddedflavorofdislike towardsthecourses. Howaboutenjoyment?AsItoldyoubefore,enjoyingthemomentisoneofmymostimportantvalues.It has closed many doors ahead of me for example jobs that were potentially high paying but non enjoyable.Ithascausedmetoseekenjoymentfromexternalsources.Thiswasneverfullysatisfyingand easilyledtoboredomwhennothingexcitingwashappening.Ittookmequiteafewyearstorealizethatthe sourceofjoyisinme.Youdon'thavetowaitforsomethingmeaningfultocomeintoyourlifesothatyou canfinallyenjoywhatyoudo.Thereismoremeaninginjoythanyouwilleverneed.129EckhartTollesug gests.AndnowIknowhesright.Gosh,Ievenenjoydoingthedishesnowadaysatasksodrearybefore. Hecontinues:Someofthosepeoplewho,throughcreativeaction,enrichthelivesofmanyotherssimply dowhattheyenjoydoingmostwithoutwantingtoachieveorbecomeanythingthroughthatactivity.They may be musicians, artists, writers, scientists, teachers, or builders, or they may bring into manifestation newsocialorbusinessstructures(enlightenedbusinesses).Sometimesforafewyearstheirsphereofinflu enceremainssmall;andthenitcanhappenthatsuddenlyorgraduallyawaveofcreativeempowerment flowsintowhattheydo,andtheiractivityexpandsbeyondanythingtheycouldhaveimaginedandtouches countless others. In addition to enjoyment, intensity is now added to what they do and with it comes a creativitythatgoesbeyondanythinganordinaryhumancouldaccomplish.130 Enthusiasmmeansthereisdeepenjoymentinwhatyoudoplustheaddedelementofagoaloravision thatyouworktowardAttheheightofcreativeactivityfueledbyenthusiasm,therewillbeenormousin tensityandenergybehindwhatyoudo.Youwillfeellikeanarrowthatismovingtowardthetargetand enjoying the journey.131 When you are enthusiastically and passionately putting your shoulder to the wheelyoustartexperiencingeustress:youreachthepeakpointbetweenboredomandstress.Writingthis bookhasbeenanexperienceofeustressforme.Icouldworktillfiveinthemorningwithamazingenthu siasm.OnceagainIhavewitnessedhowgooddoesawakeneddoingfeellike.

Youareacreatorofthenewculture
Wehavegonethroughashortjourneyintorealityfromperspectivesofindividual,relationshipsandsocie ty. Most likely you already understand that the only way to make things better is to be the change you seek.Nohigherpowerisgoingtomakethenewcultureareality;youarethekeytounlockinghumankinds potential.Letsclosethischapterwithafewideasofwhatyoucoulddoinordertolivethecultureofmea ningfulcocreationandagiledevelopment,cultureofgenerosityandabundance,andcultureofauthentici ty,awarenessanddialogue. Thefirststepinyourawakeneddoingistofigureoutwhatyouaretrulypassionateabout.Ifyouare100% sure what your passion in life is, you might as well skip this part. Just bear in mind the words of Finnish writerRosaMerilinen:towisenisnotsameastocastyourprejudicesinstone132.WellbeusingUjour naling practice from Presencing Institute as a basis for a few questions that might trigger an internal processwhereyoulettheanswerscometoyou.Thisexerciseconsistsoftwoparts;firstonenomorethan 15minutes,second6090minutes.Useawatchandkeepyourselfaccountabletostickingtotheschedule. Youshoulddothisexerciseinsolitudewithaconcentratedmind.Prepareapleasantspaceforyourselfand
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Ibid Ibid Ibid http://www.digipaper.fi/arvo/28916/index.php?pgnumb=47

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makesureyouarenotgoingtobebotheredforthenexttwohours.Havesomepenandpaperhandy(for thesecondpartyoucanuseacomputerifthatswhatyouprefer). Inthefirstpartweaimtofindoutwhatsholdingyouback.Dontusemorethan23minutesperquestion. Writedownquicklyyourthoughtsandmoveon: 1. Challenges:Lookatyourselffromoutsideasifyouwereanotherperson:Whatarethe3or4most important challenges or tasks that your life currently presents? What do you want to achieve? Whatneedstobedone?Whatfeelschallenging? 2. Frustration:Whatfrustratesyouaboutyourcurrentworkandpersonallifesituation?Whatmakes youangry?Whatyoucantstandaboutcertainpeopleinyourlife?Whatdoyouhateaboutyour self?Writedownwhatfrustratesyou. 3. Innerresistance:Whatisholdingyouback?Describe2or3recentsituations(inyourworkorper sonallife)whereyounoticedoneofthefollowingthreevoiceskickingin,whichthenpreventedyou fromexploringthesituationyouwereinmoredeeply: VoiceofJudgment:shuttingdownyouropenmind(downloadinginsteadofinquiring) VoiceofCynicism:shuttingdownyouropenheart(disconnectinginsteadofrelating) VoiceofFear:shuttingdownyouropenwill(holdingontothepastorthepresentinsteadof lettinggo) Onceyouaredonewithyouranswers,readthemthroughonce.Dontmakeanycorrections;justread(only once).Dontdwellonwhatyouhavewrittenbutmoveon: Foldthepaper Folditagain Ripitintwoparts Putthelayersofpaperontopofeachother Foldoncemore Ripagain Keeprippinguntilyouonlyhavesmallshredsofpaper Takethepiecesofpaperinthebinorburnthem(outside) Noticethatwhateveryouwrotedoesnttieyoudownanymore Youarefreeoffear,doubtanddisbelief Thereisnosuffering Youcanmovetothesecondpartwiththefeelingofpeace,loveandjoywithin

Letyourcallingcometoyou
In the second part, take some 510 minutes to answer each question. Dont overthink; let the answers cometoyou.Ifnothingcomesup,moveontothenextone.Itsimportanttoopenyourmind,openyour heartandopenyourwill. Sitdownonafloor,onapillow,chairorasofa;whateversuitsyou.Calmdown,takeafewdeepbreaths, close your eyes and feel your whole body: start from your feet. Feel them touching the surface; feel the energy inside of them. Work your way up to the legs and move your concentration finally to your groin, abdomen,chest,back,hands,arms,armpits,shoulders,andneck.Becomeconsciousofyourwholebody andfeelyourcirculation.Feeltheclothesyouarewearingtouchingyourskin.Becomeawareofyourpost ure.Moveyourattentiontoyourhead;relaxyoureyelids,yourmouth,foreheadandcheekbonesuntilyou canfeelasubtlesensationontopofyourhead.Takeonedeepbreathandconcentrateforawhileonyour calmbreathing.Beinthatmomentcompletely.Thenshiftyourfocustoyoursurroundings.Becomeaware

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ofyoursurroundings:front,sides,andback.Feelpresent,connectedtotheearthandawareofthespace aroundyou.Whenyouareready,wecanstart. Ifyouareready,youfeeltheanswerswithinandyougetintotheflow.Ifnot,youcanalwayscomebackto thispart.Dontjudge.Trustyourgutandletitflow. 1. Achievements:Writedown3or4importantfactsaboutyourlifejourney.Whataretheimportantac complishmentsyouhaveachievedorcompetenciesyouhavedevelopedinyourlife(examples:raising children;finishingyoureducation;preparinggoodfood;makingsomeonehappy;beingagoodlisten er)?Takeprideinthesmallestofyourachievements. 2. Aspirations: What 3 or 4 important aspirations, areas of interest, or undeveloped talents would you liketoplacemorefocusoninyourfuturejourney(examples:writinganovelorpoems;startingasocial movement;takingyourcurrentworktoanewlevel;learningbasicsofFrench)? 3. Energy:Whatareyourmostvitalsourcesofenergy?Whatispositive?Whatdoyoulove? 4. Emergingyou:Overthepastcoupleofdaysandweeks,justbeforeandduringyouvebeenreadingthis book,whatnewaspectsofyourSelfhaveyounoticed?Whatnewquestionsandthemesareoccurring toyounow?Whatwasunexpecteddiscovery?Trytoguess:whatareyoubecoming? 5. Metacognition: Rise above yourself and take a look at yourself on your average day as if you had a birdseyeview.Observeyourselfgoingthroughtheday.Whatisthispersondoing?Whatis(s)hetrying todointhisstageofprofessionalandpersonaljourney? 6. Yourcommunity:Choose3peoplefromyourcommunitywithdifferentperspectivesonyourlife.Who makesupyourcommunity?Includepeopleyouknowandpeoplewhojustseeyouoccasionally(your family;yourfriends;apoorhomelesspersononthestreet;youracquaintancesthatyoudontknowtoo well; your neighbor; a priest in the church; your teacher). Get into their skin. What are their highest hopesinregardtoyourfuturejourney?Whatmightyouhopeforifyouwereintheirshoesandlooked atyourlifethroughtheireyes?Whatpositivetheyseeinyou? 7. Gravestone:Imagineyoucouldfastforwardtotheverylastmomentsofyourlife,whenitistimefor youtopasson.Nowlookbackonyourlifesjourneyasawhole.Whatwouldyouwanttoseeatthat moment?Whatfootprintdoyouwanttoleavebehindontheplanet?Whatwouldyouwanttobere memberedforbythepeoplewholiveonafteryou?Whatiswritteninyourgravestone? 8. Letter:Fromthat(future)place,lookbackatyourcurrentsituationasifyouwerelookingatadifferent person.NowtrytohelpthatotherpersonfromtheviewpointofyourhighestfutureSelf.Whatadvice wouldyougive?Feelandsensewhattheadviceis.Thenwritealettertothatperson. 9. Calling:Stop.Rewind.Returntothepresentmoment.Whatseemstobeyourcallinginlife?Whatis yourpassion?Whydoyouexist?Writedownin12sentencesyourcallinginlife. 10. Dreams:Crystallizewhatitisthatyouwanttocreate:yourdreamsforthenext35years.Whatdreams doyouhaveforyourself?Howaboutyourwork,peersandfamily?Whataresomeessentialcoreele mentsofthefuturethatyouwanttocreateinyourpersonal,professional,andsociallife?Describeas concretelyaspossibletheimagesandelementsthatoccurtoyou. 11. Lettinggo:Whatwouldyouhavetoletgoofinordertobringyourdreamsintoreality?Whatistheold stuffthatmustdie?Whatistheoldskin(behaviors,thoughtprocesses,etc.)thatyouneedtoshed?
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12. Seeds:Whatinyourcurrentlifeorcontextprovidestheseedsforthefuturethatyouwanttocreate? Whatareyougoodat?Wheredoyouseeyourfuturebeginning?Appreciateyourselfandwritedown whatworks. 13. Prototyping:Overthenextthreemonths,ifyouweretoprototypeamicrocosmofthefutureinwhich youcoulddiscoveryourdreamfuture,whatwouldthatprototypelooklike?Howcanyouquicklyput togetheralifethathaselementsofyourdreams? 14. People:Whocanhelpyoumakeyourhighestfuturepossibilitiesareality?Whocouldparticipate?Who keepsyouaccountable?Whosupportsyouwhenthetimesaretough?Whochallengesyouroldframe of reference and behavior? Who understands you? Who might be your core helpers and partners? Make sure you share your future intentions with these people and publicize your plans. The more peopleyoutell,thelesslikelyitisforyoutochickenoutonwhatyourlifeiscallingyoutodo. 15. Action: If you were to take on the project of bringing your intention into reality, what practical first stepswouldyoutakeoverthenext3to4days?Whatwillyoudotodayandtomorrow? Whateveryougotonthepaper,beproudofit.Thereisonequicktask An anthill that is destined to be come a giant anthill will definitely todo:Extendyourrightarminfrontofyou.Turnyourpalmfacingthe become one, no matter how many sky. Straighten your arm to an upward position. Bend it behind your timesitisdestroyedbyelephants. back.Tapyourselfinthebackandsay:Goodjob!
Nigerianproverb

Putyourcallingintoaction
Itmightbethatyouarealreadyleadingalifethatletsyoubeallyoucanbe,anddowhatyouwanttodo. Evenifchangesareneeded,startwiththeappreciationofwhatalreadyis.Ifyouareunemployed,begrate ful of the luxury many cant afford: you have time in your hands to fulfill your hearts calling. If you are workingwithmedia,youhaveapowertoinfluenceothers.Ifyouareinthefieldofeducation,youcanbea rolemodelformanyyoungpeoplewhodeservetoleadtheiradulthoodinanewworld.Ifyouaredoing odd jobs, embrace the variety in your life and direct your steps towards your passions. If you are a re searcheryoucanstartthinkinghowyourfieldcouldcontributetothefuturesociety.Ifyouareanentre preneur,youhavethepowertoreshapeyourorganizationtodogoodandsolvepressingsocial,environ mentalorculturalissues.Ifyouremployerisinthepublicsector,youhavethepowertocontributetopub licgood.Ifyouareinacivilsocietyorganization(anNGO)youcantakeyourorganizationsmandatetoa newlevelandimprovelivesonthelocal,national,regionalorevengloballevel.Ifyouworkinacompany youcanbecomeasocialintrapreneuraimingtoimprovetherelationshipsattheworkplaceandstartmak ingsuggestionsandgeneratingideasforthemanagement. Seehowyoucantakeyourcommunitytowardsascientificspiritualsociety.Generatealistofideasforyour professionalandpersonalcommunities: Howmightweprovidemoremeaning? Howmightwecreaterealsolutionstogetherwheretheyareneeded? Howmightweemployamoreagilemindset? Howmightweencouragepeopletogiveandshareselflessly? Howmightwecreateanabundancemindset? Howmightweuseresourcesforeveryonesbenefit? Howmightwehelppeoplegetridoftheirelephant? Howmightweincreaseawarenessofrootissuesandsolutions? Howmightweincreasedialoguebetweenunlikelyallies? Beforeputtingyourpersonalcallingintoaction,Iwanttoleaveyouwithahypotheticalscenariothatwas earliertoucheduponbriefly.Whatwouldhappenif,say,asolarflarecamethroughtheearthsmagnetic
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field and took down all the electrical systems for a moment, erasing all the data? The financial systems wouldeffectivelyberebooted:allinformationonbankaccountswouldbelost.Wewouldnolongerknow who owed what and to whom. What would we do on that unfortunate event? Would we engage on an arduoustaskofdatarecollection;diggingthroughtheoldprintoutsandtryingtoremembertheestimate figures?Orwouldwedosomethingmoremeaningful?

Betheawakening
Howtogetridofyourego,connectwithothersandsavetheworld?Canyoualreadyseethefallacyinthe books title? I thought of revealing this in the beginning already but wheres the fun in that? In Herman HessesSiddhartaisapowerfulpassageoftheexperiencedtruth:Itisagoodthingtoexperienceevery thingoneself,hethought.AsachildIlearnedthatpleasuresoftheworldandricheswerenotgood.Ihave knownitforalongtime,butIhaveonlyjustexperiencedit.NowIknowitnotonlywithmyintellect,but with my eyes, with my heart, with my stomach. It is a good thing that I know this. I hope you have experiencedthis:thefallacyinthetitleisthatyoudontneedtosavetheworld.Theworlddoesntneed saving.Youdo!Ido.Wedo. Rememberthatyouarenotyourtitle;youarenotyourjob.AnythingthatyouaddtoIamisaliecoming fromyourelephant.Youareafreespirit,aconnectedsoul.Tofeeltheconnectednessremindyourselfby saying:WewouldnotbeifyouwerenotifIwasnot.Dontgetlostintryingtoachievesomethingorlet thepainoftheworldoverrideyourjoy.Aglobalawakeningisintheprogress:verylittledoingisactually needed.Concentrateonbeingandenjoythepresentmomentbecausethatsallthereis.Lifehappensnow. Be aware of your elephant and mind you. You are already awake. You are already perfect. You dont need to become any thingelse. Remember there is no us and them.Weareallonthesameside. We are interconnected with each other and we are in the same family with trees, soil, and water. Our human genetic code is con structed by the exact the same four nucleotides, complex mole cules, as every other form of life on this planet. At the level of our DNA we are related to the birds, reptiles, amphibians, other mam malsandeventheplantlife.From apurelybiologicalperspective,we Picture13.Redundantelephantintheelephanthouse. human beings are our own spe ciesspecific mutation of earths geneticpossibility.133Biologicallyaswellasspiritually,weareallone.Therefore,donthurtanyonephys ically,mentallyoremotionallybecauseyouarehurtingyourfamily.Wheneveryouleaveaconversation, enditasitwasyourlastonewiththisperson.Thiswillhaveasignificantpositiveimpactinyourattitude andbehavior,andhelpskeeptheelephantintheelephanthouse(itslikeadoghouse,justbigger).
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Turnyourattentiontowhatfeelsright;trustyourintuition.Rememberthattheonlywaytogettrustisto givetrust.Enjoygivingforthesakeofgiving.Andaccepttheblissfulabundanceofjoyandprosperitythat comesyourway.Letgooftheclutter;freeyourselfofwhatcanpossiblyfeedyourelephant.Concentrate onwhatisgood.Bepartofthesolution,insteadofbeingpartoftheproblem.Connectgenuinelywithoth ers. Love fully. Accept anicca, dukkha and anatta fully: dont cling, dont resist and dont judge. Kiss the beautyasitfliesby.Acceptthatyoucannotinfluencethehistory:whathappened,happened.Acceptthe uncertaintyofthefuture:whatemerges,emerges.Acceptwhatis:beherenow.Betheawakening.

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Chapterfoursummary
*** Keypointsofthischapterwere: Whenintroducinganewsystem,asystemicchangeiscalledfor.Inotherwords,everythingfrom economytoeducationandfromsciencetospiritualityshouldbealignedwiththecommondirec tion.Goodnewsisthatthetransitiontoanewsocietyhasalreadystarted. Byaligningyourdoingwithyournewbeing,youjointhetransition.Youareacreatorofthenew culture. Seetips,tricksandtoolsattheendofthebook: Moviestowatchbeforesavingtheworld Remindyourselfofyourdreams 10powerfulquestionsforchangemakers Readbetterbooksthanthisone Seefrequentlyaskedquestionsattheendofthebook: How are the bad deeds of people dealt with in the scientificspiritual society? Is there a police force,jurisdictionormentalasylums? Wouldpeoplebereallyfatbecausetheyarenotdoingphysicalwork? Cantyouownanythinginthefuture?Howaboutpersonalbelongingsandthingswithemotional value? Arepeoplegoingtoeatanimalsinthescientificspiritualsociety? Whyaredecisionsoutsourcedtomachines?Arentpeoplevotingonthedecisions? Howotherthingsarehandledinthefuture?

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Epilogue INSIGHTFROMTHEFUTURE
HOWCOULDLIFEBE? Annahadjoinedacompanythatwashelpingyoungpeopletofindtheircallinginlife.Shewaspassionate aboutthejobbuthadagreedtoworkonly20hoursaweek.Shewantedtoleaveroomforherowndevel opmentandspendingtimewithpeopleclosesttoher. Annahadnotseentheteacherinalongtime.Shewasfiddlingwithhernewbusinesscardwherehername saidsimplyA.Were.Shewasabouttogiveittotheteacherwhohadagreedtomeetheronemoretime. Annahaddemandedtoknowwheretheteacherhadgainedallthewisdom.Theanswerhadbeenconfus ing: from the future. But Anna thought it somehow made sense. There was definitely something other worldlyintheteacherswisdom. BeatleswasplayinginheriPod:Imaginethere'snoheaven.It'seasyifyoutry.Nohellbelowus.Aboveus onlysky.Imagineallthepeople,Livingfortoday...Imaginethere'snocountries.Itisn'thardtodo.Nothing tokillordiefor,andnoreligiontoo.Imagineallthepeople.Livinglifeinpeace...YoumaysayI'madrea mer,butI'mnottheonlyone.Ihopesomedayyou'lljoinus,andtheworldwillbeasone.Imaginenopos sessions.Iwonderifyoucan.Noneedforgreedorhunger;abrotherhoodofman.Imagineallthepeople, sharingalltheworld...YoumaysayI'madreamer,butI'mnottheonlyone.Ihopesomedayyou'lljoinus, andtheworldwillliveasone. Annasawtheteacherclimbinguptherockwheretheyweresupposedtomeet.Annahadneverbeeninthis grandioseplacealthoughitwasjusthalfanhourfromherhome.Theeveningsunilluminatedthetrees. HiAnna.Imafraidmytimeislimited.Illgrantyou20questionsbutthenImustgo.Thiswillbeour lasttimetogether. A:Ok.Imsohappytomeetyouagainandofcoursesadthatyouareleaving.Butsincewedonthavemuch timetheresnopointofbeatingaroundthebushorstartarguingifyourereallyfromthefutureornot.I believeyou. Letmestart byaskingaverypersonal question thathasbeenbotheringmeabit:Areyou a manorawoman? Thiscanbepotentiallyconfusingforyou,becauseyouhaveplacedsuchanimportanceforgender rolesinyoursociety.Fromveryearlyoninchildhoodyouwereconditionedtotakeonaroleofa manorawoman.Thisrestrictedyouandyouidentifiedwiththerole.Welearnedtoreachabalance betweenfeminineandthemasculine.Inyourmerelyphysicalterms,though,youmightseemoreof awomanthanaman.Thisquestion,however,isofnoimportanceanymore. A:Ok.Youareright.Itwasabitconfusing.ButIthinkIseeyourpoint.Letstakeaneasierone:Areyou married? Theestablishmentofmarriageassuchislonggoneinthesocietywherewelive.Itwaslargelyale galarrangementandaswegotridofmostofthelawstherewasnoneedforanymore.Ingeneral, love is no longer restricted to any one being. We tend to love everyone and everything that sur roundsus.However,westillhavestrongerpartnershipswithalimitednumberofpeoplecompa nionsthatweholdcloseinourlives.Somepeoplestillprefertohavejustonepartner.Inourcurrent circleofcompanions,atthemoment,therearesevenadultsaltogether. A:Right,letmegetthisstraight.Whosinyourfamily?Doyouhavekids? Everyoneisthefamily.Therearenoboundaries,noseparateness.Wearetakingcareofeachoth erskidsanditgivesusgreatjoyandhappiness.
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A:Thatsoundsniceawkward,butnice.So,whatdoyoudoforliving? Tomysurpriseyouaskthisquestiononlynow.Isntitthemostcommonquestionforpeopletoask inyoursociety?Nooffense,butwefinditamusinghowpeopleinyourtimeidentifiedthemselves throughtheirjob,educationortitle.Inoursocietyeverythinghappensthroughvoluntaryparticipa tion.Wedonthavejobsassuch;wedowhatwearegoodatandwhatweenjoydoing.Yournext question would be whats the catch or where is the incentive, right? This can be difficult to fa thombecauseyouarestilllivingsoseparatefromeachotherandyouhaventrealizedtheconnec tednesswithallthingsandbeings.Inoursocietytheincentivetoparticipatecomesfromthevery factthatweareallone:thereisnocompetition,exceptatthefootballfieldandintheorganized idea competitions. The good news for you is that you have already started replacing competition with cooperation. You have started awakening to the fact that competition is slowing down progress;itslikeusingyourrightfoottostepontheleftonetotryandrunfaster. NowAnnagavetheteacherhercardwhereitsaidA.WerePartner.Theteacherexaminedthecard, gaveagentlesmileandwaitedforthenextquestioncalmly. A:Ilikethatanalogy.Iseeyourpoint.Iwonderifyoureallyneedmoneyinasocietylikethat.Thereisno needtobebetterormorewelloffthanyourneighbor,right?Whatdoyouhavethen?Whatdoyouown? Youareright.Moneywasanobsoletetoolthatyouwillsoonfindout.Inyourtimemanypeoplestill clingtothatwithoutnoticingitsutterlyanimaginaryconcept.Figuresonyourbankaccountdont haveanyvalueintheend.Wenolongerhavetheconceptofownership.Ourfirstpriorityafterthe great shift was to ensure basic necessities for all. We realized its in everyones benefit to ensure equal opportunity for all. We are much stronger species due to this fact. As for the ownership, it wouldbestupidtoownsayacar.Intheparticipatorysocietydevelopmentgoessofastthatif youownedacaritwouldsoonbeobsoletenoonewouldmakeimprovementsinitandeveryone else would be sharing cars much better than yours. Its amazing how much space we created by stoppingatownthings:thereisnomoreneedforparkinglots. A:Thatmakessense.ButIstilldontwanttoletgooftheBMWmydadboughtme.Anyways,youmen tionedthatyouensuredbasicnecessitiesforall.Incaseyoudonthavetoworkinthetraditionalsense,who makesthefood?Whocleansthefloors?Whodoesalltheboringstuff? Most of the repetitive tasks are automated. Buildings have integral cleaning systems. Basic food production is automated and delivery arranged so that food and clean water is available every where.However,manypeopledoenjoycookingsotherearequiteafewcommonkitchenswhere wecongregateformorespecialmeals. A: So, you dont work and an automated infrastructure is catering to your essential needs. How do you spendyourtime?Doesntitgetboring? Firstofall,thereisadifferencebetweennotworkingandnothavingajob.Itsliketheants,re member?Wetakepartincommondevelopmentprojectsaccordingtoourcompetenciesandinter ests.Wedontcallitworkbutparticipation.Itistruethatwedonthavetoparticipateeveryday andeverywakinghour.Weinvestabout510%ofwhatyouwouldcalltimeintheseprojects.Oth erwisethereisfreedomtoenjoyandenquire.Thereisagreatemphasisonbeingratherthandoing. Itisverycommonforpeopletojustsitandobservenatureordosomethingtogether.Andnoitsnot boring.Thatwordislonggone.Wedonthavetimeassuch.Youwillsoonnoticethattimehasbeen justanobstacle.Itbecomesirrelevantverysoon.Sodontworryifyourwatchrunsoutofitsbat tery.Ohyes,itshouldbementionedthatapartfrombeingandenjoyingmanyconcentrateonedu cation.
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A:So,howistheeducationsystem?Whatdidyoustudy? Watchyourlanguage,Anna.Trytobecomemorepresent.Wedidnotstudy,wearestillstudying: astrology, space travel, meditation, historical anthropology, music, oceans, engineering, football, cybernetics, play, molecular biology, design, gene technology, IT, robotics, media production, and teachingaresomeofourfavoritetopics.Itreallydependsononesinterestsofwhatandhowmuch theywanttoknow.Butallinallwisdomhasgreatvalueinoursociety.Itsmorethanknowledge morethanmereintelligence.Althoughthereisacertaincurriculumpeoplegothroughwhenthey are five to ten years old, other than that education is voluntary both from the learners and the teachers side and these roles keep mixing. For instance there is a great deal that can be learned frominfants.Theyarealwaysclosesttonatureandstillcarrypartsofthatwisdomfromtheirearlier lives. A:Whoa,thatisabittoomuchformetobelieve.Tobefrank,Iwasntpayingattentiontowhatyousaid becauseIkeptponderingontwothingsfirstwasfootball,butIdontwanttowasteaquestioninthat thesecondonewaswhyyoutoldmetowatchmylanguage.Irealizedthatthelanguageoneusescreates thereality.Howdoyoucommunicate?HasEnglishbecomeacommonlanguageforall? Ok,nexttimewhenyouareimmersedwithyourthoughtswellmakesurethereissilence.Weem phasizelisteningmorethanspeaking.Werealizedthattherewassomuchmisinterpretationhap peningintheworldbecausewedidnthaveacommonlanguage.Englishwasnotsuitabletobea universal auxiliary language due to its limitations. We studied older languages like Pali, Sanskrit, ArabicandChineseandcreatedaworldlanguagethatdoesntleaveroomforinterpretation.Inour languagethesoundsthewavelengthscarrythemeaningmuchmorethanthewords.Inwritten formatitresemblesscientificformulas.Afterweclearedall that messfromtheoldworld, weno ticedthatourspeciesalsohastelepathicabilities.Ithelpsalot.Onemorethingregardingcommu nicationisthatwepracticewisdomcollection.Wecentralizealltheknowledgeinwhatyouwould calltheinternet.Itisautomaticallytranslatedtoalllanguages. A:Youstillhaveinternet?Whatisitusedfor? It serves a dual purpose. On one hand it is a repository of knowledge, open for all. On the other hand,itcollectsallthedatathatitneedstorunthefunctionsofsociety. A:WaitaminuteInternetrunsthesociety?Now,seriously,whocallstheshots? Soonafterthecollectiveawakening,thatwerefertoasthegreatshift,wedismantledtheobsolete politicalstructure.Werealizedthatwithournewsetofvaluesandtrueunderstandingoftheworld, wedontneeddecisionmakers.Laws,restrictionsandpunishmentsgavewaytocommonsenseand compassionatecommunities.Whatremainedwerethebasicoperations:construction,foodproduc tion,transportation,pollutionremoval,recyclingandthelike.Thesedidntneedapoliticalstructure butcouldbeoutsourcedtoacomputerizeddecisionmakingsystem.Thatremovedsomuchclutter anderrors.Webecamefreetoconcentrateondevelopmentratherthanholdingthestrings. A:Wow!Thatmakesalotofsense.AtfirstIwasabouttoaskarentyouafraidthatthemachinestakeover butthenIrealizedhowstupidmyquestionwasthatwethepeoplehavebeenourgreatestthreatsofar. Somanywarshavebeenstartedbecausewecouldntagreewithourselves.ThatremindsmeWhatisyour religion? Well,wedidcomeintoagreement.Peopleallovertheworldstartedrealizingthattheteachingsin allthereligionscomefromthesamesource.Astheystartedseeingbeyondthewordsintothereal wisdomtheynolongerthoughtthattheirreligionwastheonlytruth.Afterawhiletherewasno longeraneedforreligionassuch.Knowledgebecamemuchmoreimportantthanbeliefs.Peopleno longerholddeities.Ifsomethingisworshippeditislifeonplanetearth.Welovenature. A:Ok,enoughpoliticsandreligion.Tellmemoreaboutyourself:wheredoyouliveforinstance?

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We live everywhere. When we realized the ownership of property had become obsolete it freed people to move around, meet other people and stay where they wanted. We dont own land or housesanymore.Somepeopledopreferstayingforlongerinthesameplaceandsomepeopleare moremobile.Wedonthavelocksinthedoorsanymore,justacolorcodethattellsiftheplaceis availablerightnow:redmeansreservedandpeoplewouldappreciateprivacy,yellowmeansthere issomeonebutyouarewelcometojoin,andgreenmeansitsempty.

A:Soundsnice.Wellthen,howdoyoumovearound? Mostlywewalkorusebicycles,rollershoes,skateboardsorhorses.Inthecitywehavetravelators andmonorails.Alsocarscanbeordered.Forlongerdistanceswetakeamagnettrainorafreight boat.Nomorewaitingattheairports. A:Skateboardsandhorses?ThatsnotreallywhatIwasexpecting.Howarethecitiesthen? Some of the best technologies have already been invented. We realized skateboards and horses werenotonlylargelyavailablebutalsogreatwaystofocusyourmindonthepresentmomentas Tango youmovearound.Otherwiseyoudfallandhurtyourself.Youaskedhowthecitiesare.Althoughthe walking citiesareconnectedtoeachother,theyareverydiverseanddifferfromeachother.Butthereare somecommontraits.Citiesareoptimizedinregardtouseofspace,energyandinfrastructure.They areverygreen,silentandpeaceful.Animalsarecohabitingthecitieswithus.Usuallythecitiesare circular, consisting of various rings for different purposes. All in all theres so much good energy aroundthecitiesaremuchmorepartofthenaturethaninyourtime. A:Youkeepsayingourtime.Howoldareyouanyways? Thisincarnationinyourtimewouldbe118yearsold.Iknowitsoundsalottoyou.Oncethepollu tantswereremovedandnaturewascleanagain,thatonlyincreasedourlifeexpectancy.Exercising the mind and body added up. Its amazing how your physical condition improves when you have love and positive energy everywhere. We did save the best practices of western medicine, intro ducedhealingnanobotsandnewtransplanttechnologiesbutmainlyweareusingnaturalmedicine whenneedbe.Healthcarehasfinallyreacheditsrealmeaning;itsnolongerjusttreatingthesymp tomsbutaddressingtherootissuesproactivelymaintaininghealthmorethantreatingdisease. A:Interesting.Itreallysoundstempting.Howdowegettothefuture? Wellletthatquestionpass.Youshouldhaveanswerstothatalreadyifweweresuccessful. Annanoticedthatshewasrunningoutofquestions.Shehadusedasticktodrawalineinthegroundfor every question she had posed. Quickly calculating she realized she only had three left. For a while she thoughtwhytheteacherhadrefusedansweringherpreviousquestion.Thenitdawnedtoher.Withagrin onherface,Annaposedthethirdlastquestion:Howisyourelephantdoing?Theteacherbeamedincon tentandanswered: Itsgoodtohearthatquestion.Youvecomealongwayinyourawakening.Itmightnotcometo youasasurprisethatinthefuturepeoplearenolongerdominatedbytheiregos.Theyarelessvul nerable,moreapproachableandlessculturallyconditioned. A:Areyoulikethecrocodileandthebird?Givemeanexampleofsynergyinthefuture. Hmmthatsatoughone,becausesynergyiseverywhere.VerywellInour localdistrict all150 peoplehadcometogethertoreprogramthebuildingrobotsinordertobuildanewcityinthesea. We were very excited about it and everyone was participating to their fullest for several months. Buteverytimeweaskedthecomputertogiveusasystemsketchofthecity,therewassomething missing.Wecouldntputourfingertowhatitwas.Itjustdidntfeelright.Ourkidsheardaboutthe dilemmaandall28ofthemgatheredtohelpus.Theyorganizedanimaginationplaythattheyfed tothecomputerinrealtime.Wetookasystemsketchafterthatanditblewourminds.Nowthere wereslides,colors,andcreativestructures.Allsortsoffish,coralandsealifewasharmoniouslycir
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cling around, even inside the structures. It looked like an underwater amusement park. We loved thesketchandthebuildingrobotsstartedtheirwork.Now,thatwassynergy! A:Wow!Icanimagine.Bytheway,InoticedthattodayyouhaventusedthewordIormeatall.In steadyoukeepsayingweIguessyouresayingtheresnoIinthefutureteameither.So,youarelike ants.Myfinalquestionis:Ifwewerelikeants,howwouldweplanandbuildthefuturesociety? OneofthehistoricalfiguresinthefutureisAjahnBrahmaBuddhistmonkwholivesinyourtime. Hesharedastorywherehewaswalkinginthemountainsandgotsuddenlysurroundedbymist.He didntknowwhichwaytogoanymoresohedecidedtogoback.Unfortunatelyhecouldntseeeven armslengthforwardsohegotlostandalmostfelldownfromacliff.Ifhehadnotbeencompletely inthepresentmomenthewouldhavedied.Althoughhedidntknowwheretogo,heknewthathe needstogodownwardtogetaclearvision.Hewentawayfromthemistandfinallyfoundhisway back home. Anna, remember: future is emergent and surprising. Its time for you to let go of the analyticalthinkingmindset.Letgooftheegoism.Itsnotgoingtotakeyouanyfurther.Getaway fromthemist.Youdontneedtoplanaperfectspiritualandharmonioussocietytothelastdetail rightnow,butyoucanstarttakingstepstowardsit.Rememberitsnotaboutthedestinationbut thejourney;thereisnoidealsociety. Anna had been listening intently, staring at the setting sun. Now she noticed that the teacher was gone. Tearsrandownhercheeks;tearsofjoy,peaceandlove.Themistwasrising.Shestoodupandtookthefirst step.

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Tips, tricks and tools & FAQ

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TIPS,TRICKSANDTOOLSCHAPTERONE Powerfulmoviesyoushouldseenow Thepowerofnowisdefinitelyamustbooktoread.However,youcangetinsightsfromcertainmovies also.Filmsthatpromotethemessageoflivinginthepresentmomentincludee.g.: PeacefulWarrior:Thestoryofayounggymnastandhisstruggletomakesenseofhislifeinwhich heissuccessfulbutstillunfulfilled. Into the Wild: The true story of Christopher McCandless a fresh graduate who gives away his moneyandhitchhikestoAlaskatobepartofnatureagain. IAmBecauseWeAre:AfreemoviefromMadonnawhofoundoutaboutUbuntuinMalawi. Mykindofmeditation IntheWesternworldespeciallypeopleareobsessedwithrules.WhenIcamebacktoFinlandfromSriLan ka I noticed that even meditation here is full of rules and procedures. For beginners it can be helpful to learncertainmeditationtechniquessuchasmettabhavana(lovingkindness),vipassanaandbreathingme ditation.Iliketousemettabhavanaaspartofmymeditationbecausesendinglovingkindnessforyourself and others is a great way to make your mind more still. However, one should not feel obliged to follow thesetechniques.Youcandevelopyourkindofmeditation. WHO:Anyonecanmeditate;itsnosecretscience.BeforeIwenttomyfirstguidedmeditationIwasskep ticalthatitwouldntbeforme.Itsoktobeskepticalbefore,aslongasyoujustletgooftheskepticism whenyoutryit. WHY:Itmakessensetobeawareofyouroverallmotivationformeditation.Theoutcomesofmeditation canbemany:mindfulness,truth,energy,tranquility,concentration,rapture,orevenequanimity.Iperso nally have never sought for nibbana (nirvana); its enough for me to stay still for a moment and feel the innerjoyafterwards.Desire,negativity,boredom,restlessnessanddoubtarethefivehindrancesformedi tation,andgettingridofthemisalreadyawonderfulreward. WHAT: If you observe someone meditating, its quite uninteresting: sitting and breathing. However, its good to know what happens in the mind as you do so. First you become aware of the surroundings and yourbody,throughsenseperceptions.Soonyoucanletgoofthatandonlyconcentrateonbreathing.Your thinking mind will interrupt many a times, but you can always get back to breathing. For me meditation doesntalwayswork.Infact,paradoxicallyifyouwantittoworkitwont.ThatswhyIvedecidedtojust staymeditatingforagiventimeandjustbe.Usually,however,thetimepassesquickerthanexpected.This intenseconcentrationoninactionalreadymakesmeditationworthwhile. WHERE:Youcanbasicallymeditateanywhere.However,oneshouldbeinanenvironmentwhereyouknow youarenotgoingtobeinterruptedforthedurationyouhavechosen.Ifyouhaveachancetodoitinthe natureitgivesyouanaddedbenefit.IusuallymeditatewhenImalone.Isitonapillow,turnoffmyphone andsetanalarmclockfor45minutes. HOW:HerearethestagesIgothrough(youdecideyourown). Posture:Isitwithmylegscrossed(notinalotusposition)andtrytokeepmybackstraightbutre laxed.Iliketoholdmyarmsonmylegsandslightlyletmythumbstouchmyindexfingers.Itakea fewdeepbreathstorelax.SometimesIforceaslightsmileonmyfaceifitdoesntcomenaturally. Awareness:Istartbyconsciouslylisteningandsensingthesurroundings.ThenIturnmyattention intomybody.Ifeelthesensationinmyfeet,legsandbottomtouchingthesurface.ThenIworkmy wayupthebodyconcentratingononepartatatime,untilIreachthetopofmyheadwhereIcan feelaverysubtlesensation,asifsomeonegentlyholdingahandthere.

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Concentrationonbreathing:Iusefourdifferentstagesofbreathing.FirstIdropnumbers(1to 10)attheendofexhalingandrepeattheseriesoftenforaboutfivetimes.Thenthesamebutdrop thenumberatthebeginningofinhaling.Thirdstageistofollowthewholebreathallthewayinand out(itnaturallygetsdeeper).Fourth(andmostdifficultstage)issensingtheairbetweentheno strils. Mettabhavana: Iwishto myselfMay Ibewellandhappy. May Ibefreefromsuffering, hatred andanxiety.MayIbewell,peacefulandhappyThenIrepeatthesamefora)someoneIlookup to:ateacher,b)agoodfriend,c)someoneIvehadtroublewith,d)aneutralperson(someonewho I dont know personally) and e) all of these together. Then I visualize the good vibes (in my case theyarepink)goingtoalldirections:belowme,aboveme,totheleft,totheright,behindme,in frontofme,totheeast,tothewest,tothenorth,tothesouth.IkeepwishingMayallbeingsbe well,peacefulandhappy. Only breathing: Then I get back to the fourth stage of breathing described before. Whenever thoughtsariseorphysicalfeelingssurface,Itrytoacceptitandletgoofthembygettingbackto thebreathing.Isometimesusethelabelingtechnique:becomingawareofthethinkingandletting itgo.AfterawhileImightbeabletoletgoofeventhisbutonlyforafewmoments. Endofmeditation:Itrytoavoidopeningmyeyesbeforethealarmclockrings(ifIdoImightnotbe able to move my feet). I slowly become aware of my body and the surroundings, open my eyes, wigglemytoesandtakemytimebeforegettingup. Aftermeditation:Mymindstillandheartlight,Icontinuesendingthegoodvibestoothersevenaf terthemeditation.Itmakesmesmile.

WHEN:Ideallyyouwouldmeditatealoneeverydayonceortwice(morningand/orevening)for1545mi nutes at a time, attend a weekly guided meditation of about two hours and a weekend retreat once a month.Ifyourmotivationistoexpandyourconsciousnessthroughinsightmeditation,aregularpracticeis required. For merely maintaining internal peace, love and joy, most important is that one keeps up the balancedbehaviorineverydaylife.Isometimesdontdoanymeditationformonthsandthengetbackto thehabitwhenIfeeltheneedforit. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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FAQCHAPTERONE Whydidyoutaketheelephantasametaphor?Isn'titthesameasHellsten'shippo? For whatever the reason elephant was the first thing that came to my mind when I was talking with a Canadian friend of mine about self, ego and mind. We were basically talking about the same thing but lackedcommonterminology.BythetimeofwritingIstillhaven'treadHellsten'sbookcovertocoverbut I've skimmed it through after being asked this question. Now I can confidently answer that the hippo (childhoodtrauma)isoneoftheelephant's(theego)closestfriends. Whydoestheteachercalllifedramaelephantdung? Whenwesaythatwearegoingthrougharoughpatchinlife,itisonlyroughtoourego.Losingyourjob, beingbulliedorevenlossofaclosepersoninyourlifecannothurtyou,onlyyourelephant.Themoreyou identifywiththedramainyourlifethemorevitalyourelephantbecomes.Sufferingiselephantfood. WhatistheSourcetheteachermentions? Everythingintheuniverseisconnected;everythingbeganfromthesamesource.Weareallpartofonebig system.Attimesespeciallywhenyouaresurroundedbynatureyoucanfeeltheconnectednesswith everythingandeveryone.We'lladdressthismoreinchaptertwo. Areyousayingthinkingisbad? Nothingisgoodorbadassuch.However,youcanbecomeacaptiveofincessant,uncontrolledthinking.If youareawareofyourthinkingyoucanputitingooduseyoucanworkwithyourelephant.Ourtechnolo gicalmarvelshavebeenmadewiththecunningmind,buthowweusethosetechnologiesneedsmorethan amind.Itneedsaheart. Iagreewithwhatyousayaboutidentifyingwithyourpastdramabuthowaboutgoodstories;can'twe telleventhem? Ofcourseyoucantellanystoriesyouwant.Justbeawareifit'sjustastoryorifyouaresomehowfeeding your elephant with it. I have caught myself many times talking about my achievements or good things peoplehavesaidaboutme,andrealizedonlylaterthatIwasjusttryingtomakemyselflookgoodinthe eyesofthepersonIwastellingthestoryto.Thatwaselephanttalk! Areallneeds,wantsanddesiresfromtheelephant?Forexample,ifIhaveadesiretoescapetheratrace, thenisthatstillmyelephant? Usuallywhatyouthinkiscomingfromyourelephant,andwhatyoufeelisthetrueme.Inyourexample bothofthesearepossible.Maybeyoulookuptosomeonewhoisleadinganicelifewithouthavingtowor ryaboutworkingeveryday,andyouareenvioustothatperson.Inthatcaseitisyourelephant:youregois ticmindidentifieswiththatpossiblefuturestateandcreatesadesireinyourmind.Ormaybeitisthatyou feelthatyouneedtochangeyourlife,exittheratraceandchangeyourlifesituation.Thenthemessageis comingfromyourbeing,fromwithin,fromwhoyoureallyare.Youcanfeelit.Youaredefinitelynotthe onlyonewhoseekstoexittheratrace.Thisistypicalforourtime. God,spirit,soul,consciousness,trueme...Areallthesesynonyms? Formetheyare.IfGodreallycreatedusinhisownimage,doesn'titmeanthatwealltogetherareGod? WhenIsay"we"Idon'trefertoouregoisticmindsorourbodies,butourspirit.I'mnotsayingweshould "actlikeGods"butfindthedivinitywithinconnecttothesource. Areyousayingwedon'tneedclothes,dishes,andhomeelectronicsatall? I'msayingwedon'tneedthatmuchofthem.Ofcourseyouhavetowearsomethingandneedsomeap pliances in your kitchen, but majority of our stuff is either useless or could be shared with a number of people. Sometimeswe collectstuff to filltheemptyspaceinourplace.Inthatcase,move,goonalong vacationorgetyourselftemporarilyhomeless.Itwillmakeyouprioritize.TimothyFerrissasks:Whatisthe
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20%ofmybelongingsthatIuse80%ofthetime?Eliminatetheother80%inclothing,magazines,books, andallelse.Beruthlessyoucanalwaysrepurchasethingsyoucan'tlivewithout.Thesheeramountof stuffhascreatedanewlineofbusinessofprofessionalorganizerswhohelpyoutodecidewhattokeepand whattotoss.Seewww.napo.netformoredetails.Consideralsohowyoucouldsharethingsthatyouonly needoccasionally.Usewebserviceswhereyoucanloanwhatyouneed,gettogetherwithyourfriendsto makecommonpurchaseswhenapplicableandcoordinatewithyourneighborswhatyoucanshare. Doesleavingtheratracemeanthatweshouldallbecomehomelessanddonothing? Beingdefinitelyismoreimportantthanmeredoing.Butwecandogreatthingswhenthebeingisourbasis. Wegetbacktothisinchapterthree.Fornow,keepyourdayjob. Whatdoesitmeantobemoreconscious? StevePavlinadefinesitastheprogressiverealizationofconsciousmasteryoveryourmind.Thisincludesall ofthefollowing: makingcareful,intelligent,anddeliberatedecisions maintainingapositiveemotionalstateregardlessofcircumstances developingempoweringbeliefswhilepurgingdisempoweringones understandingyourownthoughtprocesses,emotions,andbehaviors stayingfocusedonwhatsmostimportantwhiletuningoutdistractions buildinganaccurateandeffectivemodelofreality Isn'tselfishbehaviorinhumannature? Thereisadifferencebetweenhumannatureandhumanbehavior.Alargepartofourbehaviorisaffected by our surrounding culture. We will come back to this in chapter three, but heres a brief answer. Many argue that people are naturally plain selfish, competitive and greedy. They fail to see that if we function fromanewsetofvalues,itchangespeoplesbehavioronbothindividualandcommunitylevel:Notwith standinghowwelloffandequalwemightbe,onewillalwaysfindpeoplewhowanttoruleandsuppress others. Well,onecanonlyspeakforoneself.Idontwanttoruleorsuppressbecauseitsidiotic.Weareallonthe samesideandtheresnopointharmingmybrotherorsisterbecauseitharmsme.Fornow,notethatthere isadifferencebetweenhumannatureandhuman behavior:theformercomesingenesandthelatteris duetotheculturalconditioning. Iamanatheist;Ifindithardtobelieveanyspiritualteachings Ivecalledmyselfanatheisttoo.NowadaysIdrathernotputmyselfinanycategory.Idontputmuchem phasisonbelieving.Knowingthroughownexperiencesoratleastthroughrationalizationseemstobemuch moremeaningful.However,Idontexcludespiritualtruthsonthebasisthattheymightnotbeimprovable byscience.Onlylatelyscience,especiallyquantumphysics,hasstartedrealizingthatsciencemightnotbe abletoexplaineverything.Inotherwords,realitycanbemorethanjustwhatwecanperceivewithourfive senses. Ilearnedanewtermcalledsecularhumanismthatseemstobebeyondatheismandagnosticism.Ontheir website they state: Secular humanists reject supernatural and authoritarian beliefs. They affirm that we musttakeresponsibilityforourownlivesandthecommunitiesandworldinwhichwelive.Secularhuman ism emphasizes reason and scientific inquiry, individual freedom and responsibility, human values and compassion,andtheneedfortoleranceandcooperation.Iwholeheartedlystandbehindeverythingsaid here,butitdoesntmeanIwouldstandagainstpeoplewhowishtokeeptheirownbeliefsystems.Inthe endevenmostofthereligionsarebasedonverysimilarstoriesandteachings(seeforexampletheworkof AcharyaS).
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Whatdoyoumeanmoneyiscreatedoutofthinair? Itsallpublicinformation.Thefractionalreservesystemisexplainedinacommoneconomicsbookusedin universitiesglobally.ThebookisPrinciplesofEconomics(Mankiw,2008,p.617618).Fractionalreserve bankingmeansabankingsysteminwhichbanksholdonlyafractionofdepositsasreserves.Traditionally thisreserveratiowas9:1,inthecaseofFed40somethingto1,GoldmanSachs100something...Atsome pointitgotoutofhand. HeresanexamplefromMankiwsbook(p.617618): Letssupposethatabankhas9:1reserveratio:Itkeeps10percentofitsdepositsinreserveand loansouttherest. Thebankstillhas$100inliabilitiesbecausemakingtheloansdidnotalterthebanksobligationto itsdepositors. Butnowthebankhastwokindsofassets:Ithas$10ofreservesinitsvault,andithasloansof$90. (Theseloansareliabilitiesofthepeopletakingouttheloansbuttheyareassetsofthebankmaking theloans,becausetheborrowerswilllaterrepaythebank.) Beforeabankmakesanyloans,themoneysupplyisthe$100ofdepositsinthebank.Whenthe bankmakestheseloansthemoneysupplyincreases.Thedepositorsstillhavedemanddepositsto taling$100,butnowtheborrowershold$90incurrency.Themoneysupply(whichequalscurrency plusdemanddeposits)equals$190. Thus,whenbanksholdonlyafractionofdepositsinreserve,bankscreatemoney. Atfirst,thiscreationofmoneybyfractionalreservebankingmayseemtoogoodtobetruebe causeitappearsthatthebankhascreatedmoneyoutofthinair,buttheborrowersarealsotaking ondebts,sotheloansdonotmakethemanyricher.Theeconomyisnowealthierthanbefore. Thecreationofmoneydoesnotstopwiththefirstbank:Theborrowerfromfirstbankusesthe$90 tobuysomethingfromsomeonewhothendepositsthecurrencyinsecondbank.Afterthedeposit, thisbankhasliabilitiesof$90.Ifsecondbankhasa9:1reserveratio,itkeepsassetsof$9inreserve andmakes$81inloans.Inthisway,secondbankcreatesanadditional$81ofmoney.Ifthis$81is eventuallydepositedinthirdbank,thisbankkeeps$8.10inreserveandmakes$72.90inloans.And soonthe$100ofreservesgenerates$1000ofmoney. $900hasbeencreatedoutofthinair.Butremember:moneymeansdebt.Addinterestintothis equationandtheavailablemoneysupplyisalwayslessthantheincreasinglygrowingamountof debts,i.e.individuals,companiesandgovernmentsowemoreandmoremoneytoeachotherall thetime.Thisisanunsustainablesystem. Ifyoureinterestedtohaveavisualexpressionofwheredoesmoneycomefrom,checkthesevideos: BillMoyersJournal(October9,2009) MoneyasDebt&MoneyasDebtII ZeitgeistAddendum TheMoneyFix(trailer) ZeitgeistOrientationGuide PeterJosephslecture _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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TIPS,TRICKSANDTOOLSCHAPTERTWO Learnmoreaboutyourpersonality Althoughcommonpersonalitytypologiesareoutofthescopeofthisbook,onemightwanttogetaccus tomedtotheseinordertobecomefamiliarwithonesordinarybehavior.Therearevariouscategorizations available.ForexampleStephenStrack(1999)listsTheodoreMillonsnormalpersonalitystyles: Introversive/retiring (asocial, passivedetached). Aloof and solitary by nature, these individuals preferlimitedsocialinvolvement.Theyareeasygoing,slowpaced,andreserved.Theyrarelyshow strongemotionandmayappeartoothersasdullandlackinginspontaneity. Inhibited/hesitating (avoidant, activedetached). Shy and sensitive to criticism, these individuals keepothersatanarmsdistanceandremainontheperipheryofsocialgatherings.Theyaretypical lykindandconsiderateanddonotliketodrawattentiontothemselves.Theyarewaryofnovelty andseekstableratherthanchangeableenvironments. Cooperative/agreeing(submissive,passivedependent).Theseindividualsvaluecommunalityand seekothersapproval.Theyaredocile,obliging,andagreeable.Theytendtothinkpoorlyoftheir ownskillsandseekstrongerindividualstoleanon. Sociable/outgoing (gregarious, activedependent). Active and extroverted, these individuals seek highlevelsofstimulationandattention.Theyareoftenspontaneous,colorful,anddramatic.Their interestsandemotionschangefrequentlyandothersmayexperiencethemasshallowandfickle. Confident/asserting(narcissistic,passiveindependent).Typicallyboldandselfassured,theseindi viduals think highly of themselves and expect others to cater to their wishes and demands. They canbecharmingandmanipulativeandothersmayseethemaslackingempathy. Forceful/dissenting(aggressive,activeindependent).Assertiveandsociallydominant,theseindi viduals are adventurous, competitive, and nonconforming. They persevere in difficult circums tancesbutcanbeinconsiderateofothersneeds.Theyareoftenbrusqueandinsensitiveintheir tacticsanddownplaythevalueoftenderemotions. Controlling (aggressive, activediscordant). Domineering and aggressive, these individuals see themselvesasbeingtoughmindedandfearlessinaworldthatisharshandthreatening.Theyare often exploitive and manipulative and do not mind stepping on others toes if doing so will get themwhattheywant. Respectful/conforming (conforming, passiveambivalent). Rulebound and conscientious, these individualsarehardworkingandrespectfulofthoseinauthority.Theytendtobeperfectionistand emotionallyconstricted.Theyaremethodicalandpersistentbutcanbetoorigidandmoralisticin theireffortstoliveuptoconventionalstandards. Sensitive/complaining(negativistic,activeambivalent).Unconventionalandmoody,theseindivid ualsmarchtothebeatofadifferentdrummerandarenothappywiththestatusquo.Theyareof tenloyalandforthrightwiththeiropinionsbutarealsoawkward,changeable,andfaultfinding. Yielding(negativistic,passivediscordant).Submissiveandselfdemeaning,theseindividualsexpect theworstandoftencontributetotheirownunhappiness.Theyarefrequentlymoody,irritable,and pessimistic. Checkalso: MyersBriggsTypeIndicator(MBTI) BelbinsTeamRoles Enneagram Changetheworldonecouchatatime Thats the slogan of CouchSurfing a global online community for travelers who wish to accommodate eachotherandlearnfrompeoplefromdifferentcultures.CSisawonderfulwaytoconnecttopeopleand gettolearnlocalcultureandcustomsfirsthand.Nexttimewhenyouretraveling,thinkoncemoreifyou reallywanttostayinahotel!
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CouchSurfersdonthavemuchofasharedidentitynothingmuchincommonexcepttraveling.However, it seems to be enough to bond individuals together. Its nice to know that where ever you go there are CouchSurfersaround.Tolearnmore,gotowww.couchsurfing.org Gohitchhiking Theconnectednessinhumanityiseasiertounderstandwhenyoutakeyourselfoutofyourdailyroutines. Hitchhikingisonewaytodothat.Ivehadpeopleturningaroundandcomingbacktopickmeupifthey didntseemeintimetostop.Ivehaddeliciouscherries,homemadecottagecheese,picklesandcucumber whenIwashungry.Ivestayedinpeoplesplaceswhoofferedmearide.Alltheseexperiencesprovethat peoplearegoodandhelpfulbynature.Peopledocare.Moreover,hitchhikinghelpsyoutoconnectwith yourself and the nature. The concept of waiting will vanish; you start using the extra time to watch lady bugsandlisteningtotheconcertoofgrasshoppers.Itdoesntmatterwhatageyouare.Iveseenpeopleup to90yearsoldhitchhiking(inLithuania).Andno,itisnotdangerous!Goforit! Alettinggoritualforforgiveness FetzerInstitutehasanicerichmediatooltohelpyouforgiveyourselforothers: FredericLuskinintroducesninestepstoforgiveness(www.learningtoforgive.com): 1. Knowexactlyhowyoufeelaboutwhathappenedandbeabletoarticulatewhataboutthesituation isnotOK.Then,tellatrustedcoupleofpeopleaboutyourexperience. 2. Makeacommitmenttoyourselftodowhatyouhavetodotofeelbetter.Forgivenessisforyou andnotforanyoneelse. 3. Forgivenessdoesnotnecessarilymeanreconciliationwiththepersonthathurtyou,orcondoning oftheiraction.Whatyouareafteristofindpeace.Forgivenesscanbedefinedasthe"peaceand understandingthatcomefromblamingthatwhichhashurtyouless,takingthelifeexperienceless personally,andchangingyourgrievancestory." 4. Get the right perspective on what is happening. Recognize that your primary distress is coming fromthehurtfeelings,thoughtsandphysicalupsetyouaresufferingnow,notwhatoffendedyou orhurtyoutwominutesortenyearsago.Forgivenesshelpstohealthosehurtfeelings. 5. At the moment you feel upset practice a simple stress management technique to soothe your body'sflightorfightresponse. 6. Giveupexpectingthingsfromotherpeople,oryourlife,thattheydonotchoosetogiveyou.Rec ognize the "unenforceable rules" you have for your health or how you or other people must be have.Remindyourselfthatyoucanhopeforhealth,love,peaceandprosperityandworkhardto getthem. 7. Putyourenergyintolookingforanotherwaytogetyourpositivegoalsmetthanthroughtheexpe riencethathashurtyou.Insteadofmentallyreplayingyourhurtseekoutnewwaystogetwhat youwant. 8. Rememberthatalifewelllivedisyourbestrevenge.Insteadoffocusingonyourwoundedfeelings, and thereby giving the person who caused you pain power over you, learn to look for the love, beautyandkindnessaroundyou.Forgivenessisaboutpersonalpower. 9. Amendyourgrievancestorytoremindyouoftheheroicchoicetoforgive. Thepracticeofforgivenesshasbeenshowntoreduceanger,hurtdepressionandstressandleadstogreater feelings of hope, peace, compassion and self confidence. Practicing forgiveness leads to healthy relation shipsaswellasphysicalhealth.Italsoinfluencesourattitudewhichopensthehearttokindness,beauty, andlove. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_
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FAQCHAPTERTWO Areyousayingtraditionalpersonaldevelopmentliteraturedoesn'twork? Mostofthepersonaldevelopmentliteraturedoesnttalkaboutlettinggoofyourego.However,mostof thereligionsmentionitdirectlyorindirectly.Onceyouunderstandtheconceptofelephantyoumightget moreoutoftheconventionalpersonaldevelopmenttoolsalso.Ifyouhavereadalotofbooksonthattop ic,maybeyoucouldrevisitthemandseeifnewinsightsarise. Whatarethecontroldramas? ControldramasareintroducedbyJamesRedfieldinCelestineProphecy.Theyarementionedinthisbook becausetheyarepartofyourelephantsbehavior.Therearetwoaggressivedramas(intimidatorandinter rogator),andtwopassivedramas(poormeandaloof).Basedonwhatdramasyourparentshavebeenact ingoutyouhavedevelopedyourowndramawhichisnotnecessarilysameasyourparents.Heretheyare brieflyexplained(trytospotyourparentsandyourself): IntimidatorYourparentswereoftenonthevergeofexploding,threateningyou,beingstrictand inflexible,andalwaysgivingyouorders.Theymighthavebeenangryandselfcentered,evenmak ingyoufeelafraidathome. InterrogatorYourparentspriedtoseewhatyouweredoing.Theywerecritical,undermining,and needy. They seemed to have infallible logic, were sarcastic, and monitored you. They could have beenskeptical,sarcastic,selfrighteous,andperfectionist. PoormeYourparentsalwayssawthenegativeinyou,lookedforproblems,werealwaystalking aboutbeingbusyortired,ormadeyoufeelguiltyfornotsolvingtheirproblems.Theydrewatten tionbysighing,trembling,cryingorplayingavictim. AloofYourparentstendedtobedistant,busy,awayfromhome,nottoointerestedinyourlife, unresponsive,secretive,orpreoccupiedwiththeirownstuff. WhenIidentifiedmyselfhavingthepoormedrama,Irealizedmymomwasthesameandmydadaninter rogator.Havingthisrealizationbeingabletoputanameonyourelephantsbehaviorwasreallyhelpful to stop acting it out again. I have mostly got rid of the poor me drama and if I ever run into a situation whereitmightbesurfacingagainIcanactbeforeithappensandsilencemyelephant. Whatdoyoumeanhumanandahorseareinasymbioticrelationship? Well,atleasttheywere,notthatlongago.Weusedhorsesastransportationandashelponthefield.In turnweprovidedthemwithfoodandshelter.Wetookcareofthemandtheyhelpedus.Itwasaverymu tualisticrelationship. HowcomepeoplegotojailfortheiropinionsinFinland? During19992006therehasbeenannuallyroughly4080peoplewhochoosetogotojailbecausethey dont want to support the military system neither by going to army nor doing the lengthier civil service. Theyhaveachoice,butiftheywanttobeauthentictotheiropinionstheyhavenochoicebuttogotopris on.Heresaletterfromthelatestimprisonedconscientiousobjectorwhoaftereightmonthsofcivilservice decidedhewouldgotojailinstead(socalledtotalobjection): I,MattiPetteriPnti,refusetocontinuemycivilservicefromthisdayonward.Ifeelthissystemisanar tificialpunishment,anextensiontoforcedmilitaristicobligationthatisupheldinawaythatviolatesbasic humanrights.Mypacifisticworldviewdoesntenjoyfreedomofopinioneveninthisoptionthatseemslike aquasicompromise.Iseethetotalobjectionastheonlysolutionofcleanconscienceevenifitwasagainst ournationalmodusoperandiandevenifIgetpunishedbylosingmyfreedom.IregretthatIdidntmake thisdecisionalreadyinthebeginningofmycivilservice.Myhumanresponsibilityistocriticizesocialinstitu tionsandculturalphenomenathatareagainsthumanity,nottoapprovethem.

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Canyougiveafewmoreexamplesofappreciativeinquiryquestions? InAIyoutricktheotherpersontobepositivewithpositivequestions.It'snormalforpeopletotellabout whatisgoingwrong,butyoucanleadthediscussionbacktopositivewiththequestionsyouask.Ofcourse it's easier to help other people to strengthen their relationships but maybe you could try it also on your ownrelationships.Herearesomeexamplequestionstogetyoustarted: Peakexperience:Whathasbeenahighpointinyourrelationship?Describehowyoufeltandwhat madethesituationpossible. Thingsvalued:Whatdoyouvaluemostaboutyourself,theotherpersonandyourrelationship? Corefactors:Howdoyoustayfresh,energizedandenthusiasticinthisrelationship?Whatmakes youshine? Threewishes:Describeyourthreeconcretewishesforthefuture.Howmightweachievethem? Whatdoyoumeanwithscarcityandabundanceasdrivers? Inourcurrentfearbasedsystemscarcityofresourcesislargelymanmade.Fine,therearesomeminerals and other natural resources that are running out due to the insane manufacturing of stuff. However, for example energy is not a scarce resource although we have been made to believe so. We address this in chapterthree.Inalovebasedsystemabundanceisnatural:peoplearenothoardingresourcesandknow ledge but share willingly so theres enough for everyone. This lesson can be found also from leadership books:managementorientedpeopletrytooptimizescarceresources,whereaspeoplewithleadershipin thecoregooutoftheirwaytocreateanabundanceofresources. Whatismaximizingtrustindecisionmaking? Ourtraditionalplanninganddecisionmakingprocesshasbeenhighlyanalytical.Ithasbeenbasedonmi nimizingdoubt.Wehavecarefullycollecteddataandweighedallthepossibleoptionsbeforearrivingata conclusion. Often this has led to a situation where the opportunities are gone already at that time or people involved are so tired after the burdensome process that they make poor decisions. In lovebased systemdecisionmakingismoreagile:ageneralvisioniscreatedtogetherandthendetailsareworkedup along the way. Key here is maximizing peoples trust in the process. For example a Dutch scholar Ap Dijksterhuishasdonealotofgroundbreakingworkinthisareaofunconsciousthoughttheory.According to him simple decisions are best solved with rational mind, but more complex decisions should be ap proachedwiththeunconsciousmind:lettingtheanswersarise. Withlettinggo,doyoumeanweshouldalsoletgoofourtechnologicaladvancement? No.Isntitnicethatyoucantakeyourlaptoptoyoursummercottageandbeinthenaturewhileworking? Decidingtoremoverclutterfromyourlifeandsimplifyit,releasesyoutoconcentratealsomentallyinaless clutteredstate.Insteadofgivingupallthegreattechnologieswehavecreated,wecanstartdevelopingthe technologynottomakemoneybuttohelpeveryone. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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TIPS,TRICKSANDTOOLSCHAPTERTHREE Websolutionstoencouragesharing Thereisamultitudeofwebsitesthatencouragepeopletoshare.Hereasampleofthem: BookCrossing: Most people read a book only once, and unless it has no emotional value or you needtokeepitforlaterresearch,youmightaswellgiveittosomeoneelse.BookCrossingisanin ternationalmovementtosharethebooksyouread.Thebasicideaisthatyoumarkthebooksthat you wish to circulate with BookCrossing labels and leave them somewhere to be found. Later peoplecanfollowwherethebookisgoingbyloggingontothewebsitewww.bookcrossing.com. ClothesSwapping:Evenclothescanbeshared.FormoreinformationaboutHollyandShirleyYa nezsclothesswappingpartiesvisit:www.thehollywoodlookforless.blogspot.com Timebanking:TimebankingismuchlikeLETS.Itisacharityallaboutgivingandreceiving.Inreturn foronehourofhelp,youget1timecredit.Youcanspendyourtimecredithavingsomeonehelp you,orswappingitforafreebie,suchasacinemavoucher,atthetimebank.Learnmorein: www.timebanking.org Freecycle:Thisisanonprofitmovementofpeoplewhoaregiving(andreceiving)stuffforfreein theirowntowns.Visitwebsitewww.freecycle.org. Liftsharing:Whygoalone?Tofindoutmoreaboutsharingcarjourneyswithotherpeople,check outthefollowingwebsites(orfindtheonesnearyou): o www.liftshare.com o www.carplus.com o www.changeyourworld.com Beinguptodatewithdevelopments Think about what kind of news you would like to get. You dont have to receive the same content that mainstream media wants you to know nor do you have to tolerate the incessant stream of information comingyourway.YoucanconfigureforexampleGoogleReaderorNetvibestodeliveryouthenewsthat you want. Im using Netvibes and I get RSS feeds from sources like Reuters, Talousdemokratia (Finnish blog), TED, Helsingin Sanomat (Finnish newspaper), White House, Signs of the times, Technology Review and Alternet. If you wish you could follow both mainstream and alternative media for getting different sidesofstoriesandthenmakeyourownconclusions.Herearesomesitesworthchecking: TED (www.ted.com) TED shares ideas worth spreading through riveting talks by remarkable people,freetotheworld. Signsofthetimes(www.sott.net)Analternativenewssitewithaconcernonhowtheeventson theplanet,notonlythosewithintheUS,affectourspiritualevolution. Guerrilla News Network (www.guerrillanews.com) An independent news organization with a mission is to expose people to important global issues through crossplatform guerrilla program ming. Disinformation(www.disinfo.com)Asearchserviceofchoiceforindividualslookingforinforma tiononcurrentaffairs,politics,strangescienceandhiddeninformationthatseldomslipsthrough thecracksofcorporateownedmedia. AlterNet(www.alternet.org)Anewsmagazineandonlinecommunitythatcreatesoriginaljour nalismandamplifiesthebestofhundredsofotherindependentmediasources.AlterNet'saimisto inspireactionandadvocacyontheenvironment,humanrightsandcivilliberties,socialjustice,me dia,healthcareissues,andmore. RINF (www.rinf.com) Source for alternative news from around the world, which is updated aroundtheclock. Unfiltered News (www.realityzone.com/un.html) Weekly summaries of unfiltered news and commentarycompiledbyG.EdwardGriffin.

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Worldchanging.com(www.worldchanging.com)Anonprofitmediaorganizationheadquarteredin Seattlethatcomprisesaglobalnetworkofindependentjournalists,designersandthinkers. Global Research (www.globalresearch.ca) The Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG) is an independentresearchorganizationandmediagroupofwriters,scholars,journalistsandactivists. PrisonPlanet(www.prisonplanet.com)AveryprovocativenewssourcebyAlexJones. Project Camelot (www.projectcamelot.org) Focus in an investigation into: extraterrestrial visita tion and contact, time travel, mind control, classified advanced technology, free energy, possible comingearthchanges,andrevealingplansthatexisttocontrolthehumanrace. ConspiracyPlanet(www.conspiracyplanet.com)Analternativenewsandhistorynetwork. BrasscheckTV(www.brasschecktv.com)Acollectionofinterestingvideosorganizedbytopic. WorldNewspapers(www.worldnewspapers.com)Acollectionoflinkstomainstreamandalter nativemediaaroundtheworld. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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FAQCHAPTERTHREE Itfeelsyouhaven'tshownallpossibilitiesforfuturesociety.Isn'ttheresomethingmissingfrompicture 13? Thatsagoodquestion.Thereareindeedtwooptionsmissing.Firstofthemistheearlystageofourcurrent monetarysystem.Stillinthefiftiesitlookedliketheanswertoallourprayers.Theinsurmountabledebt hadnotkickedinyet.Inthatsystemtherewashighindividualfreedom,littleornoaltruism,andlittleorno communality.Themottoofthiskindofsystemcouldbeeveryoneforhimselfasopposedtooneforall andallforone(thatwouldbethescientificspiritualsociety). Now,whatwouldbeasocietywithlittleornoindividualfreedom,littleornoaltruismandhighcommunali ty?ThatwouldbeaglobaldictatorshipwithamottoAllforone...grudgingly.Ididntwanttoevencon siderthisoptionbecauseitssuchanegativevision.Rememberthatatanygiventimeoursocietyformsa triangle according to these three axes. Systems tend to oscillate between chaos and order. Thus having 100%idealsocietyisnexttoimpossible. Howaboutlocalexchangetradesystems?Aren'ttheyalsousingsortofmoney? Yes.LETSworksfineinthetransitionbutit'snotanultimatesolution.Itcanshowpeopleintherightdirec tionandaftersometimeofpassingnumbersfromonepersontoanotherwemightrealizehowuselessit actually is. However, one key difference with LETS money and fiat money is that the former is abundant (anyonecancreateit)whereasthelatterisscarce.ItwouldbestupidtohoardLETSmoney;theyarejust uselessnumbers.Infact,someLETSsystemsincludearulethatifyoudon'tuseyourmoneyitstartsdimi nishing.Thisiscallednegativeinterest. Canyougiveanexampleofthelocalexchangetradingsystem? LocalExchangeTradingSystemsarelocal,nonprofitexchangenetworksinwhichgoodsandservicescanbe tradedwithouttheneedforprintedcurrency.OnegoodexampleisthecityofBath,156kilometersfrom London(inthewholeoftheUKitisestimatedthatalready40,000peopleareusingLETS).Thisisanexcerpt fromBathLETSwebsite(www.bathlets.org.uk): Background LocalExchangeTradingisawellestablishedwayforpeopletotradeskillsandserviceswithouttheneedfor money,andispartofthelongtraditionofselfhelpthatpeopleuseintimesofeconomicdifficulty. TheBasicIdea LETSisanenergyexchangerecognizingthevalueofreciprocity:youcanearnpointswithonememberand spendthemwithanotheraccordingtoyourneeds.Membersaimtogiveandtakeinequalmeasureovera periodoftime.Tokeeptrackoftransactionsmembersgiveeachother"points"withanamethatreflects thelocalityofthegroup.Thelocalorganizerskeeptheadministrativesystemsgoingandencouragemem berstomeetupatsocialevents. EthosofBathLETS WeareamemberofLETSlinkUK,andfollowthenationalguidelines.EachLETShasitsownwayofworking toensurethatitisintunewithlocalconditionsandthewishesofmembers.InBathLETSwehaveagreed that each members time has the same value as another's time. The standard rate for exchange of skills (whatever they are) is 25 olivers per hour. This differs with Accommodation where the standard rate is usually25oliverspernightalthoughthismightdifferwitheachperson(pleasecheck). LETSWorkTogether Many people are looking for a sense of belonging to the community which is something which seems to havebeenlostwith the hourswenowspendatworkearningaliving.Thereisgreatjoythatcan befelt fromworkingwithotherpeopleinawaythatfeelsmorewholesomethanmuchofwhathappensinthe
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society we now live in. Bath LETS offers various opportunities for working in teams such as: gardening maintenance,householdrepairs,andeventorganizationincludingcleaning,bakingcakes,andadministra tion. Youkeepmentioninghuntergatherers.Couldn'twegobackintothatlifestyle? Althoughmanyofthehuntergatherercultureshavebeeneitherwipedoutorassimilated,therearesome tribesleft.Feelfreetojointhemorstartyourowntribe.Assaid,huntergathererscancoexistwithcitylife inascientificspiritualsociety.Livingincitiescanbemoreecologicalthaneveryoneprowlinginthewoods intheirsmallgroups.Ifsevenbillionpeoplewouldjustscatteraroundtohuntandforage,soontherewould benothingtohuntorgatheranymore. Ifeveryoneontheplanetwouldbenefitofthetechnologiesthathavehelpedthewesterncountriesto prosper,wouldntthatleadtopopulationexplosionandutterdevastationofourplanet? Whathashappenedinthesocalledwesterncountriesisthatwhilelifeexpectancyhasgoneup,thefamily sizehasdecreased.InFinlandthepopulationisnolonger,growingapartfromthemeagergrowthinimmi gration.Regardingthisyoucandoyourownstudiesinwww.gapminder.org.Asforprosperityforeveryone, with the profitmotive gone there would be no need for continuous economic growth. Society would no longerbebasedonconsumptionandpropertyownership.Resourceswouldbeinmuchmoreeffectiveuse due to the new values. When the majority of things are shared, theres less need for production. In our currentsocietytherestoomuchstuff(electronicappliances,vehiclesetc)thatjustlaydormantmostofthe time.Withthehelpoftechnologywecanbalancedevelopmentwithcarryingcapacityoftheearth.Ines sence,everythingfromfoodproductiontoforestrywouldbesustainable. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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TIPS,TRICKSANDTOOLSCHAPTERFOUR Moviestowatchbeforesavingtheworld Greatmoviestoseetogetinspirationforsavingtheworldinclude: Home Zeitgeist:Addendum Zeitgeist:OrientationGuide FuturebyDesign Earth2.0(inthemaking) PayItForward Remindyourselfofyourdreams Gobacktotheexercisewhereyoujotteddownyourdreamsandwrotealettertoyourself.Getthebest piecesofthatexercisethatyouwanttosaveandgotowww.dreaminder.com.YoucanuseDreaminderto remindyouofyourdreamsforexampleaftersixmonthsoroneyear.Itsamazinghowwellyouactually committochangewhenyoupublicizeyourdreamsevenjustforyourself.Youllbesurprisedhowmostof yourdreamsactuallycametrue. 10powerfulquestionsforchangemakers Its time to move out from the old paradigm where answers were laid out for you. Gazillion guides have beenwrittenforpeopletochangetheirworkplace,familyorthewholelifeforbetter.Thiseraisgone.Its timetoadmitthattherearenorightanswers.Everyonefindstheirrightanswersfromwithin.Letsmove fromTenCommandmentstoTenPowerfulQuestions: 1. Doyouknowandfeelthatchangeisneededintheworld? Yes 2. Whatshouldyoustartchangingfirst? Myself and behaviour 3. Whatthreethingsshouldyouchange? Loving myself, loving everything around me , observing 4. Whatdoesittake?Whatdoesittake?Whatdoesittake? Being one with the moment 5. Howdoyoufeelafteryouvemadethechangehappen?Whatwillyougain?Peace, love, honesty 6. Whatobstructsthechange?Whatarethebarriers?Whatshouldyoustopdoing? worrying, blaming 7. WhatIfyoufail?Howdoyouridyourselfoffear,doubtanddisbelief?Letting go of negativity 8. Isthereanythingyouneedtostopdoing?Being negative 9. Howdoyouapplythischangedbehaviortoyourrelationshipsandcommunity?Spreading the word of love 10. Howdoyouenergizetheaction?Howdoyoucreatemeaningforotherstoact?Hugging, touching, creating 11. Whatelseshouldyouask? How to start gaining more knowledge Questionnumberonereferstothefactthatmanypeoplebasetheirbehavioronbeliefs.Idlikeyoutocon centrateonknowing,morethanbelieving.Secondquestionseesifyouarewillingtochangeyourselffirst. Thirdsectionhelpsyoutogetstartedonafewpriorities.Fourthquestion,askedmanytimesinarow,helps youtobreakdowneveninsurmountableprojectstosmalldoabletasks.Fifthquestionensuresyourmotiva tion;youseethetreasureattheendoftherainbow.Numbersixmakesyouawareofpossiblepitfallsyou need toget preparedfor.Questionsevenensures youdontdwellonthose pitfalls.Eighthquestionpro poseschangestoyourownbehaviorbymerelystoppingdeeprootedoldways.Numbersnineandtentake Ubuntu forward and spread the change to your relationships and community. Last question reminds you thatthesearenotcommandmentsandthatthereisnofixednumberofwaystomaketheworldabetter place. Readbetterbooksthanthisone Hereisalistofrecommendedreading: Bailey,Alice:TheExternalisationoftheHierarchy Bailey,Alice:TheProblemsofHumanity
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Blanton,Brad:RadicalHonesty BolteTaylor,Jill:MyStrokeofInsight Dass,Ram:Beherenow Easton,Dossie&Liszt,Catherine:TheEthicalSlut Ferriss,Timothy:The4hourWorkWeek Gladwell,Malcolm:TippingPoint Hall,Joe&Hammond,Sue:WhatisAppreciativeInquiry? Hall,Peter&Pfeiffer,Ulrich:Urbanfuture21 Heinimki,Jaakko:Outohartauskirja Hellsten,Tommy:Virtahepoolohuoneessa Hesse,Herman:Siddharta Ingram,Daniel:MasteringtheCoreTeachingsoftheBuddha Kouzes&Posner:TheLeadershipChallenge LaoTse:TheTaoTehKing Laszlo,Ervin:Worldshift2012 Lewis,Sarahetal:AppreciativeInquiryforChangeManagement Maharaj,Nisargadatta:IAmThat MarxHubbard,Barbara:ConsciousEvolution Millman,Dan:ThePeacefulWarrior Muller,Robert:WagingPeace Orwell,George:1984 Quinn,Daniel:Ishmael Redfield,James:TheCeletineProphecy Senge,Peter:TheFifthDiscipline Scharmer,Otto:TheoryU Tolle,Eckhart:ThePowerofNow Tolle,Eckhart:ANewEarth Twain,Mark:WhatisMan? Wheatley,Margaret:LeadershipandtheNewScience _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_

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FAQCHAPTERFOUR Howarethebaddeedsofpeopledealtwithinthescientificspiritualsociety?Isthereapoliceforce,ju risdictionormentalasylums? Intransitionphaseweshouldnotletgoofthepoliceandjurisdictionrightaway.Associetyimproveswe could start downsizing jobs in those sectors, and finally let them go if they are not needed among awa kenedhumankindanymore.Ifnooneownsanything,whatsthepointofstealingacarforinstance?Soon otherswouldbedrivinginbettercommunitycarsandthestolencarwouldhavenovaluebecausenoone wouldbuyit. In a more equal society people would be naturally better in handling issues in a genuine dialogue. Even crimes of passion so common today would be rare. If crimes would still happen they would be dealt withinthelocalcommunity.Ingeneral,peoplewouldbemore interestedtohealandhelpthecriminals than punishing them. Most sick people are the result of a sick society. Mental illnesses would definitely reducewiththerecedingstresslevelsinsociety.Thosewhoneedmedicalcarewouldbetakencareofby the community. Both physical and mental care would improve because doctors are no longer driven by selfishincentives;peoplewhoserealcallingisinhealthcarewouldcontinuedoingit. Wouldpeoplebereallyfatbecausetheyarenotdoingphysicalwork? Mostofthesocalledcivilizedpeoplenowadaysarenotdoingphysicalworkeither.Imagineyoucameto todayssocietyfromtheearly20thcenturyandsawpeoplestaringatthescreenandtyping.Woulditoccur toyouthattheyareworking?Urbanpeopletodayarecomplainingthattheydonthavetimeorenergyto exercise.Inscientificspiritualsocietyyouwouldhavebothtimeandenergy.Physicalactivitymightactually increase.Itseveryonesownchoice,really. Cantyouownanythinginthefuture?Howaboutpersonalbelongingsandthingswithemotionalvalue? Ofcourseyoucanhaveyourthings.Noonewouldforceyoutoshareyourtoothbrush.Andifyourbrother madeyouaclaypotwithhisownhandsyouwouldmostlikelywanttosaveit.Forothersitwouldntreally havevalueperse. Arepeoplegoingtoeatanimalsinthescientificspiritualsociety? Thecurrentstyleofindustrialmeatproductionhastoend.Feedingcattlewithcornandsoyabean(topped withgrowthhormones)isinsanity.Foodisnotsupposedtoeatmorefoodthanitprovides.Andanimalsare notsupposedtobeborn,grownanddeadinprison.Mostlikelyinthescientificspiritualsocietytherecould besomeculturedmeatproductionthatdoesntharmanimals,sustainablefisheriesandsmallscalefarming (especiallyoutsidethecities).However,100%vegetariandietwillbemoreandmorepreferredasthevalue oflifeonthisplanetisproperlyunderstood.Mindyou,foodisnotonlyanethicalbutalsoculturalconsid eration.Ifatraditionaldishthatincludesmeatisstronglyapartoflocalcultureitmightbehardtoreplace itwithavegetarianoption. Whyaredecisionsoutsourcedtomachines?Arentpeoplevotingonthedecisions? The point was that rudimentary tasks dont need to be voted on; they just need to get done. Pre programmedmachinescandothesetaskswithouthumanintervention.Localcommunitiescanusevoting whennecessary.Butasyougrowaccustomedtotheideaofscientificspiritualsocietywithoutmoneyand excessivelegislation,askyourself:Whatdowereallyneedtovotefor? Howotherthingsarehandledinthefuture? HowshouldIknow?Imnotfromthefuture.Ratherthanmegivingyouanswersyoucouldseeifyoucan subscribetoPeterJosephsandJacqueFrescosideas.HerestheTheVenusProjectFAQ. _;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_;:_;:_;:_;:_;_
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