The Next Wave
Part I
Is the global pandemic a bridge to a paradigm shift? We are in 2021 and experiencing rising numbers of cases, financial insecurity, unemployment, housing turbulence, public unrest, and stress related health effects of this virus. For most of the planet it has been a year of fear, anxiety and social isolation. The counter balance to these tragic realities is that there is less air pollution, animals and plants are thriving and the oceans receive less of civilization’s waste. We have listened to scientists, medical experts, and government leaders speak about health, our immune system and being of service within our communities. Why has this dialogue not already led to more compassionate understanding, government promptly meeting people’s obvious needs and changing priorities to invest taxpayers hard-earned money wisely?
At this time, our vision, dreams and energy is likely at low tide. The fruits of technology connect and deliver massive amounts of information to us with ease. These aggressive promoted digital tools are dominated with messages to buy online, entertain, automate our homes, chat live around the world, and get all our news and learning from just a few major corporations. All potentially helpful, however, most of this tech movement is designed to enhance business growth and profits.
Decades of citizens acquiring more objects and digesting fast foods has weakened our bodies immune system. Due to benign neglect by government we now learn of major cracks in many countries infrastructure, transportation systems, and learn of millions of people without drinking water, adequate food, and decent shelter. Such conditions have widened economic inequality within societies. We have relied on science and technology to FIX our concerns. We also expected leaders political promises to be followed by direct actions.
Why is “nostalgia’ so evident in recent movies and entertainment? Looking back suggests we long for a happier time. When government service was to represent citizens, listen to their concerns and not use tax dollars and fear tactics to justify building more weapons of war.
It is no wonder we feel tired, cynical and suspicious of promises from people who themselves have financial security and access to the best services money and influence can obtain.
Without hope and optimism, depression and desperation will increase. That is not the world we want to experience…nor does it have to be. Revolutions or Revelations? A drip by drip progress? Every individual desiring change will have to make that choice. In the final analysis, it comes down to individuals. A global awakening will occur when we truly believe that we can make a difference. Call it self-improvement, going within, or conscious awareness. As more of humanity evolves, a gentle tsunami can begin to cascade onto our shores.
Understanding how our mind/body connection works can be the most valuable knowledge to now apply in our daily life. Our lives have been too busy and too many distractions. It is hard to slow our thoughts down. Multitasking is not a solution. It feeds the disease.
Studies propose that we utilize only 10% of our minds capacity. The power of our five senses can evolve to higher levels, or diminish when our physical activities anchor us to long hours of work, computers and TV screens. We have critical choices to make. Our thoughts are very powerful. Our words and ideas important. Our attitude critical. In this series of writings each of these choices will be explored further. What are the critical choices you will be making in the coming months?
As a career centered man, I tended to highly value being labeled a “success”, stifling emotions and feelings, and being quick to propose how to fix a problem. All now seem very short-term tasks and events. For doing the responsibilities of motherhood, a woman prefers being “recognized” as a success. Childrearing is a long-term, complex process of caring, not singular tasks or events as in business careers. Her loving heart and nature are innate, and not often acknowledged as every bit as challenging (maybe more so!) as any man’s work achievements. Our species will survive. Will we thrive? Perhaps our evolutionary progress is toward more happiness, joy and compassion?
I want to share a little more about “gender” as it relates to this article’s subject. It is critical to “the next wave.”
Feminine is a dimension, as is masculine…let’s not confuse biological gender differences with cultural and innate similarities found in each of us. We are born male or female due to our parent’s chromosomes that join as XX for a girl and XY for a boy. Men and women have the same set of 20,000 genes. These genes produce proteins that do affect hormones and other body tissues thereby creating some sex differences between men and women. Reproduction and susceptibility to various diseases for example demonstrate sex-biased differences. I am discarding the outmoded appeal of referring to sexual stereotypes. I am a male with both masculine and feminine dimensions within me. My partner is a woman with these dimensions as well. Our balance means that one and one equals three…we are stronger as a team than individually.
Will we effectively respond to the stressful, chaotic and fast-changing world of 2021 and beyond? We already see more information focused, for example, on healthy living practices such as meditation, yoga, prayer, compassion, generosity and the general term of spirituality. How wonderful to learn that these concepts and practices are being taught in school to children and teens. The next decade will see the first New Wave of change. They are our future leaders and role models. As adults, however, we are very distracted by responsibilities and constantly putting out small fires. Most of humanity devotes little time to integrate these practices into daily living.
Religions have served mankind, but also been a source of divisiveness and wars. By its very nature, a specific religious dogma requires us to follow a path that excludes consideration and respect for adherents of a different faith. By promising rewards for its followers it stays rigidly exclusive…like a gated community or country club membership. Faith and hope are important. We don’t have to give up our faith to delve deeper into broader possibilities of spiritual growth. We must, however, keep an open mind as to what our senses and education have not taught us.. We should also be willing to suspend judgment, and not reject out of hand, invisible realities and theories that go beyond our senses and scientific proof. Please join me for Part II as we go deeper.
