Big paradigms are shifting as this planet becomes more hot, more crowded, and more polluted. Explorations of consciousness are expanding hearts, minds, generosity and compassion. Experiments with collectivism are paving new models of sharing, collaboration, and co-creation. And circular systems are closing loops of waste and creating equitable work opportunities. And these trends are all interdependent. Without consciousness expansion, we don’t see the value of collective action. And without collectivism, we can’t produce circular systems.
The viability of our foundational systems, like infrastructure and government and economy, are being questioned. People are waking up to the ugly side of our modern cultural norms: our daily experience is more isolated and individualistic than ever before. The promise of industrialized society is actually exploitative to people and the planet. And predatory economics drive the poor deeper into poverty and escalate the wealthy few. But many of us struggle to connect the dots. How can my individual actions contribute to global transformation?
I set out to explore this dance between the individual and the global, to demonstrate that our actions matter. As a successful sustainability professional, I’ve always felt like something was missing from our curriculum. Deep global transformation begins with individuals, because what is our society built on? Beliefs and behaviors. It is only through a fundamental examination of our beliefs and behaviors, our consciousness, that we can begin to radiate change outwards.
The story we tell ourselves as humanity is inherited and built upon with every generation. And the story today is that of the hyper individualist. Only once we have begun to examine the fundamental beliefs around hyper individualism, once we transform our consciousness, will we begin to open ourselves to collectivist opportunities.
As children, we are told to share, but never taught to share. It is a fundamental principle of niceness growing up. But we don’t see adults sharing much in wealthy nations. Sharing is a skill, not a nicety, and its something most adults only engage with superficially. True resource sharing, like community gardens or shared tool libraries, requires hard-earned trust, conflict resolution skills, and a cultural norm of collective goodwill.
Only once we are willing to share do circular systems become possible. Circular systems make waste into feedstock. Circular systems circulate wealth lovingly among contributors. Circular systems reestablish harmony with our inner ethics, among social circles, and with the other inhabitants of earth. Circularity is an outcome of consciousness expansion, it is the fruit of experimenting with collectivism, and it just may be the saving grace for humankind as we stare down the barrel of an increasingly hot, wet, and crowded future for Planet Earth.
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