We're living in a time of economic crisis--a time when the economic system, the money system itself, the markets are unraveling in a way that I haven't seen in my lifetime and most people haven't seen in their lifetimes.And this is a very frightening time for people.At the same time, if we can recognize that what is unraveling is that which has no viability.What is unraveling is that which is not sustainable.Practices, ways of being with money, markets that are not based in true value are starting to fall apart.If we can see that what's happening is a truing, a recalibration, and an expression of us being in overshoot, it helps us see how to deal with it on a personal basis.It doesn't mean it's not going to painful.It doesn't mean that there's not suffering.It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be paying close attention to how we use money, what to do with the investments we have, and being mindful of the job we have and the salary we earn.These considerations seem larger than life under the current circumstances.But if we look on a larger scale, if we step back from the personal drama, the fear, that we're all caught in and that the media reinforces, we can see that we're living at a time of enormous excess, avarice and greed.This has created financial structures and systems that are inappropriate and completely unsustainable.And now they're falling apart.At the end of this, we're all going to be better for it, because we're going to be in a truthful, more accurate, more appropriate relationship with ourselves, with money, and with the resources on this planet.We can get through this.And if we make adjustments in our own life that are consistent with a new future for human life, rather than the greed and exploitation that was the basis for most of the actions of the markets, we'll make choices that will pan out for our own future and for all future generations.It's a difficult time.I don't deny that.But it can also be a beautiful time.We can move towards thrift rather than accumulation; we can move toward appreciating what we love rather than being afraid of what we've lost; we can focus our utmost attention and intention not on what we're losing, but on what we already have that's so valuable and nourishing to us.We can stop clamoring for more of what we don't really need and take care of what we have--both in our own personal lives and on this planet for the sustainability of life itself.This is a time that I think history will look back on and say, "These are the people, this is the generation of humankind that went through a transformation that made the future of life possible.These are the people who had the courage to make profound changes in the way they were thinking, as well as in the way that they were behaving, that gave the future to life itself." And it's going to take courage on all of our parts--big changes in our personal, little lives--that will ultimately be historic and profound for us and for everybody who follows us.So, I'm privileged to be living at this time.I'm excited about being the generation that goes through this courageous period.You too can take that frame of reference and see that there's privilege to being the people who need to make these changes, rather than seeing this as a horrible thing that has befallen us-i.E., as victims.And for me, it's a crisis that we've sort of been waiting to have happen.Everybody kind of knew it was coming.You could feel it.CEOs' salaries being completely out of range and out of sight; greed on Wall Street being at an all-time high; and industries, like the automobile industry (God bless them) not being able to change fast enough and really think in a new way, at a time when that's demanded now of all of us.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Opportunities Within The Economic Crisis
We're living in a time of economic crisis--a time when the economic system, the money system itself, the markets are unraveling in a way that I haven't seen in my lifetime and most people haven't seen in their lifetimes.And this is a very frightening time for people.At the same time, if we can recognize that what is unraveling is that which has no viability.What is unraveling is that which is not sustainable.Practices, ways of being with money, markets that are not based in true value are starting to fall apart.If we can see that what's happening is a truing, a recalibration, and an expression of us being in overshoot, it helps us see how to deal with it on a personal basis.It doesn't mean it's not going to painful.It doesn't mean that there's not suffering.It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be paying close attention to how we use money, what to do with the investments we have, and being mindful of the job we have and the salary we earn.These considerations seem larger than life under the current circumstances.But if we look on a larger scale, if we step back from the personal drama, the fear, that we're all caught in and that the media reinforces, we can see that we're living at a time of enormous excess, avarice and greed.This has created financial structures and systems that are inappropriate and completely unsustainable.And now they're falling apart.At the end of this, we're all going to be better for it, because we're going to be in a truthful, more accurate, more appropriate relationship with ourselves, with money, and with the resources on this planet.We can get through this.And if we make adjustments in our own life that are consistent with a new future for human life, rather than the greed and exploitation that was the basis for most of the actions of the markets, we'll make choices that will pan out for our own future and for all future generations.It's a difficult time.I don't deny that.But it can also be a beautiful time.We can move towards thrift rather than accumulation; we can move toward appreciating what we love rather than being afraid of what we've lost; we can focus our utmost attention and intention not on what we're losing, but on what we already have that's so valuable and nourishing to us.We can stop clamoring for more of what we don't really need and take care of what we have--both in our own personal lives and on this planet for the sustainability of life itself.This is a time that I think history will look back on and say, "These are the people, this is the generation of humankind that went through a transformation that made the future of life possible.These are the people who had the courage to make profound changes in the way they were thinking, as well as in the way that they were behaving, that gave the future to life itself." And it's going to take courage on all of our parts--big changes in our personal, little lives--that will ultimately be historic and profound for us and for everybody who follows us.So, I'm privileged to be living at this time.I'm excited about being the generation that goes through this courageous period.You too can take that frame of reference and see that there's privilege to being the people who need to make these changes, rather than seeing this as a horrible thing that has befallen us-i.E., as victims.And for me, it's a crisis that we've sort of been waiting to have happen.Everybody kind of knew it was coming.You could feel it.CEOs' salaries being completely out of range and out of sight; greed on Wall Street being at an all-time high; and industries, like the automobile industry (God bless them) not being able to change fast enough and really think in a new way, at a time when that's demanded now of all of us.
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