There is no place in our modern lives where the new paradigm shift is more evident than in our economy. To live holistically is to live with all aspects of our lives in balance, in right relationship with the universal laws and the supreme order of the natural world. This is not only important in our personal lives or our family relationships, but also in our relationship to others, to the earth, and in our relationship with money.
Many of us feel that we are hindered in living a balanced lifestyle by financial constraints. Our relationship with “money” makes us feel that we cannot do what is in our hearts. However, the first law of thermodynamics states: all things are made up of energy, and that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Thus, everything is energy, present in one form or another. Money is an energy that is ever present in one form or another and has changed its form innumerable times. Simply put, the Universe, and subsequently our life, is filled with an unlimited energy abundance that is ever present.
This leads us to question: if the universe is filled with an unlimited abundance, how can there be a recession, how can there be poverty?
Albert Einstein noted that “you can’t solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it.” If we are beings of an abundant universe then the recession and poverty can only be explained one way: they manifest as a result of something in our collective consciousness. If we want to end the current recession, and one day see an end to poverty, we have to change our personal and collective consciousness. The solutions to our problems lie within us. Instead of desensitizing and numbing ourselves by seeking quick fixes and instant gratification, we must tap our creative power. Instead of sticking to old limiting ideas and beliefs it’s time to embrace simple living, yet higher thinking.
The Greek philosopher Heraclites said “there is nothing permanent except change.” He is famous for his influence on Friedrich Nietzsche, summarized in his famous quote, “You can not step twice into the same river.” It is undeniable change that we must embrace, changing ourselves from the inside out, changing our hearts and our minds, changing our dreams, and evolving the American dream.
We can not sit idly by and wait for the President or Congress to fix things for us so we can get back to life the way it was. If you cannot step into the same river twice then there is no such thing as “life the way it was.” Perennial wisdom teaches us that with every ending there is a new beginning. Together we are birthing a new holistic economy that benefits the many and not just the few, that is based on generosity and not greed. To do so we have to give up old unhealthy behaviors and habits, and get to the work of creating, innovating, and inspiring. Perhaps no one said it more simply and eloquently as Gandhi: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”