The spirited debate about healthcare and the recession dominate our national conversation. Everything from books and speakers predicting this to be “the end of prosperity” to videos predicting the onset of a utopian society where money nor corporations of any kind no longer exist, are all weighing in. From nature’s model of Holism, sustainability and prosperity are not mutually exclusive of one another. Nature teaches us that in order to have true abundance our lives must be sustainable. The economic recovery and reforms of our operating systems are affecting all our lives. This expansion is teaching us valuable holistic lessons: a sustainable national and global economy must be based on abundance for the many and not just for the few. This holistic perspective is imbibed in The Great Seal of the United States which was created during the time of the U.S. Constitution and is on the back of the dollar bill. The latin on The Great Seal says, “Annuit Coeptis Novus Ordo Seclorum… E Pluribus Unum,” which translates as “Divine Providence favors the New Order of the Ages …the many, and the One.”
Modern day social entrepreneur and humanitarian leader Charlie Gay describes the journey we are on quite simply, “we are to move from survival, to self-empowerment, to sustained abundance.” Creating sustainable abundance requires us to consciously co-create with the universal laws, courageously facing fear and embracing transformation. Fear only polarizes our minds and closes our hearts to the flow of abundance. ‘Us versus Them’ mentality creates the illusion that we cannot have abundance if we commit to products, practices, and programs that bring sustainability. This same dualistic thinking creates polarization that keeps us constantly struggling to survive, in a time when it is our destiny to thrive.
For all of us to thrive, a consciousness shift is necessary. Psychologist and motivational teacher, Dr. Wayne Dyer teaches that “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” Indeed abundance is ever present, experiencing it however is all a matter of consciousness. For example, feel the difference between these two statements: Unemployment is at 9%! How does that make you feel? Do you feeling lack, fear, or anxiety? Then start saying: Employment is at 91%! How does that make you feel? Do you feel confident, secure, and prosperous? Energy flows where your attention goes.
It’s up to us during this modern renaissance to co-create what our future of sustainable abundance will be. Freedom can mean struggling on our own to survive or freedom can mean co-creating systems that support our basic survival needs so that we can focus our energies on thriving and fulfilling our destiny. It is natural to fear going too far with the changes, yet with compassion and love we can safely pioneer new frontiers. In the words of T.S Eliot, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”