F r o m M E to W E

My annual birthday reflections are this year a bit less personal and a bit more ‘collective’.
I deeply feel that as a ‘species’ we are at one of the most decisive cross roads, likely the most challenging period in recorded history is ahead of us:

-global climate change
-overpopulation
-the clash between the ‘christian and Moslem nations’
-limited financial and environment resources
-decline of ethical and moral values
-technological development of unsurpassed speed presenting opportunities and massive challenges.

If one pulls one’s head out of the sand and looks at what’s happening, the future is daunting.
Is there a ray of hope?

Because I am working and living in the field of personal and collective transformation, I naturally started to look how these outer events/challenges relate to the inner world of us humans.

As I look within me and at the people I work with and teach, I find the same basic dichotomy manifested in the world of politics, economics and the social structure as it is within a human being.
Wherever one looks, whether it is individuals or a country, political parties or the board of directors, what most often determines the outcome of decisions is self interest, overriding common interest.
To put it simply, all issues boil down to the ancient conflict between the ‘ME FIRST’ and the ‘ALTRUISTIC SIDE’ within, shortened here in these musings as ‘ME’ and ‘WE’.

An image for that ‘ME’ could be that of the first computer game figure, the Pacman.
The Pacman is basically a wide open mouth that greedily eats up little black points – just like the ‘ME’ in me.
In a sense, we humans are big hungry mouths on two legs, devouring as much as we can.
The Pacman in us is all about itself! Why?
In a certain sense it is starving – hungry – wanting – grasping. It wants to be filled and it never ends, starting with the basic survival needs. Once these are covered, then we shift to sexual cravings, relationship desires, material and the ME demands that we fulfill them.
Our advertisement industry has become masterful in selling us basically any ‘thing’ with the promise that ‘this’ will bring us the woman, the man, happiness, fulfillment, joy, peace. Most of the time, this ‘ME’ runs me and you, like it or not.
Now, this gets even more difficult, because any organization, country, government, company consists of humans, each one being ultimately a big hungry mouth on two legs.
So no wonder that the ‘ME’ is continuing in running the show – with even more global impact and actual devastation. The global good is often an afterthought.

Our planet can’t handle operating in ‘ME’ mode much longer. For the survival of future generations we have to shift to the ‘WE’ mode.

What to do on a personal level:

1. Cultivating Awareness of our little big ‘ME’.
We have got to see/notice/become aware of how ‘it’
shows up, has unlimited desires and how much it runs us.

2. Cultivate Loving Kindness/Compassion for the little
‘ME’ in yourself and others.
We have to not make it the enemy - which is the great temptation, after becoming aware of it . We need to change our attitude towards it – our ‘ME’ needs to be truly understood and the underlying cravings acknowledged and felt.
Underneath every craving is a missing, a lack that we try to fill with the object of our craving, our wants.

3. When you feel the love and care for your own child,
parents, partners, and friends – keep expanding beyond.
Our human heart has NO limitations and infinite capacity to love. (I know it sound cliché, AND when the human heart opens, it is truly limitless – I had the gift of experiencing it 2 times in my life).

Usually I focus on the inner shifts, yet I feel our house is on fire and as we continue our inner work this needs to be complemented with collective action:

1. Support the ‘WE’ consciousness in our environment – home – work – economy – nature – country !
Think/Feel/Imagine that you are not just a human but also a BEING – connected to all the other beings on this planet. This includes our fellow humans AND animal, plant and mineral life.
Consider the impact beyond your immediate family,
group, city, tribe, country, religion.
Our society has been operated within an ethnocentric paradigm and we are called for to shift to a world centric view.

2. Please allow me to be preachy, to you and to myself:
-Let us consume less – contemplate the impact of our consumption on the other parts of the world.
-If you are in a position of power, use it from a larger perspective.
-Apply your voting power wisely.
-Live responsibly – our action do have an impact on the world.
-Give – volunteer, serve, donate, share – so many opportunities –

We need to use and strengthen our WE muscle consciously and frequently.



3. The quickest way would be to let go of our self –
‘No Self – No Problem’

The shift from a ‘ME’ to a ‘WE’ based world view and life style is the task at hand.
So far humans have not succeeded, yet no generation before us has had the same need to come together and to recognize the ONENESS in all of us.
In our ‘ME’ state we feel ‘alone' and the shift is to recognize that we are ‘allone’.

May you all have a year of deep fulfillment and connection.

H a p p y N e w Y e a r 2010


Much, much love,

Michael