Whenever I sit down to write a blog, I have to decide whether to write about happy occasions, such as our fun family gathering on Thanksgiving where we were all together after 4 months; or the fun Sweet Sixteen for Rahat Sheikh’s daughter Sarah at Shahi Palace, where we got to enjoy the whole Kashmiri clan side of our daughter-in-law Amna; or to write about the worries and sadness swirling around us. Whether it is at the micro-level- a child or a young parent getting seriously ill with cancer- or at the macro-level- migrants drowning in oceans every day, new virus variants arising every winter, climate crises of all types around the planet, it feels overwhelming and creates helplessness.
There is no doubt we have taken the gift of life in the wrong direction. Our obsession with material things, and the greed for it has brought the planet to its knees. Fires in the West, floods in one part, droughts in another, migrants criss-crossing everywhere, cancer spreading in all ages, and viruses happily mutating. When will we stop this rat race of infinite greed, hyper competition, overconsumption and shallow culture with its companion ugly underbelly- the poverty and war cycle in the Global South leading to violence, migration, overpopulation, and so many ills while bearing the brunt of the climate crises?
The good news is that more and more people are opting out, living simpler lives, eating clean and questioning the status quo. On the intellectual front, scientists and philosophers are talking about a new global consciousness. The new sciences, also called the quantum sciences or the quantum view of reality, are showing us that we are all interconnected and interdependent spirit-infused beings; we are by nature cooperative, compassionate and caring; we are vibrational fields of energy. What this means is that as we develop our level of thinking to a state of connectedness and oneness with humanity, then we will act accordingly. So if you are a CEO of a global company or a leader in any sector, you will focus on having a positive impact on the world for all living beings and the Planet and have your profits too- it is not either or, but “and”. You can be good and have profit! And fortunately there are many examples of this, but not enough yet.
My friend Chris Laszlo (co-author of Quantum Leadership ), who I had the honor of working with as a management consultant 20 years ago, has founded the Global Consciousness Institute, just as one tiny example. He and his colleagues teach business leaders how to shift to this new mindset. What it promises for the future is different economic and social systems, education systems, healthcare systems, etc. And most importantly for me, the quantum view of reality validates what our spiritual traditions have said all along in simpler terms: treat each other well, be generous, be self-less, help others, be moderate and so on. We may have a long time to wait, but I stay in touch with these new developments to help me cope. All are one, and all can flourish.
Be First to Comment