Maybe we could just smile at people we meet and pass by. Smiling sends a silent message. It is a timeless act of kindness and knowing. We need a coalition of smiling people - a genuine, heart-felt smile, not a smirk. The gesture would send a wave of hope and optimism that humanity can and will succeed despite the challenges we face.
Paul who? Funny you should mention smiling. There have been significant moves made in an international committee I'm part of to create a Kindness Minute -- a minute at 6:00 pm in every time zone to focus on kindness. Picture that at the heart of a worldwide campaign that would include such things as billboards giving on the spot reminders to smile. Funding to get this happening slowed it down, so if there are funders seeing this, be in touch. There's a lot we could do by organizing -- like THE HUMAN SURVIVAL COALTION to establish a force to get behind what we want to happen. If looking people in the eye and smiling replaces some amount of involvement with devices, I can just feel how that could create a different ambiance in the world.
A smile is always better than a frown or no expression at all, however I've been discovering quite by accident how much more impactful it is when accompanied by a pleasant greeting...if only a "Hello," or, time and opportunity allowing, a "How's your day?" I've been doing it more and more, and I'm always delighted when even the most indifferent appearing individual lights up and replies...oftentimes with an automatic smile. Just a suggestion for taking the smile concept to the proverbial next level...
Some pretty simple things can make impact. Kindness being popularized is on the rise now and if we really got it going it could have a profound affect on the spirit of humanity -- good for the senders and the receivers!
My criteria would be that people for the Wisdom Council would be well-known. Yes indeed for artists if I were the picker. I'd like to hear who others would select. One that I've been touting is Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd: https://tinyurl.com/4wvtre7h.
Why? So many intelligent people are woven throughout the country. The policy is too close to either nepotism or claiming celebrity validates creativity.
That’s an interesting theory, Suzanne. So many brilliant artists, authors, and minds are well known in their fields, but not infamous in the world. I really wish more people could benefit from hearing their compassionate and wise voices. I understand it’s your platform and curation. Open discussion is something I am grateful for becoming accustomed to.
I think about great unknown artists, that includes friends of mine, and that whoever made a universe where artists have to sell themselves was quite a trickster. For my Council idea, people who are famous have voices and I'd like to get them singing my song.
Your plan for one "giant" to pick another is great, based on the social networking experiments of Stanley Milgram ("Small World," aka "Six Degrees of Separation"). It would be wonderful to film this process as it happens, resulting in a series of incredibly inspiring biographical films.
Sometimes I think about "The Magnificent Seven," where, in that film, one after another seven heroes are zeroed in on to save the world they were in. I think about people I know -- not necessarily superstars everyone knows. The first two people I'd zap are David Lorimer, who's probably the best read person in the world regarding consciousness, and Brian Swimme, who has the new story that has us as one humanity. Who else? I'd think that process would make a GREAT film.
One way to do it is - you pick David Lorimer. We do a half hour or one hour bio of him, and he picks HIS candidate - let's say the Dalai Lama. We do a bio of the Dalai and he picks a third.... Until we get to the top ten "world wizards," chosen by "acclaim." And we have a ten-part series for Netflix or PBS. "In Search of ... Visionaries."
Just for housekeeping, it's all the previous picks who get together to decide on the next one. I could use a deep pockets funder. Seriously. Not that you can't pitch individual projects but it would be so much easier if there were very rich team member.
Perhaps you need a platform with a different audience. I have a few ideas. Reach out here or text me if you want to chat ever. There is something coming up in early March I signed up for. Who knows. I am also part of a mastermind inner circle for creating a profitable non-profit with some true action takers out of NM. If any of that sounds of interest to you, please reach out. I am a do it now kind of person, always looking for others of the same mold. Tag you're it. 404-399-8855 ... I'm in Atlanta area, eastern time zone
Thanks, Darlene. Although it will take a village we barely have a household. This isn't my first rodeo to try to drum up interest and all I get is a smattering. With no illusions about my limited power, I hoped the power of an idea would do it where this time there would be hundreds of responses from the almost 5000 people on this mailing list, but instead it's back to the drawing board. Stay tuned!
Suzanne, I love the video. I also followed your crop circle work and bought the DVD. I don't think I can get involved in anything more than I'm already involved in, but I do want to stay in touch. With 2 other women psychologists, I am founder of the Relational Literacy Project --a collaboration of relationship experts with the goal of making the best information about living in relationship available to everyone free of charge. Our premise is "the world is our client," and all human problems are essentially problems in relationship. This is very much like the unity in everything premise that you are fostering--discovering how we are all entangled, related, one being. I believe that if we could all discover/develop our right relationship with "everything everywhere," this would be the key to the survival of all of us (not just humans).
You are so up my alley. It's ALL relationship, from quarks and gluons to Shakespeare, a la Brian Swimme's work where we're at the 3.8 billion year mark of evolution and it's relationship all the way down! Even though we haven't spent much time together, not being in spitting distance, I feel us connected on a deep wavelength! No involvement offered now -- just willingness to be signatory to a Coalition. Keep me informed about your work and I'll share it -- I couldn't find it when I looked.
I would like to be a signatory to this coalition of people who care deeply about this world of ours. So, I guess I am "in" by just staying in this conversation--correct? Or is there a process for signing on? The Relational Literacy Project is not ready for prime time yet. We are still gathering our other experts and resources. I'll keep you informed. Thanks for your good work.
There's a Poll at the end of the post to ask if people would sign up if there were such a coalition. I thought there would be hundreds of responses and I'd use that in trying to make such a thing real. Maybe the Poll isn't working right. Why wouldn't there be hundreds here? Hmmmm. Back to the drawing board. The world progresses by ideas where a new one, thanks to the internet, can take hold quickly, so I'm moving along bearing in mind that if millions of people say yes to a coalition the force of numbers could make things happen!
You are aways fighting for the greater good, bringing us ways to change the world. If I wasn't already impressed with you as a Mom, I am that much more impressed with you as a human being.
With the current political landscape trending more divisive by the minute, it would require extraordinary leaders to somehow cut through it. I hope they arrive soon.
A problem is the shortage of extraordinary leaders. Even envisioning who's visible enough and conscious enough for that Wisdom Council is challenging. But without world leaders who everyone listens to it seems to me that a collection of our best is the best we could do. Another idea I'll talk about is everyone being a leader by of sorts by doing a Foreside Chat a la Roosevelt, calling us all to our finest. Picture such a thing going viral like the ice bucket challenge. Fill the internet with calls to consciousness and my guess is that could have a very positive result.
Correct. Things are getting more divisive by the day...if not by the minute. We can't "wait" for extraordinary leaders to "arrive soon." Abraham Lincoln didn't know that he was going to be an "extraordinary" anything. He lost every election he ran in...until he ran for President. Gandhi didn't know he was going end colonialism in India when he went to South Africa as a young lawyer. Neither Martin Luther King nor Mother Theresa knew they were going to be "extraordinary" leaders until they suddenly were...
My point is that is no time to wait for anyone to do something extraordinary. We're IT. We're all we've got...until enough of us and future generations "suit up and show up" in whatever way we can. It doesn't have to be heroism on the battlefield or standing up in Congress for what is good and noble...or even just a little positive and courageous. We just have to do our own part...one step at a time...one good deed at a time...one honorable, courageous thing at a time.
When enough of us are doing that, it will catch on...and more will be doing the right thing than there are those who aren't. Humankind has overcome tyranny, greed and ignorance before, and tyrants and selfish, greedy people in power will fall. Ultimately, they do by their own devices. Let's speed them along ... shall we? See you at the mass celebration down the road...
Everyone should check out your project: https://www.volunteer-collective.org. It's so wonderful and an illustration of what anyone could initiate that would bring so much sweetness to the land. You are such a special person and an inspiration to everyone else!
I love Kate Raworth and the Dalai Lama. I think they both work for the whole as a way of life. (Kate has even worked out the technical details as to how we can collaborate and find new ways - involving conscious collaboration all the way.) I also think that Nature is only a threat if we don't change our behaviour. At the moment she is being forced to stand up for herself as so many of us are acting mindlessly. There is so much collaborative work happening (for example, rewilding in the UK as well as changes in Costa Rica and other places) where Nature shows us that if we, the humans, stand back and give Nature the space to regain her strength, she pulls through. Maybe some really clever people could work on a Manifesto for All of Life Itself. (MALI?) Take responsibility for every thought as well as every action? Take care?
Actually, there are a fair number of such manifestos. We're good at what got us to the untenable place we are and at how it would be if we were behaving according to such a manifesto, but it's getting from our understanding to our new reality that we aren't addressing and what I'll be dealing with.
I like the idea of a loose affiliation of like-minded and not-like-minded people aligned to a not yet clearly defined purpose. Welcome to the Guild of Dark and Light!
I like the idea that we wouldn't build a coalition around "consciousness," but around people of goodwill. It's not necessary to be a sophisticated seeker to recognize the difference between good and evil.
All we need is love? (I say that very lightly of course - do realise it's more complex than that) but - yes, the values and 'wealth' we need are warmth and compassion xxx
Great idea, but the list of people suggested for the council gave me the chills. With all respect and gratitude for their good intentions and good work in the world, most of them are completely clueless about the last few years and actively contributed to the mass suicide of the human race.
If we are to stand a chance to survive then we have to start with being lucid and with taking full responsibility for our current state. As dark and as desperate as it is. Delusion is the number one problem.
Trying to come up with universally respected people is challenging. We are short on heroic figures. I'm illustrating who might be selected and would like to hear from people about who they think would belong.
Yes, we are very short on heroic figures, that's why the times are so confusing.
I think part part of the challenge going forward is to rely less on heroes and trust ourselves more. But yes, we do need inspiration.
Jordan Peterson is a great inspiration for me lately, see his latest interview on Joe Rogan where he announced a similar initiative. The relevant segment:
The questionable aspects to Peterson and Rogan aside, Peterson is "devoted to developing an invitational vision of the future." You flagged the section with an idea for governance by the people (around 12:50) dating back to Moses that's good fodder for thinking about ways. He wants to bring 2,000 thought shapers together later this year. I wonder if he has the credibility to get the best. And then, if they would get practical about how we-the-people could do an end-run around government. I have so much to say about that -- maybe I could score an invitation. Anybody know Peterson?
I wish. I just got kicked out of the Clubhouse event because I was complaining about them selling some plan they have rather than it being a free conversation about what plan to have. That conversation isn't being had anywhere I can find and it's what should be happening everywhere.
I'm working on combining abundant shellfish production with carbon sequestration in the ocean to help feed the world while removing CO2 and saving us from climate catastrophe. JimStewart@OceanForesters.org
As a documentary filmmaker, where we're challenged to come up with pithy loglines to describe our films, I'm think you have a great one for your project! One hope is that the ingenuity of humankind will solve everything as it always has. I think about how vulnerable we are to what could wipe us out, as we never have been before, and that it could be a race between all the smart things like you are working on and some catastrophic event that we can't yet handle.
Maybe we could just smile at people we meet and pass by. Smiling sends a silent message. It is a timeless act of kindness and knowing. We need a coalition of smiling people - a genuine, heart-felt smile, not a smirk. The gesture would send a wave of hope and optimism that humanity can and will succeed despite the challenges we face.
Paul who? Funny you should mention smiling. There have been significant moves made in an international committee I'm part of to create a Kindness Minute -- a minute at 6:00 pm in every time zone to focus on kindness. Picture that at the heart of a worldwide campaign that would include such things as billboards giving on the spot reminders to smile. Funding to get this happening slowed it down, so if there are funders seeing this, be in touch. There's a lot we could do by organizing -- like THE HUMAN SURVIVAL COALTION to establish a force to get behind what we want to happen. If looking people in the eye and smiling replaces some amount of involvement with devices, I can just feel how that could create a different ambiance in the world.
A smile is always better than a frown or no expression at all, however I've been discovering quite by accident how much more impactful it is when accompanied by a pleasant greeting...if only a "Hello," or, time and opportunity allowing, a "How's your day?" I've been doing it more and more, and I'm always delighted when even the most indifferent appearing individual lights up and replies...oftentimes with an automatic smile. Just a suggestion for taking the smile concept to the proverbial next level...
Some pretty simple things can make impact. Kindness being popularized is on the rise now and if we really got it going it could have a profound affect on the spirit of humanity -- good for the senders and the receivers!
I think it is a worthy idea. It will be important to have representation of poets, artists, musicians, and non-celebrities as well.
My criteria would be that people for the Wisdom Council would be well-known. Yes indeed for artists if I were the picker. I'd like to hear who others would select. One that I've been touting is Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd: https://tinyurl.com/4wvtre7h.
Why? So many intelligent people are woven throughout the country. The policy is too close to either nepotism or claiming celebrity validates creativity.
Hey Rachel, people who are unknown wouldn't be listened to!
That’s an interesting theory, Suzanne. So many brilliant artists, authors, and minds are well known in their fields, but not infamous in the world. I really wish more people could benefit from hearing their compassionate and wise voices. I understand it’s your platform and curation. Open discussion is something I am grateful for becoming accustomed to.
I think about great unknown artists, that includes friends of mine, and that whoever made a universe where artists have to sell themselves was quite a trickster. For my Council idea, people who are famous have voices and I'd like to get them singing my song.
Your plan for one "giant" to pick another is great, based on the social networking experiments of Stanley Milgram ("Small World," aka "Six Degrees of Separation"). It would be wonderful to film this process as it happens, resulting in a series of incredibly inspiring biographical films.
Sometimes I think about "The Magnificent Seven," where, in that film, one after another seven heroes are zeroed in on to save the world they were in. I think about people I know -- not necessarily superstars everyone knows. The first two people I'd zap are David Lorimer, who's probably the best read person in the world regarding consciousness, and Brian Swimme, who has the new story that has us as one humanity. Who else? I'd think that process would make a GREAT film.
One way to do it is - you pick David Lorimer. We do a half hour or one hour bio of him, and he picks HIS candidate - let's say the Dalai Lama. We do a bio of the Dalai and he picks a third.... Until we get to the top ten "world wizards," chosen by "acclaim." And we have a ten-part series for Netflix or PBS. "In Search of ... Visionaries."
Just for housekeeping, it's all the previous picks who get together to decide on the next one. I could use a deep pockets funder. Seriously. Not that you can't pitch individual projects but it would be so much easier if there were very rich team member.
Perhaps you need a platform with a different audience. I have a few ideas. Reach out here or text me if you want to chat ever. There is something coming up in early March I signed up for. Who knows. I am also part of a mastermind inner circle for creating a profitable non-profit with some true action takers out of NM. If any of that sounds of interest to you, please reach out. I am a do it now kind of person, always looking for others of the same mold. Tag you're it. 404-399-8855 ... I'm in Atlanta area, eastern time zone
Great offer. Hard to find good allies. Each one is precious. Will call you.
Definitely will take a village or a coalition for those creating a new future. Count me in.
Thanks, Darlene. Although it will take a village we barely have a household. This isn't my first rodeo to try to drum up interest and all I get is a smattering. With no illusions about my limited power, I hoped the power of an idea would do it where this time there would be hundreds of responses from the almost 5000 people on this mailing list, but instead it's back to the drawing board. Stay tuned!
Suzanne, I love the video. I also followed your crop circle work and bought the DVD. I don't think I can get involved in anything more than I'm already involved in, but I do want to stay in touch. With 2 other women psychologists, I am founder of the Relational Literacy Project --a collaboration of relationship experts with the goal of making the best information about living in relationship available to everyone free of charge. Our premise is "the world is our client," and all human problems are essentially problems in relationship. This is very much like the unity in everything premise that you are fostering--discovering how we are all entangled, related, one being. I believe that if we could all discover/develop our right relationship with "everything everywhere," this would be the key to the survival of all of us (not just humans).
You are so up my alley. It's ALL relationship, from quarks and gluons to Shakespeare, a la Brian Swimme's work where we're at the 3.8 billion year mark of evolution and it's relationship all the way down! Even though we haven't spent much time together, not being in spitting distance, I feel us connected on a deep wavelength! No involvement offered now -- just willingness to be signatory to a Coalition. Keep me informed about your work and I'll share it -- I couldn't find it when I looked.
I would like to be a signatory to this coalition of people who care deeply about this world of ours. So, I guess I am "in" by just staying in this conversation--correct? Or is there a process for signing on? The Relational Literacy Project is not ready for prime time yet. We are still gathering our other experts and resources. I'll keep you informed. Thanks for your good work.
There's a Poll at the end of the post to ask if people would sign up if there were such a coalition. I thought there would be hundreds of responses and I'd use that in trying to make such a thing real. Maybe the Poll isn't working right. Why wouldn't there be hundreds here? Hmmmm. Back to the drawing board. The world progresses by ideas where a new one, thanks to the internet, can take hold quickly, so I'm moving along bearing in mind that if millions of people say yes to a coalition the force of numbers could make things happen!
You are aways fighting for the greater good, bringing us ways to change the world. If I wasn't already impressed with you as a Mom, I am that much more impressed with you as a human being.
Little brat...
With the current political landscape trending more divisive by the minute, it would require extraordinary leaders to somehow cut through it. I hope they arrive soon.
A problem is the shortage of extraordinary leaders. Even envisioning who's visible enough and conscious enough for that Wisdom Council is challenging. But without world leaders who everyone listens to it seems to me that a collection of our best is the best we could do. Another idea I'll talk about is everyone being a leader by of sorts by doing a Foreside Chat a la Roosevelt, calling us all to our finest. Picture such a thing going viral like the ice bucket challenge. Fill the internet with calls to consciousness and my guess is that could have a very positive result.
Correct. Things are getting more divisive by the day...if not by the minute. We can't "wait" for extraordinary leaders to "arrive soon." Abraham Lincoln didn't know that he was going to be an "extraordinary" anything. He lost every election he ran in...until he ran for President. Gandhi didn't know he was going end colonialism in India when he went to South Africa as a young lawyer. Neither Martin Luther King nor Mother Theresa knew they were going to be "extraordinary" leaders until they suddenly were...
My point is that is no time to wait for anyone to do something extraordinary. We're IT. We're all we've got...until enough of us and future generations "suit up and show up" in whatever way we can. It doesn't have to be heroism on the battlefield or standing up in Congress for what is good and noble...or even just a little positive and courageous. We just have to do our own part...one step at a time...one good deed at a time...one honorable, courageous thing at a time.
When enough of us are doing that, it will catch on...and more will be doing the right thing than there are those who aren't. Humankind has overcome tyranny, greed and ignorance before, and tyrants and selfish, greedy people in power will fall. Ultimately, they do by their own devices. Let's speed them along ... shall we? See you at the mass celebration down the road...
What is missing in the world seems to be the inability to talk to each other
HOWEVER
I think what you have in mind is action, change, and rallying the troops at all levels.
Deal me in for that.
Rick Stoff
Volunteer Collective
rick@volunteer-collective.org
Everyone should check out your project: https://www.volunteer-collective.org. It's so wonderful and an illustration of what anyone could initiate that would bring so much sweetness to the land. You are such a special person and an inspiration to everyone else!
I love Kate Raworth and the Dalai Lama. I think they both work for the whole as a way of life. (Kate has even worked out the technical details as to how we can collaborate and find new ways - involving conscious collaboration all the way.) I also think that Nature is only a threat if we don't change our behaviour. At the moment she is being forced to stand up for herself as so many of us are acting mindlessly. There is so much collaborative work happening (for example, rewilding in the UK as well as changes in Costa Rica and other places) where Nature shows us that if we, the humans, stand back and give Nature the space to regain her strength, she pulls through. Maybe some really clever people could work on a Manifesto for All of Life Itself. (MALI?) Take responsibility for every thought as well as every action? Take care?
Actually, there are a fair number of such manifestos. We're good at what got us to the untenable place we are and at how it would be if we were behaving according to such a manifesto, but it's getting from our understanding to our new reality that we aren't addressing and what I'll be dealing with.
Understood!! Agreed!!
I like the idea of a loose affiliation of like-minded and not-like-minded people aligned to a not yet clearly defined purpose. Welcome to the Guild of Dark and Light!
I like the idea that we wouldn't build a coalition around "consciousness," but around people of goodwill. It's not necessary to be a sophisticated seeker to recognize the difference between good and evil.
All we need is love? (I say that very lightly of course - do realise it's more complex than that) but - yes, the values and 'wealth' we need are warmth and compassion xxx
Great idea, but the list of people suggested for the council gave me the chills. With all respect and gratitude for their good intentions and good work in the world, most of them are completely clueless about the last few years and actively contributed to the mass suicide of the human race.
If we are to stand a chance to survive then we have to start with being lucid and with taking full responsibility for our current state. As dark and as desperate as it is. Delusion is the number one problem.
Trying to come up with universally respected people is challenging. We are short on heroic figures. I'm illustrating who might be selected and would like to hear from people about who they think would belong.
Yes, we are very short on heroic figures, that's why the times are so confusing.
I think part part of the challenge going forward is to rely less on heroes and trust ourselves more. But yes, we do need inspiration.
Jordan Peterson is a great inspiration for me lately, see his latest interview on Joe Rogan where he announced a similar initiative. The relevant segment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_cjujecPsE
The questionable aspects to Peterson and Rogan aside, Peterson is "devoted to developing an invitational vision of the future." You flagged the section with an idea for governance by the people (around 12:50) dating back to Moses that's good fodder for thinking about ways. He wants to bring 2,000 thought shapers together later this year. I wonder if he has the credibility to get the best. And then, if they would get practical about how we-the-people could do an end-run around government. I have so much to say about that -- maybe I could score an invitation. Anybody know Peterson?
Here is another similar call to action:
https://roundingtheearth.substack.com/p/nobodys-distributed-leadership-network
"Nobody's Distributed Leadership Network: A Call to Action: Sunday, Feb 5 @ 5 PM Eastern on Clubhouse"
I wish. I just got kicked out of the Clubhouse event because I was complaining about them selling some plan they have rather than it being a free conversation about what plan to have. That conversation isn't being had anywhere I can find and it's what should be happening everywhere.
Sorry to hear. I really meant well.
Wonderful idea Suzanne! Count me IN!
I'm working on combining abundant shellfish production with carbon sequestration in the ocean to help feed the world while removing CO2 and saving us from climate catastrophe. JimStewart@OceanForesters.org
As a documentary filmmaker, where we're challenged to come up with pithy loglines to describe our films, I'm think you have a great one for your project! One hope is that the ingenuity of humankind will solve everything as it always has. I think about how vulnerable we are to what could wipe us out, as we never have been before, and that it could be a race between all the smart things like you are working on and some catastrophic event that we can't yet handle.