What if one person can really change the world? You may not believe it, but what if you did?
We all have an innate desire to make a positive difference, to have our children and grandchildren inherit a beautiful world full of possibility. Yet in the midst of these challenging times, where economic, government, education and health care systems are failing, where our rivers and oceans are polluted and where children around the world still die from hunger, it’s tempting to throw up our hands and become overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all.
“How do we fix this?” “How can one person affect any of it?” Maybe you’ve struggled with questions like these. I certainly have. The more I realized the harm we humans are doing to ourselves, the planet and all of life, the closer I came to a state of paralysis and despair. It’s all… just… too… much. Or is it?
Some would say that life doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle, and that we already have the inner tools and outer technology to live in harmony with nature and with each other. Imagine what might happen if each of us really believed that.
Shamans speak of dreaming the world into being, of discovering the past, present and future through imagination. We all do this, whether we realize it or not, through our thoughts, emotions, actions and even, yes, through our imagination.
Every thought matters
We humans are nonstop transmitters of our every thought and emotion, positive or negative, loving or fearful, compassionate or critical. Each of our estimated 80,000 daily thoughts is broadcasted, without exception. That’s powerful. When we entertain thoughts of what we don’t want, we contribute to more of that in the world. Our thoughts create the reality we are in. That means we can actively direct our thoughts to create the brighter future now.
Everything we do matters
Our actions ripple out to the world in innumerable and often unseen ways. A genuine smile with the grocery store cashier could brighten her mood for the rest of the day, changing how she interacts with her family that evening, which affects how they think and behave. The opposite is also true. A critical remark from the boss could lead to her snapping at her husband at home, who later yells at their son, who then internalizes his father’s anger as proof that he is bad. That’s the Power of One. Every act of kindness adds to the collective field, making it more likely that someone else will also choose kindness.
This interrelatedness of all things has been demonstrated for decades by things such as the Maharishi Effect, the Butterfly Effect and the Placebo Effect. These and other scientifically proven phenomena show us that the mind has a powerful effect on the body; our beliefs determine what is possible in our lives; and group meditation can indeed reduce crime rates and positively influence millions. Each one of us affects the whole of existence, every day.
Imagination matters
Imagination is the ultimate superpower. Everything in our physical reality was first conceived as an idea, an imagination, a dream. It’s up to us to broaden our imagination and expand our ideas about what is possible. Never mind what you think is doable or reasonable. Be unreasonable! What would be the ultimate? What lights you up and gets you excited about being alive?
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” – Carl Sagan
We can start telling a new story about who we are and why we are here. We can live the new story into existence, right now. Seek new experiences, engage in your passions, share your dreams, be open to the new, the unknown, the miraculous. We can create a brighter world, one person at a time. That’s the Power of One.
You’re invited
Join me and others from around the world as we demonstrate the Power of One. Details here.
