| Almost a year ago, on November 26, 2008, the | | | | - Someone assumes the role of steward of the |
| leading article on the front page of The New York | | | | dialogue and ensures that the principles of Enlightened |
| Times began: "Washington - The Federal Reserve | | | | Dialogue are followed. |
| and the Treasury announced $800 billion in new | | | | - All participants open themselves to receive |
| lending programs... sending a message that they | | | | information or guidance intuitively, suspending |
| would print as much money as needed to revive the | | | | judgment about anything that is said, what is possible |
| nation's crippled banking system." The message of | | | | or not, what is viable or not. |
| "print as much money as needed" certainly gave me | | | | - No opinions are to be stated nor advice given from |
| pause but the key word in this announcement that | | | | participants - everything said must be an expression |
| captures the consciousness behind our leaders' bailout | | | | of the "topic" itself, not of opinion or personal |
| approach is "revive". | | | | preference. |
| In times like these it is important to consider the | | | | - This is a completely intuitive process, recognizing |
| distinction between "curing" and "healing", and to | | | | the intuitive mind as the greater mind, of which the |
| choose with clarity and intention which approach we | | | | rational/intellectual mind is just a small part. |
| will take to our significant national and global | | | | - Participants agree to expand far beyond |
| challenges. To cure an illness or dis-ease is to make | | | | problem-solving into a higher awareness where they |
| things the way they were before. It's all about | | | | can tap into the greatest potential of the moment to |
| getting things back to the way we are used to them | | | | discover what wants to happen for the greater good |
| being-getting us back in our "comfort zone" as quickly | | | | of all - it is understood that everyone will have |
| as possible. Our modern-day word "cure" comes from | | | | varying degrees of ability to do this at first but the |
| the Latin cura, meaning "care, concern, trouble". To | | | | more it is practiced, the more facile everyone |
| cure something is to give it care, approach it with | | | | becomes with the process. |
| great concern, to go to whatever lengths are | | | | - Participants don't have to understand what they are |
| necessary to "fix it". This has been our approach to | | | | about to say - they are just invited to report what |
| our current challenges and it reflects where we our in | | | | they perceive. |
| our mass consciousness. Our financial portfolios have | | | | - This process is all about creating a way for the |
| lost half of their value, our houses may currently not | | | | wisdom inherent within the topic, as well as the |
| be worth what we paid for them, jobs are being cut | | | | collective intelligence and Greater Consciousness to |
| everywhere, and many people are afraid of what the | | | | speak. |
| future holds. In times like these, the mass cultural | | | | - Participants are dialoging with the "topic" and the |
| awareness contracts to a perspective of "how will I | | | | greater potential rather than with each other - there |
| and my family survive". We easily lose sight of a | | | | is no cross conversation between participants during |
| bigger picture. Therefore, from a place of fear and | | | | this process. |
| limited awareness, the obvious approach is to | | | | - As the "topic" speaks through participants, |
| "revive" life as we once knew it - to get it back to | | | | participants are encouraged to ask further questions |
| how it was. In these moments, we can forget the | | | | of the "topic", to be curious and to dig deeper in |
| fact that "how it was" wasn't working very well and | | | | order to gain greater understanding about the |
| that things have, in fact, been crumbling into | | | | application of the information in practical terms. |
| dysfunction and held up by false facades and | | | | - No consensus needs to be reached during the |
| manipulations of truth for a long time. | | | | Dialogue process - this process is just for discovering |
| To heal, on the other hand, is to create wholeness. | | | | and giving voice to new ideas and perspectives, as |
| The word "heal" comes from the Old English | | | | well as possibly reinforcing ideas and perspectives |
| hælan, meaning "to make whole, sound, and well". | | | | that have already been expressed prior to this |
| Healing is truly about creating anew. Healing is not | | | | Dialogue. |
| about fixing. It is not about reviving. It is about | | | | - One of the participants serves as a scribe to write |
| listening to the essence of "what is" and discerning | | | | down everything that the "topic" says or reveals. |
| what is trying to happen as a part of an ongoing | | | | I introduced Enlightened Dialogue to 18 participants |
| evolutionary process. Sometimes we reach a place | | | | from at least eight countries. We chose the topic |
| where conditions have collapsed to a point where | | | | "Global Economy", imagined "Global Economy" floating |
| there is nothing to fix, nothing to cure. We are in | | | | out in the center of our virtual circle and began to |
| such a place according to Vandana Shiva, | | | | listen to it. Our primary questions to Global Economy |
| world-renowned scientist, environmentalist and Time | | | | were, "What do you need for us to know?", "What |
| Magazine's "Hero for the Planet". The essence of her | | | | is the greatest potential of what could happen in ten |
| message: the bubble has burst, there is nothing to | | | | years?" and " What must be some of our first steps |
| fix, and furthermore it was only a bubble to begin | | | | today?" |
| with! We are beyond "reviving" or fixing now. | | | | There were many insights and directions that came |
| Could this be exactly what needed to happen? Could | | | | through, including some very clear directives: |
| it be that we had to reach a place of very few | | | | - When leaders of any level speak to one another, |
| options in order for breakthrough to occur? Our only | | | | they must look one another in the eye, opening up |
| viable option now is to create anew, and in that new | | | | honest and authentic communication and the greater |
| creation bring our life conditions into a state of | | | | possibility of soul-level communication. |
| wholeness - to create new structures and systems | | | | - Every decision and policy must mean that everyone |
| that are sustainable and sound - to create an | | | | wins - if any decision or policy is at the expense of |
| authentic sense of well-being, balance, and harmony | | | | any group of people, negotiations are not yet |
| as stewards of a greater potential. | | | | complete and must continue until everyone feels |
| So what does this mean? As we look ahead, how do | | | | good about how it will impact them. |
| we as individuals and organizations create a new | | | | - There must be mutual respect among all players. |
| awareness in the mass consciousness that will | | | | - Farming must become more localized and organic |
| support our leaders to make decisions, set policy and | | | | farming practices adopted globally. |
| guide us into a new and sustainable way of being in | | | | This is an example of what can happen in a |
| relationship to one another and to the Earth? | | | | 10-minute Dialogue session. Longer and |
| Mass consciousness is the place we must start. | | | | repeated sessions would have brought more breadth |
| Those who hold the responsibility for national and | | | | and depth to the Dialogue as the group became |
| international decision and policy-making are in the | | | | more skilled at using this tool. In using this process |
| most difficult positions in the world right now. Imagine | | | | with individual as well as organizational clients, I have |
| being in their shoes. They can't take a breath without | | | | seen huge shifts in awareness and possibilities. |
| feeling the literal weight of the world on their | | | | Imagine what could happen with experts from |
| shoulders. They are doing the best that they know | | | | related fields coming together to participate in such a |
| how to do, based on the knowledge, training and | | | | Dialogue if each participant were willing to set aside |
| experience that they have, and, of equal or perhaps | | | | their personal and organizational or national agendas |
| even greater importance, the mass consciousness | | | | and adhere to the Enlightened Dialogue guidelines. |
| that creates our current reality. Leaders in | | | | While it would be great if this approach or something |
| government and business are making admirable | | | | similar was utilized today by our leaders, it is critical |
| commitments to technical and environmental change, | | | | that each of us meet our personal, family, and |
| and they are critical for our creation of a new | | | | community challenges in the same way. In large |
| relationship to each other and to the Earth. Yet | | | | measure, our leaders operate in the same mass |
| according to Peter Senge, management guru and | | | | consciousness as the rest of us. If fear and panic are |
| Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of | | | | driving our thoughts, actions, and decisions, our |
| Technology, our governments and corporations don't | | | | leaders can easily be caught in the same levels of |
| really know how they are going to meet those | | | | consciousness, especially in their great desire to serve |
| commitments. They just know that they have to | | | | us and solve our problems. We must listen to our |
| start somewhere and these commitments seem like | | | | challenges rather than jump immediately into "figuring |
| steps in the right direction. | | | | out" solutions. In "figure-it-out" mode, we never get |
| The decisions being made at the top of government | | | | to the greater possibilities. We are caught in our |
| and business may or may not be the right ones. | | | | pre-conditioned possibilities or preconceived notions of |
| They don't know. We don't know. To say that we | | | | what is possible and what isn't. |
| have created an immensely complex and complicated | | | | We access four levels of living that include Drama, |
| set of challenges is the greatest understatement. In | | | | Situation, Choice, and Opportunity. "Printing as much |
| the best of all possible worlds, it would be time to | | | | money as we need" and throwing huge sums of |
| press "pause" and breathe for a while - to reflect and | | | | money at problems are reactions that arise from the |
| expand our awareness to access a greater wisdom | | | | first two levels of awareness, Drama and Situation. In |
| and a greater potential - to ask intuitively, "What is | | | | order to discover what is really trying to happen and |
| trying to happen? What is the piece we're not | | | | tap into the greatest potential for us all, we must as |
| seeing? What is our next step?" | | | | a culture shift to Choice and Opportunity as our |
| I have no doubt that those leaders are asking | | | | default levels of living. This means recognition that |
| themselves those questions every day. The key, | | | | we have a choice as to who we will be within any |
| however, is from what level of consciousness the | | | | moment or situation and how we will respond. |
| questions are being asked. If we continue to stay in | | | | Furthermore, it means making that choice with clear |
| an attitude of fear and crisis, we ask the questions | | | | intention, and then recognizing that in every situation |
| from a contracted awareness. Therefore, we are | | | | or circumstance there is a potential waiting to |
| compromised in our ability to hear answers from | | | | emerge - an opportunity to take the next step |
| outside our current knowledge, experience, | | | | forward in our evolutionary process. |
| awareness, and circumstance. If, on the other hand, | | | | I'm holding a vision that by the dawn of 2010 |
| we first get quiet, go deep within to the place inside | | | | thousands of people will have shifted out of Drama |
| ourselves where we can open to the vastness of | | | | and Situation and into Choice and Opportunity. I'm |
| the Greater Consciousness, we stand a good chance | | | | holding the vision that so many people are living in |
| of finding a new approach, gaining greater clarity, and | | | | Choice and Opportunity that critical mass has been |
| aligning with a higher potential and forward | | | | achieved, assuring that the same shift will then |
| evolutionary flow to carry us into a new place of | | | | happen in the mass consciousness. |
| balance and stability that is sustainable. | | | | We can choose to listen - to tap into the greater |
| One way of doing this is through an Enlightened | | | | potential, perceive what wants to happen for the |
| Dialogue process. Enlightened Dialogue is a form of | | | | greatest good and then act, becoming stewards for |
| intuitive dialogue between two or more people and a | | | | that emerging potential. I hold this vision for all of us. |
| "topic" or "concept". It is a simple process that can | | | | As the mass consciousness shifts, so too will our |
| bring powerful insights, understandings, revelations, | | | | leadership. |
| and new perspectives to situations, circumstances | | | | In these challenging times, it is easy to let our visions |
| and opportunities. The process begins with all | | | | contract to the personal and family level. However, it |
| participants taking a few moments to get quiet and | | | | is in these challenging times that it is crucial for us to |
| centered and open and expand their awareness. You | | | | hold big visions - visions for healing on a large scale; |
| then invite the "topic" to float out in front of you or | | | | for wholeness, harmony and balance that is |
| into the middle of the circle as pure energy. | | | | sustainable and serves the positive evolution of our |
| Participants will perceive the energy in different ways | | | | mass consciousness and the creation of new ways |
| - some may see colors, shapes or forms while others | | | | of living and being in relationship to one another and |
| may simply feel it as energy or a texture, hear it as | | | | to our world. When this happens, our personal and |
| a sound or even perceive a fragrance or a taste. | | | | family conditions and circumstances will shift as well. |
| From there all participants are invited to allow the | | | | May your life be filled with choice and opportunity, |
| "topic" to speak through them to the group, opening | | | | and may your future be one of hope, anticipation and |
| up an intuitive dialogue between the group and the | | | | collective commitment to realizing the greatest |
| topic. There are some important guidelines to follow | | | | potential for all. |
| in order for this process to be successful: | | | | |