If beings from another galaxy looked over at how earthlings acted and treated each other, would they ask, “What is wrong with those people? Can’t they just get along?”
It would be a good question considering the recent airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as a response to the three American soldiers lost recently, the conflict in Gaza, the political polarization and divides taking place across the planet, and power grabs for the sake of power with no concern for the greater good. These are just a few situations that stand out.
To quote the late Marvin Gaye's signature hit song, "What's going on?" Despite humanity's technological advancement, we are going backwards in spiritual consciousness. Or, perhaps, the opposite is true.
A few years ago, I attended a conference in San Francisco. The conference, among other things, had founders and employees from significant technology companies intersect with ancient wisdom teachings and mindfulness meditation. When I registered, I didn't know what to expect. However, after I completed my profile, I got a call from one of the leaders of a group who asked me to speak on a breakout panel.
The folks on the panel inspired me. The people who showed up at the session inspired me. The people who participated in the conference inspired me, uplifted me, and gave me hope for the possibilities of the future. The conference affirmed that despite appearances and the startling challenges we face as a human family, a joyous explosion in consciousness is moving us toward our best selves.
At the event, Jon Kabat-Zinn, a significant force behind the mindfulness meditation movement for over 40 years, presented this exciting graph to demonstrate this explosion:
“Mindfulness” Journal Article Titles Published By Year: 1980-2021. Source: JonKabat-Zinn.com.
This graph shows the number of reputable scientific papers published between 1980 and 2021 about mindfulness. In 1980, there were three, and by 2021, there are nearly 2,500. Kabat-Zinn suggested this graph is symptomatic of a shift in the consciousness of our society and world toward the expression of our pure and authentic selves. It reflects the hunger, longing, and starvation within all of us to express our spiritual nature.
If you are reading this, we are amid a phenomenon you are contributing to. It is a phenomenon in which more and more people realize that although the challenges we face appear to be mental, emotional, psychological, economic, or material, all solutions are spiritual. As a result, emphasis on wisdom teachings is popping up in medicine, the health field, neuroscience, government, and business. In those different sectors, we learn it's not about fixing what's broken, but about revealing our wholeness.
Our task is to remember that truth, and fully flower in our life right here and now. As we do, we realize we are the hope we long for.
Peace & Blessings,
James