The 6 steps back to ourselves
1
We start at HOME
It all starts with us, ourselves, our families, and our homes, in towns and cities, on the bottom of an ocean floor. An ocean made of oxygen. That ocean is shallow.
It’s a short 60-mile trip from here to outer space.
Our place in the universe is just a thin onion skin wrapped around a tiny orb floating in an infinite mystery. And our delicate little habitat is getting rather warm.
There are some good ideas how to reverse that. And they involve economics.
2
We use ECONOMICS
Economics is a science. Not a religion.
The origin of the word meant household management.
Its purpose is to find the best way to share our most useful ideas and resources for the good of all humanity.
When we use material things for human benefit we thrive. When our humanity is used for material benefit, we suffer.
To apply our best economics practices we need good politics.
3
We organize with POLITICS
In 2024, the word “politics” implies factions wrestling for power, covered in the media like sports and gossip.
Aristotle introduced the word "politics" to describe the affairs of cities.
The purpose of politics is not to fight each other, but to work together, through an organizational structure that links local to regional, to national, to continental, to global.
Why? To make the best use of our unique human resources and provide for our needs.
The effectiveness of our organizational structures (our politics) determine our effectiveness at problem solving. From households to nations. And that requires good communications.
4
We rely on COMMUNICATIONS
The best use of the most sophisticated communications technology ever created is not selling ads and causing a mental health crisis.
The purpose of communications is reporting and sharing critical information, connecting people at the local, regional, national and global levels.
Accuracy, connectivity, inspiration, authenticity, creativity, and care, are the critical values required for rational decision-making, public accountability, and a secure and thriving society.
For a mass media matrix to be useful, humanity must be its highest value. And our humanity is best understood through our culture.
5
We create human CULTURE
The arts are our earthly attempt to grasp the fundamental essence of what it means to be a human being. The arts are a portal allowing us to step into each other’s shoes and feel our oneness. Our stories are our tools for living.
But culture goes beyond the arts. It’s also science, cooking, gardening, mathematics, medicine, city planning, any inspiration that ennobles life on earth and enables us to be more conscious and connected through our talents.
We all share the same needs. Food, shelter, security, health, belonging, love and a life of purpose. That’s why our culture should never bow to an idol of money. Money is here to serve our humanity. Not the reverse.
Which brings us to the last step to surviving earth. Our purpose. The meaning of life.
6
Our purpose is GOODNESS
Due to misunderstandings of the first 5 items we’ve just discussed, the word “God” can reek of snake oil for too many people.
And the word “spirituality” can smack of self-help programs that put selling above giving. So, for the purposes of this discussion let’s use the word “goodness.”
Goodness is using our passions as our fuel but not letting them drive the car. It’s letting higher purpose set our course.
Goodness reminds us the highest good is not our selves. If we take credit, we’re led to hubris — legendary for ruining all good endeavors.
Goodness means we focus on our own faults. As long as there is war in our selves there will be war in the world.
Goodness means we are aware that human rights are our human obligations. We are a social species in each other’s care. We rise or sink together.
Goodness means we are aware of our mortality, that by the grace in this unfathomable universe we are chosen in each moment to continuously spark into existence by a fire we cannot see.
Let us remain in a state of wonder, humility and reverence. Anything else is quite unreasonable.
We are here for a short time. We are guests. It’s pretty clear what the point is: to take care of each other and our home. Which brings us back to 1: Home.