Introduction


“We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
—Hopi Indian wisdom
Our institutions have failed us. The great awakening that could have piggy backed the triumph of the values of freedom and equality has instead been hijacked by greed and fear.
With the opening up of the world to free trade and the free flow of instantaneous information one might have imagined that we could have come closer together as a species. But like a squabbling couple hoping the arrival of a new baby will solve their problems, our increased level of scrutiny of each other has driven us further apart.
In the last two decades of the twentieth century the doctrine of free markets heralded a period of unprecedented growth. But now we see that the gap between rich and poor has only grown larger. We see that the increased rope that business begged for has come to be a noose for which to hang itself. The global elite, instead of using their power to promote long term equality and peace, has used it to line their own pockets and insulate themselves from the world in secured private compounds.
The United Nations, an institution established in the wake of a world war, has become a toothless tiger. Unable to fight against the private agendas of its member nations more often than not motivated by financial concerns. There is a saying that we should ‘Get worried when the money men take over the company for they have but one thing on their mind.’ How else can we view the actions of our first world nations when they have been quick to war in the oil rich Middle East but have failed to act with any level of commitment in Africa?
How else can we view the actions of our Governments when their decisions are so clearly motivated by trade and ultimately by money? Is there a reason why nothing has been done about Tibet other than the fact that other countries are afraid to lose the promised trading riches with China? Is there a reason why we still have no real action on climate change other than the fear of losing financial gain if a leading role is taken? Our Governments act out of fear and they fail us because of this!
And our churches? Surely we should have faith in them? But how can we when they preach righteousness and the radicals on all sides send their boys off to war?
Our institutions have failed us. Whilst we placed our faith in them and quietly went about our business of making ends meet, raising children and just trying to live a good life – we have been shafted.
So, who should we blame for this? Heads of state? Heads of business? Church leaders?
No. At the heart of all of these institutions are people. Individuals who have allowed these things to happen. Individuals who have carried these instructions out, often in good faith, even though a niggling feeling deep within them may have tried to sound a warning.
‘That’s not my responsibility’ may have been their response, ‘I’m just doing my job’, ‘Sorry that’s just business, there’s nothing I can do about it.’ Are you one of ‘those’ people? Have you done something or let something happen even though deep within you have known that it was wrong? Have you absolved yourself by claiming that it is someone else’s responsibility? Have you been trying to convince yourself that there really is nothing you can do about it and ‘It’s just life’ ?
Rubbish !
It is time now to change the world from the inside out. It is time for a revolution in what we see as acceptable. It is time to step up as individuals. No longer can we allow ourselves to be controlled by fear. No longer can we allow ourselves and our institutions to be driven by greed. No longer can we ignore our planet and the other creatures that inhabit it and claim that we are the privileged elite.
It’s time to take responsibly as individuals for the world we have created and the world we want to create. It’s not about trusting others less but about trusting ourselves more.
We can afford to wait no longer for someone else to fix the fundamental problems that wrack our world for ‘We are the ones we have been waiting for’.
So, I invite you on a journey of Self Mastery.
If you were a God with the power to change the world, what then? How would you be? What would you do? Would fear and greed play any role in your being? I think not!
Fundamentally, I think we would each eventually come to a place of truth and love.
But how would we get there? What perils would face us along the way? How would we master our inner demons and rid ourselves of the ego driven lust for power?
This program is about that journey. The inner journey that, if you are reading this, you have already started. The journey that ultimately becomes a battle of the self versus the self. A journey that, to change the world from the inside out, we need to complete. So that we can come to a place of inner peace and love, from which we can radiate into the world.
So let us begin.