« In a Nutshell | This We Know #9

Sisters and Brothers in Arms

By Tom Evans

The average life of a dollar bill
is just 18 months.

Before you read these next chapters, you should know a few things.

The author doesn’t claim to know the answers or to have any agenda. He doesn’t know for certain if God exists or we are some freak accident of nature.

He does think though we are at an amazing point in our history and on the brink of a new level of ‘knowing.'

He doesn’t necessarily know how to go about implementing what follows but he has heard about the 100th Monkey Syndrome.

Apparently when enough monkeys (or people) on an isolated island learn a new skill, monkeys (or people) on neighbouring islands pick up that skill by some sort of psychic osmosis. If true and not simply apocryphal, all that is needed for change is that enough people start to think and act differently.

Note in passing that these ‘islands’ could even be planets spread across multiple star systems across multiple galaxies.

This means a small change in thought pattern of one small insignificant brain from one of 7 billion people can instigate a change across Space and Time. Each of us is potentially capable of igniting such sparks.

In past times we have looked for leadership from religious leaders, politicians and latterly scientists.

We know that politicians don’t really know how to run a country, they are all ‘having a go’ and largely experimenting.

We know even religious leaders don’t know for sure that God exists.

We know scientists don’t know for sure how we got here.

We know things aren’t right and could be better. Yet, any change of any significance will not come from those who purport to lead us, it can only come from each one of us.

For example, the annual military spend globally is over 1 trillion dollars.

Just imagine if that money was spent not keeping the peace but creating the peace. Just imagine if that money was spent feeding the malnourished and educating the obese. Just imagine if that money was spent on healthcare or research into ecological power generation.

We can all imagine better ways to spend that money. We could just divvy it up 7 billion ways so it would get spent back into the economy.

Or why not blow it all on a global party every year to celebrate we are all alive on the same lump of rock?

Is this stance naive? Just imagine if it wasn’t and that within 100 years it could come to pass. Pass it on!!! •

Next: The Future's Bright »

This inspiring article is serialized from the ebook This We Know © 2012 Tom Evans. All rights reserved. More »

8/4/13