Superpower Redefined
The competitive nature of our world is no secret, with nations competing in everything from the arms race to the space race and all sorts of other races in-between. In these contests it really is a case of ‘winner takes all’, where the nations on top gain supremacy over all others. This fact is personified in the very term ‘superpower’, a title often awarded to the winners of these bizarre competitions.
Unfortunately, those nations who become superpowers never seem to use their ‘superpowers’ for good. Instead, they use their newly won status to dominate, keeping all others under their control, or at the very least, under their very watchful eye. Even worse, this drive for ultimate power is a hunger that is never satiated. Thus, the struggle for supremacy becomes the very point of existence, making life one big race where there is no real beginning and no real end, just an endless race that consumes everything in its path.
Fortunately, this drive to be the best is a trait that is rooted in the control-driven nature of the Old Paradigm. As such, it is rapidly losing its luster as the world shifts ever closer toward the rapidly approaching New Paradigm. Replacing this need to be the best is an inherent desire to make the world a better place. Thus, the drive to be better is making way for the drive to do better. Still, this doesn’t mean that races and competitions will be a thing of the past. Rather, it simply means they will take on a different complexion.
The truth of the matter is that there will be plenty of races, wars, and the like in the New Paradigm. However, this will be a time where people come together, not under a flag of ethnic or cultural identity, but under the banner of a common cause, one fueled by compassion-driven values. The races run here will be to see who can cure cancer first, or who can eliminate air, water and all the other forms of pollution that are threatening life on this planet. But in these cases, rather than the winner taking all, the winner will be giving all.
The end result will be the redefining of the term ‘superpower’. In the New Paradigm, a superpower won’t be a nation with the biggest bombs or the most guns. Instead, it will be a nation that provides the greatest benefits to the planet as a whole. In fact, the superpowers of the future won’t even have to be nations at all. Instead, any group that achieves milestones for the betterment of humanity, the environment, or life in general will be deemed worthy of the title. And rather than causing dread and panic, leaving death and destruction in their wake, these New superpowers will bring hope and happiness, leaving a legacy of compassion-driven values that will restore peace and harmony to this precious world we call home.
Restoring Seventh Generation Thinking
A philosophy within the Iroquois tradition, the Seventh Generation Principle states that every decision made today must be made with the wellbeing of those seven generations down the road in mind. This means that every law written, every action taken, and every building constructed should be done with the idea that these undertakings will benefit not just those in the here and now, but also those yet to be born.
The first time I heard of this principle was when I saw an interview with a tribal elder. He was explaining the notion of focusing not just on your personal gains, but rather on the wellbeing of those impacted by your actions. In fact, he went a step further and suggested that not only did this principle apply to people, but it applied to all living things. And that was what struck me the most.
Sure, the idea of forward thinking is amazing enough on its own, as it all but eliminates any act done out of greed or for selfish reasons. But the idea that you consider the wellbeing of the birds, bees and every other child of nature was what truly resonated. For some reason that conviction took root deep within my very core, and I knew that one day it would prove more significant than I could possibly imagine at the time.
It was when I was in the grocery store looking for vegan dish soap that I came upon the brand Seventh Generation. That’s when I realized that the time had come, and the principle that had rung true all those years ago was beginning to unfold in a very real and significant way. This wasn’t some gimmick intended to influence the buying practices of hippies like me. This was a sign of the times. The sun was finally setting on the self-serving motivations of the Old Paradigm and was beginning to shed its light on a New Paradigm, where choices would be made for the benefit of every person and beastie, living and yet to be born.
Needless to say, those tearing down trees and wilderness to build the next superstore don’t care about seven minutes from now, let alone seven generations down the road. And the idea that they should care about the wildlife impacted by their actions is the stuff that would make them die of laughter. But their days are numbered, as more and more people are responding to the call of nature and beginning to live in harmony with all living things. Perhaps no two words could better embody the concept of a compassionate worldview than Seventh Generation.