It Starts With You

I recently watched the TV show ‘WeCrashed,’ which vividly recounted the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of WeWork and its enigmatic founders, Adam and Rebekah Neumann. I had vaguely followed the headlines in 2018 when the company's fortunes began to unravel, but the show unveiled the intricate details that had previously escaped my attention. What struck me most was the profound mismanagement, the use of grandiose language, and the ambitious mission that lacked tangible substance.

WeWork incessantly repeated its mission was to "elevate the world's consciousness." In theory, it's an aspiration that could address many of humanity's challenges. But, in practice, it appeared that the company was merely using this noble concept as a tool to secure more funding. The actual business model and company culture had nothing to show for that mission. Heck, even the founders were lacking in higher consciousness, deeply attached to status and material wealth, always looking down condescendingly on other people. They just wanted to be rich, that’s all.

Could a single company genuinely achieve such a lofty goal? Not in a million years. The collective elevation of consciousness is a task far beyond the capacity of any individual or corporation.

The Yogi philosophy teaches that humanity's consciousness is in a perpetual state of growth, something that happens automatically. Just look back a hundred years, and you’ll see how much kinder and friendlier we are in comparison.

While we can play a role in influencing others, the profound transformation required to elevate the collective consciousness rests within the hearts and minds of each individual. Each soul is responsible for their own growth and unfoldment. And the collective is composed of individuals like you and me.

When talking about spiritual evolution, Yogi Ramacharaka writes, “our race, at present, is going through a most important period of evolution. It is passing from the unconscious stage of spiritual development into the conscious stage."

And the contemporary yogi Sadhguru writes in his book ‘Inner Engineering,’ "The only solution for all the ills that plague humanity is self-transformation. It is a dimensional shift in the way you perceive and experience life."

The path to a better world begins with you. By being kind to everyone, by doing the best you can with what you have, by helping those who are a step behind you, by taking care of the ones you love, by doing things better than they were done before, by extending a helping hand to those in suffering, by using your voice to promote unity, by fostering an insatiable curiosity for the deep mysteries of life, by engaging in reflection and introspection, by being an honest citizen, and by avoiding causing harm to others.

It starts with you, and it ends with you.

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