Would We Be Better Off Without Money?
Many are dissatisfied with the current economic system. We hear a lot about the 1% versus the 99%, and the contrast between the vast wealth of a relatively few people and the extreme poverty we see in so many places is disturbing. The gap in wealth and income between workers and owners, abuses on the part of large companies, financial crises, and many other aspects of economic life have contributed to the growing questions: Would we better off without money? And is there a better way?
Where We Have Been
The Celestine Prophecy’s Second Insight shows us the importance of understanding our history, in order to help us see the evolution that is open to us as individuals and as a society. Most of us accept that, in our current system, we have to work to get money. We then spend or save that money to get the things we need and want, from basics such as food and shelter, to more recent developments like smart phones – money is needed to get just about everything we require. As a result, our money system is very closely linked to the material focus that has marked the most recent period of human evolution.
The motivation behind many of the innovations that have helped us tame our world has in part been related to money. Our economic system generally lets people focus their efforts on what they are best able to do and, in theory, this should benefit everyone.
Where We Are At
While the economic form that we currently know should allow us to work and receive payment in line with our efforts, the reality is that many people feel the system is unfair. A lack of money can leave us feeling trapped in jobs or a life course that we don’t want, and can stop us from pursuing our personal mission. For those who lack even the basics, spiritual growth takes a back seat to survival.
These limitations have many of us thinking about new ways to approach work, money, and our economy. As we collectively awake from a material obsession and increase spiritual awareness, discomfort with the old economic order also increases. There is a growing desire to prioritize spiritual life and loosen the strong-hold of materialism. But what can be done?
Where We Can Go
One of the challenges in trying to find a better way forward is that we are in transition. While a growing number of people continue to wake up to spiritual pursuits, many are still stuck in a material-only mindset. This makes radical and quick changes very difficult.
Changes we make have to reflect a balance between the way we may wish the world was with how the world is in reality. It can be disheartening to struggle against faceless institutions that seldom reflect our values; the forces of the old approach to money can seem too strong to change, but, the good news is that we can personally contribute towards the next step in economic evolution.
