Where to Now?

Nature, Mass Events, and Animal Kingdom

The idea that “mass events” are messages is as ancient as the planet Earth itself. All the great civilizations and those prior to recorded history have interpreted expressions of Nature as “signs” to humankind.

This is the way Nature communicates with humans--sometimes in highly expressive ways, such as earthquakes, storms, or hurricanes, or highly sensitive ways, such as flowers in the spring, a sprinkling of snow, a spring day, and the chill of a rainy day.

As between two humans, the form of communication is dictated by the cause-effect relationship. If the expressions of humankind are to create stress and imbalance in Nature, then Nature attempts to relieve such stresses and imbalance – through both minor and major mass events. In this case Nature is the source, it's expressions are the messages, and Animal Kingdom is a messenger.

There are numerous messengers communicating in their own unique ways. These include humans, books, tapes, CDs, etc. In each unique way, the messages are similar: physical, mental, and spiritual, balance within and among humankind is also reflected in Nature. This is the essential message in the book Animal Kingdom.The question that arises is “what is meant by balance?”

Balance refers to a “state of being” where we recognize how interconnected we are rather than how separate we are. It refers to the recognition that our infinite variety of differences, we call diversity, is based upon a foundation of values that are inherent in and common to all, e.g., family, service, faith, and expressions of the human spirit through art, science, literature, technology,creativity, and innovation. Balance is fundamentally a state of love dominated by wisdom, rather than state of fear dominated by survival. It is the recognition that human survival has been handled even though we do not behave as if it has.

Animal Kingdom invites us to draw meaning from the mass events “We” experience. The “We” is really an invitation to the world, although those closest to such events are provoked to think most about them. It ultimately poses the question, “Do we, collectively as humans, have the capacity and willingness to create a humanly-compatible planet of people?” If the answers are Yes, then “how” would we have to change and “what” would we have to “do” differently to ensure that we do not revert to fear and survival patterns.

So, Animal Kingdom is a global messenger to humankind to stimulate such conversations. Be clear, that these conversations begin within each of us and is manifested by dialogues of openness, understanding, transformation, and creative integration. Creative integration is the process of creating an environment which is inclusive of all points-of–view and simultaneously compatible in how we live and work together.

The process of reconciling differences to create compatible systems (ways) of living (and working) is Diversity. It is the most fundamental concept to creating human compatibility. It will dominate human activity in this century – either consciously or unconsciously.