Need help changing the world (please read this Steve)

[toasterwater]

Okay, heres the deal. I recently started a thread in the Character/ Contribution section of this forum. I have a vision, and I am beginning to put things into action.

As you will be able to tell from that thread, my vision is to change the world for the better, but I am going to need as much help as I can get. My website is currently undergoing changes in an effort to shift our purpose to this new vision of changing the world (please note that this site was originally designed to be a personal development website, so any content related to personal development (like the homepage) is going to be reorganized, and the main theme of the site will be this new project).

The main concept behind this is to get many like-minded people from around the world on board with this project. The main goal of this "society" or "organization" or "group" (or whatever you are comfortable calling it) is simply to change the world for the better. There are too many bad things going on in this world for this many of us capable, peace oriented people to just sit by and watch passively.

We all know that there have been individuals throughout history who have succeeded in changing the world (for better or for worse), imagine the effect we can have on the human race if we can get many people on board with this idea.

I'm not sure just how active you (Steve Pavlina) are in this forum, but i would like to ask for your help in this project. With the size of your audience, and your all of your experience, and your obvious desire for peace, you can play a great roll in this "project".

Please let me know of any feedback you have for me concerning this idea. Everone is always welcome to IM me, or send me an email, or visit my site, or obviously post on these threads.

Thanks for your time, and consideration, and here is to the Personal Development of the Human Race!

[thijsvdanker]

Hey toaster,

Good thing to see you are going for a better world (there can't be enough of those people can there? ). Before you shoot off with your initiative, you might want to take a look at Zaadz.com, a growing community that kinda carries the same initiative! (Their homepage header reading 'Let’s change the world.' )

Good luck with your own initiative of making this world a better place!

sincerly,
Thijs
--Partner @ Partners-InC--

[dorothy hanna]

I'm on board, and I'm intending a great success for the endeavor.

[stephencp]

Toasterwater,
Congratulations on an awesome mission and perhaps the only one that really matters. As was stated, their are other sites already doing that too. While I suppose you can't have too many, to be successful (i.e. get alot of committed members) I think you need to be unique somehow.
For example, I am bringing back the works of Frank Channing Haddock into the public discussion (and no one else is). All great PD gurus are in essence saying the same things but each has a special twist that resonates differently with different people.
How is your mission or message going to be special?

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics

[FearlessGhost]

Changing the world for the better sounds tremendous.

When you are changing the world for the better, who's better would the change be for?

If someone did not want the world changed, or not changed in accordance with your view and/or the majority's view, what would you do?

Would the world be better free?

(I am also starting a new thread under this topic)

[Jaben]

I believe all visitors of this site and forum would agree a better world would be a more conscious, compassionate, free, sustainable and joyful world. One idea that we could start off with would be to create our own exchange system. Here is a good site (although a little old with broken links) describing alternative exchange systems.

If we have a diverse enough group we can have a complete economy. That is if the participants compose a group that can provide all the skills and resources necessary for basic needs we will be self sufficient. From there we can grow faster and more efficiently for the following reasons:

1. All exchanges would be untaxed. We'd be cutting national governments out of the picture. We would have full control of our resources.
2. We can design the currency to maximize sustainability. National currencies use interest rates to drive competition and keep us living in a scarcity paradigm. As an illustration, what happened to the interest rates in the US during the recession starting around 2001? They dropped so as to encourage spending. When the economy is good, they rise to encourage hoarding of cash. If we lower interest rates or even charge for holding on to money, what happens? People invest in sustainable resources, such as fruit and nut trees for example!
3. The participants will not be driven by greed, but rather common goals including compassion and abundance for all. We will be more efficient than the economies operating with national currency because competition results in redundancy in effort and in people working without motivation merely to keep up with the status quo whereas everyone working together on unique projects results in meaningful work and maximum overall contribution.

I can't think of a better way to kick off this initiative than to organize an exchange system based on an abundance for all paradigm.

[stephencp]

"That is if the participants compose a group that can provide all the skills and resources necessary for basic needs we will be self sufficient."

Ah, but that's the rub. Whose happy with just "basic needs"? and if basic includes Internet access, then what excluded? If we all need to still buy stuff from society at large with inflating prices, then it doesn't work.

Something that already exists like this is e-gold... Internet payments, 100% backed by gold but the same problem exists if your buying stuff from the regular economy, the prices will continue to inflate.

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics

[Jaben]

We wouldn't have to be a completely self sufficient economy for it to be of great benefit. This forum is already an exchange of information, the currency is reciprocity. I'm just suggesting expanding this exchange to include whatever service or resources the members can provide. I would be glad to provide my skills in exchange for some personal development currency or maybe just as a gift of reciprocity. As more people join, the PD exchange will be more useful. The more I can buy with PD currency, the less need I have for national money. Yes, we'll still have to pay property taxes... unless enough people organize a mass refusal.

Let's take the Internet example to illustrate... Initially some ISPs would join. They will have to charge some national currency to their customers, but if they can buy their necessities using PD money they would only have to charge enough national currency to pay for the service. Profits could be made in PD money. The more services available in the PD exchange, the less national currency we need to make.

The ISP owners must decide what to do with their profits. That's where the power of the personal development group comes in. A member of this group would invest their profits in making the world a more compassionate, peaceful, sustainable and joyful place to live.

The success and value of the exchange will depend on the people who participate. The question to ask is do you want to invest in a system that promotes competition and scarcity or in a system that promotes personal development and abundance for all? Which system is better? Let's find out.

[MichaelRGaudet]

Toasterwater: Great initiative! I have a friend who wrote a powerful song called "Abundance for All". I have observed her life over the years...she has a very close-knit, loving family, many very good, loyal friends who would reach out to offer love and suport when needed in a heartbeat. She lives in a 'sustainable' community- with organic gardens, livestock, a freshwater well, environmentally-friendly housing, etc., etc.

My point is, when this friend wrote this song and started to perform it, record it, etc., she set the whole thing into motion. Maybe every time somebody hears her song ( and there have been thousands who have) her message reaches out to stimulate the clear intention of Abundance for All in each and every receptive heart. That would be the hope.

Same thing goes for the recent phenomenon "The Secret", and before that
"What the Bleep do we know?" In my opinion, ANYTHING that advances the idea that 'we are what we think' is a very positive contribution. You get my vote. When you have a minute, check out The Aha Experience
Let me know if you think we could collaborate.