How to Create a New Economy: A Mindfulness-Based Antidote to Wall Street

Imagine an economy in which the primary currencies are compassion, loving-kindness, joy, and present moment awareness. Indeed, the first step in creating it is to visualize it.

What does such an economy look like, at the personal level? It begins with mindfulness. There’s a sense of letting go of the story line so that the endless stream of thought from the ego is put to the side, just for a moment.

As you do this, as you return back to your breath, you notice something very interesting, something intricately related to the awakening of consciousness in 2012. It’s something that’s intrinsically connected to the cells of your body on an infinite, subatomic level. It’s a connection to all other beings (and non-beings) on the planet—and it’s a connection to the entire cosmos, beings and non-beings alike.

In short, it’s so microscopic, yet so infinite, that you can never really put your finger on it. It’s elusive, impermanent, and empty in nature. It’s the essence of who you are, and awakening into this full essence is the universal calling of our species at this present moment in time.

With the power of this awakening, both individually and as part of as our collective consciousness—we can heal our economy and our species by engaging with the following life views:

1.   The View of Witness: We must witness the current system without judgment. As we dwell in compassion and loving-kindness in the present moment, there is a sense of witness to the ego-mind based story line. As awareness expands, there is a sense of healthy detachment. As the mind is witnessed with enhanced awareness, we individually and collectively awaken into the delight of the oneness we share.

2.   The View of Artist: As we witness our minds and lives with this sense of detachment, ease and spaciousness become regular energies in our lives. Still letting go of thoughts and witnessing the mind, you dwell in spaciousness as your unique creative brilliance flows through the cells of your body and being.

In this selfless state, there is an alignment with a greater presence in your life (or God, Great Spirit, Mother Nature, etc)  As the creative brilliance of your life’s work flows effortlessly through you, all aspects of your life become artistic manifestations that blossom directly from the divine. As you and the people around you do this, the organic result is individual and collective awakening, a space of joy and connection.

3.  The View of Scientist: Once you are grounded in the view of artist and witness, you have laid the foundation to become a true scientist. You turn into a doctor—your own doctor so to speak. Not only do you perform the diagnosis, but you are also in charge of the surgery that will heal yourself and the planet. And, you have been given the microscope—your mind’s eye—that you need to analyze the subatomic particles within “you” until the insight of emptiness dawns.

In fact, the subatomic particles in your body don’t even exist—no matter how deeply you look at them, no matter how deeply you split them down into smaller and smaller particles, I guarantee you that you will never be able to find any tangible substance whatsoever. You will see that, when you look deeply, your entire body—even at the cellular and subatomic levels — is actually empty in nature. Through awareness of this, you can crack open a cocoon that allows you to emerge into eternal joy in the present moment.

It is true, dear friends, that if we take on the perspective, or view, of Witness, Artist, and Scientist, that every entrepreneur can build a successful business while helping to transform people and the planet. In fact, the very role of the mindful entrepreneur partakes of the same three perspectives:

• Entrepreneur as Witness: This witnessing will lead to a sense of detachment from the business. A sense of detachment allows a clear and objective perspective, which is absolutely foundational to establishing smooth and reliable systems, systems that manage themselves, systems that free up the business owner’s time, systems that make the business more profitable and allow the entrepreneur to enjoy a stress-free, higher quality of life.

• Entrepreneur as Artist: After witnessing and system building occur, the entrepreneur is then free to explore his or her enlightened state, the state that is present when creative brilliance is flowing from the source. After all, sharing these unique and sacred gifts is the very reason you are in business, right?

• Entrepreneur as Scientist: The direct and thorough analytical inquiry of business systems leads to enhanced customer experience and rapid company growth. Through this detailed diagnoses of all the key business departments (sales, marketing, accounting, etc.), and through the development of these detailed systems related thereto, the entrepreneur is empowered to manifest a successful business—and a business in which the measures of success are 100% determined by the entrepreneur.

No matter how we measure, the ultimate level of success is only available when we consciously work to bring more joy, loving-kindness, compassion, and present moment awareness into our lives—and into the lives of our colleagues, employees, and customers as well.