Are we ready to look in the mirror and accept our roles and responsibilities as entrepreneurs in the future?
By Jo Mooy
Every New Year we begin the same personal rituals that usually distill down to the same thing. Transform or change something about ourselves and surely it will be a better year! Are tomorrows better than yesterdays? That answer depends on an individual’s situation. But if we widen the focus on the lens the answer is clearer and probably yes. The future does look brighter, though it certainly will not be familiar.
Current thinking says life unfolds in present moments. We’re coached to follow “the six steps” or “10 steps” or “name the steps” that teach us to focus only on the present and the future will take care of itself. Normally, it’s sane advice! But behind the curtain of all those present-focused moments that consume us, the future is screaming out about what’s coming. If we pull back the curtain on the obvious trends, the future that’s ahead for the Millennials of the 21st Century and their children reveal a look at “Their Tomorrows.”
Baby Boomers, once described as the largest population group on earth, have just been replaced by Millennials. Gratefully, they have vastly evolved ideas on ecology, technology, religion, race and jobs than their parents. That’s a good thing. At 80 million strong, they’re socially and environmentally conscious, better educated, will inherit great wealth from the Boomers, and are 95 percent electronically connected. Already, they’ve convinced Wall Street to divest its holdings in fossil fuels proving through business models that they will lose billions of dollars. Their Tomorrow says fossil fuels like coal are dying while sustainable alternatives like wind and solar will surge in the future.
Europe and Asia are also defining Their Tomorrows by taking leadership roles in transportation, technology and environmental issues. As these young future leaders focus on reducing fossil fuels, the companies they’ve built are transitioning to self-driving cars, while technology companies are planning to leapfrog their efforts. Ahead of that wave, Britain and Finland banned gas and diesel cars starting in 2040. Finland leads Europe in recycling and Germany leads in solar energy.
Right now most countries are focused on immigration and whites-only diatribes, but by 2050 no single racial or ethnic majority will be dominant. Perhaps that realization is fueling the anger and hatred as old ways of life wither. In fact, Millennials will be the largest racially diverse group in history made up mostly of mixed-race Asians and Latinos. A future homogenized view of society will emerge and tolerance for other cultures finally has the chance of becoming the hallmark of Their Tomorrows.
Ten Billion people will inhabit the planet by 2050, with Africa the most populous continent. India is expected to have a population of 1.6 billion people, equal to the United States and China combined. But we’re getting old. The global population is aging and graying with Japan, South Korea and Germany having the oldest citizens and fewest births. The United States will have more people age 65+ than those 15 and under. These global demographics will rip cultures and religions apart as they struggle to reinvent old beliefs and moral structures.
Will this surge of humans cope with the future changes of Their Tomorrows? Probably yes.
The same way they did when cars replaced horses; the same way they did when radios and jukeboxes replaced live musicians; and the same way they will now that technology has become an extension of our lives. But what about the psychic changes ahead?
We’ll manage those too. For a great spiritual wave of introspection is forming, though for the present it’s subtle. It asks us to examine our behaviors toward one another. It forces us to take a stand for the principles we proclaim. It makes us look in the mirror and accept our roles and responsibilities in our future and Their Tomorrows. It demands that all of us leave the world a better place than when we arrived. If we can do that at both a business and personal level, it’s a certain guarantee that all of Their Tomorrows will be better.
Jo Mooy has studied with many spiritual traditions over the past 40 years. The wide diversity of this training allows her to develop spiritual seminars and retreats that explore inspirational concepts, give purpose and guidance to students, and present esoteric teachings in an understandable manner. Along with Patricia Cockerill, she has guided the Women’s Meditation Circle since January 2006 where it has been honored for five years in a row as the “Favorite Meditation” group in Sarasota, FL, by Natural Awakenings Magazine. Teaching and using Sound as a retreat healing practice, Jo was certified as a Sound Healer through Jonathan Goldman’s Sound Healing Association. She writes and publishes a monthly internationally distributed e-newsletter called Spiritual Connections and is a staff writer for Spirit of Maat magazine in Sedona. For more information go to www.starsoundings.com or email jomooy@gmail.com.