How Can Millennials Find Wisdom Early in Life?
& Why they Must...
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We live in challenging times. Increased population and the global proliferation of industrial capitalism are seriously testing the carrying capacity of the planet. Soil erosion, the loss of nutrient density, species extinction, water shortages, resource depletion and climate change are just a few of the challenges that the next generation of leaders must solve if our children and our grandchildren are to have the opportunity for a meaningful life. The current generation of American leaders have been unable to forge effective global answers to these challenges. Our emerging leaders are being called to a new level of wisdom and a deeper capacity for effective, visionary leadership then any generation to date.
While the challenges are great, the potential for living systems to find creative ways to ReGenerate themselves are truly miraculous. The Ecological Design work of John Todd PhD remediating serious ecological damage, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JohnTodd_(biologist) or the understanding of ReGenerative Science practiced by John McMillin MD, PhD who helped end the Ethiopian famines in the 80's, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbCuPgvYaUs give us a sense of this extraordinary potential. We now know that multiple life forms can work together in creative ways to remediate past damage in ways that are almost beyond belief.
The bigger challenge is marshaling the resources and the leadership to create the opportunities for this to happen. For this to occur the generation of emerging leaders must develop a level of wisdom and a capacity for skillful action that has historically been the province of the great saints and sages. We know that most individuals only develop to the center of gravity of the culture in which they live. We also know that the right mix of learning and experience can encourage a larger proportion of our emerging adults to break out of the adolescent and consumer orientation of western culture, and to bypass the evolutionary cul-de-sac that generally sets in between the ages of 25 and 65. It is precisely during that prime period of life that we require a new level of leadership and a more embracing consciousness, if we are to adequately address the pressing global challenges that confront the human species. In the alternative we human beings will not be reading about the 6th great mass extinction in the Sunday paper, we will be washed away in the storm squalls of that unfolding cosmological process. What is called for is both knowledge (a tangible and open minded understanding of the natural patterns and processes that living systems follow) and know how (a practical capacity for action that aligns with, rather than resists, those fundamental patterns of living systems). It is through an integration of rigorous and experiential study with personal reflection and heartfelt mentoring, coupled with practical application of the learned principals in a genuine apprenticeship experience, that the internal evolution of young leaders' consciousness, as well as their capacity to apply that know how in demanding situations, will timely evolve in order to meet the planetary demands of the 21st century. The entire focus of the Institute for ReGenerative Learning is to participate with others in clearing away the obstacles that might impede this essential and urgent undertaking. |
The questions confronting emerging adultsEstimates vary, but at least 50% of emerging adults live at home after college, close to 40% are underemployed and many are seeking a different world from the one they are inheriting (climate change, income disparity, social fragmentation etc..). Highly educated and
technology savvy, they remain hopeful about re-establishing a healthy relationship to the planet and to each other, despite the obvious
challenges. The questions that most concern them are exactly the questions addressed in the IRL's programs. They include:
> How do I make sense of life? > How can I earn a living and still express the unique longing of my soul? > How can I have a successful long term relationship? > How can I participate with others in a meaningful and sustainable community? > How can I create a healthy lifestyle and live well in a global and inter-connected world? To the degree these motivated and enthusiastic young adults can find good answers to these questions, maintain their sense of purpose and develop the life skills to navigate the world effectively, is the degree to which a benign global society will become a reality for future generations. |