SELF-REFLECTION

There is a growing movement comprised of tens of millions of people (sometimes referred to as "Cultural Creatives"), who are open to new experiences and ideas and interested in leading lives that are fulfilled through connection rather than materialism or tribalism.

This movement seems primed to embrace the hard work of true global awareness that resists a largely self-centered worldview in favor of an expansive, we-are-all-neighbors perspective. It's an exciting shift with great promise. Yet this movement, so ripe for producing solutionaries, sometimes focuses a bit more heavily in the self-development arena than the action arena; more on fit bodies than bodies working for change; more on personal serenity than engagement with persistent problems in the world.

Don't get me wrong. I fall into the "Cultural Creatives" category; I practice Aikido and yoga, take hikes in the woods, and care for my body and mind; but I've noticed a trend among my fellow Cultural Creatives that's sometimes unduly "I-focused," reminding me of the self-centeredness of tribalism, albeit in different clothing.

Here's an example: a friend was going through some personal challenges; one thing after another kept going wrong over the course of a week. Then a blizzard hit and her car got stuck in an embankment. She exclaimed, "What is Spirit trying to teach me?!" I couldn't help but notice how strangely narcissistic that comment (a bit out of a new age workbook) sounded, even though it seemed to reject typical complaining and boo-hooing in favor of learning and growth.

But whether it's Spirit, or the Universe, or one's God, the idea that an act of nature was directed at us personally to teach us something is pretty self-centered when you think about it. "Spirit's" blizzard affected millions of people. Was it truly directed at each victim of its fury to teach each one a lesson? – Zoe Weil