Copyright © 2005 Geela
Author of "The American Dream"
http://www.Geela.com
Has America known its finest hour? Are we losing our religion
and sanity as well? What is wrong with our society anyway? These
are baffling questions that are frequently being asked by more
and more people, even the media.
>From environmental pollution to spiritual pollution, from
artificial food to artificial joy – these are the side effects of
the pursuit of materialism (a by-product of the American Dream,
as we know it). Today, everything is fair game in the pursuit of
pleasure and avoidance of pain and personal responsibility, not
to mention the absence of morality and a wholesome values system.
Is America at risk of reaching a point of no return, or worse
becoming a third world nation? According to universal laws, it's
all a simple matter of cause and effect or as it's been said "as
you sow so shall you reap." What we are witnessing is the
powerful consequences of these laws from which no one is exempt.
We live in a time characterized by a modern battle between good
and evil which can be defined as limited awareness (the norm) and
integrity and enlightenment (which are the exception). It's a
time when chaos and anarchy are the order of the day. While
technologically we may live in a space age, morally we are still
living in the stone age as reflected in our social ills, the
failure of our systems and institutions and the growing conflicts
both domestically and internationally.
One of the greatest human tragedies is not the lack of resources
and/or control over our own circumstances, but rather the lack of
awareness. Whether we realize it or not, the current climate of
insanity, including terrorism, is a reflection of a moral and
spiritual crisis. It's indicative of our denial of our own
spiritual roots and the perception that we are separated, which
eventually leads to conflicts and even wars.
An engineer can look at the foundation of a building under
construction and tell you its eventual height and even fate of a
structure. Similarly, a society is as strong and free as the
pillars of the spirit upon which it's built. Spiritual roots are
the foundation upon which total prosperity and peace and harmony
are built. When we reject concepts of spirituality, integrity
and morality – we also deny the greatest part of our existence
(our spirit) which enables us to prosper and experience a fuller
life of meaning, purpose, real joy, fulfillment and peace (inner
and outer). By so doing, we also deny our access to the ultimate
real and positive power, the ever-present force (God) that builds
and doesn't destroy. That's because we are spiritual beings
experiencing the human experience and not the other way around.
As such we were designed and meant to live a life of meaning and
purpose through spirit and integrity beyond the narrow boundaries
of the material world.
In a materialistic-driven society where vanity, not virtue, is
worshipped, all the things we used to hold dear like, religion,
marriage, family, loyalty, faithfulness, hard work, and being of
service to the community are no longer sacred. Instead
consumerism, in the spirit of "He with the most toys lives,"
rather then "He with the most joys lives," is promoted and driven
by profit and greed to the point that even a holiday like
Christmas is now more of a marketing concept and devoid of any
real meaning.
The media, especially Hollywood, is also at fault. Rather than
celebrating excellence and the human spirit, by promoting
positive concepts such as personal responsibility, making a
difference, tolerance, kindness, giving and sensitivity to the
human condition, the media produces shows and movies that
celebrate human weakness, vanity and perversion. These
productions promote social ills such as anti-social behavior,
excessive self-indulgence and entitlement, instant gratification,
greed, corruption, compromised integrity and obsession with
external, shallow values, including the obsession with fame,
fortune, and youth. This has led to a significant increase in
substance abuse, senseless violence in our schools, and increased
teen suicide.
You can blame it all on the pursuit of the American Dream, as we
know it, which is an illusion based on a materialistic values
system characterized by corruption, greed, compromised integrity
and the erosion of morality whereby the love of power overcomes
the power of love. It certainly does not represent the true
spirit of America, which was based on perspiration, innovation,
risk and reward and where the focus used to be on a strong work
ethic, high integrity, family and community. All of which
created a nation of producers with an enviable prosperity that
created real joy and fulfillment.
It's obvious that America has gone off track and is in desperate
need for healing and revival if we are to maintain a free and
thriving nation, not to mention our leadership in the
international arena. The solution to restoring our spirits and
our economy is through increased awareness and by reconnecting
with our spiritual roots. Awareness can be used as a useful tool
to better understand the unity of life, our place in the universe
and ourselves. By understanding ourselves better, we come to
understand God as the source and the destination.
In other words, everything we do must be driven by spirit and
spirit-filled. That's because we are spiritual beings
experiencing the human experience and not the other way around.
As such we were meant and designed to live a life of meaning and
purpose by recognizing the unity of life and living in harmony
with the universal laws that are characterized by integrity and
the honoring of all living things. In this way we can actually
produce real hope, real joy and fulfillment, real peace (both
inner and outer), ultimately leading to total prosperity in the
true spirit of the American Dream.
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Copyright © 2004-2005, Geela
Author of "The American Dream"
http://www.Geela.com
Geela is an award winning singer/songwriter/composer, columnist,
and author of the best-selling book "THE AMERICAN DREAM," her
true- life story of how she came to America as a young immigrant
with nothing and overcame incredible obstacles to achieve
mega-success. She founded ONE SPIRIT, ONE WORLD to help children
and promote a culture of peace and harmony. Get a free sample of
her music and her book at http://www.Geela.com