line one is open...the Second American Revolution is calling...

Like many commuters, I often listen to talk radio as I pilot my car on the ribbon of highway connecting home to work and back. Along the way, I "spin" the digital dial in search of interesting dialogue, not unlike Tom Worth did on his fateful drive to the office one late summer morning. Based on what I've been hearing and if talk show callers are any guide, there is a growing sentiment along the entire political and social spectrum that a revolution is at hand.

And, I tend to agree.

The American experiment in self-government is at a crossroads. Our history traveling the path of freedom leading us towards a more perfect union has been often difficult, rife with disagreement and at times outright combat. Now, we find ourselves standing at yet another moment in history ripe with the potential to define who we are as a people.

Past crises often served to bring us together. This time around the rapid succession of one crisis after another combined with our present sense of priorities has driven us apart. With commonsense, cooperation and compromise thrown away as quaint parts of civil society, our leadership and institutions are paralyzed to do what needs to be done.

And, it seems like just about nothing is getting done these days. It is no wonder that the calls for change are growing from all quarters. But, since most of us think of political revolutions as violent affairs, the word instills fear — fear of the unknown and worse, fear of each other. When asked, most talk show callers agreed that not only will there be revolution in the not too distant future, but it will also involve violence or breakdown in the rule of law. Okay, that does sound a bit frightening. Unfortunately, all that fear blinds us from seeing the full potential of this moment.

Appearances can be deceiving

I believe that there's a different kind of revolution brewing, unlike anything we've seen before and it has the potential to lead us to a better place.

Although many people of different political sensibilities genuinely want to make things better, I find their so-called "revolutions" nothing more than imposing old ways of thinking or promoting ideologies that have already failed us. Passionate voices wanting genuine improvement call for their own brand of political solution, depending on their self (selfish?) interest — a step back to laissez-faire capitalism, more socialism, communism or some yet unknown utopian "ism." Heck, even anarchists are making a comeback.

If we pretend we're doctors examining our nation's economic, political and social health, our first rule should be to do no harm. As we look at our situation like a physician, we have to ask the question — it is "the system" that ills or is it us and the way that we think and feel? That's a key diagnosis we have to make before we can prescribe the right solution. Of course, there is no lack of partisans shouting over themselves trying to tell us what their "solution" is, which is of course to vote for them.

If you see today's problems in the pre-packaged binary terms of left versus right, red versus blue or rich versus poor, then that's because this war of words plays straight into the hands of those seeking to preserve the status quo. The current crop of politicos has neatly defined the problem as the "other guy" with their labels and fiery rhetoric. Too many of us believe it, which empowers our leaders (or followers as the case may be) to distract us from the real issues, enabling them to divide us and conquer. It is how they preserve the closed-loop system from which they derive their supply of cash flow and power. By casting Americans with different political sensibilities as having evil intent, they inflame emotions, which open checkbooks. It's a fear-anger-money and repeat business model that talk radio personality Bill Charles perfected and made him fantastically rich at the expense of national unity.

The truth is the politicians, executives and media commentators are so wrapped-up in their own symbiotic world of money, power and influence that they can't begin to see what needs to be done. Worse, they would never admit how powerless they truly are, because if they did you would close your checkbook and the game would be over.

While partisans bicker about "taking back" America from each and paralyze our institutions in the process, the growing forces of chaos on the outside are banging on the rusting gates of the empire. Indeed, a revolution is at hand, but of what kind?

The Second American Revolution is here!

Indeed, the Second American Revolution is at hand! But are you ready for it? If like the talk show callers you define revolution as a political solution, then I fear that you are not. The Second American Revolution starts in a very unlikely place and probably where you least expect it — it resides in you.

The Second American Revolution (2AR) is not one of ideology or politics. Instead, it is one of character and spirit. I believe the second American Revolution will be a spiritual one — not merely a change in the hearts and minds of the people, but a greater integration — a more perfect union — between them.

Adventurous personalities must be feeling let down at this point. A "spiritual" revolution, are you kidding me? Where's the guns!? Where's the risk, the fight!? We want to rise-up as the Founding Fathers did as modern patriots! We want to be heroes! We want glory!

If glory is what you seek, then unchain the glory of your true Self — the image of God in which you were minted before you came into this life. The ego and lower appetites have been running loose for too long. Stop worrying about what is wrong with everyone else and begin the revolution today where you have control — with you.

The more perfect union begins by integrating the heart with the mind to use the complementary strengths of both in harmony to develop new ideas, innovations and ways of thinking and living that can solve humanity's great many problems. Too many of us suffer from the spiritual illness of either the heart or the mind dominating the other, which creates conflict not only in ourselves, but in our families, politics, businesses and societies.

The mind is a powerful tool for analyzing and solving problems, but de-coupled from the heart, it can turn into a monster driven by its own self-importance and ego. Left to its own devices, the mind has the capacity to rationalize almost anything to justify the thoughts it created or those to which it is attracted. How many horrors and injustices have been committed for a so-called "logical" purpose? There are many highly intelligent and educated people on Wall Street, in board rooms, unions, schools, houses of worship, the halls of government and just sitting around the dinner table with very hard hearts. The place to where they have led us today is far from ideal. Our nation has plenty of smart people sorely lacking in wisdom.

An inclusive and open heart tells us where to go, how to act and what to say and do in harmony with the divine Plan, because it recognizes the supreme law from which all others are derived — the law of Love and unity. How many times must we learn this lesson? The heart is a pre-programmed spiritual gyroscope leading us back to the common destination that is our Father, but the heart alone lacks the mental horsepower to create a course to get us to our destination. The heart is a compass, but not the map.

And having a heart does not mean being a bleeding heart. A just society does not take a greedy share from those who have earned to give to the undeserved, ungrateful or self-destructive. Heartfelt people recognize the inherent unity of all Americans and the common destiny of all people. They want to build a culture, laws and systems that support the self-motivated development of individual potential for the benefit of us all, not just for exploitation. They are willing to be generous, to give and sacrifice some of their hard-earned gains — whether it is their time, prayer, expertise or money — from the society and system from which they have benefitted from so handsomely.

Without a heart, the mind is like a rider less horse running through the woods and without the mind the heart is a static bundle of good intentions. The Second American Revolution is about restoring balance between the two and eventually bringing them under the influence of the true Self.

If we honestly looked at the biggest problems confounding us today, I suspect we would attribute a good many of them to an imbalance, or even complete lack of union, between heart and mind. Just look around, I bet it won't take you too long to see where the lack of governing the lower self, the rider less horse, filled with its ego, appetites and selfish interests has run wild created our most pressing problems.

Declare Your Independence

Thomas Jefferson took the first step in the American Revolution by penning the Declaration of Independence. As the first step in the Second American Revolution, you and I have a declaration to make too and once we do this, then the fight really begins.

The Declaration of Independence for the Second American Revolution:

In 2AR we declare ourselves free from the lower self and slowly, patiently and persistently cleanse the personality of its ambitions, selfish desires and appetites to bring it under the will of the higher, true Self. We will strive to make our decisions, thoughts, words and actions represent the best of both our hearts and mind and we will bring them under the influence of our true Self — the image of God in which we were created before we came into this life.

In 2AR, the law of Love and unity will be recognized as the supreme law from which all other laws are derived. Humanity is One and we are all children of the same God. We will reject fundamentalist approaches, because any doctrine based on exclusivity can never be the answer to the problems that plague a diverse human race. We will let humility rule the day and leave final Judgment to the Almighty. In the meantime, we have work to do.

In 2AR, we will work to create, preserve and expand prosperity by investing in the development of our talents, abilities, skills and character through continuous education, training, observation and striving. We will invest in ourselves with our time, effort, money and make it easier for others to do the same. We will restore balance between human, financial and physical capital, the combination from which all real wealth and prosperity is generated.

In 2AR, we will use our freedom to strive for abundance and balance in all areas — spirit, mind, heart, economics, beauty wisdom and education. Innovation and prosperity is not a function of one's desire to accumulate wealth, but instead the result of our innate need to develop our gifts and express our creativity.

In 2AR, we will establish a culture based on the universal values of the soul — generosity, unity, justice, truth, freedom, goodwill and beauty — and leave behind worship of celebrity and money as parts of our national adolescence.

In 2AR, we seek not to throw out what has worked for so long, but instead preserve our individual liberties as outlined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights to guarantee that all Americans can choose their faith and destiny.

In 2AR, we will defend this new culture with all means necessary, including diplomacy, values and the powerful application of authorized military force.

Practically speaking...

Well, that all sounds pretty good, but what does it mean? As a practical matter, in a 2AR world where our business practices, votes, actions, words and relationships are governed by the virtues of the higher, true Self:

- Bankers wouldn't want to make loans that they knew could never be repaid.
- People wouldn't buy things they knew they couldn't afford.
- Investors wouldn't fund companies that prey on human weakness.
- Political leaders would serve the public interest and work to unite people through common values and interests. They would protect people's liberties, health and prosperity, instead of placating the narrow selfish interests of those who fund their campaigns.
- Business leaders would work to identify talent and invest in their employees to ensure they have the skills needed to make them more valuable and earn a wage greater than subsistence.
- Employees would be the best customers for their employers' offerings.
- People would find joy and satisfaction in achievement of overcoming their limitations and unfolding their talents, skills and abilities in their chosen field of endeavor. They would invest time and money in developing their divinely endowed talents and abilities and they would find a culture and system that supported their efforts.
- Religious leaders would educate their followers on how to develop the divine parts of their nature and emphasize the universal values at the core of all faiths, instead of sowing the seeds of fear, hate and division.

If we and our leadership (since we become the leaders of tomorrow) had integrated hearts and minds operating in the light of our higher Selves — then what kind of world would we have? If the purpose of life was defined as a process for creatively unfolding your divinely endowed talents to serve your part of God's Plan, instead of such intense focus on the accumulation of material wealth, then what kind of world would we live in?

A better one.

In that Spirit, we true patriots declare ourselves independent of the lower nature, pledge to form a more perfect union between our hearts and minds and begin the revolution of the soul!