The next era of growth for developed or emerging economies will require many dramatic changes. They will be dramatic because we have to go beyond the usual tactics that have been effective up until now such as tweaking interest rates and fiscal policies at a national level, or resorting to layoffs and cost cutting at the business level, or changing spending habits and start saving at a personal level. Instead, we have to reconsider the current productive paradigm, the values that drive it, and act proactively to address what cannot be sustained since it is evident that the actual model is broken.

In this case there will not be a magic wand (ie. Stimulus Packages) that will keep us from the inexorable exercise of collective reflection. First of all, we have to be aware that to create sustainable wealth in the next era of progress, we will have to generate real value (bubble free) with a minimum of resources. In other words, sustainable wealth is a function of increased productivity and higher energy efficiency. However, even if there is a pressing need to restart the productive cycle, even if it is more efficient, we have to reflect and ask ourselves some questions…

What was the cause of the great bubble that finally exploded?

Without a doubt, our insatiable society is seduced continuously by the promise of obtaining pleasure from material abundance, leaving aside other fundamental dimensions of our wellbeing. We have indulged ourselves in a feast that has blinded us from appreciating other values. In this process, we have failed to discover our true passion causing another additional pathology of the times: No enthusiasm for our daily endeavors, generalized cynicism, and lack of trust.

I suggest that we look for alternatives where all citizens could contribute to a new paradigm of thought and of action. We must start a collective discovery process to reflect in terms of our mission, values, desires, and beliefs. It is only through this discovery process that we will be able to awaken the authentic will for coherent sustainable action. How can we create real value, regain trust, and start a new era of expansion for the US and for the world?

THERE WILL NOT BE ANY DRAMATIC CHANGE if we do not start from within. This is a mayor challenge, since we all think we are right. Dramatic changes only tend to occur when faced with a great crisis that leaves us with no other option but to react. How long do we have to wait to accept that we are all responsible of our collective wellbeing even beyond the borders of our nation? The global scope of the ongoing crisis and our increasing awareness of its interconnectedness represent the best opportunity that humanity has had to date to work together towards a new model of wellbeing. Are you prepared to confront these challenges?