Based on Peter Shepherd's book and the resources at Trans4mind... Daring to be Yourself gives you the tools to really turn your life around. Learn how to find yourself - truly BE yourself. You will gain valuable insights about yourself and look at the world with a more aware and open mind...

Archive for the ‘miscellaneous’ Category

Introducing: The Super Nutrition Academy

Posted on February 21st, 2012 in miscellaneous, Recommended | No Comments »

This has to do with something I’m very passionate about: easy-to-understand and powerful education. And that’s exactly how I’ve benefited from the brand new Super Nutrition Academy. The Academy teaches you the fundamentals of nutrition and health so that you can finally become master of your own body. It makes the complex relationship between food and your body simple and fun to understand.

And the best part is that each training video/lesson takes up no more than an hour of your time and is very easy to understand, even if you don’t have a background in science, nutrition or health. You’ll soon become an expert.

Super Nutrition Academy is completely different from anything you’ve ever seen with respect to diet and health. This is because the results are tangible, long-lasting, and mastering your diet and health is actually EASIER to do than you may have been led to believe. I can attest to that. In fact, there’s nothing like this approach. I promise you will be hearing about this for years to come, but now it is in the realm of the “early adopters.”

The brand new Super Nutrition Academy officially opens TODAY!

40% OFF Super Nutrition Academy
www.trans4mind.com/recommended/?sna


What if you could eat healthier, overcome debilitating food addictions, and never have to suffer through another weight-loss diet ever again? What if you could finally master your diet and health and not have to rely on your doctor, biased websites, or shady experts for proper nutrition advice? The truth is, you CAN finally eliminate dieting and be guaranteed to keep your results for life.

Learn From The Best
Yuri Elkaim, founder of the Academy, is a world-renowned holistic nutrition and fitness trainer who is endorsed by the University of Toronto. With this Academy, Yuri has put together a 12-month “health mastery” program covering all aspects of your diet and health.

Yuri says that diets are like water wings… “They work while they’re on your arms, but unless you know how to swim, you’ll sink faster than the Titanic once you’re not using them.” The same applies with how you approach your health. If you don’t understand the complex working of your body and food and continue to rely on quick-fix diets, then you’ll find it very very tough to reach your health goals. But thankfully, you don’t have to do that anymore…

Super Nutrition Academy is the only nutrition program that makes it simple to understand and master your diet and health in just 1 hour per week. Get started today and begin learning everything you ever wanted to know about your health and nutrition including:

  • The 2 “brother” molecules that purify your blood and boost your energy… and the 2 simple ways of getting more of them.
  • “Crack the carbohydrate code” and be shocked at how many carbs, proteins and fats are consumed by the longest living humans.
  • Unmask the massive metabolic difference between glucose and fructose and what that means to fruit consumption and your waistline.
  • Everything you ever wanted to know about protein – finally revealed! From how much you need, to digestibility and absorption, to the best protein foods you didn’t even know existed.
  • …and so much more!

Super Nutrition Academy is also giving everyone who gets started today a massive bonus worth $697. That’s TODAY only. Get all the details here:

40% OFF Super Nutrition Academy
www.trans4mind.com/recommended/?sna

This is your chance to live life on your terms. You’ll be amazed at how simple and easy-to-understand Yuri has made the complex relationship between food and your body. Say goodbye to ridiculous diets, boring books, and biased experts. Plus, he guides you step-by-step in creating 12 vital health habits that will change your life forever. There is nothing like this anywhere!

Wouldn’t it be great to have more clarity and simple, straight-forward health and nutrition answers from a “wise man” who’s blazed a trail for you… instead of continually struggling to figure things out on your own? Now’s your chance…

You can keep doing what you (and most other people) have probably been doing since the dawn of the information age…

Spend hours bouncing from one website to the next only to hear conflicting points of view and leaving with no solution or real understanding of the problem…

Continue reading magazines that are heavily biased thanks to their sponsors and parent companies that ‘own’ them…

Watch YouTube videos from anyone who can speak english, operate a camera, and wants to voice their two cents about a particular health or nutrition topic…

If you’ve gone down these paths, you know they don’t lead you to the promised land. Instead, they lead you down the rabbit hole to more confusion. If you want concrete answers based on science and over 13 years of real-life experience from one of the top health and nutrition leaders in our field, then you’ll want to check this out…

40% OFF Super Nutrition Academy
www.trans4mind.com/recommended/?sna

No fluff. No B.S. No agenda. Just straight-forward answers to your biggest health and nutrition concerns while providing you an unparalleled “nutritionist-like” education and understanding of what matters most!

12 Monthly Modules
Each month, you’ll have access to a new Module specifically dedicated to helping you master ONE area of nutrition and health. For instance, in Module 1, you’ll master Carbohydrates and Energy Nutrition. In Module 2, everything you need to know about Protein. And so forth.

Each module features 4 in-depth powerpoint or live video lessons to help you understand and master that given month’s topic.
In total, these 48 nutrition lessons will teach you just about everything you need to know to better your health and diet in an organized, unbiased manner. No more information overload or confusion.

Here’s An Overview of The 12 Modules:

MODULE 1 – Fundamentals of Energy Nutrition and Carbohydrates
Lesson 1 – Fundamentals of Energy Nutrition
Lesson 2 – How Nature Produces Energy and How We Can Harness It
Lesson 3 – Carbohydrates…Demystified
Lesson 4 – Deadly Sugars

MODULE 2 – Protein
Lesson 1 – Intro to Proteins and High Protein Foods
Lesson 2 – Protein Quality and Digestibility
Lesson 3 – Protein, Building Muscle, and Protein Supplements
Lesson 4 – The Dangers of High Protein Diets

MODULE 3 – Fats
Lesson 1 – Understanding Fats and the Truth About Omega-3s
Lesson 2 – Cell Membranes and the Cholesterol Myth (Part 1)
Lesson 3 – The Cholesterol Myth (Part 2)
Lesson 4 – Good vs. Bad Fats and the Impact of High Fat Diets on Body Composition

MODULE 4 – Vitamins and Minerals
Lesson 1 – Vitamins 101
Lesson 2 – Mighty Minerals
Lesson 3 – Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency and Toxicity
Lesson 4 – Supplementation vs. Whole Foods

MODULE 5 – Digestion, Elimination and Intestinal Health
Lesson 1 – Your Digestive Tract and How to Repair It
Lesson 2 – The Intestinal Universe, Bacteria, and Candida
Lesson 3 – Poo Matters – Colon Cleansing and Curing Constipation
Lesson 4 – Preventing Cancer and Other Diseases of the Digestive Tract

MODULE 6 – Immunology, Allergies, and Disease
Lesson 1 – Everything You Need to Know About Your Immune System
Lesson 2 – Inflammation – the Silent Killer
Lesson 3 – Allergies and Auto-Immune Conditions
Lesson 4 – Gluten and Anti-Nutrients

MODULE 7 – How to Heal and Prevent Disease and Become Your Doctor
Lesson 1 – How to Diagnose and Heal Yourself
Lesson 2 – Nutrition Protocols for 11 Common Diseases
Lesson 3 – Cutting Edge Cancer Protocols
Lesson 4 – Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Fatigue

MODULE 8 – Weight Loss, Metabolism, and Hormones
Lesson 1 – Weight Loss – More Than Calories IN vs. Calories OUT
Lesson 2 – The Metabolism Mystery – Explained
Lesson 3 – 21st Century Man: Testosterone and Andropause
Lesson 4 – Estrogen Dominance and Menopause

MODULE 9 – The Dark Side of Food
Lesson 1 – Food Industry Insights and Sneaky Food Label Tricks
Lesson 2 – All About Artificial Sweeteners and Food Additives
Lesson 3 – When is Organic Really Better?
Lesson 4 – Kitchen/Pantry/Store Tour

MODULE 10 – Detoxification, Fasting, and Life Extension
Lesson 1 – Liver Health and Cleansing Strategies
Lesson 2 – Cellular Detoxification – The Cure-All?
Lesson 3 – Heavy Metal Toxicity and Disease
Lesson 4 – Fasting, Fat Loss, and Life Extension

MODULE 11 – Mind-Body Connection and Behavioral Change
Lesson 1 – Self-Image – Who Are You?
Lesson 2 – Why People Don’t Heal and How YOU Can
Lesson 3 – Brain Fortification: Preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Lesson 4 – Overcoming Food Addiction

MODULE 12 – Super Foods, Super Nutrients, and Natural Remedies
Lesson 1 – Sea Vegetables and Super Algaes
Lesson 2 – 17 Super Foods for Ultimate Health
Lesson 3 – 7 Super Nutrients You Need to Know About
Lesson 4 – Natural Remedies for 9 Common Conditions

By the end of our 12 months together you’ll know more about nutrition than most doctors and dietitians, giving you total control of your health and the power to make the healthiest decisions for you and your family.

40% OFF Super Nutrition Academy
www.trans4mind.com/recommended/?sna

This introductory page includes a Sneak Peak at some of the priceless discoveries you’ll make inside Super Nutrition Academy.

Wishing You the Best of Health!

Peter Shepherd
Founder of Trans4mind.com

Recommended Reading

Fame: a Blessing or a Curse? – by Karen Wright

Posted on February 20th, 2012 in miscellaneous, Recommended | 1 Comment »

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that one of God’s most celestial voices was silenced this week. And boy has there been hoopla over Whitney Houston’s passing. Each time a celebrity dies of celebrity causes, we every-day types shake our heads in stunned disbelief. How can someone who ‘had it all’ take their own life, drug themselves stupid, destroy hotel rooms, make childishly arrogant demands on others?

What happens when all that talent meets all that power? Why does their Godly blessing become a personal curse?

In my life I’ve had a minuscule taste of adulation. Nothing that made the nightly news, but enough that I felt the intoxification of self-importance. Must admit, it tasted sweet. I can see how it could become addictive.

But, all the while, I also felt like a pretender. Like the praise was undeserved and if they really knew me they’d pack up their smiles and applause and find more worthy prey. The disconnect between the external admiration and the internal inability to accept any of it as real was painful.

Of course, not all celebs walk the well-trod path of self-destruction. And if you ask, they’ll tell you, it’s not real – and they know it. The talent may be real and appreciated, but it’s not who they are, it’s what they do. They’ve been able to make that clear distinction and find solid ground to stand on that is not lined with red carpet.

Down here, in less pretentious air (there’s that pretend word again!), we might find a lesson. You are not your talents or failures. You are not your looks or finances. What you do and what you have are the results of choices that you’ve made in life.

Who you are has never been up to you. Sure, how you demonstrate who you believe you are is up to you – and that’s another form of doing. Behavior is not who you are.

Who you are is perfection and love. It always has been and always will be. Deeper than you will ever be able to affect (thank God) is the truth. You are God’s blessing to the world. His hope for bringing what you do into alignment with who you truly are.

To take joy in knowing that your worth is not determined by others lets you feel joy in living. To seek joy that depends upon others’ approval will only bring you pain.

Each day offers you a choice. Be love’s channel into the world, or pretend you are unworthy. The only thing you are unworthy of is the lie of unworthiness. Remember who you are and all that you do will be a blessing, not a curse.


Karen is author of The Sequoia Seed: Remembering the Truth of Who You Are, a great read for anyone who is seeking understanding or guidance, inspiration or clarity in his or her life. Waking Up, the free bi-monthly ezine, was created to help you activate your natural motivation to move beyond mere existence and to really LIVE your dreams.

Recommended Reading

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14th, 2012 in miscellaneous | 4 Comments »

Valentine‘s Day used to be for sending an unsigned note to a person you fancied, and then you’d wonder and try to find out who sent it. I remember at school it was a painful day as no-one ever sent me a Valentine‘s card; it didn’t occur to me that neither did I send one, I was too shy. Nowadays it’s another way to make consumers feel obliged to spend yet more money. Still, it’s also a good reminder not to take our loved ones for granted. Here are a few Valentine tips, that will count more than any present…

Would You Rather Be Right, or Loved?

She leaves the toothpaste tube open and he leaves the toilet seat up? Don’t bicker over small things: accept your partner’s little habits and idiosyncrasies as part of who he/she is.

Remember to say, “Thanks.” Just because you are familiar, you should not take the other person’s acts of thoughtfulness for granted. Let them know you appreciate it.

Remember to give regular boosts to your partner’s self-esteem. Tell them how good they look, how well they dress, and how wonderful you feel when you are together.

Stop asking “Why me?” or saying, “Now it’s your turn so you do it.” Do you always want to be right, or do you want to be loved?

Don’t be a doormat or a martyr or the boss. A marriage or romantic relationship is different from others because it is a partnership – it works great if you meet each other half-way.

When you insist on being right, what you indirectly communicate to your partner is that he or she is wrong. The good news is, if you’re willing to let go of being right, you can easily experience plenty of love, harmony and fulfillment in your relationship.

Recommended Reading

YouTube Downloader

Posted on January 12th, 2012 in miscellaneous, Recommended, trans4mind | 7 Comments »

Save streaming video and music from YouTube directly onto your hard disc…

This is a YouTube downloader program to let you save streaming web videos or music onto your computer. This is one of the best tube downloaders out there if not the very best. This is simply because of its reliability and unmatched unique ability to adapt dynamically to changes on YouTube website without requiring an update. Most youtube downloaders work once in a while unpredictably and crash very often and one in ten don’t even work at all. Don’t worst your time on such software regardless on how long it has been in distribution with fame. Just use our software and you won’t regret it. After all it’s absolutely free with no registration needed.

Capture streaming media for later viewing on your desktop or mobile device. You may then convert files to MOV, MP4, 3GP, WMV, AVI, or MP3. Watch the videos or listen to the music you capture in your own convenient time. The downloading can be from 2 to 10 times faster than regular YouTube download software tools. This software program allows you to select the quality at which you want to download the videos. The selectable video quality levels include lower quality flash videos, mp4 wide screen quality to high definition quality.

Download the Software Here

Click to download; right-click to select download location
Uncompressed .exe file (322 KB) for Windows

YouTube Downloader Screenshot

If you use a Mac, as I do, the best I’ve found to download YouTubes is with the browser plugin/extension FastestTube.

More Free Software Utilities at Trans4mind

Recommended Reading

A fantastic artist I’ve discovered!

Posted on December 7th, 2011 in miscellaneous, Personal, Recommended, Site News | 19 Comments »

I’ve discovered one of the best artists that I’ve encountered in all my (many) years.

Where we live, in the center of France, in the Bourgogne (Burgundy in English terms) we have made many new friends over the past year. Two of the best are Bas and Agnès van Gaalen, Dutch expatriates, who run a cultural center adjoined to their home at a beautiful little country village called Mougny.

Well, Agnès is an artist and over the last year I have bought many of her paintings… they’re irresistible.

I know, like music, art is very much a personal taste – nevertheless I feel this person’s work should be well known. She uses a mixed media of ink line drawing and watercolor washes, montaged with photographs, applied to thick hand-made paper, and many of the images have an Oriental influence. They’re unique. Here’s an example:

Horses - Small Gift Painting by artist Agnès van Gaalen

Bas has created a new site to show and sell a particular variety of Agnès’ paintings, like the one above – card-sized so they are ideal as gifts for Christmas or birthdays or for no particular reason… a demonstration of love. And incredible value at $25 including shipping world-wide. Each of these are originals, a one-off painting that is not quick to do – they’re not prints nor copies, so they’re a gift to treasure and probably to frame.

See what you think… Small Gift Paintings

Recommended Reading

You want more ENERGY, right? Who doesn’t?!

Posted on December 1st, 2011 in miscellaneous, Personal, Recommended | 18 Comments »

Every morning, millions of people all around the world crawl out of bed, wipe the sleep from their eyes, and hit “brew” on the coffee machine. For most people, coffee = energy. BUT… whilst it’s true that coffee can give you a quick surge in short-lived energy, what if there was a better way to enjoy energy… all day long? Well, Yuri Ulkaim is going to show you in this eye-opening article:

Don’t Be Fooled…

Here at Trans4mind we’ve been following Yuri’s advice for cleansing the body and increasing energy for several months – to be honest, it’s transformed our health! We feel so much better. No pills – just dietary changes. A big change in what we include in our meals but they’re delicious, and no more of that falling asleep in the afternoon. Plus a new bounce in our steps when we go out. Here’s a PDF you can download which introduces this system…

Digestion – Why You’re Much More Than What You Eat

In this free report you’ll discover:

  • each step of the “normal” digestive process,
  • where things go terribly wrong in the digestive process for most people,
  • how this one food nearly ruined my intestines for good,
  • the #1 cause of food allergies, autoimmune conditions, and the general decline in health experienced by most people.
  • and a few more really important things.

I’m sure you can put aside 10 minutes to whip through this 9-page report – it could be the most valuable 10 minutes you spend in a long time.

Or buy the program… Eating for Energy

If you lack energy, have dwindling health, are overweight, or simply are sick and tired of struggling with the latest “fad diet” then Eating for Energy may be your ticket. It is a healthy eating guide outlining nutrition principles found in nature that when applied create an abundance of energy, a perfect body, and life-long health.

Vanessa Flook shares: “I have been applying the principles in Eating for Energy for just two weeks now and am absolutely amazed! The meals are lovely and satisfying, I no longer have hunger pains, no cravings for sugar, and my moods have improved dramatically. I no longer get bloated or feel ‘too full’ and it really has made me think twice before eating other foods. I just love it, my skin is glowing and those extra few pounds have fallen off.”

Raymond Aaron says: “In a world filled with dubious diet books, Eating for Energy identifies the proven steps that will lead to abundant health, a fit body, and radiant energy. I can’t think of a better book on healthy eating to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. It is easy, understandable, inspiring, and applicable. It’s the best tool to come along in years.”

Ever wonder why animals in the wild do not succumb to the diseases that plague mankind? And even worse, that they begin to exhibit “our” diseases when we domesticate them! Obviously, the way we are eating (and living) is killing us…and our pets. Don’t you think it’s time for a change?

Eating for Energy is based on natural nutrition principles. It empowers you to make smarter and healthier food choices for a radiant and energetic body and life.

The ebook also comes with a 12-week meal plan and 120 delicious recipes that take less than 10 minutes to prepare!

Check out Eating for Energy today…

Recommended Reading

Wisdom condensed

Posted on July 18th, 2011 in miscellaneous, Recommended | 4 Comments »

I love quotes that summarize the insights gained from a lifetime of searching, writing and wondering… into just a sentence. Here is one of them, a quote from Margaret Wheatley that I feel makes life more understandable…

“When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other.”

And lo and behold another…

In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.

And another…

It’s not differences that divide us. It’s our judgments about each other that do.

Margaret Wheatley is quite a lady and here on her site she offers many PDF downloads of her writings. Her most recent book is, Finding Our Way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time.

Recommended Reading

Global Love

Posted on May 1st, 2011 in miscellaneous | 2 Comments »

Global Love Day

The message of Harold W. Becker, Founder and President of The Love Foundation, Inc, today this May 1st, Global Love Day…

As we gather together on this symbolic day, we acknowledge and celebrate our universal humanity while sharing the song of our common heartbeat. This is a profound and spectacular moment to be alive as both participant and witness to an amazing transformation and return to love on our precious planet.

The vastness of our world is rapidly becoming more intimate and we are quickly realizing the complexity of life can only be resolved through the simplicity of love. This love does not depend on words as it is readily felt from heart to heart. It is experienced in the forgiveness and compassion we offer to others and the self acceptance we give ourselves. Respect, honor and dignity are the immediate and lasting impression while the ultimate expression is in the smallest gestures of kindness that change the destiny for so many.

We are the weavers of this love and are also intricately woven into the very fabric of life itself. Our magnificent earth is a living example of this innate and natural love and it is our great fortune to be the stewards and examples of unconditional love towards all living things. Coming together like a grand tapestry, our diverse interconnectedness and interdependence is the very thing that unites us as one.

We all share a common, universal bond of amazing potential through love and each of us makes a profound difference just by being who we are. The ideas we entertain in our consciousness today are the seeds of a future yet to be made. And when love is the key component of each thought and feeling, a truly beautiful world is born.

This time is not without extraordinary challenges as we move forward, yet love endures the most difficult circumstances and still remains as love. There is great strength in intimacy, incredible opportunity with courage, and, as we lead by the example of love, we walk together with all.

We are one humanity on this planet.

All life is interconnected and interdependent.

All share in the Universal bond of love.

Love begins with self acceptance and forgiveness.

With respect and compassion we embrace diversity.

Together we make a difference through love.

Recommended Reading

Crisis and Alignment

Posted on December 14th, 2010 in miscellaneous, Personal | 3 Comments »

Does the Law of Attraction have a role to play in the resolution of ecological and financial crises worldwide?

A friend pointed out to me: “I don’t know if there will be some help from spiritual forces to help us make it through this time of human crisis, or if they are leaving us alone to see if we can make it from awakening after facing the truth. This environmental crisis is linked to our behavior, to our fragmented way of perceiving life and reality, and to our continuous demand of “goods” from the Earth System as if it were something apart from us that will last forever. Take a look at the 2010 Living Planet Report. You can download it for free in PDF format here.”

He was scathing at those who point to the Law of Attraction as any sort of remedy to the current situations of crisis in the world economy and ecology (two sides of the same coin, as he says). But “two sides of the same coin” is the point here too. It’s not that the Law of Attraction is “wrong,” it’s that it was not fully represented in the film, The Secret. Too often it has been dressed up to appeal to the lowest common denominator (lazy people who want something for nothing) and make some money, but really it’s the timeless and universal principle of congruent intention…

Without congruent intention followed by focused action toward manifestation in the real world, the originator of a vision is dissociating both him/herself and the world itself from the mental/spiritual vision and its creation, therefore invalidating and disempowering it. He’s saying he doesn’t really want it; he’s not really involved; he’s abrogating responsibility; he’s separating from Source in spiritual terms. But with congruent (non-conflicting) commitment at all levels – belief, feeling and action aligned – synchronicities will then be able to occur, so that support arrives in terms of both circumstances and personal assistance.

Synchronicities are a kind of magic – accidents which aren’t really, as the context has been setup for them to occur. Not a magic wand then, but more like “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” because all the pieces when put together “magically” form a creation. They are attracted together because they have the same intention.

I think it’s well-established information that to manifest an intent successfully – to achieve a goal – requires beliefs, feelings and behavior to be in alignment. Only then does the Law of Attraction have meaning, so the concept is pretty misleading unless it’s used in the context of all the pieces being in place, which the “pop” version certainly didn’t do. References to Law of Attraction in the various articles that have been included on Trans4mind are to a varying extent critical of the bland “mock up a Mercedes in the driveway” version.

But the idea of those who agree with each other – who are working on the same vibration if you like, who share a vision – being attracted to cooperate and support one another, is timeless observation and not recent American marketing. Not a scientific “law” but a workable principle, which is all we are dealing with in developmental psychology, including ways of understanding events and behavior such as Jung’s synchronicities and archetypes, and many other helpful models such as those.

Fear and doubt is not the platform upon which to manifest a better world. It will attract more of the same. Neither are unrealistic optimism and rose-colored spectacles – we need to know about the issues my friend is pointing out! However: Love, compassion, service in action…. these are the crucial things that make a difference, that can save this world from decline and fall, and that can raise it in an ascension of consciousness. That is, our vision, feelings and behavior guided by non-judgmental, unconditional love.

Love is the key. If we start to express the spring of love within that is our true essence, our truth, our spark of divinity… and allow it to flow more… then all is revealed. Love becomes our guide in life, as well as our connection with and path back to Source.

Each of us can find that love within us; it is the purest aspect of our nature, the witnessing higher self, that views from above our habitual patterns of behavior and cultural conditioning. When we are silent and still and wordless, within and without, we become mindful of that viewpoint, which is our divinity. From that point of view we communicate, understand, have empathy, perceive what’s needed and act on it.

Each of us can do our part, according to our means and talents – and that’s no passive thing. It means making contact, taking risks, getting off our butts. Making it happen.

“Have the courage to be sincere, clear and honest. This opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us. These secrets are what make us sick or fearful. Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives.” ~Sara Paddison

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” ~Edward Everett Hale

Recommended Reading

Unjust Distribution of Wealth

Posted on November 8th, 2010 in miscellaneous | 4 Comments »

Nicholas Kristof points out in the NY Times how the distribution of wealth in USA has become more and more unbalanced and unjust:

CEOs of the largest American companies earned an average of 42 times as much as the average worker in 1980, but 531 times as much in 2001. Perhaps the most astounding statistic is this: From 1980 to 2005, more than four-fifths of the total increase in American incomes went to the richest 1 percent.

It begs belief that in last week’s elections the Republicans, who admit that their top priority is passing large tax cuts for the richest 2 percent of Americans, gained support. How can economic policies that benefit so very few enjoy the support of so many?

Clearly the super-rich and their political puppets are able to manipulate the media such that ordinary people are fed lies and distortions – to the degree that they support injustice that they themselves will suffer from.

It’s always been this way, that power is bought by riches, and that power is addictive. The situation spirals such that ordinary people are effectively slaves to the few that control them. Ethics and justice go out the window.

Changing this scenario will require a fundamental change in human nature. The average person is friendly, considerate and charming… but given a position of power and authority, or when threatened by bad times, or when taken over by the super-ego of a group with which he has identified, those personal values disappear to be replaced by a kind of psychopathy.

To turn this around, a more resilient mindfulness is needed, such as can be acquired through sincere personal development. And this on the part of a significant number of people in order to become a cultural meme. That’s the reason I work everyday to keep Trans4mind running and available in multiple languages. I trust it makes some contribution to these ends.

Recommended Reading