Keys To Balance: 'Positive Self Interest' & 'Compassionate Wealth'

Having participated in many different online groups over the last 10+ years that aim to improve life - whether it is through 'spirit' or through 'politics' or 'science' or anything else - I have drawn some valuable conclusions that resolve many of the common conflicts people have when thinking about the topic.

Often it is the case that 'spiritual people' claim that being 'selfless' is the only way to be 'pure' and honest - yet selflessness is actually a form of denial. You ARE self - so to be 'selfless' is to be basically nothing - or at best an unidentifiable and undifferentiated 'spirit' that has no context in life. So self interest is in no way wrong and, in fact, is a requirement for balance and survival. No-one is going to be looking out for all of your own needs and you have some needs that only you can meet - so if you deny this then you will lack what you need and will suffer.

Often the motivation for rejecting self interest is the judgements that say that we will be greedy or reject the needs of others if we look out for our own interests - but that is a denial of the possibility of balance and true abundance. If we are balanced then we can be in balance with our environment and with each other. In this way there is no problematic greed or overpowering of others. We cannot give what we do not have and we cannot have love if we do not allow it in self for self.

So these understandings define the necessity of what I will call 'Positive Self Interest'.

Private Ownership?

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Another common conflict is that of 'wealth' and specifically the details of private ownership. On the one hand, we understand that we basically need to 'own' our own things in many cases just for life to be practical and there is nothing wrong with that. The problems arise when we use what we have (whether deliberately or not) in such a way that means that others cannot have what they need to thrive too.

Wealth is not just a bank balance, but it is also the ability to have what you need when you need it. Some of what is needed goes beyond material objects and 'things' - we need love, wellbeing and peace through shared values. So real wealth can only be found in situations where there is a common respect and bond among us - this is the wealth of a bounteous self respect and the beauty of being with others who share that wealth too.

Compassion is the awareness of the suffering of others (and self) and the intention to act to end that suffering. So 'Compassionate Wealth' is another concept that I want to coin here in light of knowing that wealth requires balance and compassion. If wealth is not being used to end suffering or at least being used in such a way that it causes zero suffering anywhere - then it is not real wealth, in some senses it is the misuse of wealth.

Compassionate Political and Economic Ideology?

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I have said many times that if politics was intended to solve problems, then the problems would already be solved. Politics, as we have known it, is not really about solving problems - it is more of a symptom of deep imbalances. Given that this is the case, can it be possible to find a political ideology that actually works to end suffering?

Politics typically is entangled with economics, with different groups pushing different models for both. If we go too far towards authoritarianism and centralised control then we lose 'positive self interest' - yet if we go too far towards hardcore capitalism we also lose POSITIVE self interest and the idea of compassionate wealth too. As always there needs to be a balance found.

For me, that balance is in principles that go deeper than financial systems and rulebooks. Instead of working out how to try to work with the insanity of our inherited financial systems and political structures, a compassionate and intelligent approach is to realise that just like the heroin addict who is convinced they need more heroin, we need to break our ingrained patterns and just admit that our behaviour may be doing more harm than good.

Do we really need to force-ably extract 'taxes' from people just so we can solve society's problems? Given that the 'money' involved is created from thin air and is mostly held and controlled by people who spend their days exploiting massive numbers of people through corporate systems and other methods - the idea that we can 'get what we need' using such systems is absurd. Most of what we need has already been taken by the people who run the systems!

One of the biggest challenges with approaching this subject is that hardcore capitalists will sniff the air and immediately jump to the conclusion that communism must be around the corner.. "Only a Marxist would bring up the topic of exploitation of 'the worker's" - yet, no, that is simply not true. By identifying a real problem, in a heartfelt way, we do not automatically conclude that there is only one possible solution to the issue and that it came from a specific man who is long since dead. Look into the cosmos and you will see hundreds of billions of stars - we have far more options than just one!

Ending self created traps

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In a sense, all of our challenges can be resolved by understanding that we are co-creating them regularly ourselves to some extent just by agreeing to go along with the status quo or by 'conveniently' taking the 'services' we are offered by large corporate entities who are entirely motivated by financial gain. Just by being aware that alternatives are available which empower individuals and result in us forging real bonds with real people - we open the door to the potential to create a loving and exciting new reality where we all help each other to solve our own problems, without anyone taking orders from anyone else.

For me, this is the essence of what is known as 'voluntarism' - an enlightened approach to society whereby we only do what we want and need to do. This way we do not go against real feelings and a greater peace can be found than most have yet known.

Voluntary Action Supports Personal Empowerment

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Voluntarism is a form of respecting positive self interest and also respect for compassionate wealth too. By increasing self love and self respect, we more deeply understand our real needs and the real needs of others. By helping to meet real needs simply because we are excited to do so and we feel good doing it, we end many of the traps that have us struggling to survive against threats from faceless corporate and government entities who have no real empathy with us or interest in knowing who we really are.

One of the major challenges to wider adoption of Voluntarism is the fear of being attacked by non-voluntary 'nations' who are out of balance and who threaten to control as much as they can. While it is possible for people to volunteer for military service, it is usual at times of war for people to effectively be forced to fight. The notion of fighting other people is completely counter to compassion and voluntarism, yet the fear of attack is so regularly pushed by the non-voluntary, control oriented governments of our world that it is felt by many to be too risky to attempt a change. This, though, is just a feeling that can be accepted, felt, understood and allowed to evolve into a new feeling that allows the needed change for peace.

An empowered person is one who will not allow themselves to be controlled by a government or manipulated into fighting others, which they know to be an action that takes them and us away from balance and not towards balance.

The Ultimate, Compassionate Act of Self Interest?

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By learning and choosing to shift our own energy away from cycles of exploitation of self and each other - we create positive self interest and are more able to end the suffering of others too. With real balance we are capable of increasing our access to wealth of many kinds - some of which are very rare on Earth presently due to our collective unconsciousness of what real balance is and feels like.

My suggestion is that simply by learning to allow your own heart to be the balance internally between your mind, emotions, body and others parts of self - you can compassionately increase your own personal power and ability to help others end their suffering too. The more you do it, the more you can help others to balance and for them to heal and evolve too. Amazingly, the most powerful act is to simply change your internal 'direction' within your own being and point yourself into your deepest heart and real feelings. It is here that you will feel real needs and desires - often for the first time. They are not your enemy or dangerous, they are part of you and they/you need respect now.

What does your heart feel about competing for resources on Earth or about sharing things instead of jumping through complex hoops designed by someone else just to get what you need on a daily basis?

By working through your real feelings and understanding why you think and feel as you do - you can start to make huge changes in your life and in your world too. You are needed and your desires are more powerful than any contract or sports car ;)

Wishing you well,

Ura Soul

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