HUMAN IDEALS

FROM THE 'SPIRITUAL AWAKENING, SOCIAL CHANGE, AND SELF-HELP' FACEBOOK GROUP

​Austin Patrick, Admin
Hello everyone! Thank you all for joining this group.

We provide a welcoming space for discussion around spirituality, politics, and entrepreneurship. These fields are starting to intertwine more than ever, and the vision of Human Ideals, our spiritual activism movement, takes full advantage of this shift.

To start off, go ahead and introduce yourselves in this group. Take some time to then answer the following questions.

1) What inspired you to start the spiritual path?
2) What is the most pressing political issue in the world today, and why?
3) What insights from your practice or business will you use to solve this issue, and how will this change people's current misconceptions around it?

Lastly, we'd love to know your thoughts on our full mission statement. This year, we partnered with the University of Southern California's Interfaith Council to create a detailed introduction video. Watch as much of it as you can and comment below!

In the coming weeks, we'll be hosting Zoom sessions with you guys to carry this mission forward. Every Saturday, 5:30 pm PST seems to be a good time, but if not, let us know what time works best for you.

Students from USC will be joining us in the next few months. We hope to build a team of activists where they and the rest of you guys can work together.

​Gary
​1) What inspired you to start the spiritual path?

I was drawn to the mystical in childhood. Was a seeker of the 'highest truth' through teens.

2) What is the most pressing political issue in the world today, and why?

The social political system is designed as a pyramid of power, with the few at the top attempting to rule those below them (in their minds). But the ones at the top are not the main problem -- which is all below who refuse to take on their own power as sovereign beings. The most pressing issue is the under-development of the individual.

3) What insights from your practice or business will you use to solve this issue, and how will this change people's current misconceptions around it?

First I work on myself by examining the contents of my mind in the light of expanding awareness. I post to several groups in this genre, sharing my experiences, insights and realizations. I will submit my first post to this group today.

Regarding entrepreneurship, I am reminded from my years as a self-proclaimed entrepreneur that the word has an inherent tone of risk-taking.

Definition: a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

I was also a business-brokerage agent, representing both buyers and sellers -- then left the industry due to its corruption.

Profit-making and spiritual awakening seem mutually exclusive, but there is a choice for balance. It's all in the motivations and values, and whether those invested in the enterprise can master their personal greed for financial gain, maintain transparency and a sense of equality, while stewarding the business for sustainability.

Gary
Your work is much appreciated. May I suggest, if possible, that you consider changing the name of the FB Group from 'SPIRITUAL AWAKENING, SOCIAL CHANGE, AND SELF-HELP' to 'HUMAN IDEALS'?

Austin
Well, I already have the Human Ideals Facebook page, so I'm not sure what benefits such a change would bring. The current group title is more general, so people who don't know about Human Ideals may be drawn to the topic of spirituality.

Gary
I post to about 500 FB groups in the fields of ascension, awakening, awareness, self improvement, etc. Working down my list, most of the groups are recognizable in my memory. It takes little effort to find most groups in a FB search. When I like to come back to this group, there has always been a hang-up in remembering and finding it. That may be only my experience, or it could be a hindrance to growing the group.

I just now counted 59 FB Groups on my list whose names begin with spiritual.

Human Ideals is to me a much more recognizable and unique name. It helps create a brand for the group, in my humble and unprofessional opinion. Aren't human ideals your real focus?

But, I am never attached to my suggestions.

Austin Patrick
​Indeed, I'm still trying to find that balance as a college student. It's easy to become desperate for money when you're just starting your own business.

Gary
Austin Patrick
Looking back almost 50 years to your age (I'm 68), if I had it to do over -- rather than spin my wheels in business, I would put my energies for wealth-building into investing. Of course, there were no crypto currencies back then, in the 70s.

But if possible, investing in the humanitarian Cardano project is where all my financial focus would go. Of course it's risky, like entrepreneurship is supposed to be.

I'd never invested in anything more than a bank account until a year ago. In May, 2020, Cardano ADA was 4.7 cents. Today it is over $1.50. Consider the multiples, and that fast. No one knows where the markets will go, but many predict ADA is headed to $10 by the end of this year.

For the tech savvy, there are also choices to be a stake pool operator.

There are thousands of crypto tokens, but I am thoroughly sold on the brilliance, integrity and transparency of Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson and his vision for a more egalitarian society.

After 20 years of extensive travels between the Americas, Europe and Oceania, Kati and I returned last year to our son's property in central California with all our belongings in two suitcases and no reserves. The travel may sound like boasting, but believe me, it was more hardship than glamour.

From my social security retirement of $895 per month, our only income, we scraped together $300 for our first foray into crypto investing. We added everything we could from the stimulus, and that was our beginnings. With the relatively high interest paid on cryptocurrency in addition to the market gains, our investment has grown. We take care to manage it so we will be able use the interest for living expenses and minimize our tax liability.

I understand that may not appeal to you, Austin, but possibly to someone reading.

​Gary
​I'd love to exchange thoughts on the Human Ideals vision.

Initially, I feel it needs to be simplified and reduced to minimum verbiage at least as an introduction. It feels too wordy and complicated to attract my attention. I have the same problem in my writing, which is often too wordy and abstract conceptual.

The Human Ideals introduction could be linked to more details for those who want to go deeper.

As we are all in various stages of psychospiritual development, there will be those who benefit from teachings and those who are beyond teachings.

I'd like to address those who are already well on their way to being sovereign individuals, knowing who they are, and guided by their own inner resources -- and those who are being called to that path.

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CARDANO PROJECTS and PROGRAMMING

GEROWALLET
PLUTUS
​SOMEE.SOCIAL
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