YOU can make a difference

DO YOU REALLY THINK IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE? - THE 100TH MONKEY PRINCIPLE

There’s a number of wonderful quotes from Mother Teresa who not only helped countless people but became a global philanthropic "brand" that the Catholic church used very successfully to raise funds, she said.....

“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.”

“It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.”

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” She also said when asked how she expected to be able to help so many in need when she was only one person that if she hadn’t stopped to help the first one she would not have gone on to help the hundreds of thousands who benefitted from her work.

And before we get into the logical part of the discussion I’d like to share a very amazing phenomenon from a mind, body spirit point of view...one of those curious stories that is true and whose principle I have witnessed myself and yet we’re left asking “how can that be the case?” I feel that when it comes to looking at how we want to change the world some of the lessons we learn from quantum physics or holistic mind body spirit principles are the most important in today’s world.

The phenomenon I'd like to share is a story is called the 100th Monkey Principle... It’s a story about social change. A story that shows how an idea or ability can spread instantaneously to an entire population once a certain proportion of that population has heard the new idea. It is a paranormal occurence that scientists doubt because of their inability to explain HOW it can possibly happen.

The fact is that it can and does happen and that’s relevant when it comes to trying to create significant changes in our world. Here’s how it goes...

OR If you prefer then watch the video......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moy6tz6Ubps

The Hundredth Monkey

by Ken Keyes, jr.

The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years.

In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.

An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.

This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists.

Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable.

Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.

Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes -- the exact number is not known.

Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes.

Let's further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them.

The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice.

A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea --

Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes.

Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind.

Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people.

But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!

(from the book "The Hundredth Monkey" by Ken Keyes, jr. The book is not copyrighted and the material may be reproduced in whole or in part. You can look at the whole book also.)

From website: http://www.worldtrans.org/pos/monkey.html

We really are all connected and what we do and feel affects others. The implication of this story to our understanding of how humans interact and how human energy fields work together is so immense that many scientists dismiss it through fear of what the implications could be. Instead, the story is simply disproven by sceptics time and again.

I invite you wholeheartedly to consider the possibility that this is true and therefore know that however small your contribution to change may be when it comes from the heart with clear intention and pure compassion it WILL have an impact and help create the wave of change.

Look at the single guy who burned himself in Tunisia- look at the impact that one individual has had on the world by his energy sparking the next and the next and the next and the next and...... remember the Marianne Williamson/Nelson Mandela(LINK) quote...it’s out light not our darkness that we fear etcWe really are connected. What we do affects us and others. Look at this revelation not with fear but with the rawest empowerment you possess. You and your actions - big or small - can truly change the world!We really are connected. What we do affects us and others. Look at this revelation not with fear but with the rawest empowerment you possess. You and your actions - big or small - can truly change the world! We really are connected. What we do affects us and others. Look at this revelation not with fear but with the rawest empowerment you possess. You and your actions - big or small - can truly change the world! We really are connected. What we do affects us and others. Look at this revelation not with fear but with the rawest empowerment you possess. You and your actions - big or small - can truly change the world!

Philanthropic acts not only give each of us an opportunity to express our concern for and our willingness to do something practical on behalf of our fellow citizens in this world but they are also opportunities to provide creative leadership.

What do we mean by this?

It may be the case that the funds available to philanthropy are not adequate to solve society's problems. This often causes us to feel that the challenge is too great and there will never be enough resources to change those elements we wish to. But apart from the 100th monkey principle it is also true that when funds are used wisely in creating change they can often provide robust and convincing examples and case studies. That is to say, that whilst a charity may not have enough funds to deliver all it wants to if it can show creative leadership and devise a model that proves the benefits and effectiveness of its approach then often there is a strong chance that the project or approach may be adopted by and funded by government agencies which have greater financial resources.

As we saw earlier, It is often the case that Philanthropists take on social justice issues before governments do – it’s been part of the process of human evolution. Some things governments won’t or can’t do and so private resources have been a necessity to get them going. (link thru to this section under what is philanthropy?)

Philanthropy and charitable contributions are important to the fabric of our society. Helping others emphasizes that we are all in this together regardless of our income