CauseCollection.com

The Cause Collection^™

A New Age.
A New Age
cause: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
now benefiting: Partnerships for Change

This design was inspired by an earlier Cause Collection work (see The New World's Order). After applying symbols and slogans from a U.S. one dollar bill completely around a stretcher to encourage the viewer to experience the piece in the round, I realized the word "ONE" has three words within it when starting with each letter: "O"-"ONE" meaning singular or a, "N"-"NEO" meaning new, and "E"-"EON" meaning era or age. "ONE NEO EON" means "a new age," and we sure could use ONE!

Enjoy the lyrics of Intervention

The following piece was submitted by Rose & Park (1995) to Heart at Work by Jacqueline Miller, President of Partnerships for Change and Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul,:

Creating A Virtuous Reality

Knowledge of self-esteem is a matter as monumental and enigmatic as the Sphinx. A treasure of the ages, it bares both a blessing and a curse: a blessing in the possession of the humble who wisely seek to convey this knowledge through example and teaching in order to elevate human dignity; a curse in the grasp of the greedy who acquire it to undermine the dignity of others. Consciousness of self-esteem has the potential to bless humanity with a prosperous new age of dignity and peace, ONE NEO EON. To empower humanity to create this virtuous reality, a series of enigmatic questions leads to the heart of the matter of self-esteem.

"So What's The Big Idea?" All human beings embody universal creative potential and given the opportunity for self-expression are likely to formulate original material, contribute fresh perspectives, and initiate innovative approaches, all expressions of self-esteem. However, creativity, especially in the workplace, is more the exception than the rule. Copies are many; originals, few. Forces within and beyond the individual subtly thwart or aggressively abort creative self-expression. This factor restricts the potential of the work force in general by limiting opportunities for individuals to develop and improve their self-esteem through creative self-expression.

"Who's There?" There are distinct archetypical forces for and against creativity in society. Society traditionally has marginalized creative people as black sheep because of their differences from the predictable norm. Their ideas are such that they are not heard of much and often considered to be wrong. Yet through the ages whole cultures have adapted and changed as the result of contributions by creative individuals who boldly proposed unusual ideas despite humiliation, ostracism, and even the threat of annihilation.

For the black sheep, it is a matter of courage and encouragement. The undaunted present their ideas with full conviction. The sheepish sometimes offer and sometimes withhold their unpopular ideas. Encouragement strengthens them, but they continue to be wary, for too often individuals branded as "creative" become prey to egoists. These archetypical wolves in sheep's clothing are always on the prowl for opportunities to accumulate personal credit. They esteem creativity as a power awesome in its leaping and bounding and enviable in its resourcefulness. Under the guise of kinship, they conceal their intent to steal a wealth of ideas from individuals they deem more creative than themselves. These imposters establish relationships among the visionary minority the better to fleece it. Insecure and paranoid, the wolf in sheep's clothing jealously guards its territory, position, and title and seizes every opportunity to attack the credibility of perceived competitors in its field.

Sacrilegious lambs are among the less subtle adversaries of creative self-expression. Extremists among the black sheep, they stray far afield in deliberate defiance of limitation. Their blatant sensationalism jeopardizes the credibility of fellow visionaries. Their voracious appetite for attention overrules their sensitivity in discerning what and how to express. If censored for lack of self-control, they protest that they are victims of a repressive society. According to these sheep-headed individuals, irresponsibility is a right. The self-expression of these abusive martyrs is not a creative, but a destructive force. The sacrilegious lamb profanes the sacred within itself and others by sacrificing dignity to egoism.

Also among the archetypical adversaries of creative self-expression are misguided shepherds, sheep dogs, and the greedy sheep-master, the personification of exploitation. Misguided shepherds compel their flocks to be rapacious consumers by influencing attitudes, emphasizing stereotypes of prestige and power, creating demands, and projecting visions of greener pastures. With the help of enforcers, obedient sheepdogs, the misguided shepherds ensure conformity to the master plan, the drive to market. When challenged by black sheep, the misguided shepherds assisted by their faithful dogs pen and silence the insubordinate. They succeed in coaxing some black sheep into compromising positions by appealing to their appetite for acceptance, belonging, validation, vindication, acclaim, or even exaltation as trendsetters. Along the way, over- consumption results in exhaustion of resources. In this scheme, progress is accelerated exploitation. Before the collapse of the flock at the market, the misguided shepherd cashes in and moves on. There are always other flocks, greener pastures, and new markets in the greedy sheep-master's plan.

"But Where Are We Now?" We are online and in the web. Our culture is caught up in a complex economic, political, domestic, and spiritual entanglement out on a limb with no security net. In the free fall of downsizing, unemployment is on the rise. Everywhere there is somebody in an out-of-job experience. The once common ground of relationship, trust, and intimacy, is in flux. On the horizon is a mounting tidal wave of corporate mergers in a vast sea of anonymity. The individual treads strenuously amid the upheaval. The net result of this stress and strain in the workplace is heart failure of the work force.

"Are We There Yet?" Is it time for a change of heart in the workplace? The facts tell.

"How's It Going To Work?" For individuals and cultures, creative self-expression is a survival skill. Innovation can make a difference between preservation and annihilation. To survive current crises, society will have to invest mega-interest in creative problem solving on the part of individuals, organizations, and corporations. It will have to give ear to the courageous and encourage the sometimes courageous to mine their personal resourcefulness while minding their business, sharing in its profits, and profiting culture. To prosper, a culture must nurture.

"Why Not?" We talk about the real versus the ideal world. Reality is an agreement; it's what we make it. We agree to change time twice a year to create a more ideal workday. If we were to agree that the individual as microcosmic creator is worth changing the workplace for, we'd idealize conditions to favor the creative, the unique, and the different in everyone. This paradigm shift would make a real difference in our perspective of the workplace from being a place for work to being a space for creative self-expression, a creative workspace. We'd live and work peaceably, constructively, elevating monuments of human dignity in a world of improvement.

"What's In It For Us?" At the heart of the matter of self-esteem is creative self-expression, the jewel of individuality. Self-esteem is a personal appraisal of one's own jewel and its value to society. To mine personal potential, discover the richness within, refine and polish all facets of one's creativity, and find an appropriate setting for their expression is the process of developing self-awareness, the primary factor that one should seek to benefit others through contributions of personal gifts and talents. The self-aware who appreciate creative self-expression and demonstrate social responsibility are rich in self-esteem and are therefore prosperous. Their contributions to culture ensure its enrichment.

"So What's Next?" The next revolution in the workplace will be of the heart. With creative self-expression at the heart of work, people will enjoy what they do for a living. Self-awareness and social responsibility will promote esteem of the other as much as of the self, and the creative expression of the many will become one harmonious song:

ONE NEO EON

Now is the time to stop, look, and listen.
It is our time to take a part
In a prosperous new age of peace and dignity
In the new workplace of the heart.
   Oh, hear the silence; it sings a song
   Of faith at work, so sing along...
   Come along with me; if you could it would be beautiful
   Come along with me; if you would it could be beautiful.
      One and one make ONE when we agree,
      And it all begins with you and me!

There is no gift like the present
To undo what keeps us apart.
Pride, greed, and the division of labor
Have no place in the work of the heart.
   Oh, hear the silence; it sings a song
   Of faith at work, so sing along...
   Come along with me; if you could it would be beautiful.
   Come along with me; if you would it could be beautiful.
   One and one make ONE, unity,
     And it all begins with you and me!

Well, come the new age. Let's get to work on
Whatever good will we can impart,
With a labor of love a true expression
In our new workplace of the heart.
   Oh, hear the silence; it sings a song
   Of faith at work, so sing along...
   Come along with me; if you could it would be beautiful
   Come along with me; if you would it could be beautiful.
      One and one make ONE humanity,
      And it all begins with you and me!

So we are a part of a new revolution,
A radical turn in history.
It's coming to pass, a higher evolution,
On a scale that's planetary.
joyously   Oh, hear the silence; it sings a song
   Of faith at work, so sing along...
   Come along with me; if you could it would be beautiful
   Come along with me; if you would it could be beautiful.
      One and one make ONE, its time to see
      What we can do at work in harmony.