Saving the World

Becoming Magnificent by Adruma Victoria A quarter of a century ago, I made the determination to begin honoring the inherent magnificence of ME. I became convinced at that time that even the most immature individuals possess within themselves qualities of infinite magnificence. My challenge became how to peddle this treasure of realization….at all times and in all directions? I knew that if I lived this truth and listened to the frequencies of my soul song, that this vibrancy would multiply. And it did! Now, mind you, I was not alone. Every day I encountered people who felt courageous enough to love self, others and the creation……..just as the sun shines and the palm trees dance. I teach music at a private school. Music theory gave me a wonderful platform to impart onto my students far greater access to their inner light and their own magnificence. My daughter, Kiah, bought me singing bowls for my birthday. I used them to help my friend, John, who was struggling with cancer. After he received just a few sound baths, his wife called me and shared that his diminished blood count had greatly improved, and that the cancer was disappearing. I was amazed at how sound and positive intention had worked to support John’s healing. I wept tears of appreciation at how the magic of sound and positive energy can afford the most benevolent of outcomes. I believe in angels and have vast experiences of how they have healed me and made me strong, so I began to expand my thinking in this area and asked these angels to co-create with me to produce energy resonance that would multiply love and light. My Rock/Soul band, Side Hustle, plays at clubs and festivals. I invited the angels to dance and to inspire the spiritual surrounding of the many individuals who come and enjoy our music and asked them to multiply in their lives. Somehow, we tapped into the forces of light and love beyond the veil. Behaviors of respect and equity for women, the elderly and any group that was so often marginalized began to spread like wildfire. The beauty that seemed dormant in each soul started resonating and vibrating at higher frequencies, such that love stimulating beauty coupled with respect and gratitude became more common. I had to change ME, and the world changed as I evolved. The true beauty of living expanded. Here in the year 2050, each of us embrace the calibration of our unique inner song of love with harmonic overtones. Just as ten thousand birds can fly like a wave and change direction in beautiful harmony, the sentience of all created beings of Mother Earth share the poetic dance of tension and release resolving to beauty within the earth and sky people. The intelligence of water ripples in human consciousness and throughout atmospheres beyond our human scope. The memories of stars that long ago smacked into planets, affording us the elements of the human body and its support systems vibrate joy. The individual sound signature of each of us is as infinite as numbers affords endless stimulation, passion and discovery of life. We live also as masters in the art of living and masters in the art of loving. I lived more and more with focus on my own magnificence and that of every human being. I sought to honor the feminine aspects of the natural world, and, although I am rather masculine, those of myself. The universe cross-pollinated the heart-centered living that was once dormant in our species. Here in 2050, we love living and giving, and we marvel at the myriad of beautiful expressions of love within our global community of the heart. The mountains and trees sing new songs of joy heard and desired by multitudes.

All conflict and suffering arises from identifying with “me, myself, and my story.” This is true no matter where on earth we live, no matter the color of our skin, the language we speak, the culture are raised in, or our religious beliefs or practices.

When things are going well in our view, we feel good, but when things aren’t going well, we spiral down into worry, anxiety, self-doubt, and often despair.

The fastest and surest way to true freedom is to learn to love—or at least accept—our triggers, those times when we have an emotional reaction to someone or something.

We learn to say, “Ah, I welcome this, it is showing me where I am not yet free.” Then we affirm the mantra: “I am the awareness in which everything comes-and-goes…” and relax into the awareness we are.

Then, from a place of alert yet relaxed presence, we look inwardly at what is true. We notice how thoughts, beliefs, “stories,” and even the ego “I” itself—along with its associated feelings and emotions—do come-and-go in the awareness we always are.

Imagining ourselves facing the triggering incident again, but from presence this time, we come increasingly to the realization that our true nature is pure, thought-free awareness.

This is felt as a current of peace, harmony, and flow here, now—and a deep love for all humanity. Our ego is still there when we need it, stronger and more powerful, and our thinking is much more creative.

Amazing, huh?

Autumn’s gentle touch is evident even here, in my cozy nook of a floating garden city. The view outside is a canvas of warm oranges and reds, blending seamlessly with the lush greenery of the forest below. Inside, the room is a quiet sanctuary, adorned with simple, earthy elements – a wooden table, a couple of well-loved chairs, and a small, thriving potted plant that captures the essence of the outside world.

It was on a similar autumn day, years ago in a bustling city, when I first heard the music of a street cellist. Despite his slightly ragged clothes, he had a distinguished air about him, his face etched with lines that spoke of years spent perfecting his craft. His melodies were a vivid stroke of emotion amidst the clattering urban monotony, and I felt a stillness come over me as I listened. The man’s silver hair, neatly combed back, gleamed softly in the streetlight, adding to his aura of quiet, unassuming tenderness.

When the man’s performance ended, I found myself walking up to him, a mix of apprehension and admiration swirling within me. As we stood in the fading light, I took a breath, my voice tinged with an unusual vulnerability. “I know this might sound strange, but would you like to come to my home for a meal? I can’t explain it, but your music… it moved me.”

He smiled, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “That’s quite an offer to a stranger,” he said, his voice warm. “But yes, I’d like that. Thank you.”

That afternoon, as we shared a meal of bread and cheese in my modest kitchen, the air was filled with a sense of curiosity and exploration. It wasn’t just a meal: it was an act of stepping into the unknown, a bridge built on a foundation of trust and a shared appreciation for life’s simple beauties.

It sounds strange now, but that simple act of hospitality, in the heart of an ordinary kitchen, became a catalyst for extraordinary change. I began to make it a habit, a practice: encountering a stranger, offering them welcome, breaking bread despite all our mutual difference. There was something oddly radical about it – in this gesture almost as old as the world. And as my own practice expanded, it brought on a kind of domino effect: many of my guests began hosting their own encounters, with their own sets of strangers, and these in turn led to more encounters, across class, race, religion, ethnic background. Across geography and imagination. First across the city, then the country, and – with surprising, almost magical speed – beyond, homes opened up, community gatherings flourished, and shared experiences became the norm. This burgeoning culture of openness and empathy began to heal deep-seated political divisions and polarization, transforming the fabric of political engagement with empathy and collaboration.

Even in the face of climate change, these small acts played a pivotal role. Local initiatives for sustainability sprang up, evolving into a global movement of environmental stewardship. Mental health improved on a broad scale, as people found solace and support in their newly forged connections. Society began to value emotional intelligence and empathy as essential qualities, nurturing them in educational systems and professional environments. Cities and towns were redesigned to encourage community living, fostering interaction and connection.

By 2050, the world had transformed in ways once unimaginable. The global community, once fragmented, now thrived on principles of empathy, understanding, and collaboration. The threats of environmental disaster and social upheavel were addressed with a newfound sense of urgency and unity.

One morning, as the first carbon-scrubbing garden city rose into the sky above Nairobi, I shared a cup of tea with a member of the global housing initiative. She turned to me, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. “Did you ever imagine your small act would lead to all this?”

I looked around at the lively, diverse gathering, feeling the kind of awe that is kin to prayer. “Honestly,” I said, “I just hoped to make a difference in one person’s day,.”

Now, sitting in the quiet of this nook, as the first stars appear in the sky, I realize that the radical acts of hospitality and connection we embarked upon didn’t just change individual lives; they reshaped the destiny of our planet. They were the seeds of a global movement that healed, united, and propelled us into a future where humanity and nature thrive together. Sometimes, the most profound journeys begin with the simplest steps, taken with an open heart.

Here I sit, looking at trees of many species I planted in my food forests back in 2024, and the years after, using ranch properties I was able to buy in New Mexico and Oregon. My first site had 708 acres of land, and it was followed by many others, over a hundred thousand acres were turned into food forests, and off grid communities of Earth stewards who joined me, from many nations. I had gathered a seed collection with over 550 species and cultivars, and was happy to get them planted and growing into mature specimens of their kind, giving us seeds and propagative material to continue growing them.

As a former Navy journalist, I know how to find information on many things, including producing clean energy, food and water, to end thirst, hunger, homelessness and energy deficits, and I found those answers, by 2024 I was ready to showcase them to prove what was possible to do in every nation, and for all people, of every generation. Over many years I had gathered a database of companies that provided systems for fuel less power generation, air to water generation, high density growing systems, perma-culture to design and plant food forests that would be around long after we were gone to dust.
https://foodforestabundance.com … https://freedomfarmacademy.com … www.foodnotlawns.com

Years earlier, I helped form the Primary Water Institute to teach people about water, how it forms constantly in the crust and mantle of the planet, why we will never run out of clean, safe water to use,
untouched by surface contaminants. I shared a free eBook .pdf of a suppressed volume,”New Water for a Thirsty World” by Michael Salzman, published in 1960, with over a century of research in fields and labs where people found water in fractured bedrock strata, made by volcanic, tectonic and geochemical processes in the crust and mantle of the planet, trying to end the lie of clean water scarcity.
www.primarywaterinstitute.org

By 2024 I had gathered a merry band of inventive folk, engineers, designers, eager to bring to the world the clean power and propulsion tech they had spent decades working on. We knew that with energy we could produce pure water from atmospheric moisture, and even use sunlight, it was being used in HydroPanels, like solar panels, but these produced pure water. www.source.io One company offered both ‘air to water’ generators, and the new DMIG (Digital Magnetic Inverter Generator) units that could provide off grid power to homes, businesses, farms, entire communities. https://quenchinnovations.com

It was amazing when we had it together, off grid power, water, food forests, homes made with Cob, Earthbag, Compressed Earth Bricks, Strawbale, and shelter domes, even our own PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) railways to move our people, and produce, around as needed on our sites, linking them to nearby communities where our co-op members could hop on for a ride to our food forest sites. Our interns, guests and visitors from many countries helped us to reach people back home, and to let them see what was possible to do in their communities. By this year of 2050 we had helped to bring a world at peace, with abundant clean energy, food, water, materials that went back to compost when we no longer needed them. We had achieved a truly ‘circular economy’ where nothing was wasted. We were lucky in 2024 to gain the financial means to buy ranches, and buildings zoned for industrial use, using our 3d printers to print what we needed on our sites, cottage industries, and R&D / education centers, with biopolymers from the plants we grew. https://berri-llc.com …. www.telfordinc.com …. https://3dwasp.com …. What we discovered was that there are a lot of people around the world who
are looking for answers, and once they have those amazing things happen.

Write as if it’s 2050 and Earth is a cooperative place. How did that come to pass?

 

Looking back, few would have believed that such a simple concept would change so much.  And yet, the idea of bringing neighborhoods together as Villages caught on like wildfire.  

 

But few saw what would happen next, as local connection ushered in a more resilient, more tolerant, more connected era of society.  Many now agree that the huge steps in our grand reconstruction were made possible because of this powerful movement for local connectivity.

 

It all started when I finally accepted my calling.  

 

In a moment of clarity, I realized that as much as I loved thinking about the grand problem, and how to orchestrate a grand solution, I wouldn’t be of much help without focus. 

 

I’ve always enjoyed and been good at bringing people together.  So that’s where I focused – through the forest of ideas to save the planet, I saw the tree of my contribution – bringing people together in their local neighborhoods.

 

Next I started forming Villages in workplaces, nonprofits, and neighborhoods.  I got to know people with very different views on things, and instead of selling an idea or action, I simply became a friend, and offered a space to stay connected.

 

It was a strange concept to most – that we would come together with no agenda, only to connect.  Most on the left really wanted to talk about environmental disasters, vegan diets, and minimalism.  And on the right, folks wanted to avoid the politics and just get to know each other.  Could such a divide be crossed?

 

New Villages sprung up, led by passionate community organizers who also saw their tree in the forest of solutions as local organizing.  The first gatherings were sparsely attended.  Those who showed up were either new to the area, or already invested in the idea of community building.  

 

Still, each core group turned into hot furnaces of leadership for their neighborhoods, and within a few short years, they attracted hundreds to join their Villages, with weekly gathering attendance between 20 and 30.  

 

Villages began to spring up in neighboring neighborhoods and cities, and national media helped form a narrative and generate excitement for folks to give Village a try.

 

The secret to the Village model, and why it was accepted by such a diverse group, was its liberating structures: just enough to keep things orderly, but not so much that people felt preached to, patronized, or constricted. 

 

What happened next was truly remarkable – emergent.  After building relationships within these neighborhood-based Villages, members who had passions for specific causes or ideas had space to share these, and other members listened.  Minds were opened, and people began to change, slowly, to find value in the ideas others were sharing.

 

A decade later, when the proposal to change the national base powerload from coal to nuclear was being debated, Villages had spread to every state, and became the place where the many sides of this debate were discussed.

 

And when the Refugee Reformation Act was proposed to begin accepting millions more South Americans into the States, local communities responded quickly by offering to host new residents.  And as they arrived, they quickly found a home at their local Villages.

 

Step by step, through the waxing and waning of wars, the changing of presidents, Villages continued to grow and connect people in ways that felt right, and respected the values most hold dear to their hearts.

 

Today, we are at a monumental place in human history, having finally released the shackles of greed and corruption that has burdened our journey towards justice for eons.  For the first time, we have faced our demons as a united human race, admitted our wrongs, and are working productively to correct them.

 

As this grand project of healing our planet and our collective traumas unfolds over the coming generations, thanks to Villages we may also deeply enjoy each moment of life, connected, playing, creating, and sharing experiences together.

 

How did we do it? It took a Village.

—

OLD

 

It all started back in 2020, when I invited a bunch of friends together for a potluck, and a gathering. I pitched the idea of starting a Village that would meet every month, so we could deepen our relationships and learn about and from each other.  I wanted the feeling of a church without the doctrine or preacher.  Much to my delight, people loved this idea!

 

Our gatherings moved to virtual and weekly during the COVID lockdown, and while many of the original group ended up leaving, new people joined with passion for the project.  We became known as Village Seattle.

 

I kept experimenting by starting Villages in others communities, then things really took off in 2024, when pilot projects in Seattle and Boise began bringing neighbors together in regular gatherings.  

Yes, we did it! Proved that we are superior and most adaptable species on this planet; but this time by embracing and not by endangering other lives. We always had the right tools but they were at wrong setting. Year 2024 was when a handful of us came together and formed a strong fist.
First finger HONESTY: We realised ‘filters’ work better when applied on mind rather than photographs. [referring to Socrates 3 question filter here “Am I sure that what I am going to say is true?”, “Is what I’m going to say a good thing?”, and “Do I really need to say it and is it useful?”]. We accepted that image building was important than image editing, and started applying filter technique. Most of the frivolous talks stopped, conversations started getting meaningful. People started sounding profound. The WAR problem was solved, and unanimously agreed that the greedy rich shall no longer to be served.
Second finger HARMONY (symbiosis): We were struggling for food, our species were fragile, hungry and highly dependent on other species, only this time for regeneration and not for consumption. The manmade biodiversity loss, disappearance of species powered by greedy ones was affecting every one of us. The only smart way tackling that was to turn to the voiceless animals. We accepted the fact, “our world is theirs too”. Thanks to ‘image building’ we all started extending compassion to all species instead of restricting it to the selective.
Third finger RIGHTS: The greedy became needy. The rich ones until then, proudly shoved their middle finger on those who were talking about peace. Non-cooperation movement from working class made riches realise and say instead “help us please, we shall give you the right!” The oppressed now politely said, “since you are only a few up there talking from the dark sky – why don’t you come down instead, and we start off again tonight!”. Our influencers learnt to bow down, asked the oppressed ones for forgiveness. Thus entire humanity agreed on humility.
Fourth finger ecology: We were successful at starting the healing machine once the killing machine had stopped. We started eating plants, and planting trees. Restored balance, maintained health of our people and the planet. Mother nature started taking over, but she was injured and couldn’t do it alone, she needed our help.
Fifth finger economy: We used human power to demolish this infrastructure, employed people to restore nature, deployed them onsite to build wildlife sanctuaries and pay people to take care of voiceless instead of paying them to slaughter. We realised our economy can still grow and generate jobs to restore nature.

In 2024 we underwent a behaviour change and transformed ourselves!

In the year 2024, a turning tide began, 🌊
A few united souls formed a powerful clan. 💪🏼

Honesty stood tall,
Socrates’ filter applied, truth for all.

Frivolous talks ceased, conversations turned sweet. ✌🏼
Climate to be healed, everyone repeats.

Image building worked, empathy grew,
Compassion extended to all, not just a few. 🦧🐄🐏🐖🐓🐛🦊🐊🐇🐀

Profound voices echoed, war was no more, 🕊
The greedy rich agreed, their reign was o’er. 🧎🏻‍♂️

Cooperation replaced oppression’s might,
Forgiveness sought, humility in the light. 👐🏼

Oppressed voices echoed, “come down from your height,
Let’s start anew, restore what’s right.” ✊🏽

Biodiversity loss, a manmade plight, 🐝
We turned to voiceless creatures, sharing their plight. 🐄

Balance being restored, and health regained,
Mother Nature was healing, but help she retained. 🌳

Consumerists transformed, conservationists stood,
Extravagance replaced by a minimalist mood. 🧘🏻

Stress gave way to sweet relief, 😇
Laziness defeated by an active belief. 🏃🏻‍🏃🏻‍♀️

Human power dismantled the old, 🏗
Restoring nature, a story retold. 🌱
Confusion subsided, confidence grew, 🧗🏽‍♂️
Deficiency turned to sufficiency, a breakthrough.

A tale of change, a journey’s success, 👣
For we are the architects, in goodness we express.

Jobs for restoration, growth with green, ♻️
A thriving economy, a planet serene. ☘️

Every region has same religion, ⛩
humanity restored peace it feels divine.

Abundance of fruits here 🍓, now available in a punnet, 🧺
we no longer aim to visit any other rocky planet. 🌑

Now in 2050, a transformed sphere, 🌏
Goodness in business, a mantra to adhere. 🤝

Here we are in 2050! Now, all we got to do is spread “goodness with our business”.

Regards,
Amit Gambhir
LogicSense Limited