Dear Parent, Teacher, or Professor:
Imagine you, as a parent or a teacher, raising children who become
world-changers — wise beyond their years.
This is a very realistic goal for you when you start or join a SpreadChange gathering for parents and teachers in your community.
Now, imagine ... If every student in every community becomes a world-changing individual, then the world will certainly be a much better
place for everyone. Everyday, as we walked out into the world, we would be
invigorated by the difference we make in this world, and we would ripple that difference to the world around us.
Now, you may be wondering, “How do I nurture such students?”
Consider for a moment two people on a spiritual path —
● The first person attends her place of worship regularly and routinely. She has
also attended a variety of different classes, workshops and retreats in an
effort to deepen her understanding the scriptures and teachings. Her plans for
herself include visiting all the places considered sacred by her religious
belief. She tithes to her place of worship the requisite per cent of her
income. And she also volunteers for activities that service others. She speaks
constantly of the importance of unconditional love and compassion in our lives.
When someone acts inappropriately, she always takes a deep breath so that she
can remind herself to act compassionately.
● The second person also prays and worships routinely. But she has attended only a
fraction of the classes. And she’s not been on any retreats or sacred trips at all. Her focus is different.
Instead of focusing on deepening her understanding of the scriptures and
teachings and creating her own personal connection with her Higher Power, she
devotes herself to transforming herself — learning to deepen her relationships with everyone, learning to see the good
hidden within everyone, learning to bring joy into every life she touches,
learning to respect everyone’s innate wisdom, learning to learn from everyone. As a result of her focus on
self transformation, increasingly she doesn’t have to
think about acting with compassion in difficult encounters. Compassion is a natural outcome of who she is becoming.
Which of these individuals do you think is truly growing spiritually?
There is no contest, is there? The second person, without a doubt.
What's interesting is that when you start reading about the first person, she sounds deeply
spiritual. Any individual so devout and dedicated to her spiritual path is
worth her weight in gold. You are not even aware that something crucial is missing until you start reading about the second person.
It's only in contrast that you can see that the first person is mostly on an intellectual path to
spirituality. She has a great grasp of all the scriptures and techniques—what to say, what to ask, what to do. But spirituality is not an intellectual
ascension. It is an ascension of the soul — where you transform yourself and also, the world around you.
The first person thinks a lot about love and compassion. But, at the bottom
line, these are little more than words to her. The second person, on the other
hand, doesn’t think at all about love and compassion. But clearly, they are a way of life
for her.
If you want to change from being a person of the first type to becoming a person of the second type,
you won’t find the answers in traditional books or courses. That’s because they focus on teaching you what to do and what to think and what to say — all of which lead you to becoming a person of the first type, the very thing
you want to graduate away from.
What you need to learn is to change your worldview — and one of the best ways, I’ve found, is through small group gatherings, where everyone collectively learns
that transforming ourself spiritually is not about what we do or say, but about who we are and how we see the world.
Start a Spiritual Group Now!
SCHEDULE: Find a Spiritual Group already scheduled near you. If you can’t find one, create a Spiritual Group. The ispreadchange.com site has been designed to let you network with others in your Spiritual Group,
send them schedules and reminders, make announcements, exchange notes.
INVITE: Invite the people you know. Invite your friends, family, colleagues and
neighbors. Encourage them to keep track of the event on ispreadchange.com.
POST: Invite those you don’t know by posting flyers wherever there is high traffic ... your local coffee
shop, grocery store, company cafetaria, church fellowship hall, or library. Tap
into our resources for a flyer that you can personalize.
MATERIALS: For your Spiritual Group Gathering, the most important thing you’ll need are discussion questions to focus the gathering and maximize the
learning. You will also need Sign In sheets. Both can be accessed through the resources page.
PICTURES: Don't forget a camera to take pictures or videos to share them with others on
the site.
Congratulations on bringing your community together to transform yourself — and the world around you!
Congratulations on the difference you make in the world.
Aman Motwane
Yes, You Can Change the World
