This year, for me has been an exploration of my consciousness and how to get participants and citizens to become more conscious. Michele’s “economic consciousness” transformed the way we think about the news, what is possible and how to work. Consciousness is pretty heady stuff and yet, it is the basis of our industry and the challenge faced by all humanity. Michele’s latest integration of choice points connects to my thinking about consciousness.

Our learning levels (the intention of our learning designs) allow participants to become increasingly conscious about what they are learning, how to apply that learning and how they learn. In Distinction (level 2) – participants distinguish between their current way of doing something (their how) and become aware of other alternatives (or possibilities). They, in essence, create choice points. When participants distinguish the difference between one way versus another to achieve a task or communicate – they now have a choice. Or a choice point. The choice point means they get to consciously choose between two or more different ways to proceed. That choice, when you notice it allows you to live consciously. Consciously choosing your action/approach to your action.

Years ago, on a site visit with World Accord in the hills of Honduras, Chet Thomas explained choice to me from a completely different perspective. Chet had given up his powerful New York agency and gone to develop sustainable agricultural practices and community development in Honduras. Chet had a tremendous impact on me because he distinguished choice and wealth for me. I had been giving kids my spare change. And Chet chided me. He explained, “Poverty was the absence of choice.” Think about that (I have for 15+ years). Poverty is the absence of choice. No choice… you are poor. Inside those few words lives a lifetime of understanding of humanity. If poverty is the absence of choice, then wealth is the presence or abundance of choice. Simply, consider us reading a menu (of choices) versus the billions who eat what they can get when they can get it.

Choice then has informed much of my life. I actively look for choice even when it occurs like there is none (there always is). So consciousness seems, in practical terms, be connected to the noticing of choice points. Perhaps we could measure consciousness this way – the degree to which you are conscious could be measured in how often you notice choice points and then consciously choose. Perhaps this is the basis of living a conscious life. From simple choices of requesting a reuseable coffee mug when you are staying, instead of just receiving the paper cup. An example of how many of us live unconsciously, ignoring a choice point.

So the more conscious you are, the more choice you have. The more choice you have, the more wealthy you are. Could this mean – the more conscious, the more wealthy? Could that mean that the new bling or the nouveau riche will become consciousness. Media attention seems to be shifting that direction and all hail the tipping point on that concept. Conscious capitalism may be the next mutation of our collective evolution. Now to be the change I wish to see in the world.