In the years ahead we are going to see great change sweeping through our diverse human societies. It will be change not only brought about by intentional minds and willing hearts; but also by necessity, by coercion, and from an evolutionary imperative. The 21st century will be equivalent to the dramatic ‘flat Earth to round Earth’ shift that was thrust upon humanity centuries before. Some may say we are in the midst of a 3rd Industrial Revolution. Yet rather than referring to this transition as an ‘industrial’ one, I consider this profound shift as a Revolution in Human Being – or rather as a Revolution in Human Becoming. The possibility of a genuine planetary civilization – with unity through diversity – and with the participation of an awakened and aware humanity, was never on the cards…until now. We have entered a phase where there will be new forms, new arrangements, new structures, new perspectives, and new emerging states of being.

We are, quite literally, shifting from one set of C-Values – Competition ~ Conflict ~ Control ~ Censorship – to a new set: Connection ~ Communication ~ Consciousness ~ Compassion. The world is re-arranging in order to come together in countless new ways – with innovative changes in our communication, our uses of technology, through conscious awareness, through people-centered action, and more. These are the seeds coming to harvest as part of a re-awakening, re-ordering, and re-balance upon this planet. We should recognize that the issues at stake are much larger than governments – they are global and dispersed throughout the peoples of the world. These issues are also too important to be left in the hands of governments alone. The future will be about visioning beyond our limitations – thinking anew, and in ways we are currently unaccustomed to. This is the new consciousness – not conceiving or perceiving within the old patterns. External change is not enough if there is no real change within each one of us.

The current generation(s) will be the ones who will have to shoulder the mental and emotional responsibility of change as they are forced to let go of both external and internal systems and states that are no longer beneficial to our future development. This is why I have termed our current generation(s) the ‘Bridge Generation’, as it will be required of us to straddle both worlds. Those generations that come after us will be born as change rather than being born into change – this is a slight yet very significant difference.

Within the Bridge Generation we are experiencing the increasing diffusion of knowledge and information with an unprecedented rapidity. Those of us who accept to walk upon and maintain this bridge will be asked to speak the language of transition clearly and calmly: that is, the language/vocabulary of the old systems and patterns as well as the new. It is a path that connects both sides during the transition. For this reason, it requires sincerity, integrity, and transparency. It is less about reliance upon external devices, and more about trusting one’s inner self and instincts. The new values of connection, communication, consciousness, and compassion will assist us in aligning with an energy that binds rather than breaks; that emphasizes well-being as well as well-doing.

In this respect the value of sincerity is of great importance, now more than ever, as we are surrounded by tales, stories, and false-mythologies selling us pseudo-spiritual escapism, media fear, and commodity idealism. The greater truth of this is more subtle and yet more powerful – it is the ongoing development of human society and the evolution of human consciousness. And it is an ongoing work in progress – and it is as simple and as difficult as that.

The era of connection, communication, consciousness, and compassion is now upon us. However, at this present time those of us who form part of the Bridge Generation need to remain grounded, balanced, and work with the disruptive changes in society. In order to ‘build the bridge’ that will help steer us through the years ahead we will need not only to shift our perspectives but also to change the old system game–play by silently overwhelming the incumbent models – to make the new age the new normal. Many people in the Bridge Generation will feel the stirrings of a ‘calling’; a sense to activate something – some purpose or meaning – within them. Some may be attracted to books/writings, or to events, gatherings, or other signifiers. Other ways to activate a person’s calling – or actualized state – may come through doing; whilst others will be through being. Part of the process of opening ourselves up to what I have named abstractly as the ‘calling’ will be the need to prepare our minds to be receptive and open to new avenues of possibilities and potentials. The Bridge Generation does not yet share a common story, or even a shared consciousness. Yet these aspects within humanity are slowly beginning to emerge – and not just in isolated, individual pockets as in times past. With our awakenings we can begin to physically connect through our social technologies, and begin to build new potentials through this connectivity. The awakener can now connect with other like-minded (like-hearted and like-spirited) persons across the planet and begin seeding the energies of creative intention and change. We no longer have to work alone: by sharing what we know, feel, and what inspires us, we can participate in developmental change.

Change upon this planet will come through us, the people; and the attitudes, awareness, compassion, sincerity, etc, which we embody and manifest. This is the real stability that can be passed on to those around us: our family, friends, communities, social networks, and so on. As balanced, subtle, uplifting energies manifest through more and more people, change will increasingly manifest within our external environments. Again, it will not appear overnight. Yet the energies are moving in the right direction, and there are millions of people already feeling this joy of change. The Bridge Generation needs to maintain a focus on the great opportunities emerging now and not become disheartened. People’s minds are changing all over the world, and with this come remarkable and inspiring potential and opportunity. Things can no longer go on as they have been; this is now plainly obvious to most observant people.

Already there are countless examples of how this wave of change is occurring across the planet. Such examples include how people interact with new technologies; the impacts of social media; new emerging youth groups; and the rise of a global empathic mindset. The influences of new social patterns of connectivity are giving rise to an increased planetary empathic awareness. The power of energetically-connected individuals is fuelling the ‘We’ feeling and bringing the disenchanted together to develop their networks. These developments exist in parallel to the increasing rise of the maverick tinkerers, innovators, and creative minds. These emerging new models are pushing against the old self-centered, hierarchical, control systems. Such new systems are showing that a new type of consciousness is arising, which will mark the generations to come.

The Phoenix Generation

The generation now being born into the world is what I refer to a