The Rise of Conscious Capitalism

Last week I met Patricia Aburdene at the launch event for the Marpa Society (a project of Naropa’s Marpa Center for Business and Economics).

Patricia was discussing her new book, Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism. In her talk and in her book she examines 7 new trends that she believes will transform how we work, live and invest. Her main point is that conscious capitalism is already profoundly transforming the way the world does business.

I came away from the talk feeling really encouraged.

It’s really easy to feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket right now. Global warming, the war in Iraq, school shootings—it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed by all the bad stuff out there.

But as the same time, there are growing numbers of people who want the world to be a place of beauty and peace. And increasingly they are using business as their vehicle for changing the world.

In the 1960s, big business was viewed as “The Man” to be resisted and avoided at all cost. Now there is a growing sense around the world that business can be a force for change in the world. I believe that in the not too distant future, business will be considered the most powerful force for positive change on the planet.

Think about it—in 1980, there were less than 1/2 dozen natural foods supermarkets in the country. Today Whole Foods is a multi-billion company—and the big chains like Safeway are rushing to copy them. A few years ago, Zaadz was just a gleam in Brian Johnson’s eye. Today they have more than 50,000 members and are growing exponentially. Spectacular leaps forward such as these are happening every day in this country and around the world.

I think this is an extraordinary time to be alive—just as the wave of conscious business is beginning to gain momentum. And I feel like The Chief Good is at the right place at the right time to help people and businesses make the transition to this new way of thinking and being.

As an added note, I think Mark Wilding is doing a tremendous job with the Marpa Center. Be sure to check out their website for ways to plug in.