The GOLDen Project: Article III, Re-defining Profit for the New Age

This is the third article in a series posted in support of the Light Group GOLDen project, see my page ScottJ7437 for previous articles.

Originally, the word profit comes from Latin meaning “to make progress”

Today, if you look up PROFIT on the web you will get over 25 varied definitions. Of these, the word profit is best represented by the following definition from Wiktionary.

PROFIT:
The money or other benefits an organization or individual makes. Total income or cash flow minus expenditures and taxes; To benefit (sb), be of use to (sb); To benefit, gain; To take advantage of, exploit, use
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/profit

To the casual observer, these two definitions may seem compatible. That is, if your concept of “making progress” is “making money”. Is making money an end unto itself or is it merely one means through which we make progress. But, what is progress? Is it wealth, property, fine clothes, banquets of food, yachts, planes, cars, etc? Is it social status, power to exploit the environment, and power over people? Or is it Comfort and Joy,

Perhaps, it is better to take comfort in the things that give us joy, than in the joy of collecting things that make us comfortable.

To most people, progress means improving the quality of life? Are people, who measure their profit by the things they own, progressing? Perhaps! At least initially, but once the quality of life moves beyond the struggle for survival, should progress be measured by what you have that your neighbor does not?

What does it profit a man, who gains all the wealth of the world, but loses the whole world upon which he stands?

Like Midas, do we have to see the whole world turned to gold, before we realize that we can not eat gold? No, Money, in itself, is not Profit nor Progress, So, as we redefine Profit, we must also redefine the role of money. (More on redefining money in future articles)

In Article II, Unity Principles, we discovered a new definition of the individual or self by assuming a higher perspective of who we are. It is through this higher perspective of ourselves that we come to a higher perspective of profit. We discovered that we are individuals who are intimately connected with all other things. Hence, we are parts of a larger being.

Just as my individual cells are parts of me. We are individual parts of one, greater than we.

Under this higher perspective, it does not serve me to improve the quality of life for one of my cells at the expense of its neighbors. In fact, I must improve the quality of life in all neighboring cells in order to improve any individual cell. Failing this, imbalance and disease will follow, bringing about the death of all cells. Worldwide imbalances in our economic and social systems are a cancer threatening the very life of us all. But, we still have time. There is a cure.

Any thought of profiting my self must also include the thought of profiting my neighbor.

Therefore, PROFIT (redefined):
Progress an individual or organization makes in benefiting and improving the quality of all life to the highest extent possible

This definition naturally negates profiting at the expense of other humans, the environment, and any other living species. It encourages the consideration of long term goals and promotes cooperation, fairness, respect, responsibility for all forms of life.

Please, note that although money was removed from the definition of Profit, money is not necessarily excluded from it. The unrestricted flow of money into, out of and through the general economy is a key to creating the very increases in the quality of life we wish to achieve. (more on this in later articles)

Just imagine the effect, which this broader definition of profit would have, if it were adopted by all the corporations, nations and communities around the world.

Poverty would end.
War would cease.
The environment would heal.
The forests would be saved.
Our energy problems would be solved.
The mass extinction of species would halt.
And Comfort and Joy would embrace the Earth.

Blessings and hope for tomorrow,

Namaste
Scott