Image 2009 Brit Hammer

If you haven't noticed lately, the world is getting smaller and becoming more friendly. There is a growing trend in us all wanting to connect with one another. Being rather sensitive to what's coming, I see a lovely new Earth for us all, and I'm smiling the biggest smile as I write this!

As my first example, open source is a big concept. Open source coding (Linux) and open source architecture (Cameron Sinclair) are just a couple of examples.

The word "shared" came into mass consciousness with Napster. This was the harbinger of the collapse of the "exclusive" music industry, but how the industry reacted showed us what <i>not</i> to do when people share. The movie and tv industry seem not to have learned, but eventually they will.

Next, the banking system came into question with the "Fall of Wall Street", and companies like Kiva.org and Zopa.com came into being. The former is a micro-credit lender harnessing the power of the Internet where people anywhere in the world can lend small amounts of money to people in developing countries. The latter is a company where you yourself can borrow or lend money to people in your area. In both cases, you get to know who's on the other side of the table and the barrier is removed. This way you have a vested interest in helping the other person.

Another area that is being challenged but that has yet to come to a head is the food industry.  Have you not noticed the growing number of outbreaks of various life-threatening illnesses involving pre-made foods and industrial farming? The cracks are showing, and the shared harvest network is growing by leaps and bounds. It's an open "system" in which those who grow food can trade freely with others. In some cases, those who don't grow food can buy from those who do. In many cases, growers in a neighborhood get together and decide who's going to grow which crops to share with the group, and excess can be traded or sold off. This way everyone knows where and how the food they eat was grown. It's a mutual support system that brings people together and celebrates diversity.

The education system is being challenged, and not only do I notice more home-schooling, I also notice a lot more montessori-type schools now. And for empowering those out-of-work, Bill Strickland's Manchester Bidwell has set a great precedent. Food that is served in schools is also being challenged in a big way in many countries.

Newspapers found it difficult to compete with blogs and social networking media - you can know what's happening anywhere in the world at any time and not need a newspaper to tell you.

Online sharing services for photos, videos and online "radio" programs allow everyone with some knowledge to share it with others - like Flickr, SmugMug, Viddler, Vimeo, YouTube, BlogTalk Radio, BrightKite. The list just goes on and on and on. If you're looking for ideas of what to do with your trash, groups like TrashNation on Flickr will give you ideas. Need advice on how to nurse your child back to health? There are groups almost everywhere, just google to find an online group. There are also many groups on Yahoo. Want to meet people interested in the same thing as you and want to meet up with them? Then check out MeetUp.com.

Eco-travel is becoming the norm in the hospitality industry. "Fair Trade" is fast becoming what is expected, and the days of slave or child labor are becoming no longer tolerated. I've also noticed the issue of child soldiers coming up again and again to remind us that we are "polluting" our children, both spiritually and physically.

I could go on and on, but the point is this: the world is getting smaller, and more and more of us CARE what happens to others. The time of separation and the caste system is also ending.

So take heart if you think that "the world is going to hell in a hand-basket". All you have to do is shift your perspective and see the Big Picture. Focus on that for a change and you'll notice more and more cases of beauty in the world...