Our social, political, and economic structures as we knew them are dying. We can see this as surely as we can see the impact that these fading structures have had on our environment and on our own inner landscape. Rather that uplifting the world’s citizens, the old programs, the old ways of being have left humankind depressed and distracted. We are at that pivotal transition from death to new life. And this is something to celebrate!

We celebrate because this death means that we are growing up as a species. Humanity is now mature enough to be in touch with its own inner authority, and to realize that now is the opportunity we have longed for. Now we seed the future through collective vision and through collective heart.

This collective vision and heart is manifesting through online groups, event and project-based teams, and physical communities. As the old system dies, new ways of being, believing and acting have sprung up alongside it. This is humanity finding its connected and aligned heart. And, from that connected heart, new hope is emerging.

We have been socialized to focus on “final” material form — the ultimate goal or dream — and yet we fear death, which takes us to the end of one life phase, before we can begin anew. Death is a transition; it is a portal. Rather than hanging on to what is dying, we can embrace the inspirational seeds newly rising in our hearts and minds. As part of our collective maturing we need to understand the value in all life phases and all phases of manifestation.

In my new book, Collective Manifestation: Heart-Centered Blueprints for Creating Intentional Community, I write the following about what is happening to inspire the formation of new communities around the world: “Central to creating a heart-based community is the awareness at each step that what you are really doing is giving physical form to love and light. The heart is the tuning fork that helps you to tune love into each step. The heart is the connection point where vision meets the urge to act. The heart is also your integration point for all that you release outward and for all that you bring inward.”

Collective caring and creativity are super-charging groups that are both addressing serious issues and throwing out the old rules and limits. So we have a choice: we can be very afraid that the old structures are dying or we can realize that this collective societal death is preparing the ground for the birth of new global potential and possibilities. Together there is much that can be realized:

• From collective willingness to let go of the old — we breathe life into humanity’s maturing potential.
• From the spark of conscious intention — we shift from an experience of “I” to “We.”
• From release of the old and surrender to the unknown — we clear the ground for healing, balancing and new multidimensional experience.
• From the pure joy of creativity — we offer the vehicles of our individual gifts/strengths to the exploration of collective possibility.
• From enthusiastic learning at all stages of the life/death process — we connect the dots of understanding and bring substance to our vision.
• From conscious being — we connect to and nurture a multitude of opportunities that arise organically from a balance of mental and intuitive heart brilliance.
• From the desire for fearless authenticity — we produce transparency of expression and build trust.
• From the space of expanded vision — we transform ourselves and the world.

Collective manifestation is about making our individual dreams shared dreams. What do you truly long for? How do you want to belong? Collective manifestation is about opening our hearts so that what I want for myself, I want for all. We are not lessened by coming together to manifest solutions, visions and a new future; we are collectively lifted up. We connect with one another to create an energetic force more powerful than anything we can do alone. Only then do we live as the global community we truly are.

Melissa Wadsworth is a futurist, believer in human greatness, and author of Collective Manifestation.