I used to believe that humanity was on an inevitable collision course with destruction. The news, the science, the endless stream of crises—it all seemed to point in one direction. Collapse.
But then, something shifted.
It wasn’t a moment of naive optimism. It wasn’t ignoring the facts. It was a realization—a deep, resounding knowing—that we are not doomed.
We have what we need. In fact, we’ve always had it.
For the past several chapters, we’ve been breaking down the Great Untruths—the lies that have shaped civilization and led us to this tipping point. But dismantling what’s broken is only the first step.
Now, we turn toward what comes next.
If the Great Untruths led us astray, the Four Great Truths provide the way home.
And here’s the paradox: they are both ancient and new.
Remembering What Was Never Truly Lost
At first, the Four Great Truths felt like revelations—something emerging from this moment in history. But the deeper we looked, the clearer it became.
These truths have always been known.
They are embedded in Indigenous traditions. They are reflected in the natural world. They have been whispered in spiritual teachings, echoed in scientific discoveries, and lived by those who never lost their connection to life’s deeper rhythms.
But modern civilization forgot them.
Now, as the old systems crumble, these truths are re-emerging, offering a sacred blueprint for those ready to step forward and co-create the future.
So, what are they?
The Four Great Truths
The Four Great Truths offer a way of seeing—and being—that directly counters the Great Untruths. They are not just ideas. They are principles to live by, foundations for a thriving world.
1. Interconnectedness: All life is interconnected, and human well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of the planet. We’ll look at this one in more depth in just a minute.
2. Sufficiency: There is enough for everyone when resources are used wisely and shared fairly.
3. Reciprocity with Nature: Our relationship with nature should be one of mutual care, where we give back as much as we take.
4. Humanity as Stewards, Not Masters: Humanity’s role is to care for the Earth, not dominate it.
Interconnectedness – We Are Nature, Not Separate From It
Humanity is not separate from the natural world—we are woven into its fabric. For too long, we’ve acted as if we exist apart from nature, as if it’s something we can manipulate, extract from, and control without consequence. But the deeper reality is that everything—our breath, our bodies, the food we eat, the water we drink—is intricately connected to the rest of life on this planet.
Where We See This Truth in Action
This truth is not new. Indigenous cultures across the world have always known it. The Lakota people have a phrase, Mitákuye Oyás’in, which translates to “all my relations.” It is not a metaphor. It is a lived understanding that every tree, river, animal, and person is part of an interconnected whole. The decisions we make—how we treat the land, how we treat each other—ripple outward. There is no such thing as an isolated action.
Science is finally catching up to what these traditions have long taught. The “Wood Wide Web,” the underground network of fungi that connects trees and allows them to communicate, is one example. Scientists have discovered that trees send nutrients to weaker trees in their network, that mother trees recognize and nurture their own offspring, that forests are not just a collection of individual trees but a deeply connected community. What if we saw ourselves this way, too? What if our survival and thriving depended on recognizing and nurturing those connections?
This awareness is also guiding modern movements. Regenerative agriculture is restoring soil health by working with nature instead of against it. Biomimicry—designing human systems by learning from nature’s intelligence—is creating more sustainable cities, energy systems, and economies. Everywhere we look, the truth of interconnection is being rediscovered.
The Obstacle Becomes the Way
There’s something else we need to acknowledge. Recognizing interconnectedness isn’t just about understanding the beauty of nature’s design—it’s about realizing that the obstacles in our way are actually guiding us forward.
Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way draws from the wisdom of Marcus Aurelius, reminding us that what blocks our path often is the path. The moment we shift our perception and see the challenges before us as opportunities for growth, we begin to move through them with clarity and resilience.
What does this mean for us? It means that every crisis—the environmental destruction, the economic instability, the polarization—these are not just barriers. They are signposts, pushing us toward deeper integration with the natural world, forcing us to remember that we are part of something greater. They are the necessary friction that strengthens us as individuals and as a society.
A Lesson from the Wild
Zak crouched at the base of an enormous tree, brushing away the damp leaves that blanketed the forest floor. Ra-Kit, the feline mentor who had guided him through countless mysteries of the natural world, watched with an expectant gleam in her eyes.
“Look closely, Zak,” she urged. “What do you see?”
He leaned in, peering at the delicate web of white filaments clinging to the roots. “It looks like tiny threads.”
“Fungal threads,” Ra-Kit corrected. “And they are more important than you can imagine.”
Zak raised an eyebrow. “Fungus? I thought trees got what they needed from the soil.”
Ra-Kit sat back on her haunches. “Trees are not solitary beings. This—” she gestured at the network beneath them—“is how they communicate. They send nutrients to one another. They warn each other of danger. When a mother tree dies, she sends her last resources through this network to help the younger trees survive.”
Zak’s mind reeled. “I’ve always thought a forest was just a collection of individual trees. Now I see that it’s actually a single, interconnected living system.”
Ra-Kit’s voice softened. “And so are we.”
How We Can Live This Truth
If we are not separate from nature, then the way we move through the world must change. It’s not about saving the planet—it’s about recognizing that we are the planet. That every breath we take is part of a cycle, that every bite of food is the result of countless interwoven relationships, that our well-being is inseparable from the health of the Earth.
If we truly lived as if we were part of nature, how would our choices change? How would our priorities shift? How would our relationships—both with the Earth and with each other—deepen?
Let’s explore this together. Share your thoughts, your experiences, and where you already see this truth in your own life. Let’s make this conversation real.
Because this isn’t just about learning—it’s about remembering. And it’s about living.
The Journey Ahead
The Four Great Truths challenge us to see differently, to live differently. They ask us to remember that the way forward is not about dominance, extraction, or limitless growth, but about relationship, balance, and care.
In Part Two, we will take a deep dive into GT #2: Sufficiency—exploring how shifting from a scarcity mindset to sufficiency can transform not just our economy, but our way of being in the world.
We will also introduce the Green Family, a modern family trying to navigate this changing world, and we’ll continue to accompany the Zak Bates’ Eco-Guardian team as they learn how to put these truths into action in their own adventures.
But for now, let’s pause here.
Your Invitation to Engage
Which of these truths resonates most deeply with you?
Where do you already see them in your life?
Share your thoughts, reflections, or experiences in the comments—let’s build this conversation together.
We are not just learning about a new paradigm—we are living it, co-creating it, embodying it. This is the shift. And you are part of it.
The path is before us. Let’s walk it together.
P.S. Late Breaking News! Mark your calendar for Monday, April 7 when I will be joined here on Substack Live as I interview Teresa Romain of Access Abundance as we do a deep dive into the Great Truth #2 - Sufficiency.
Teresa Romain has been an Abundance Coach and Advocate for more than 27 years. She’s on a mission to revolutionize the scarcity-based relationship with money that dominates our world. One that is the cause of so many of the problems we face today – individually and collectively. Join us as we explore a new game Teresa has created: “a chair for everyone.” More information coming soon.
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