Deepak Chopra’s lecture series The Higher Self, references the idea that it takes three generations to change a belief. I was intrigued by this concept and explored it further. I came to consider how the first generation of the belief-shift ing process identifies a disconnect with the old belief yet continues to support (enforce) it. The second generation, having grown restless, rejects the old belief and rises up in resistance, triggering a period of chaos during which new possibilities are considered. The third generation, having been liberated from the old belief as truth and having navigated a process of elimination, starts to settle into ideas that are a more appropriate fit for the evolution of the individual and the collective. In my classes, I use the example of wandering through the desert for forty years in search of the Promised Land. In this metaphor, we consider how the Promised Land is not so much a literal place but rather a mindset, a belief. The forty-year journey is the journey of the three generations it takes to change a belief. The Promised Land is always available; however, it is not accessible until we can see it, and we are unable to see it until we have chosen to believe it. When enough of the third generation (about 52 percent of the tribe) aligns with the new thinking, we arrive at a tipping point that speeds up the momentum of the belief-shift process. When the collective is on board with the new thinking, they embrace the new belief and reveal the Promised Land. This shift shows the power of positive group thought, the influence of our connectedness, the potential of our At-One-Ment, and the reclaiming of our humanity.
