HEALING NATIONS IN REVISION. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT HEALING OUR NATIONS: HEALING THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH WE LIVE; THE COUNTRIES THAT SHAPE US; THE COUNTRIES THAT WE CAN SHAPE IN OUR TURN. THIS BOOK SHOWS HOW POLITICS AND SOCIETY CAN BE TRANSFORMED, BUT IT IS ABOUT YOU AND ME. IT SHOWS HOW GOVERNMENT CAN BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT, MORE RESPONSIVE AND MORE EFFECTIVE, BUT IS ABOUT HOW YOU AND I LEAD OUR LIVES. THIS BOOK SHOWS US HOW TO WORK WITH EVERY ‘SYMPTOM’ THAT MAKES OUR MODERN NATIONS ‘SICK’: BUT IT IS NOT ABOUT ERADICATING THOSE SYMPTOMS. IT REVEALS FOR US THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM THAT LIES AT THE HEART OF OUR SOCIAL LIVES, AND IS ABOUT TRANSFORMING THAT PROBLEM. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT HEALING: HEALING OURSELVES, HEALING OUR NEIGHBOURHOODS AND COMMUNITIES, HEALING THE VERY NATION STATES IN WHICH WE LIVE. OUR VERY SOCIAL LIVES CAN BE TRULY SPIRITUAL AND PART OF THER SACRED.

CHAPTER TEN: CHINESE WHISPERS. EVERY SINGLE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SYMPTOM IS TELLING US SOMETHING ABOUT THE STATE OF US. EVERY SINGLE NEWS HEADLINE, EVERY INSIDE STORY, EVERY EXPOSURE AND SCANDAL, EVERY FEATURE, EVERY RUMOUR: IS A SIGN. SUCH IS THE SPIRITUAL REALITY OF OUR LIVES.

Accept that healing is of both body and mind, and there are profound ramifications within the political sphere. For nothing can be viewed the same way again. No one can again hide from responsibility. Agendas will be seen as lifestyles: positive or negative. Attitudes will be messages for good or ill. Communications will be manifestations of our psychological wellbeing.

Everything we do, everything we say, everything we think – everything we communicate, dream, hope and aspire to – will be seen as affecting the whole. This will mean that for governments and authorities, for bureaucrats and office clerks; and also for every mogul, tycoon, board chairman, and managing director: control will be seen as entailing demise; manipulation as fostering sickness; and design as stifling persona.