Mission - Next Step Integral

Our Mission

Our primary focus and mission is to take the next step, to walk the talk by

Bringing Integral Visions into Action!

We are here to move beyond ideas, discussions and theorizing to actually doing and being this emerging consciousness.

We are dedicated to the advancement of human consciousness and to the integral embodiment of our human potential.

Currently our main areas of focus in bringing an integral perspective to Life are:

"We must close our eyes and invoke a new manner of seeing… a wakefulness that is the birthright of us all, though few put it to use." — Plotinus

We are facing an unprecedented crisis as a human family due to our self-centered relationship to life.

Since the major global crises we face at this time are human caused, the task of understanding human consciousness concerns us all and is paramount to bringing about any real and lasting change.

Without authenticity no genuine spiritual evolution is possible. Authenticity involves a commitment to truth , the willingness to face reality as it is, and to know oneself, however hard that may be. In other words, the willingness to make choices that foster evolution, a constant and never ending movement towards a fuller, more real expression of our true self.

“Truth is an eternal conversation about things that matter, conducted with passion and discipline”— Parker Palmer

We live in an individualistically oriented society. We have separated ourselves from each other and from the natural world to such a degree, that while we may have a better understanding of who we are as individuals, most of us are left yearning for real and meaningful relationship. However, when we try to actually come together with others we generally find it very difficult. Next Step believes that there is a way out of this predicament, that it is possible to come together in such a way that enables and encourages the individual to flourish and evolve, while at the same time calling each participant to be present to the space ‘in between', softening the lines of separation and allowing the collective to come alive in actual communion. What does it take for this to happen? How is it possible to find balance between individuation and communion? According to our experience and study of this question it greatly hinges on whether we can reside in the Authentic Self . In coming together authentically all the unnecessary clunky armor and weaponry that leads to separation gets laid aside. We become present to our selves and to each other. And in this way collective individualism begins to emerge: a way of being that holds keys to navigating the challenges and opportunities of the 21 st Century.

Our priorities as an organization are: transformation, service, and the integral embodiment of our ever-evolving human potential. This is where each of us finds ultimate meaning and herein lies the core of our reason for being as an organization.

“You need to become a somebody before you can be a nobody”: at one point in human development the process of becoming a full participant in the evolution of consciousness requires that we increasingly disidentify with the ego, that we transmute a self-centered existence into one that is based on service for the Whole. For this to happen a new momentum needs to be created inside ourselves that is driven by service, by a care for the Whole that is so profound that nothing can stand in the way of it finding its expression. In so many ways the willingness to enter into this journey is choiceless …the sophisticated and mature ego ultimately realizes that there is no future for the false self. A call is felt deep within for full participation in planetary evolution. Nothing else is ultimately satisfying, nothing else seems to be really meaningful. The ego has reached a dead end, and remaining in this self-centered framework begins to lose its appeal. Very few have gotten there, and for most ‘becoming somebody' is still very important. At Next Step Integral we acknowledge both of these realities and life phases, while making a clear distinction between them.

Our service as an organization is informed by the following: We believe that first humanity needs new information and perspective in order to be able to perceive and acknowledge more wholesome and integral vista. We need perspectives that offer a clearer and integral view of our human predicament, our place in the universe and our inner potential for participation in planetary transformation. Second we believe that above all this information needs to touch our core. In this way inspiration and passion for authentic expression are awakened in us and we begin to align our life values and goals with who we truly are in essence. Third this information needs to be integrated at a cellular level of existence, something that we experience in our very bones, heart and soul as opposed to just intellectually. From this cellular experience we then act. These actions will be multifaceted, and Next Step Integral is committed to host and help them find expression. What does awakening looks like as it moves into the world? What kind of relationship will we develop with our children? What type of relationship will we engage in with the natural world that surrounds us? What type of organizational structures will we create? What life styles will we choose, how will we relate with each other, what will our interpersonal relationships look like?

Next Step Integral's passion and aspiration is to embody our human potential. How might we express what is inherently possible for us as a human family? How to translate into life the inherent fullness and width and depth? Next to the broader implementation that Next Step Integral focuses on, we also simply just like to sing and dance, we dig good movies and late night conversation, we love walking in the forest and across sandy beaches, we relish good company and delicious food, we care about justice and beauty and truth and work long hours to do our small piece, we honor the human and the divine in each of us and long to make a difference. We are human and celebrate that daunting fact as much as we can!

We are living in a universe that is by its very nature ever changing and unfolding. So the more we tune in with the universe that we are a part of the more we attune ourselves with the ever evolving movement and momentum of transformation. We believe that the intelligence of the universe resides at our very core, and it is in our attunement and alignment with who we really are that meaning, purpose and direction are found. It is the challenge and incredible opportunity of the 21 st century to consciously touch in with our core, with the energy and direction of our universe, so that we may become co-creators of our preferred future as a human family. We are deeply humbled by the challenges present in creating a whole new momentum, but feel that it is by facing into this very challenge that our salvation lies.