“Covid-19 is like a rehab intervention that breaks the addictive hold of normality.”Charles EisensteinIf there is a silver lining to this unique moment the world is currently enduring, it is the opportunity to snap the denial that obscures a certain indelible truth -- that humans exist separate from each other -- and the biosphere that supports all life.Like an addict's moment of clarity, we are awakening to our intrinsic interconnectedness with others -- and the world at large. With this humbling epiphany, it is now incumbent upon us all to rethink, reimagine, and recreate the story we tell ourselves about who we are -- and who we aspire to be.This is an initiation. An opportunity to reset. A call to reclaim our inherent divinity as spiritual beings having a human experience in intimate relationship with every living thing. An opportunity to expand our awareness beyond self-interest and elevate the collective consciousness -- so that we can chart a more compassionate, sustainable and community-empowered normal going forward.One of the deepest integrative thinkers active today, today's guest is a voice both crucial and integral to this conversation.Meet Charles Eisenstein.A speaker, writer, and social philosopher focusing on themes of human cultural evolution, economics and consciousness, Charles is the author of several books, including Climate - A New Story, Sacred Economics, The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know is Possible, and The Ascent of Humanity.A graduate of Yale University, where he acquired degrees in both mathematics and philosophy, Charles is a counter-culture intellectual and proponent of alternative political and economic narratives that combine ecology, biology, philosophy & spirituality to challenge our current system. You can find his essays, videos, courses and podcasts at charleseisenstein.org. Recognizing the delicacy of this moment, I’ve been very careful about who I invite on the show to discuss it.The pandemic has cast a cosmic panic I am not interested in amplifying. Nor do I feel it appropriate to deliver an empty dose of conjectural optimism.I don’t hold myself out as knowing what exactly is happening. I don’t think any of us do.I can’t give you a prediction or a prescription.What I can offer is perception. Some perspective. And a broader aperture to reckon with the many ramifications of this most unusual global event.Last week I devoured a recent essay by Charles entitled The Coronation. I found it to be one of the most insightful and well-considered long reads on how to think expansively about our current moment. It’s a piece that has stayed with me -- and the motivation behind today's exchange.In the vein of my exchanges with Dr. Zach Bush, this is a thoughtful and at times metaphysical conversation about completely redefining our definition of normal.It's about the potential energy of this shared experience to unite humanity around reinventing society wholesale. It’s about asking questions. It’s about challenging the dominant narrative. Taking a hard look at our institutional failures. And the systems that perpetuate them. But more than anything, this a conversation about standing in our fear. As we delicately wade through the muddy waters of media calamity, conspiracy theories, and fake news, it's about learning how to listen. How to feel. And how to excite the senses around the quiet call that change is actualizing. Without minimizing the severity of what is and what is to come, this truly is our opportunity to cast a new world.May Charles Eisenstein be our gentle steward.Audio Note: This podcast was recorded remotely. Therefore, please excuse the audio quality, a somewhat eroded version of what you’ve come to expect.Facebook Group: I have been remiss in not previously announcing that I recently created a Facebook Group for fans of the show to to congregate. Click here to join.I'm honored to host today's discourse. May it leave you better than you were before.Peace + Plants,Listen, Watch &