“It is time for each of us to claim our individual responsibility for the realities of our present and the unfolding course of our future.”

But what is a world that works? Alan Seale makes clear that it is not a perfect world; we needn’t give up because we don’t believe we have what it takes to achieve a Utopian paradise. Rather, the author assures us, a workable world is one in which we acknowledge the reality then get on with the business of correcting flaws. As individuals, groups, communities, and leaders, we must dedicate ourselves to the business of building a world in which every individual can achieve potential and feel motivated to inspire others, to encourage the re-creation of what we have, and to actively participate in the building of a sustainable worldwide culture.

Seale believes that a key component of this movement is Transformational Presence – “…a way of showing up to life that calls forth greatness in others, empowers breakthroughs, and supports major shifts in understanding, perception, and action” - and he devotes the early portion of Create a World That Works to explaining Transformational Presence in detail.

He begins with the DSCO Model, which describes the four levels of engagement that form the structure for identifying what is happening – Drama (finding someone to blame), Situation (what’s going on and how do we fix it?), Choice (what role do you want to play in this?), and Opportunity (what wants to happen?).

Create a World That Works also draws on ancient wisdom, but don’t be fooled into thinking that this is more of the same old vague visions and platitudes. These days, physics more often than not collides with traditional explanations of how the world works. Take, for instance, the principle of vibration. Seale opens with a quote from the Kybalion: “Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.” As science catches up to the ancients, we’ve learned that, indeed, everything is constantly in motion, vibrating at various rates to provide us with sound, light, and seemingly solid objects like tables and cars.

Each of these ancient concepts is explained fully and connected to the theory of Transformational Presence. Seale then points us toward an understanding of how all the principles are intertwined with our efforts to build a world that is in keeping with our ideals.

The ideas presented in Create a World That Works are meant to utilize the skills and passion of each reader. Whatever your talents or interests, and once you determine ‘what wants to happen,’ you’ll be able to use Seale’s detailed suggestions and explanations to guide yourself toward a meaningful role in the development of humankind’s next level of evolution.

More than just a feel-guide list of affirmations, Create a World That Works is extremely practical and full of optimism. As I read through it, furiously jotting notes, I realized that this is a volume ideally suited for combating compassion fatigue. It is not, however, just for those in social services and helping professions, but for anyone who truly wants to join the effort to regain belief in dreams and make them real.