Humans 2.0: How to Achieve the Next Great Step in Our Evolution

You've probably seen sci-fi books and movies that talk about "the next stage in human development."  Mostly, they refer to advances in technology and artificial intelligence.  Those are supposed to enable us to upload our consciousness into bodies that won't age or die, that can gather, store, and retrieve information thousands of times faster than a mere human brain – the next step in our evolution.

That sounds terrifying to me.

But what if there's another way to advance in our development?  What if there's another way to become more and better than what we are now?  I'm not talking about figuring out how to stop replication errors in our cell production so we can live to be 200.  I mean how we can improve our thinking, and ultimately our lives.

I think I know what that is.

The secret to our evolution

Like all humans, I'm hardwired to look for problems.  It's a matter of survival.  I'm always aware of dangers and difficulties.  My default response in any situation is to look for what's wrong, and either avoid it (flight) or try to fix it (fight).

That's why science says that the average person complains 15-30 times every day.  That's spoken complaints, by the way.  It doesn't include (and can't really measure) all of the negative things we think.

Complaints, ingratitude, negativity – they're our default mode.

But we can change that.  We can be happy (happier, in fact) with less stuff than what our consumer culture tells us we "need," and we can learn to be grateful for not just our comfortable lives, but also the simple daily pleasures all around us.  We can pay attention and use our senses not only to detect enemies and dangers, but to see beauty, hear exquisiteness, smell loveliness, taste deliciousness, and touch a variety of surprising and comforting textures.

Even after many years of conscious practice, I can't say that my default is always towards gratitude.  I'm currently dealing with an insurance debacle regarding my hospital stay this spring, and my default behavior has been disbelief, anger, and grumbling.  Lots of grumbling.

But what if I could do better?  What if I could rise above mere survival (looking for threats and hazards) and become a person who defaults to hope and gratitude?

What if we all could do this?

A new world

What kind of world could we create if we all learned to look for what's good and positive?  I'm not talking about a naïve and toxic situation where we deny the existence of evil.  We would continue to be aware of those things too.  But our way of dealing with them wouldn't be to complain, become fearful, and huddle into our own little like-minded clan.  Our way of dealing would be to strengthen what's good, lean into generosity, find areas of commonality with others, and seek reconciliation and forgiveness.

That, to me, would be the change that would lead us to our better selves.

Even if you're not a religious person, you may at one time have heard or even recited what's known as the Lord's Prayer.  It comes from the Biblical book of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 9-13.  And part of that prayer is this:

Thy (referring to God) kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

The prayer (and all who pray it) is asking that earth will become a place that is like heaven, a place where goodness reigns.  The prayer continues:

Forgive us our trespasses (the things we do wrong) as we forgive those who trespass against us (those who wrong us).

One requirement of creating that better earth is to create better humans – people who acknowledge their shortcomings and forgive each other, who learn to live in peace, who look for and expect the best from each other.  In other words, those who have a default position of kindness, hope, and gratitude.

Related article: 6 Positive Results that Come from Attempting Life's Greatest Challenge

The way forward

Gratitude is a tiny tool with a lot of power.  It not only shifts our focus, but reduces stress, anxiety, and depression.  It allows us to be resilient against adversity and strengthens all of our relationships.  It lets us be creative and productive rather than idle and prone to tearing things (and people) down.  Gratitude is an essential ingredient for a happy life.

What's exciting about this next step in human evolution is the fact that we don't have to wait for technology.  We don't have to submit ourselves and let AI take over everything we do.  We can practice and develop this new default mindset on our own, right now.  We won't be perfect at it, but we can at least see improvement.

And this upgrade in our thinking will surely improve all of our lives.

Want to learn more about how healthy relationships can improve your life?  Or maybe you want to share this good news with someone you love.

My newest book, Help, Thanks, Sorry, Awesome, is available now for pre-order in the e-book edition (you'll save 20% off the list price).  Our lives are defined by our relationships:  son, daughter, spouse, parent, boss, co-worker, neighbor, and more.  And to maintain the health of those connections, we need a few tools.  It's my hope that Help, Thanks, Sorry, Awesome will fill you in and inspire you to be a better human.

By the way, beautiful paperback and hardcover editions (perfect for gift-giving) will go on sale October 25.