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Ice
Age Inspiration
Forty thousand years ago, members of our species (the Cro-Magnons) had arrived
in ice age Europe and were coexisting with our last living relatives, the Neanderthals.
Over the next ten thousand years, the harsh climatic conditions peaked as glaciers
crept south and long winters persisted.
During
this period, our ice age–savvy Neanderthal cousins
became extinct and our Cro-Magnon ancestors blossomed,
painting pictures on cave walls and playing music for the
first time.
Although
the Neanderthals’ demise continues to be puzzling,
our species’ story is quite clear. After the extreme
ice age conditions ended, Homo sapiens prospered in Europe
and elsewhere, and eventually grew to the astounding population
level it enjoys on the earth today—well over six
billion.
Our
ancestors responded to long winters, starvation, boredom,
frustration, and social conflict with artistic creativity
and social collaboration. They chose to delight and entertain
each other, rather than harm and kill each other. As a
result, they triumphed over unimaginable adversity.
As
our ancestors demonstrated, creativity and collaboration can
generate the spiritual power needed to rise above worldly
challenges. See Recreating Reality
and Spiritual Audit for suggestions
on how to do the same.
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