Initiative

Initiative: A Rosicrucian Path of Leadership

“Be a person of initiative and beware, lest through hindrances of your own body or hindrances that otherwise come in your way, you do not find the center of your being, within which lies the source of your initiative. Observe that, in your life, all joy and sorrow, all happiness and pain, will depend on finding or not finding your own individual initiative. This should appear, as if written in golden letters, constantly before the soul of anthroposophists. Initiative lies in their karma, and much of what meets them in this life will depend on the extent to which they can become willingly, actively conscious of it.” —Rudolf Steiner, Aug. 4, 1924

Torin Finser takes on some of our contemporary challenges and proposes new solutions. Rather than simply “kicking the can down the road,” as often happens with issues such as sovereign debts, Middle East conflicts, and environmental issues, Finser calls for individual initiative. Drawing on a variety of rich cultural and spiritual traditions, he makes the case for social change that begins within. To do so, one must first access resources that support initiative and innovation. Key questions discussed in this book include:

• How is it possible to live a spiritual life in our materialistic age?
• Can an individual person still make a difference?
• How can we use a whole-systems approach to innovation?
• How can planetary wisdom help us find appropriate leadership styles?
• What are the inner conditions needed to work with the transcendent Self?
• In the swirl of multi-tasking, how can we find moments of solitude and reflection?

We need new, a ethical individualism that is fully transformative. As quoted from the Peace Pilgrim in chapter 2: This is the way of peace—overcome evil with good, and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love. Today’s world needs people of initiative—those willing to become the change that is so desperately needed. This book offers a wakeup call for inspired leadership.

C O N T E N T S:

Introduction: “Hear me God, I can’t take it anymore…”

Living a Spiritual Life in an Age of Materialism
Freedom and Initiative
Innovation
Planetary Leadership

Epilogue

Appendices:
Meditations for the Days of the Week
The Pentagram as a Tool for Self-development
From the Anthroposophical Prison Outreach Program

About the Author

Torin M. Finser, PhD,has served Waldorf education for more than four decades, first as a class teacher and later as the Director and faculty member of the Waldorf Teacher Education Program at Antioch Uni-versity New England. A former General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America, he also helped found the Center for Anthroposophy in New Hampshire. His research and writ-ings have reached people all over the world, including several books that have been translated into multiple languages. Torin has served as a consultant, workshop leader, and keynote speaker at numerous conferences. He is married to Karine, has six children, and is also now a very happy grandfather!