Between wars, oil spills, and economic doldrums, the world seems pretty grim right now. That’s why I was especially interested when Ann Curry interviewed the Dalai Lama on The Today Show last week. This is a man who has had more interaction with the highs (spiritual enlightenment) and the lows (political oppression) of life than most of us ever will. But to my surprise, when Curry asked him about his vision of the next ten years, he was surprisingly optimistic.

He envisioned more peace and harmony for the human race, as well as a lot more people developing relationships in ways we haven’t done for decades — if at all. I also learned that he does not live in a technological vacuum — one of the reasons for his optimism was the reaction of people who rallied to the assistance of earthquake-ravaged Haiti simply by punching a series of numbers on their cell phones. Truly the intersection of the technological with charitable, even spiritual, urges.

To me, his reference was a clear example of people bypassing governments to do some good, to get something accomplished that needed to be done quickly. I sense, like the Dalai Lama does, that we are moving toward a time of greater personal connection. I believe this for two reasons. First, I see technology — whether Facebook or cell-phone contribution systems — bringing us closer together, binding us in ways we’ve never been bound before. But second, I also see us recognizing the need for greater personal connections. Technology is just a way to achieve it more easily.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that my interest in, and devotion to, personal development makes me think about these issues more frequently than most people. But to me, personal development encapsulates these goals: it’s a commitment to look inside yourself and think more carefully about how you participate in the world outside. That may seem like a contradictory concept, but so too is the idea of using technology (which can be inherently impersonal) to increase personal connection to other people.

So how am I putting this insight into action? Coincidentally, it’s a situation close to home, one related to the story about Haiti I told above. Relatives of mine have experienced a financial, not seismic, earthquake, and they’re in need of help. In the past, they might have gone to a finance company or a sub-prime mortgage company for assistance with their housing situation, but government regulations have managed to create so many “protections” for consumers (and taxpayers) that companies are shying away from situations like theirs. They can’t get help.

This is where the human connection comes in. Though family members might not have done this twenty years ago, when we were all so independent and generations lived apart, I believe it’s time for me to step up and help them, whether to navigate the treacherous waters of the mortgage system, or financially if necessary.

My relationships with my family, my personal connection to them, compel me to help them. The injustice of how they’ve been abandoned by the system — especially a system that thinks it’s helping them — peeves me. It’s up to me to help.

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