Introduction

The Echo Principle was seeded by a series of life-altering events. These events were produced by actions taken in the course of everyday life, of everyday business, of everyday “being,” by everyday people. They were made by individuals I had never met, many born long before I came into this world. They were made by friends, by parents, by siblings, by colleagues, by strangers, and of course by myself. Each of us moving through the world unaware that our actions, many of them simple and seemingly unimportant, are impacting the destiny of thousands.

The Echoprint created by these events shaped my perception of the world and, therefore, my interaction with it. Because we are not alone in our personal universes, the ricochet effect has moved outward, reaching every corner of my life. It has reverberated into the hearts of those I love and, in one way or another, touched every person I have ever encountered – sowing seeds of light or seeds of darkness.

Suffering is a funny thing, it leads one to a place of bitterness or awakening — the decision is always individual. As humans we have been endowed with two of the most powerful gifts imaginable: perception and choice. The ability to choose how we view any given event or circumstance enables us to contour our world — our perception is our reality, thus it is our compass. For me, true north has always been prayer. It stirs the wind and moves the stagnant air of unforgiveness across the deserts of my life, restoring me to a higher place.

My awakening first began, as most life-changing events do, unexpectedly. It was 1981. My dear friend and mentor, Ed Martin, was still alive. While waiting in his office, I happened to notice a present given to him by his youngest daughter, proudly displayed on his bulletin board. It was a page torn from a coloring book. Snow White lay on the floor unconscious, the poisoned apple, absent one bite, laying by her side; over her stood one of the Seven Dwarfs. The caption read, “Snow White, wake up!” A beam of light shot across my bow — I grabbed a pen and began to write. What emerged was the realization that I had been living a life half asleep, unawakened to the happiness that still awaited me.

And so began the arduous journey of transformation. What followed was years of internal struggle, battling my own personal demons. Somewhere along the way, I became acutely aware that every thought we have, every decision we make, every action we take sends echoes into the world that cannot be recalled. We are shaping our personal reality and the reality of others every second, whether we are aware of it or not. The most powerful part of this truth is that the Echoprint created by each individual moves through time and space, much like light or sound waves. This is true in our personal lives as well as in the professional world.

Since I was a young woman in business, I have heard the old adage, “What happens at the top trickles down.” We are living in an age where this is underscored daily in the press. The Echoprint of corporations such as Enron and businessmen such as Bernie Madoff have devastated tens of thousands of lives. Conversely, the Echoprint of individuals like Bill and Melinda Gates, Richard Branson and Mother Teresa have saved, educated and healed entire populations. Why such diversity? The issue is clearly not wealth or social position, as ordinary people with very limited financial resources are providing needed healthcare, food, transportation and other vital resources to thousands around the globe. How can an average person like you or me, with limited resources, make such a dramatic impact?

In my search for answers, I discovered specific characteristics of each of these individuals that enable them to “move mountains.” I also discovered that quantum physics is giving them a hand, whether they realize it or not.

For centuries a debate has been volleyed in institutions and homes: on one side of the net, spirituality, on the other side, science. Centuries-old belief systems have maintained that the two are theoretically opposing, one destroying the validity of the other. But evidence in quantum physics has now opened a view to an entirely different scenario, for those who are willing look. The new physics not only supports, albeit by accident, millennia-old spiritual teachings from religious leaders of nearly every faith, but provides a scientific underpinning for why these teachings bear fruit in the lives of every person who has ever existed or will ever exist. As there are immutable laws of physics, so it is in the spiritual world; and as it turns out, they are inextricably linked.

The Echo Principle examines this link and presents historical evidence of how these principles are at work in today’s world and, more specifically, in your personal life. Through understanding how you are unconsciously putting these principles into play every moment of your life, you will be able to utilize the principles presented to become a more dynamic force for good in your own life, the lives of your family and community, in the workplace and around the globe.

As citizens of the world, in a time where tragedy and loss has reached a scale not seen in our nation for nearly one-hundred years, we must ask ourselves if the pain is great enough to awaken us from the slumber into which we have fallen individually, corporately, nationally and globally. This state of slumber resides in the majority, including governments, organizations, and religious institutions.

The Echo Principle presents an opportunity to create a dynamic revolution to change the destiny of the world, one person, one thought, one decision and one action at a time.