Fortune: Good luck; Success; Prosperity. If we look at fortune in the present context then it is overwhelmingly obvious that there are billions of humans who are not experiencing the good luck, success, and prosperity that others are. However, if we view fortune comparative to even 125 years ago then as a species our fortunes have increased dramatically. The Industrial Revolution which runs fairly equal to the lifespan of the United States, 250 years, has given humanity immense material benefits. Starting in the late 18th century, civilization shifted from agrarian, hand-made economies to industrial, machine-driven production. Public education and the availability of inexpensive books, etc., enabled the masses to become more aware. Life expectancy has more than doubled in the last two centuries, largely due to better sanitation, disease prevention, and pharmacology. Travel has been radically redefined, allowing for global exploration and transit that takes only hours instead of months. Civilization has also made profound strides in human rights, governance, and equality. Although, this multitude of fortunes primarily concerns our physical and material benefits and not necessarily our emotional, psychological, and spiritual development. Historians and conflict researchers estimate that 150 million to 230 million people died as a direct or indirect result of wars, genocides, and politically driven massacres in the 20th century alone. Leading up to the 20th century Mark Twain coined the term “The Guilded Age” (the title of his 1873 satirical novel) to describe the era of heavy industrialization. He meant that the period was glittering and prosperous on the surface, but deeply corrupt and rotten underneath! It is undoubtedly a high cost that we pay for material advancement and it is more prevalent than ever that in this third millennium we need to focus on our internal advancement and development and be less concerned with superficialities…