Many of us are sleep walking along meaningless paths from birth to death.

Have you been watching the political circus in the United States wondering why so many people are putting up with this nonsense? Trust me, you are not alone. There are millions of us who have awakened to the reality that the political system is so thoroughly rigged that it can only produce the outcomes it does now.

We need to change it. This means we need a political revolution.

When thinking about political revolution, most people conjure in their minds images of protestors and barricades; flaming bottles thrown at concrete walls; or the grabbing up of torches and pitchforks — but these mental artifacts are not what political revolutions are really about.

Real political revolutions are an evolution of social consciousness. They transpire when it is no longer acceptable to perpetuate the social norms that maintain status quo institutions of power. They are about recognizing that the way we show up in conversations has influence on our peers. And together we can change things within our selves, together in groups, and ultimately by replacing organizations-of-old with better alternatives.

Clearly, the current election “debates” between Hillary and Trump are nothing remotely like political revolution. They are built on weak foundations of fear and conformity, and ethical inadequacies without accountability. Each candidate embodies corruption of different forms perhaps, but both are symptomatic of problems that need fixing.

Neither is a solution worthy of our times.

Every political revolution emerges from crisis — a historic moment when the status quo is so dangerously broken that it cannot be repaired. We are in such a time right now. Runaway climate change threatens half the species on Earth. Inequality and mass poverty are design features and intended outcomes for the tax policies, government budgets around militarism and state-sanctioned violence, massive wealth transfers from the majority of people to the coffers of a tiny elite. These are not indications of brokenness by incompetence. What they reveal is that the game is fixed to perform as intended.

I have been practicing the art of political revolution in my writings throughout the year. I do this by refusing to accept the frames of debate (for example, the political ‘contest’ between party candidates is a farce… we have no real choices in this election) and by placing my awareness in the healing practices of learning, honesty, humility, compassion, and kindness.

Last night, as the second presidential debate aired on television, I chose not to watch it or comment directly on the content contained within it. Instead I read a book about how to raise emotionally intelligent and capable children. Imagine the revolutionary consequences of an entire generation that raised children to have an internal moral compass and the emotional skills to navigate conflicts and build healthy relationships.

Such a generation would never have allowed either Clinton or Trump to get on a major political ticket.

Such a generation would have recognized systemic failures and come together for the difficult conversations about how to address them.

Such a generation would realize the importance of learning how the world actually works before criticizing others who have dedicated their lives to study, research, and knowledge.

Such a generation would be a revolutionary force for moral integrity and right action.

Sadly, we have not raised such a generation of emotionally capable adults. This is why millions of people easily fall into the trap of blaming each other and name-calling about “your side” against mine — failing to see the interdependencies that weave us all together. Of course, there ARE many more millions of people who will simply not participate in the charade of elections this cycle. We can anticipate very low voter turnout.

This too is by design.

Divide-and-conquer is a very effective strategy. It is right up there with the construction of narrowly defined choices to enslave people’s minds into habits that guide them toward system preservation. But now is not a time for idle habits. The practices and behaviors that brought us to this brink of collapse are toxic and pathological in times like these. We must wake up to the reality of what is going on in the world.

What is going on is that the emperor has no clothes. Our elite “leaders” are so out of touch with reality that their egos are all we hear about in the media. Can you believe the sexist thing that Trump said about women’s genitals? Are you disgusted that Hillary was paid millions of dollars to speak with Wall Street executives? It’s all about personality and not anything about broken systems or what to replace them with.

I invite you to think more deeply, question reality, and search into your own reservoirs of knowing to find a moral compass worthy of you and all whom you love. Let us together recognize that a political revolution is happening whether we participate in it or not. There will either be a gradual decline in moral behavior (which has been ongoing for at least 40 years now) to the point that social consciousness is too unfit for survival. Or there will be a renaissance and renewal of heartfelt wisdom that arises through healthy people committing themselves to right actions that navigate the threats now upon us.

It is already very late in the game. Much environmental and social harm has already been inflicted. We must focus now on healing ourselves and each other. By doing this, we will be co-creators of a new social consciousness worthy of future generations. And in so doing we will be active participants in a Great Awakening that guides revolutionary change (as an evolutionary process) for the turbulent years ahead.

Note how the real political revolution has almost nothing to do with how you vote (or if you don’t) in the current election. It is a sham. A circus. A theater performance of distraction. The real action is in the feelings, thoughts, and beliefs that guide our actions as citizens in the world. We can make change right now simply by being awake to the power we already possess.

Power is not held by the Hillarys and Trumps of this world. It is held in the boundaries of acceptability that a community has for its members. The longer we allow such unethical and childish behavior to stand as “leadership,” the longer it will be before we come together and create solutions that actually matter. Time is of the essence. Awaken to your power and let’s get to work.

Onward, fellow humans.