You see, I had no plans to write a book. My original intention for writing was simple and somewhat selfish. I was hoping to explain to my children some of the discoveries I’ve made on this crazy adventure of life. Maybe all parents feel this way at some point. Why should my kids have to experience the same struggles, pain, and suffering I’ve been through? I know stuff! They can learn from my mistakes.

This painfully slow process turned out to be very transformational. Months turned into years. Finally, I stepped back and began to see the story unfolding before me. It was like I discovered a secret treasure map. Unfortunately, this map was given to me in puzzle form, and the pieces were revealed over decades. Funny how the Universe works.

When this puzzle was finally assembled, it was a real aha moment. On second thought, it was actually more of an oh-shit moment! Although I was excited to see on paper what I’d been feeling for many years, I instantly knew I was going to have to share my discovery with all. The thought of this was terrifying. My insecurities quickly came to the surface. My demons were saying, “Who the hell do you think you are? People will think you’re crazy!” I’m grateful for my wife and the small group of friends who motivated me throughout this painstaking process.

As I studied this treasure map, a theme began to emerge. Through my decades of soul-searching, the same nagging questions kept bubbling to the surface. Why is there so much pain and suffering in this world? Why are so many of us living with illness, disease and addiction? Why all the fear, anxiety and hate? The entire planet seems to be on edge, and temperatures are rising.

By stepping back and taking a panoramic view of the situation, the answers began to reveal themselves. It became obvious to me that we continue to repeat the same mistakes. We are treating the symptoms of our dis-ease, which is the chaos we see in our world, rather than exploring for the root cause. Focusing on symptoms will only result in prescriptions for bigger bombs and more Prozac.

Instead, why don’t we ask the difficult questions, like “Why is everyone so pissed off?” Contrary to what many believe, this worldwide crisis did not start on September 11, 2001, nor did it begin on November 8th, 2016. We have been sleepwalking for generations. We’ve been stuck in a depressive state of apathy, allowing a loud minority to rule the often-silent majority. The struggles we see in the outer world are a direct reflection of the battle being played out in our inner world. We have been consumed by the external stimuli, completely identified with our small selves.

In other words, we have been disconnected from our True Nature. This is the “root cause” I’m referring to. Most of life’s pain, suffering, and struggles can be traced back to this disconnection. Although I believe that forgetting our Divine Nature is a necessary stage in our spiritual evolution, so is remembering! When we learn how to end this inner battle, peace will soon follow in the outer world.

One of the many things I’ve exposed on this journey is that we all share the same collective purpose, which is to Discover, Surrender, and Inspire. We must first Discover the Divine within, this dormant power embedded in all of humanity. This is our Sleeping Giant patiently waiting to be discovered. Every experience we have during the School of Life is designed to lead us to this discovery. We must then Surrender to this power. Divinity is your birthright. Yes, you were born into royalty. It is time to awaken! Finally, we must Inspire others on this path.

After discovering this “secret treasure map” my writing project soon transformed into the book, I Am God in Disguise, So are You. My goal was now to demystify the spiritual path and inspire others to join me on this adventure. I resist having this message lumped into the “New Age” movement. This is actually an age-old message. This is the same message Jesus was teaching over 2000 years ago. I’m not a religious guy, but I was thrilled to find these bible quotes; The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. It’s the Father in me doing this work. Whoever believes in me will do the work I am doing (John 14:10). This next one is even more direct; Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you (Corinthians 3:16). Richard Rohr, a bestselling author who has also been a Catholic priest for the past 50 years says, “humanity was not ready for this message 2000 years ago, but maybe the time is now.”

Despite these turbulent times, I am still an optimist. I feel we are entering a stage of positive change and increased awareness. This era will prove to be a blessing in disguise, propelling us towards this change. Unfortunately, it’s often darkest before the dawn. During these times of collective pain, humanity always rises to the occasion. Look at natural disasters as an example. Living on the Gulf Coast for 30+ years, I have experienced the devastation of many hurricanes. People always rise up and take care of their neighbors. This is baked into our DNA. When the rescue boat pulls up to your door, they don’t ask who you voted for! Unfortunately, it often takes these highly emotional states to bring people together. I feel the turbulence we see in today’s world is one of these storms.

A spiritual revolution is long overdue. A simple shift in awareness is all that is needed. No shots will be fired. No blood will be shed. The beauty of discovering our Divine Nature is that we also see this Divinity in all beings. No longer will you see your fellow humans defined by their skin color, nationality, or sexual preference. When these superficial labels and layers are peeled away, we discover our ONENESS.

Maybe it would be helpful if I explain how I define God. To me, God is a Life Force, a vibrating energy that animates every cell in my body. This same Life Force also flows through all of creation. This is what connects us all! When Einstein discussed this subject, he said “This is physics, not philosophy!” Knowing this, how could we ever hate our neighbor?

Although this spiritual revolution is not about religion or politics, you will soon discover this awakening will affect all facets of your life. We develop an X-ray vision. Our bullshit detectors become very sensitive. Whether the message is coming from the pulpit or the podium, we will demand more from our leaders. Upon awakening, it becomes impossible to support any candidate who promotes fear, hate, and separation. A Sleeping Giant lies dormant within all of us. It’s time for a wake-up call! This is your birthright. You were born into royalty. Reclaim your power and join the revolution.

Craig Kolavo is author of I Am God in Disguise, So Are You, a practical guide to creating lasting change in today’s world. 100% of e-Book proceeds benefit water.org. Learn more at awesomlife.com.