You are completely right, that we as individuals can and are creating impact!
I think for a New Age to really manifest itself in a global/universal sense, all the different approaches and interpretations are necessary to compete and compare, try and error, combine and divide and transform ultimately to what it is or will be. I can see awakening all around me, people being so much more aware of themselves and the energy around them. So many have become sensitive about their hidden abilities and are now in a preliminary trial and error phases. Within the mass of slowly and steady evolving, there are individuals who are spearheading the game.... and everyone together, is creating change with every thought and strength of intention that is accumulating out there. The vortex of progressive thought will build up a point, where the comparatively small island of change will cause a a radical repatterning of the entire system. The collective shining you are talking about is happening, while light gravitates to light and conglomerate to create that spiritual island i am mentioning. Be it the Mayan prophecy of 2012 or any other point in time-space, the paradigm shift in inevitable.