Bold Visions for Beautiful Futures

This session is going to be an invitation to feel into bold visions for better futures.

We're going to use our imaginations to time travel with and on behalf of a number of people and communities I will talk you through to begin sketching a vision for a positive future for them, one in which they can thrive and flourish.

Before we begin shaping our visions to get us in the zone, I'm going to invite you to spend a few minutes with some of the wise people we've been talking to as part of our research at New Constellations.

Feel free to close your eyes or lower your gaze, completely relax and just listen to a few of them for a few minutes. 

One could certainly admit that the times are dark, but I'm incredibly optimistic about the future. Not a kind of divorced idealistic optimism though, more grounded, realistic one.

It made me think of the work of Bayo Komolafe when he talks about going into the cracks, going into the places where we tend not to see the shadow and it is there, the void, the confusion that erupts from being in a liminal place like the edge, like the cracks that creates the exact fertile soil for surprise, for possibilities, for potentialities.

Obviously we have the challenges before us and one that's kind of grounded in a sense of not faith in time, but faith in relationships, that somehow we will continue to relate to each other in ways that even through conflict and even through turmoil, even through catastrophe would allow us to step closer to each other and in so doing and perfectly we will have a future, we will have a future indeed.

I mean we are a curious species of course, but a creative one at that, a precocious one at that, thinking beyond the present challenges and the more aligned community that we can be, oh I get excited about that.

The future is actually already here, it's kind of under a pebble where you might not see it, or lurking in a corner, or in a place in our country that perhaps very few people actually go and visit and isn't presented in the common picture, perhaps in Dorsten, in Herefordshire or in Barrow.

I think that the future has speeded up in the last 10 years, perhaps whilst the power in the centre wasn't looking, everybody got on with reinventing whether it was ideas or whether it was actual practice. I think of it like turning inside out a pocket, that all those amazing ideas and practices that are more generative, that give everybody more of a chance to kind of grow and thrive and reach for the sky in a way that doesn't deplete the beauty that we have, that that is the future and so the question is how we can take it from under the pebble and from in that corner and move it from margin to centre. 

Imagination I think frees us from the practicality of applied patterns of thought. If we could be more in the sense of a reverie, a floating attention, then what used to be hidden, what used to be not, what Lao Tzu said as a dark light or a mysterious power, shows itself forth and we become aware of what's already there but hidden in plain sight and that's what imagination to me is truly important. It's not to imagine something that's out of this world but precisely to connect something that is this world but was previously unconnected. 

My sense about the future is that it is pretty bleak really. If you just go off the science, the climate science, most of which is based around kind of what happens if we don't do anything scenario but even if we did everything we possibly could do, the changes that we will see are pretty profoundly troubling. But if we do nothing then they are apocalyptic.

You know but I also when I try and sense into the future because I spend so much time around seeing people who are doing something about it, and organisations and groups and movements who are building what comes next and trying to put new things in place, then I also get the very strong sense that the future could be absolutely extraordinary and I feel like we lose sight of that too easily.

And if we were to do everything we possibly could do over the next 10 years, if we saw the next, if the next 10 years turned out to be a time of the most profound extraordinary transformative change and shift in all aspects of culture, the process of creating that could absolutely be the making of us. It would be like living through a revolution of the imagination. The sense of possibility will be just phenomenal. It'll be a time that people will look back to and be absolutely astounded by how extraordinary it was. 

We have this amazing power to light up but we also have the power to dim the light. This can be a disputed thing to say but I think at least to an extent we have a choice to be lit up and hopefully help other people to lit up or to dim the light that is really within us and you know- which do we prefer to follow as we go through life. 

At the larger scale I believe we need to be vision-oriented. We need to not just be a ‘no’, telling people what we don't want, what we're tired of, what we're beyond. We need to be articulating ourselves in the form of a ‘yes’.

What is it that we deeply believe in? What is it that we deeply long for and love? And how do we want to organise ourselves to practice that every day right now so that it becomes the muscle memory, that it becomes what we do under pressure, that it becomes what we do when we're scared? How do we practise our vision so the vision is what is produced under any pressure? 

I just, I don't know, I just think I want us to try. I think that's where I am today. I think today I'm, I think so much is possible. We have nothing to lose so let's go, like let's just try and yeah that's where I'm at today. Like really we have, we have nothing to lose so all in. Let's go, you know.

You just heard Dr. Angel Acosta, who works to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice and mindfulness. Hilary Cottam, who is a designer, innovator, and author of Radical Help. Audrey Tang, Digital Minister for Taiwan, Rob Hopkins who co-founded the Transition Towns Network, Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir creative innovator and filmmaker. You heard author and organiser adrienne marie brown and finally community worker and artist Farzana Khan. If you'd like to hear more from any of them search for New Constellations wherever you listen to podcasts.

Towards the end, adrienne talked about being vision-oriented, about identifying what we long for and organising ourselves to practise that. To practise our vision so the vision is what is produced under pressure. 

So over the next few minutes we invite you to have a brief experience of feeling into a vision for a future you long for. As Farzana said, let's go. 

I'm going to be guiding you through a short imagination journey. One that will help you feel into a vision for a future that you long for, and want to orient towards. But before we travel into the future, I'd like you to ground in the present. I'm going to invite you to put down anything you're holding and first just have a little stretch, perhaps a shake. Just give yourself a second to arrive here and move your body however feels good. And when you're ready, come to stillness. Allow your shoulders to soften, your face and jaw to relax.

Once you feel comfortable, perhaps close down your eyes or lower your gaze, and just take a second to observe how it feels to be here, wherever you are right now. 

Take a moment to observe the quality of your breath. Just observing it for now, not changing it in any way. Notice its depth, its speed, perhaps any emotion behind it and then when you're ready slowly deepen the breath a little. And just let yourself feel into how it feels to be here right now in your body.

Where are you at today? How does it feel for you to be here now, listening to this recording? What brings you here, and what is this moment in your life?

When you have a sense of that, I'd like you to explore where we are collectively at present. Perhaps as a group, an industry, a community, a society. What is this moment in our collective history and how does that feel? These are not simple times. Where is the dark and where is the light? 

When you have a sense of where we are, I'm going to invite you to consider where we're heading.

What does the future hold for all of us at the moment? Are there images that come to mind when you think about that? Words? Stories? How does it feel in your body when you think about the future? Let's take a moment to observe that.

And now perhaps you have a brief sense of where we are and where we're heading. Let's take a deep breath. 

Shortly we'll begin shaping our visions together. Hopefully you have something to write with and several sheets of paper or a notebook with you. You can pause the recording for a moment if you need to gather your things.

And when you're ready I'm going to invite you to use your imagination to time travel with me, to briefly sketch your own vision for a positive abundant future. I'll invite you to capture your vision as it comes and share prompts along the way to help.

You can do this in any way that feels natural. You might want to try free writing, letting words come to you without editing. Some of you may be more visual so you're very welcome to doodle or draw or perhaps you want to do a bit of both.

We'll move quickly so try not to let your head get in the way too much. This is something for your heart and your gut, your intuitive sense as much as anything. The first answers that come up can sometimes be the most useful, so don't overthink it. Relax and see what comes. Let's begin. 

Take a deep breath and start with a child you know and love. 

A child. Who are they? Write their name in the middle of a page or a sheet of paper and then close down your eyes and bring this child into your awareness. How old is this child right now? What do they look like? Picture them clearly.

Where might they be right now? What could they be doing? We're going to time travel together into this child's future to meet them in the year 2030. So this child is now perhaps a teen or a young adult. How old will they be in 2030? 

Standard struggles of early life notwithstanding, this person is thriving and flourishing in this 2030. In a positive future where we turn things around. Where we got things right for them.

You're going to meet them. They open the door and you look into their beaming face. What do they look like now? Picture them clearly in this future in your mind's eye.

What are they up to? Where and how are they living? How are they spending their time? And when you're ready, gently open your eyes and begin writing or drawing on your paper.

What is this young person's learning in this positive future? What is their work? What is their play? In this future, what makes them happy? Who and what do they love and care for? And who cares for them? What freedom can they enjoy? What frightens them? And what don't they have to be afraid of anymore? 

What is the future you long for for this child? What could have changed? What kinds of shifts could we have made together to nourish this child? To give them a foundation for a long, happy and healthy life? And what started this year to lay that foundation? And what stopped? And what role did you play? Breathe that in and complete anything you'd like to add to your paper, then set it aside. 

Now, I'd like you to bring to mind a community that you feel part of or connected to. This could be through your business, an organisation, where you live, a football team, anything. When you have one, please write the name of your community in the middle of a new piece of paper. 

Now close your eyes and take a walk in your mind through this community as it is now, perhaps literally around the places and spaces, metaphorically around the groups of people, the dynamics. Build a vivid picture of this community in the present day. What's good? What's working? And what's not? Thinking of some of the more vulnerable people in this community, what are they facing now in all the interlocking complexity of these times? 

Again, we're going to time travel, taking ourselves to 2030, to a positive future for this community, beyond your wildest dreams. 

You're having another walk around and everywhere now you see smiling faces, healthy thriving spaces, celebration. Life is good here now, for the community as a whole and all the people and groups who are part of it. How and why? When you're ready, gently open your eyes and begin writing or drawing whatever comes up for you. 

What could your community be celebrating in this positive future? And what does it look and feel like for the community to be thriving? The whole community. What and who enabled that thriving? Did things change outside the community? How about within it? And what stayed the same? 

How is the community supporting and nourishing itself? How is it solving problems? What is valued? What are the forms of value exchange? What are the big priorities now for this community? And what don't they have to worry about anymore? What helped the community and everyone within and around it to flourish in 2030? And what role did you play here? 

Take another deep breath, complete anything you'd like to add to that sheet of paper and set it aside.

Now I'd like you to bring to mind a place, an outdoor space, part of the natural world that you know and love. Give yourself a moment to identify and picture this place and to write its name on a new page. And now if you could gently close your eyes and take yourself in your imagination to this place in 2030.

You sit yourself down in a favourite spot in this place that you care about. You haven't been here in a while and as you look around you realise, perhaps to your surprise, that it is thriving and flourishing in this future. Teeming with life and glowing in glorious sunshine. Look all around you, taking it all in. Breathe a deep breath of the sweet, clear air of this place. Feel the quality of its air on your face.

Looking up, what's above you? Look down, what's below you? Look all around you, what do you see? How many other species live here? Consider the soil, the plant life, insects, animals, the air, the water. What is helping the whole web of life here thrive in this positive future? And when you're ready, begin writing or drawing.

What is helping the whole web of life here thrive in this positive 2030? And what does that look and feel like? What changed in this place to help it flourish, and what stayed the same? What stopped and what started? Was anything restored or repaired? What happened? Who participated and what or who perhaps got out of the way to allow this place to flourish? And what role did you play? 

Take a deep breath, add anything you'd like to complete that sheet of paper and set it aside, but remain in your mind's eye, in this place that you love. And in this place, thriving in the future, bring your attention to yourself and write your own name on a new piece of paper. It's 2030 and you've been able to create a life you love, a good life.

I want your boldest possible vision for yourself here, with no limits. What is that life like and made up of? What is home like? What is work like? What is play like? Begin writing and drawing when you’re ready.

How are your relationships with loved ones, colleagues, clients, with nature, with yourself?

What is your boldest vision for your own life in 2030? Your heart's desire and what are the values and qualities that underpin this future that you long for? What is your boldest vision for your own life in 2030? 

Deep breaths as you drink that in and feel it through your whole body.

Add anything you'd like to complete that sheet of paper and come to a fifth and final page.

Finally, this may be a hard one, but I'd like you to write all life on your final piece of paper and to invite you to bring to mind all life on earth, not just our species, all species, and just to make it even harder, not just now but many, many generations into the future.

Take yourself in your imagination to a flourishing future for all life on Earth. What would that be like? Maybe it's just a feeling. Feel that feeling in your body and if any words or images come to mind, begin capturing them on your paper.

Can you imagine a flourishing future for all life on Earth? What would that take? How would we live, love, work, care, relate? What would we have repaired to enable a future of human and planetary flourishing? And how? And what could start now to set our course for that future in however small a way? What progress could we make by 2030? And what role would you like to play here? 

Take a deep breath. Add anything you'd like to to complete that final sheet of paper. Put everything down and take a last deep, deep nourishing breath. Well done. 

I know those were huge questions for a short amount of time and it's important to say that some people find this kind of positive visioning really pleasurable, while for others it can bring up some challenging feelings and everything in between. All responses are okay.

Take a moment to let that all settle, perhaps have another little stretch or a shake and take another nice deep breath. 

Finally, before we close, I am going to invite you to take a minute or so to go back over your sheets of paper, and just see what emerged. Perhaps there are patterns, surprises. Perhaps you want to underline or circle anything that feels important, or add a few extra notes? Perhaps you didn’t get much down, and that’s completely okay too. Just take some time to see what emerged.

When you’ve had a look back through all your pages, can you see if there are a few words, phrases or images that feel like they capture your overall vision for a good life in 2030? Make a note of this if you can. I’ll leave you to do that now. 

Thank you.