I walked with a group of students recently and tried a little activity. I asked them to list the dystopian futures that they could imagine. They had no problem identifying books, podcasts, news and movies from Mad Max to the Hunger Games, where a vision of societal collapse was brought forward in high definition. Then I asked them to do the exact opposite, to think of a vision of a future, not flawless or utopian but a world where everything that could have been done to overcome climate change, poverty, powerlessness etc has been done. A vision of a world that alludes to the massive, brave changes to every aspect of our lives and society. They could not think of a single example.

This is a problem because if we can’t imagine the future that we want, then our present, and the actions required from it, becomes more challenging. We fail to see opportunities to do things in a vastly different way, a way that today might feel impossible, much the same as the internet would have 50 years ago. We leave ourselves open to burnout and exhaustion as we try and find ways, against a massive weight of habit, self-interest and status quo, to make the changes that we want. We risk becoming narrow and starting to adopt thoughts around isolationism or ‘protecting’ our future from the rest of the community. Or maybe we just fall into familiar patterns of competition, growth and waste, thinking that we can somehow buy our way out of problems or that technology will miraculously save us.

If we can build the ability to think creatively, imaginatively and bravely about the future then we open up opportunities and build energy to try and achieve this better world. We also give ourselves a great communication tool. By sharing our vision and encouraging others to join with us, not in a way that finds fault or challenges our thinking, but in a “yes….and” way we build collective will, hope and connection. Things start to become more clear and feel more possible.

But as with all things that we are learning for the first time or remembering after an absence it takes both conscious practice and time. So, find yourself a comfortable place, turn your phone off, take the dinner off the stove, put the dog out and let the children/parents/housemates/partners know that for the next 10 minutes you are going to be doing an imagination workout to build creative muscles.

******************************************************

First get comfortable.

Photo: Janko Ferlic @ Unsplash

Take a couple of deep breaths and just listen to the sounds around you. If you like you can close your eyes. If that’s not comfortable then just rest your eyes gently in front of you. Try and avoid the temptation to drop your head as if to bow, but rather lift your eyes and heart up and open to the future.

We are gifting ourselves 10 minutes of dreaming, but our brain likes to keep us busy, so if thoughts enter your mind don’t worry, just acknowledge them and imagine putting them in a box for later and return to the exercise.

I want you to imagine that you are waking up in a new world. It’s different but still familiar. It’s your bed, but not the same. This is a world of 10 years into the future. Not a utopia, but a world that has benefited from bravery and immense work over the last ten years when everything changed. From government to society, from food to education, from the way we eat to the way we interact. We saw the challenge and we, as a collective society, rose to that challenge and made the changes even when it all seemed hopeless. But everything did change, more than we possibly could have imagined and those changes brought forth more brave choices and a cascade of positive, creative energy that multiplied and magnified to bring you to this point now. Those changes have happened…now it’s your turn to feel what it is like.

In your imagination get up out of your bed and go for a walk. Walk around your neighbourhood in this new world using your imagination with all its senses.

What does that world you’re in smell like and feel like?

What sounds can you hear around you?

Take a walk down the street, talk to people you meet and explore what daily life is like in this new world…

Are there old people, children, play, art?

How do people interact?

What evidence do you see of the Great Turning?

Do you pass a school, playground or farm?

Is anything happening today, perhaps there’s a local festival…I wonder what that might be like?

Just really immerse yourself in this space.

Give yourself as much time as you want in this space and then when you are ready come back to the present.

******************************************************

Check in to your body. How do you feel? Do you feel energised, hopeful or calm? Do possibilities or ideas, whether possible or not, maintain in your head or do you have a desire to go and do something, however small, with hands or heart to make one small change to the future you just visited.

Every time I’ve done this I’ve felt much lighter, more hopeful and with a greater sense of purpose. Maybe this is something that we could do every day, not to deny the massive challenges but to give us permission to hope and to share those hopes and creativity with others.

Paul Shelton

September 2024

Feature Image: Briana Tozour @ Unsplash