Are you worried about the direction in which the world is heading? If so, this article is for you.
When you see the rise of extreme right parties, it begs the question of how the f*ck can we turn this world around, onto a better direction.
It is so easy to fall into fear and reactivity when you feel under threat. This goes for regular people, as well as for regular people who happen to be politicians.
Politics based in fear and anger is by its very nature short-sighted, and often just creates more of what it fears.
I believe we need to get proactive, and create & share visions for the future that are not based in fear, but rather in love and creativity.
A perhaps surprisingly important thing you can do, is to clarify for yourself and others what kind of world you'd like politicians to be working for - and then ask for it.
This way you become a part of the chain of inspiration that can move mountains. Remember that everything we do has unforeseen ripple effects. So put your inspiration and excitement out there, it might lead to much greater things than you expect!
Gather inspiration of positive visions, and practical ideas on how to get there.
Talk to people who inspire you, talk to your friends, and ask your kids what they think.
When you have a vision that excites you - share it!
Share your hopes and desires for the world on your blog, share it on social media, turn it into art and show the world.
Share it with your friends and loved ones.
Contact your representatives and tell them that you want to feel inspired, not on the defense.
This way you'll be actively affecting where the world is going, and not just passively letting bad things happen.
We need to aim higher than we think is possible, to get to as good of a place as we can actually arrive at.
The clearer and more exciting your vision for how you want the world to look in the future is, the more able you'll be to contribute to making it a reality!
To inspire you regarding what's possible, here are a few points from my own current vision for a better future.
Children are being taught emotional regulation skills, like mindfulness and Internal Family Systems tools in school, in order to grow up into adults who can effectively manage their emotions, and not take it out on others in harmful ways.
Children and young people are taught in inventive and thought-provoking ways about the importance of democracy, and the dangers of fascism and oligarchy.
Children and adults are educated about financial literacy, helping to raise the capacity of everyone to have personal financial stability.
Parents-to-be are taught emotional skills to support their parenting.
Working people are paid a good minimum wage that enables them to save money, and not just live paycheck to paycheck.
People who can’t do wage work are well supported and cared for. Their inventiveness and capacities to create are supported in lots of different ways, and they’re offered paths to contribute to society in whatever way calls them.
Businesses & organisations that are directly involved in creating a more sustainable world are rewarded and supported.
Our economic systems promote cradle to cradle production, where products can not only be fully recycled, but even upcycled. In these production systems, the natural world is not only made use of, but also supported!
For example, water coming out of a factory is cleaner than the water going in! (Check out the book Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart for more examples of what's already been done!)
As a society, we invest heavily in carbon-capture technology, while also prioritizing fixing the systems that are causing carbon emissions.
Small and medium businesses and start-ups are heavily supported, in order to drive innovation and create a better future.
Regarding our political systems, we develop democracy further. We renew political systems in order to shape politics and society in a sustainable and thriving direction. We might consider running tests on choosing our democratic representatives in new ways, such as lottery!
As mentioned, these are just some of the things I'd love to see happen in the future. Once I got started with this list, I realised there were a lot more ideas where these came from.
So don't worry if it feels hard to get started on your own list of desires for the future of the world - once you start, you might well find that the ideas start flowing!
Now what's included in your vision for the future?
- And how will you share it with the world and ask for it from your elected representatives?
The world is going to be different in the future anyway - let's not squander the opportunity to shape it in a direction that actually feels exciting and inspiring.
No-one can turn the world in a better direction alone, but together we are already making an enormous difference.
Let's add more intention and consciousness to the direction we're moving the world in, by asking for what we actually want!
With unconditional love,
Sara