Identifying your visions of and for the world starts you on the quest for your best. Your project your vision beyond the myopic, self-centered concerns which often block the perception of a life's work. As you deeply consider what you would like to see for mankind and the world , your own part in that process will being to come into view. You will be challenged to love the world as it is, while holding an image of the world that could be.
As we enter the twenty-first century,the era of global consciousness is upon us. We have come to recognize that we are drifting through space on a circular life raft. Our vision of the world and of our place on it have changed dramatically in the last several decade. This change in vision portends a similarly dramatic change in the reality of life on this planet, provided, of course, that we can integrate in it in time. A vision that recognizes our place within the universe and the interdependence of all life on earth is coming to supplant the independent "man against nature" view , which has dominated Western thinking for at least the last three hundred years, and by now, has been exported to every corner of the globe. Your vision for the future is expressed in the way you see the world today. This applies to both your world view and your ability to accurately perceive what is going on in it. Vision as an imaginative process means simply this: everything that has ever been created began as an idea - We create what we imagine.
1. World view: vision as a way of seeing
2. Perception: the vision to see what is going on
3. Imagination : the vision to see what it could be
I remember once upon a time the big question was : does god exist or not? Today the question is : Is life sacred or not? In the most general terms, there are but two world views. One can take the view that life is sacred or that life is a commodity. A sacred view of life gives birth to feelings of duty , protection, and love. It emphasizes values of joy beauty, happiness, caring. You don't need to be religious in the conventional sense to hold a sacred view of life. There are those who claim no personal god, yet have a sense of the sacredness of life. On the other hand, there are those who profess belief in God and yet seem to view life as a commodity. Christian or Jew , Muslim or Buddhist , Hindu or Humanist, Atheist or Agnostic, Pantheist or Shamanist, if life is sacred to you, you may have more in common than you think. While there are endless differences in the interpretation and emphasis made by those who hold a sacred, or sane, view of life, a few essentials are commonly accepted. These include wholeness, harmony, and radiance.
THE WHOLENESS OF LIFE: There is an intelligent life order that is beyond human understanding. This life order may be called diving or natural intelligence, cosmic or scientific law, or a hose of other name, but anyhow, it exists. This life order is an integrated whole. It is more than a sum of its parts.
The Harmony of Life: call it the web of life, ecological interdependence, gaia, or the noosphere, we are all in relationship with one another, The universe is better understood as a living organism than as a machine. Events in one part of the organism affect eh whole of the organism. Since every change affects the entire system, we ought to seek harmony in the system rather than the advantage of any individual, group, or species over others.
The Radiance of Life: LIfe itself has value. Beyond any purpose we can imagine, life itself is valuable and ought to be celebrated, preserved, and protected. Save the whales or rain forests, whether profitable or not; avoid war; uphold human dignity, because life is valuable. Life is a Mystery. In the word we recognize that all existence is a mystery like our own existence.
