Musing of a Lifelong Learner ...
Something that I have been thinking about, and I am guessing you have too is… the future. The last few years have been really scary as all kinds of unprecedented and historic things have happened.
And just when things might be back to “normal” something else happens and we experience being adrift or ungrounded, the future becomes uncertain and scary AGAIN. And making plans, forget it!
First, what is the future really? I think most of us could agree it’s a concept, an idea, a theory, a plan or often a hope. In other words, it’s not a fixed or known object or event.
One of the things that sets the human animal apart from the other kinds of animals is that our brains have the ability to predict (aka imagine) what’s coming next. This capacity is both the source of great creativity AND why humans also experience loads of anxiety. This capacity of prediction has also been cited as the source of many of humans' violent tendencies, we imagine that XYZ over there is going to hurt us so we need to attack first.
As lifelong learners and conscious leaders we strive to evolve beyond these “negative” and automatic consequences of how our brains react. The subject of the future and how we relate to it is often the place we start, but let's take a step back and acknowledge how the notion of the future has been shaped and been used so far by us humans so far.
It's Finite ...
The toughest aspect of the future for us humans is that we “know” our existence is finite and limited. We are on a clock and time is running out. This is inescapable, and try as we might, adds to our anxiety.
As humans we have developed all kinds of belief systems, economic models and societal structures to deal with the future and our limited time.
- Religions and spiritual belief systems that provide answers.
- Wealth building and inheritance systems, such as marriage, trusts, wills, property ownership.
- Legacy markers such as our name on buildings, benches, paving stones, pretty much anything we can put a name on.
- Storytelling such as memoirs, movies, picture books etc.
Something all these structures and systems have in common is they are designed by and for a “my” future. The future of “my” existence, how will “I” be known EVEN when “I” am gone? All of these have in them, the intention of extending “my” existence (being known, seen or heard) beyond “my” physical and structural limitations. Bonus right??!!
The other thing they have in common is they reinforce the notion that we exist as a single thing fixed in time … the “I” thing. And the fuel is the desire (and anxiety) about extending that “I”dentity.
So who’s future is it … MINE!
This view of the future, and even the correlated anxiety, has fueled some amazing inventions. It has brought us to the place where we live longer than generations before us and we are able to make a difference and impact things WAY beyond our immediate reach.
However, in the last decade or so, we have begun to notice the consequences of being so fixated on the “my'' kinda future. The value of this relationship between ourselves and the future is beginning to wane as the average life expectancy of humans is now in decline. Not to mention we are exhausting our natural resources at almost double the rate at which they can be regenerated and therefore support life after us.
Don’t be afraid, there is good news.
At our Imagining in Action Summit we proposed a different approach. What if we expanded our thinking and related to the future as … our future?
Expanding the future from “I” to “We”
We have to acknowledge that this is NOT a new idea. Indigenous peoples have held the understanding of the future as an “our” thing for millenia.
7 Generations...
My dear friend Ceceila (Navajo wise woman), often shares about her relationship to the future, which she says is 7 generations long. When she thinks about the future she is thinking about her granddaughter's grandchildren.
If we were looking at the future from the perspective of our grandchildren's grandchildren, what would be the same and what might be different?
Likely, we would still create a “me” future however, maybe a tweak is that the “me” future is in service of, or in relationship with, an “our” future.
From a indigenous perspective we are here as stewards or caretakers of the whole. The precious resources we have been given are ours to be nurtured, cared for, replenished and extended to future generations.
This is a “We” kinda future, it fully includes the “I” it just doesn’t stop there.
For more about this perspective check out the
Enoughness Video
we shared on the Summit highlights page. Consider for yourself, how you are oriented … is your life and living organized and acting for an “I” future? How could your perspective be expanded (or inverted) to look from the “We” future?
BIG questions to ponder! We will pick up the inquiry and look at the relationship between the future and the now in the next installment of i8 Weekly, stay tuned.
Want to learn more about the indigenous perspective? We have two Navajo Beauty - A Cultural Experience Vacation Programs that feature:
- Discovering the Sacred Lands of the Navajo Nation
- Experiencing Authentic Navajo Artisans
- Eating, Shopping and Storytelling
Let us know if you would be interested in either of the 2 options listed on the page. As soon as we have sufficient interest we will book it and tell you! That means you will have first crack at the early registration discounts.