“Not I,” cries the emerging visionary, as he dives off the edge of the bridge.
For some, life is an escape from the big questions.  Perhaps even for most, to seriously question one’s fundamental conclusions about one’s self and the world is akin to bungee jumping from a tall bridge with an untested cord. For these people, jumping up and down on solid ground with a bungee cord attached to their feet, or watching someone else bungee jump, is about as close as they’ll ever get.

Psychologically, this is the extent of how daring most of us early 21st century humans are when it comes to questioning the intellectual ground we walk on.  We have no safe tools to leap from the bridge, and so we dare not risk the survival of our psychological identity by inquiring deeply into the nature of things and ourselves.

Indeed, life to this point has been a battle of idealogical positions.  We’ve each managed to survive by finding solid footing and holding our ground. To leave the ground we stand on is anything but safe–and anything but fun… without the right tools that is.

Beginning with a new on-line course, tentatively called, Visionary Thinking, VisionForce will present tools for the visionary thinking.

Have you ever thought about the psychological dynamics behind your thinking processes?  What, for you, makes one answer more valid than another?  Or one question more valid than another?  Consider that we all have thinking habits, which we are not conscious of, that guide our thinking.  Trying to become a truly visionary thinker without questioning these hidden processes is akin to someone trying to become a champion golfer without questioning their golf swing, taking lessons or getting coaching.  Up until now, the visionary thinkers have been those born with the both the “talent” and the “luck” of an environment that developed that talent.

What might VisionForce have to offer the sport of Visionary Thinking?  We have thinking tools that might just make this game so fun that visionary thinking eventually becomes “the next big thing.”  A sport anyone can become proficient in.  Visionary Thinking is not what is taugh inside our on-line programs or our first-level boot camp.  Those programs awaken and evolve you as a visionary, and give you tools to continue your evolution, but what we are talking about here is something altogether different.  Tools for thinking about your thinking.  Ways to see your visionary “golf swing,” and learn concepts and skills to improve your score.

The impact of such thinking tools on your life (and the future of the world) could be enourmous.  But without such tools, not only can such a game be as scary as bungee jumping with unproven equipment (so scary that we never even seriously consider doing it, thus avoiding the fear), but it’s not fun either.

Modules for this new course are in the works as we speak, and we’ll be looking for beta-testers.  Oh, and our new home for visionary beta-testers is coming very, very soon (and yes, it’s free.).  Are you interested?  Post your comments and questions below.

Over here at VisionForce we’ve been asking some radical questions that are evolving our entire idea of how we can best facilitate the coming waves of evolution. From the Stone Age to the Information Age, civilization has been defined largely by the tools of the times. New tools give us more power to do and to be. And as we realize there is more we can do and be, the more we elevate our ideas about what should be. And as we elevate our ideas about what should be, we change our ideas of what we should do and be. And as those change, we change the behaviors that we shame and honor.

The more one sees the extent to which shame and honor dynamics shape human behavior, the more one can begin to grasp the size of the waves of change that are headed our way. The tools that we as humans are just beginning to build give us access to power in a whole new realm–the realm of consciousness. (Before you assume that I am referring to the common tools you’ll find in the domains of religion, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, human development, self-help or New Age; I’ll tell you I’m talking about a Next level of tools that will arise in those domains. That Next level of tools is emerging as we develop more valid models of consciousness.)

These tools will give us a greater ability to create the kind of world that really works for all of us, and with that greater power, our standards, values and expectations will rise. Then, so too will the behaviors that we shame and honor shift. And with that shift will come the kind of mass behavioral change that will define the coming age, which may very well come to be know as the Age of Consciousness (or the Age of Vision, if I had my druthers). So sudden, so deep and so widespread will the changes be that the word revolution may apply better than evolution.

And the world that will emerge will be, I believe, brighter and more glorious than many of us dare to imagine. For most of our existence the power of our tools in the physical world have surpassed the power of our tools in our inner world. When MLK said, we have guided missles and misguided men, he was pointing to a dangerous dynamic that has only grown worse in the centuries since his death. Will we evolve the technology to be ethical enough and live together in peace and prosperity before we annihilate ourselves and each other? For the last two centuries the light of hope at the end of that tunnel seemed to grow smaller and smaller.

All that, I see, is about to change.

Here at VisionForce, we think we have some truly cutting edge ideas and tools in this new domain, created from our emerging model of consciousness. And the questions we’re asking now are having us look at how we can facilitate the coming revolution the best, rather than how we can best sell the ideas or the tools to people. These questions are changing everything.

This is just a heads up! Watch for ongoing evolution here at VisionForce over the coming months.

What do you see?  Add your voice below.

I just found a very cool tool for visionaries and revolutionaries taking a stand for something.  It’s called PledgeBank and it’s a way of generating commitments by having others see that they won’t be acting alone, but rather they will only be obligated to act if the agreed upon total number of people have also agreed to act with you.

Of course, it can be even more inspiring to take a stand regardless of what others choose to do.  I could see the use for a variation of the pledge, where an individual can say “I am doing this regardless,” or something similar.  It sounds a bit weak to have the pledges be “I commit do X, but only if ____# other people commit to do it too.”

Still, a very cool concept, and yet another way the internet is empowering those of us who are williing to take a stand for what matters, live from our own vision and inspire others to stand with us.

(I was invited to sign a new initiative by the Free State Project, as I am seriously interested in the idea of what kind of world could be created with human beings placing their trust in vision force, rather than political force.  It’s a bit radical, but hey, I think there’s something worth standing for, and I’m already committed to the original Free State Project pledge.)

Comments? Other resources for mobilizing grass roots efforts?  Post below.

Watch this presentation by William McDonough, a man who refers to human beings as “designers,” and looks at everything we see in our world as our intentional creation, so as to take full responsibility for creating the kind of world we really want.  If you’re in the Power To Stand course (register free), this man is exemplifying the distinction between Positionary and Visionary.  He speaks of the positionaries on each side, Capitalists and Environmentalists, and unites people in a stand for shared values and a vision that inspires all sides to step forward from behind the walls of their position.  It’s the new revolutionaries who will change the world.  They are visionaries, not positionaries (the distinction is here).  The next revolution is our evolution from a positionary consciousness to a visionary consciousness.

Please comment on the video here.

I just saw the much talked about documentary by Al Gore on global warming. And, I better first mention that I was skeptical. See, I’ve never been a fan of political force as an agent of positive change, and I’ve always seen environmental issues largely from the side of the entrepreneur. Not that I don’t value the environment, I do. I just 1) don’t put much faith in government solutions, 2) don’t typically trust politicians who give good sounding causes to expand government’s power (and their own), and primarily 3) see and feel the detrimental effect that turning to government for answers has on humanity. I’ll get back to all that later.

I loved the documentary. First, it really made me think. Second, Mr. Gore and his crew chose not to lampoon their adversaries with cheap shots, present the ideas as The truth or their solutions as The solution. Yes, it appears to be a marketing piece for a future presidential bid (and a brilliant one at that). But most of all, I was inspired by the stand this man has taken, the path he has walked and how he has leveraged technology to share his vision. He’s been laughed at for decades for his stand on this issue, turned on, rejected, etc., and still he’s standing.

You really couldn’t ask for a better campaign commercial, but I’m not turned off by that simply because at the same time its’ killer marketing piece for his vision of positive change. Brilliant. Further, it’s an excellent example of how a single visionary has the power to change the world.

I understand now more the deep passion (displayed as frustration and anger) a friend of mine has when she finds me with a door open and the AC on (and why she didn’t laugh when I said, but I’m cooling the earth’s atmosphere to help stop global warming). I have a newfound respect for all the visionaries out there who labor tirelessly to share their message–their call to action. If that’s you reading this, I honor you.

Beyond all of that, what I saw from this documentary is a great parallel between the environment of our planet and the environment of our minds. Few see the full magnitude of the extent to which our survival is threatened by other technologies run rampant. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., noted 40 years ago, “We have guided missiles, and misguided men.”

What is happening with global warming and the environment is but a microcosm of a much larger problem. Al Gore’s frustration in reaching his fellow human beings is the frustration felt by most visionaries–everyday people who choose to stand for something worthwhile and take bold action to make a difference. There is a great divide in humanity at present.

I submit that just like there is a direct correlation between carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and the temperature of the earth, there is a direct correlation between a) the levels of power that political, military and other outside forces are given, and b) the amount of war, disease, crime, terrorism, poverty, depression, drug addiction, etc., we see. More specifically, the more we turn to technology-empowered external authorities to solve our problems, the less we look within to be the change and cause the change. And the less we look within, the more we suffer, and the more we turn to irrational excapes, actions and justifications.

Just as Al has found that people not only need to see and feel the magnitude of the problem, they need to see and feel there is actually something they can do about it; so too have we at VisionForce found that it’s not enough to present the problem in a way it hits home for the individual–we must communicate in a way that has people seeing and feeling that they can do something about it (yes, our boot camps are powerful in that regard, but the whole world can’t attend “boot camp!”).
I’ve a general aversion to looking outside ourselves to other forces for solutions, as it overlooks our greatest natural resource for positive change–the force within us. The force of our own conscience, consciousness and vision. There are ways we can “activate” the vision force (sounds like a super hero cartoon action) to cause a ground swell of change.

Because there are many more “inconvenient truths” out there that we are facing in these times of accelerating technology. The world doesn’t need more people to compromise their power, freedom, vision and self-reliance in order to fit in and be comfortable. The world needs more people willing to stand for what matters in the face of it all, and share a vision that lifts even their adversaries to greatness. More on all this later.

Comments? Post below.

Because the world can’t wait… and you know it.  And because you can’t wait… and you know it.  You know you won’t be fulfilled unless you’re living at the edge of human and societal evolution.  You’re just not willing to sit by and wait for some great visionary leader to save us from ourselves… You’re an agent of change.  You’re a visionary, a revolutionary.  You know that changing the world starts with you.

We’re rushing to complete our first ever physical training program.  It’s a revolution in a box.  We call it Visionary Mind.  And as an agent of change, you should be holding it in your hands.  It’s a simplified version of our iStand Technology (TM) that is designed to get you so deeply connected to your innermost values that there’s nothing to do but STAND.  So deeply aligned with what’s most important to you that a vision emerges, a vision–not a dream, a wish or a fantasy.

This is where it starts.  The world you envision–it starts with your visinary mind. Get in on the first printing of this powerful program here.

I found myself last weekend at the National Hip Hop Political Convention in Chicago of all places.  I’m apolitical and while I love music, I’m not any more partial to hip hop than other genres of music.  So what was the #$#(*Y^%# was I doing there?

A graduate of the Vision Force Boot Camp called me about a week before the event, telling me I needed to be there and that he would try to get me a spot to speak.  He knew the event organizer and we’d gotten a verbal commitment to have me speak.  So I came prepared to share about my experience with youth in Kenya, the global influence of hip hop that I witnessed, and how hip hop can be a medium which gives a positive voice for personal and societal change to the rising generation.

It was about 3 months ago that I became a big YES to almost any and all speaking opportunities.  I simply got clear that the Vision Force message must be heard–NOW.  Since then, my life has altered dramatically.  From speaking to local high schoolers to traveling to work with youth in Kenya, we’re bringing the Vision Force message to the world any way we can.

Most recently I was in Chicago at the National Political Hip Hop Convention. It was very much a gathering of revolutionaries–both old and new.  Let me explain…

Old school revolutionaries are those who stake out a position in relation to an opposing party, and seek to change reality by defeating the other side.  Often these old school revolutionaries are violent and short-lived.  Their weakness lies in their approach to change.  I call people who approach change from a position, positionaries.

The new revolutionaries are visionaries, who operate from a stand instead of a position.  Their focus is not on defeating the opposition as much as it’s on creating the world they really want.

At the convention were politically active people of all ages.  There were icons from the Civil Rights era, and old school rappers from the 70s and 80s, and youth from today’s hip hop generation.  Martin Luther King, Jr., was very much a visionary in his approach to change.  He didn’t just have a dream, he had a vision.

The convention was largely focussed on rallying and organizing hip hop artists and fans to take political action for social justice her in the U.S.  Hip hop as a medium.  Hip hop as a movement.

As impassioned and committed as most of the convention attendees were to causing change, I saw several different approaches to change.  There were many old school revolutionary methods and new revolutionary methods as well. 

While there were people advocating all kinds of strategies for change, from violent to nonviolent, many if not most seemed to share the same underlying assumption that is still found throughout the world in the early 21st Century–that being the view that the power is somehow out there.  The assumption that real change happens through political force.

The rapid social, economic and technological change we witness around the world is not the affect of political force, but rather the reduction of political force such that we are freer to use our most powerful resource: the human mind’s ability to think independently and creatively find new solutions for problems in the world, then take action to turn those ideas into reality.  In short, it’s vision force.

Consider that vision force is our greatest untapped resource for change and advancement as individuals and as a society.  So many of us have been conditioned to follow and obey, and relate to authority as something outside of us.  Our relationship to power is an external one, and when we’re not in alignment with the authority or the majority, we often feel as if there is little we can do to positively change our circumstances. 

Yet vision force is what is behind all new ideas and acts of creation in the world, from the invention of airplanes to the starting of a business to the very idea of human rights.  Political force is the power to stop someone’s actions, to limit someone’s freedom.  Vision force is the creative power itself.  Each of us possess it.  Each of us can utilize it to more effectively change our lives, our circumstances and the world around us.

So one of the weaknesses I see displayed in most organizations that seek to affect social change is the assumption of power being external to us.  Sure, we tell people that we can rise up to “fight the power,” but in most people’s minds it really doesn’t occur that we as individuals have much power to affect change.  Even the form our ideas for solutions take is within the political force paradigm: if we can get enough people to vote for Proposition 454, for example, then we can force everyone to fund it and obey it.

I won’t  belabour his point here, except to say that there is a whole new world of ways to cause change when we recognize vision force, not political force, as the dominant power.  Entrepreneurial creations of all kinds are one example of vision force in action.

Yesterday’s revolutionaries symptomatically worship political force as the means to change.  To them, taking the power back means regaining political force – either by peaceful or violent means.  (Political force at it’s essence though is always violent, whether something is voted on or not.  If I’m the government, forcing you to obey a new law and you don’t, I take you to jail.  If you resist, I get violent.) 

A further problem with political force being one’s major focus for change is that political tactics in today’s system are mostly positionary.  Positionary tactics in a democracy usually result in little positive progress for anyone.  Such tactics are defensive by nature, and usually result in your opponent have greater resolve to defeat you, even if you wrest temporary power.

This assumption amongst many of the hip hop revolutionaries is not uncommon in revolutionaries the world over.  It’s simply worth pointing out. 

There were many hip hop revolutionaries at the convention who exhibited visionary methods for change, rather than positionary methods.  A brilliant example of such methods is utilizing hip hop as a medium for communicating a new idea or vision to the world in a way that inspires people to take creative action.

I got a chance to meet several conscious hip hop artists who use their artform as a way to awaken others to serious issues and inspire them to action.  (Above I’m with conscious artist, Malik Yusef.)

Considering that the young generations are traditionally the change agents, the idealists, the activists, the ones who believe they can still change the world–any medium as far reaching and powerful as hip hop is with today’s youth holds incredible promise for inspiring new positive change in the world.  Imagine… if changing the world became… cool!  Cooler than pimps and hos.  Imagine, if living a visionary life, standing for something and calling your even your enemies to stand beside you became the coolest life to live… cooler than having a pimped out ride.  Imagine! 

What is still missing for most positive revolutions is ways of communicating that can effectively call even your enemies to stand beside you in cocreating the world you envision.  The youth as well as people in general today are largely resigned and cynical about politics and the idea that we can significantly change this world in a positive way.  It is visionary concepts and methods for thinking, communicating and living that will change all that.  Such concepts can be found in our free Power To Stand course, and intensive training is delivered at our Vision Force Boot Camps.

I didn’t get to speak at the convention this time around, but I did make several promising contacts in the hip hop world, and did record an interview for the documentary roughly on this same subject by Emjed Hammas and 2020 MultiMedia. 

Later today, Emjed and I are sailing on Lake Michigan.  Visionary wordsmith Malik Yusef may join us.