The Vision Force forums have just been released (shhhh… it’s kinda private, even though it’s the headline on our home page). We’re not doing much advertising yet as we’re still in “stealth mode!”

As smart as you are, you’ve probably guessed we’re up to something really big behind the scenes. Can’t fool you, can we? So, check it out, VisionForce is ramping up to facilitate what we see as the greatest shift in conscious thinking in history. Sounds a bit far out, I know. Still, that’s what we’re up to. The world needs drastic changes, and it starts with our thinking. With the shift in thinking that is already underway, tremors will soon be felt  through the fabric of society. Life as we know it is about to look radically different.

Our new forum area can handle mass quantities of people.  We’re starting fresh with no members and no posts–so there is a clean slate for us all. We’re nowhere near even done building the forum area, but in line with our new thinking here at VisionForce, we want YOU to help up us build it. We want the best and brightest, we want the visionary few (that’s you, right?).

For the time being, the boards are primary to be used as study rooms for our various courses. These are not the kind of forums you’ll find everywhere else on the internet. We’re asking every single person who plays here to have as their foremost focus in the forums to be their own personal evolution.

In other words, we are asking you to make “the shift” as you learn and help us create the shift. So, you should be conscious to make certain sub-shifts in your behavior. Here’s one such shift:

away from positionary posting >> towards visionary posting - from relating to new concepts as a threat to my paradigm >> towards new concepts as opportunities to upgrade my paradigm (or build a new one).

It’s characteristic of the Positionary Mind of the Past to filter new concepts and distinctions through what one already believes and then to show others (on forums) what’s incorrect about or missing from the new ideas. We see the usefulness of this in on-line forums that display little more than positionary arguments which do nothing but entrench people in the positions they already held (insert big sighing, eye rolling emoticon here).

Yes, you and I have a lot to share. Afterall, learning and self-development are a few of our highest values. And of course, we want people to see us in all our brilliance. Perhaps how we can best do that here is by being more willing than most to question our existing thinking and behaviours. The greater mark of wisdom will be how much we’re willing to question even the conclusions at which we’ve already arrived.

from displaying knowledge >> towards exercising wisdom

Socrates was considered wise, not primarily because of his ability to deconstruct others’ beliefs with his questioning, but because he never used that ability to assume or claim that he was right. He continually held his own understandings up for scrutiny and questioning.

In view of such inadequacies, Socrates himself professed his ignorance, but others still claimed to have knowledge. Socrates believed that his awareness of his ignorance made him wiser than those who, though ignorant, still claimed knowledge. Although this belief seems paradoxical at first glance, it in fact allowed Socrates to discover his own errors where others might assume they were correct. This claim was known by the anecdote of the Delphic oracular pronouncement that Socrates was the wisest of all men. Wikipedia

We encourage questioning of the new concepts and distinctions–that is part of the socratic method and a hallmark of any wise person. However, rather than focus being on protecting what we already know, showing others how smart we are our how well we can pick apart new concepts and distinctions–rather than by applying the socratic method outward on others–let’s focus first on what we can learn from the new concepts and distinctions–and apply the socratic method on ourselves!

This shift in thinking is part of our overall shift in consciousness from the Positionary Mind of the Past to the Visionary Mind of the Future.

(If, by slim chance, you happen to be reading this and you’d rather tell everyone how much you already know, well then, there are hundreds of thousands of on-line forum boards that would welcome you! For the rest of us, we’re up to leading the way to a whole new world in thinking and human behavior.)

With that in mind, enter the forums of self-inquiry–a haven for those of us who know that change happens first inside our own mind and heart.

People take their seats. It’s good vs. evil, evil vs. good, or evil vs. evil–depending on your position. As with any good matchup, everyone has an opinion. That’s what it is so exciting about life, right? To be visible, to be seen, to be acknowledged–and so we take a position and express it. We may not do it with words, yet we do it. We wear the colors of the team we favor, or at least we sit in their section… if nothing else, we have our critique of the other side, our inner Charles Barkley… or of the game itself.

But for our experience to truly be fun, for most of us, it needs to be psychologically safe. So what we need from our position is a good enough reason to make it ok to sit on the sidelines… or if we are on the field, we need a reason to be ok with dirty tactics. And a colorful enough critique of the game, of our opponents or of any who dare play will do. If they are all evil or foolish enough in our eyes, we’re safe on the sidelines (or safe playing dirty) and the game will be fun to watch.

Hot dogs!! Get your hot dogs here!!

It’s Chavez vs. Bush for the future of the world! The crowd roars! Each fan shouting their opinions, judgments, complaints–from their safe and confortable positions. The Bush supporters shout this, the Chavez supporters shout that, other sides are cheering and shouting… there are “We’re number one” foam fingers every where… and quite a few middle fingers to boot.
For from a position, not only are we seen, we are safe–comfortable. No, not from the attacks of others. It’s never about what others think of us, ultimately. It’s what we think of ourselves. The trick is we must limit who we listen to, because our critics might have us face the painful reality about ourselves. And so, we take a seat on the sidelines of life, content to watch as our world falls apart.

Sounds a bit gloomy, but think about it. You have criticisms of the other side. No doubt you’ve concluded a few things about their character. And from your position of judgment, you expect them to step forward from their position and cause the change you recommend? While you sit safely behind your own judgments, not daring to expose your humanity or see that of the other? The funny thing is how we get all worked up, angry, animated, frustrated… and we think we are taking a stand as we berate the other side and argue against their position. Allthewhile they can’t hear us. They hear only our judgment, and are thus validated in their own judgments of us.

Popcorn anyone?

Who doesn’t understand the principle that you don’t negotiate with terrorists? By negotiating, you validate and encourage more terrorist action. That’s a pretty sound principle.

So, apparently George Bush is not negotiating with or even talking to the Iranian “regime,” or President Ahmadinejad, as the Iranians “sponsor terrorism” and are part of the “Axis of Evil.”

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/19/bush.un/index.html

This is by no means a simple situation. There are many factors to take into consideration. However, the situation is a great example of why Positionary tactics no longer work in today’s world, and why it is time for some new ideas about how we interact with each other as human beings.
If ever there were a time to talk, would it not be *before* we enter into a crisis situation and were at war or on the brink of war? If ever there were a time to rebuild trust, open channels of communication and cooperate, would now not be the time?

Yes, Bush has stated his Position that he will not negotiate with terrorists (or those who sponsor them) and he will not hold talks with Iran until they have verifiably suspended their uranium enrichment program. He has dug himself into quite a corner in an attempt to impose his solution on Iran. Submit, follow and obey–or else.

I’ll come back to that in a minute. First, what is the greatest concern among the most violent opponents of the US in the middle east? Is it that they oppose Western culture? Is it that they fear America? Is it that they want to kill Americans or Christians simply because we are nonbelievers? Is it because they oppose US military presence or policies in the region?

Leaders on either side can explain the actions of the Bush administration’s declared enemies any way they want. But doesn’t it really come down to one thing? The greatest operational value of Positionaries worldwide. More important to all of us than freedom, peace, prosperity, security or anything else is one thing.

Pride. Or more specifically our image in others’ eyes. US policy in the Middle East humiliates its opponents. And they’ll die for their pride or their “honor.”

If this were so, would you expect Iran to halt it’s nuclear program in response to Bush’s threats? Iran backs down and they look like cowards. The fight and they maintain their pride.

Bush backs down and he looks like an indecisive coward…to his enemies and opponents AND to his supporters.
Now, am I suggesting that Bush is only enforcing his position, because he is prideful? No, and here’s the problem. There is a belief (with a lot of supporting evidence) that if Bush backs down, they other side will see it as a sign of weakness and attack more.

Good people use positionary tactics, because they see no other way. In fact, they often believe they’ve “tried” other approaches, and those approaches haven’t worked.

Alas, trying never works. Trying is usually a person’s attempt to prove that their original fears and judgments were right. “See, I tried. They are evil. I told you they’d react that way.” (We can see how well “trying” works in our marriages, once we’re convinced the our spouse just is a certain way.) Trying is what you do when you lack the vision or the moral courage to take a stand. Thus, trying is a Positionary tactic, just as intimidation and ultimatums generally are.

But it’s not as if we can blame the Positionary. From a position, there is no vision. Yet we all too often assume the other person can see what we see and just chooses not to act the way we believe is morally right. This, to us, proves they are just immoral, amoral or… “Evil.”

Really, if you oppose Bush, do you think he sees any other real alternative? Do you suppose he sees a peaceful alternative, but simply wants more power, control and has greedy, evil motives? If so, then you are just as positionary about him as he is about the “Evil” Iranians–or about your party, group or type.

On all sides are human beings. Human beings with children. Human beings with consciousness and conscience. Labelling the other side “Evil,” whether you place that label on Bush, Osama, Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah or someone else is a sorry ass (excuse my French, but I think it’s appropriate) cop out, and an excuse to act without conscience.

What this world needs are people who are willing to risk even the esteem of their supporters and colleagues to stand for values that they hold to be more important than how they look in other’s eyes. People who are willing to stand for something greater, much like the stand that former Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat took when he broke ranks with all other Arab nations to sign a peace accord with Israel.

It was the belief of Arab Nations that the only way to deal with Israel, viewed as a rogue regime and a symbol of Imerialism, was through force and threat of force. Al-Sadat took a stand in the face of his fears and the judgments of others. There was something worth standing for.

This is the stand that as yet Bush, Ahmadinejad, and other leaders are unwilling to take.

I am quite sure that to the reader who is not very familiar with alternatives to Positionary tactics, the direction proposed here may seem half-baked or naive. A short blog post does not lend itself to presenting a “well-done” new alternative. Yet, such alternatives are being developed by visionaries all over the world. (VisionForce.com is currently building an on-line lab for all of us.)
Really, we cannot go back to the days when one group could rule the world by force. It’s a positionary mind that attempts to find The right or true group or idea (position), then get behind it and try to force the world to conform. Those who will survive, thrive and become mankind’s greatest benefactors will have visionary minds.

This seems like an appropriate time to plug Visionary Mind, a visionary’s trusty rusty compass in the world of the future.

Can you see how both Bush AND Ahmadinejad are standing for something? The problem is how our stands devolve to positions, and our positions then fail to inspire the change and honor the values we originally stood for.

Post your comments below.

Watch this… Oprah’s doing what something incredible… something VisionForce will be doing at some point, no matter how long it takes.  To all my Africa friends… we’re coming back!  And we’re going to BUILD!  Who wants in?  Leave your comments and ideas 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.

You gotta check this young man out.

I gave him the Vision Force 101 200 Mb download about 2 weeks ago (the precursor to Visionary Mind), and he’s already changing the world. Check out his blog today, and all the comments he’s getting.