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The future is imagined as a continuation of the past. I suppose there is a certain security in that; much like a padded cell. Hardly anyone practices creative envisioneering.
To be an envisioneer, you must: first have the courage to look into the future with the recognition that there is nothing there yet, except that which you imagine; and then, the force of will to imagine a personal ideal; and then, the impertinence to believe in that imagined ideal as being more real than all that has come before or exists in this present moment. In short, you must be an idealist.
Each of us is educated to be a realist, to deal with things as they are, to see the world as it is and to ‘realistically’ go about making our way within what already exists, to be a creature of event and circumstance. Those who decide to shape events and circumstances to match what they envision are the idealists. They end up as the movers and shakers, the leaders, the ones who create innovation, the future and ultimately, history. The employee is a realist. The entrepreneur is an idealist.
We may aspire, in our hearts, to be prosperous, to be fulfilled, to live a life of purpose and passion. To exist, in our minds, as a realist makes it almost impossible to succeed in achieving these ideals. We must learn to become idealists, to practice the art of creative envisioneering, if we are to have any hope of making real our ideals.
The main contrast between the realist and the idealist is that the realist sees with his eyes open and the idealist sees with his eyes closed.
Realists rely upon the definite. Idealists rely upon the infinite. Realists live in a world of cause and effects. Idealists live in a world of causal and effectual. Realists say, ‘I’ll believe it is real when I see it.’ Idealists say, ‘I’ll see it as real when I believe it.’ Realists rely upon the evidence of their senses. Idealists rely upon the evidence of their imagination. Realists are reactors. Idealists are creators.
Idealists (envisioneers) create the future that the realists end up (by default) living in, having no choice but to cope with the existing reality, while the envisioneer is still busily creating a new dream. If you want to live the life of your dreams, you must become an envisioneer and learn to ignore the comfortable constraints of reality.
Wisdom is the understanding that what you know is nothing at all and what you imagine is everything else. Reality is a crutch for the unimaginative. The envisioneer has taught himself to believe in what is imagined more than in what is existent.
Do you want more out of life? Envision more. Become a dreamweaver.
