Visionmakers see Chance as a rip in the fabric of the status quo that opens for the future to emerge. A futurist is one who knows how to rip open the status quo and enter the future.

There is an inherent misunderstanding of Chance and how it forms.  Most people think it’s random, unpredictable, and has no source. They don’t see Chance as an effect with a cause. That is where their vision fails. Chance is caused by its pursuit.

Most people think Chance is about luck. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Chance is the opportunity to act and comes to those who are fully engaged in the pursuit of their dreams.  It requires tenacity, hard work and courage to generate the right conditions for opportunity to manifest.

In order to pursue Chance, we must be fully committed. We can’t hesitate, second guess or dither.  We must be confident that every one of our resources are engaged with nothing held in reserve. Holding back simply makes us too heavy, too slow to gain the speed and fluidity required to pluck Chance from the fingers of Destiny.

The dominant culture further confuses our understanding of Chance by how it teaches us to speak about Chance. We are encouraged to “take a Chance.” Visionmakers see this as a profound misunderstanding of the mechanics of Chance and their responsibilities in the matter. A Visionmaker says “make a Chance,” and while the verb change might seem minor, therein lies a secret of manifestation.

Chance is not an entitlement. It is the reward of full engagement. The more engaged we are, the more Chances are generated.  Look at it from the standpoint of sports. A team that sits back and lets the play come to them rarely generates enough Chances to win. A team that is in high pursuit of opportunity, gives everything and never quits is usually more fruitful with respect to Chances generated.

Visionmakers study how Chances are made. It is the difference between stasis and a breakthrough.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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“Meditation is to find out if there is a field which is not already contaminated by the known.”  – J. Krishnamurti

 

I love this idea that there may be within us “a field not already contaminated by the known.” It is so evocative and reminds us of the inner adventure awaiting us as Visionmakers.

What are the places within us that are less familiar? Where are the frontiers of our experience that remain unexplored? How do we get there?

I am sure Krishnamurti would respond: “Through meditation!”

Meditation, or reflection is a central practice of the Visionmaker. It provides a break from the external world of action to the stillness of the inner world, where contemplation takes us deep into the heart of what is most meaningful to us, to what matters most.

It is important that we check-in with our own guidance system before returning to the outer world.  This way, we can insure that action is purposeful, guided by the heart and not by expediency.

But there are many other doorways to the unknown parts of ourselves.  Some of these are:

• New experiences - every quarter, we should seek out new people, places, and activities that we have not experienced. This broadens our perspectives and refreshes our vision.

• Challenges - sometimes what lies dormant and inaccessible within us is only made available through a challenge.  We have untapped resources that come forward for application in the right conditions. One way to call these resources forward is to learn something new, take up a new hobby or set breakthrough goals for yourself. Also, finding a mentor or coach helps us grow out of our areas of comfort and expertise into a new stage of learning, growth and development.

• Immersion - when we are fully engaged, we often find ourselves in totally new territory that is entered through peak experience. By doing what we love, and giving ourselves to it totally, we enter that unknown territory that has been waiting for us.

• Journeying – is a technique that is part of many traditional cultures. It is accomplished through sonic driving, a rhythmic drumming technique that produces a natural altered state. This is a central practice of Visionmaking and supports seeing, the ability to enter the frontier of the future.

• Daydreams and Night-dreams - creative people, artists and scientists have long recognized the power of dreams to support insight, make new connections and observe what is emerging from the unconscious.

• Breakthrough - is the ability to move past obstructions or barriers that prevent positive change. These obstructions to vision prevent us from seeing with the fresh eyes of the explorer and adventurer and keep us in the domain of the status quo, where habit and routine create the illusion that world is familiar and mundane. A breakthrough, however, implies disorientation. It takes the eyes time to adjust to the new landscape. Rather than be afraid of new perception, Visionmakers welcome it.

Visionmaking is the pursuit of the “field of the unknown.” It is always right there in front of us, awaiting our arrival, ready to bestow upon us it’s ultimate gift-transformation. Through meditation, new experiences, challenges, immersion, daydreams and night-dreams and breakthroughs, Visionmakers search for this uncontaminated field of new experience.

It is a journey with heart.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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A Visionmaker is always alert to the presence of chance. Chance is a rip in the fabric of the status quo that opens when a Visionmaker’s intention to make positive change is greater than stasis.

Chance is often considered random, unpredictable, and occurring outside of a cause.  Some people associate it with being lucky. Others see it as risk-oriented as in “taking a chance.”

 
Visionmakers see chance differently. They see it as a gap between the present and the future that can be crossed through readiness, preparation, training and full engagement. They trust that by following a path of heart and meaning, by giving themselves completely to their life dream, that chance will occur if they are patient and vigilant. It’s predictable.

Some people don’t even see chance open up before them. Their vision is invested in other things-old stories, worries, the affairs of others, and things that they cannot control.  A Visionmaker is always striving to release vision from its obstructions so that focus can be placed on what is emerging rather than what has passed.

 
To take advantage of the moment when the present and the future are adjacent fields, a Visionmaker must be strong-hearted. One cannot hesitate, second-guess or dither. The only act that has the power to bridge the gap is one that is free from doubt, worry or concern.

 
Visionmakers enter the gap between the present and the future like one would ride the wind – with joy and exhilaration.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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In past posts, I have emphasized the importance of feeling sufficient to meet the opportunities and challenges that await us on the bridge to the future.

Sufficiency is the sum total of our personal power in direct relation to the inevitable encounter with the unknown. There is no predicting what that meeting will look like or what we will face when it arrives. The only preparation we can make is to be careful stewards or our powers for the day they will be tested.

Our personal powers consists of the knowledge, aptitudes, gifts, talents, skills, character qualities and experiences. It also includes intangibles that are only made known to us at the time of our encounter, when they are most needed and emerge from the abstract, where they reside in wait. This power is unique to us.

Sufficiency requires that a Visionmaker be the careful stewardship of his or her power.

Here are some questions that can help us recognize that we are abundantly gifted and capable of not only meeting our challenges but also in generating opportunities for growth, development and prosperity. They are the Questions of Stewardship.

• What experiences have left you stronger, more knowledgeable, and better rounded as a person? Why? How?

•  What natural abilities do you possess – abilities that have come easily to you? For instance, some people have an ear for music; others are mathematically inclined; still others relate easily to other people. Name two or three of your natural abilities.

•  What are the most common compliments that you receive from other people? What does this tell you about your positive impact.

•  Who turns to you for advice?  What kind of counsel do people seek from you?  Why?

•  What relationships are you making positive contributions to? How are you making those positive contributions?

•  What accomplishments are you most proud of in your life? Why?

•  What challenges have you met with courage and creativity?  What life lessons came from these events?

•  What prudent risks have you taken? What did you learn about yourself from these experiences?

•  Who do you admire and for what qualities?  Chances are you exhibit similar traits.

Visionmakers see personal power as a personal responsibility. They are never cavalier about developing the proper attitude, practices and environment for such power to gather. It is through this power that purposeful action is generated. And it is through personal power that the experiential expedition of living can be fully explored and enjoyed.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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Visionmaking is the art and craft of walking the bridge between the present and the future.  Like anything else worth doing, Visionmaking requires discipline, practice and skill.

Many people find the journey into the future challenging. It requires that we hold the creative tension required to depart from the comfort of the status quo into the wilderness of new experience. Creative tension is the stretching that is required to hold the present circumstances and possibilities in the future simultaneously.

When this stretching occurs- and we are able to hold both time frames simultaneously – the bridge to the future appears. Walking that bridge requires courage, self-trust and resiliency.  Walking that bridge, we will be tested and initiated.

The tests we meet as we focus our vision on navigating the journey of transformation into the future comes in the form of paradox, ambiguity, confusion, chaos and other obstructions and challenges. We must demonstrate that we are capable and resourceful in overcoming these challenges so that we continue to advance, grow and learn from the passage.

These initiatory rites of passage are not meant as afflictions.  On the contrary, they are meant to challenge us to grow.

Many of us can’t stand the pains associated with growing. We prefer the sedate life of predictability and repetitive experience.  We believe falsely that through knowability comes mastery. Of course, this notion is based in flawed reasoning. All repetitive experiences provide is an opportunity to refine our strategies… and grow bored.

It is only by turning away from the status quo of our own experience that we can expect to grow and change, to transform through an encounter with our own potential.

That is what the future provides – a space in time for transformation. This is the Visionmaker’s quest. To learn to walk the bridge of transformation from our current circumstances to a preferred future, one that allows us to experience the thrill of living.

What we discover on the journey is that which we pursued – a possibility made manifest – we have become.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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“Power always makes a cubic centimeter of chance available to the warrior. The Warrior’s art is to be perennially fluid in order to pluck it.” –Carlos Castaneda

 

A Visionmaker is always vigilant, disciplined and ready to act. With economy and efficiency, he or she seeks the best moment to act, the moment when it is possible to pluck the future form the fingers of Chance.

Chance is a rip in the fabric of the status quo that Destiny opens for an act of intent.

The status quo, of course, is self-repairing. That rip is sewn back together instantly. That’s why fluidity is so important. We must be in flow to take advantage of that cubic centimeter of chance.

In Visionmaking, fluidity is caused by the confluence of the warmth of emotion and feeling and the coolness of intellect.  Working together in partnership, emotion and intellect constantly adjust the temperature of the fire of purpose like a thermostat.

This ensures that the will does not overheat, which leads to hot-headedness, or freeze, causing cold-heartedness.  The will remains fluid, able to constantly adjust the balance of energy and power to serve purposeful action.

Fluidity produces right timing. Picture an elite athlete, musician or dancer. The heart, intellect and will are united in the flawless execution of a complex set of actions. As a result the performance is transcendent.  There is no separation between the performer and the performance.  Everything flows.

This is the Visionmaker’s art.  The fluidity to act with purpose and generate a breakthrough.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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Many of us are working harder than ever before because the economy is difficult and fear has overtaken creativity as the driving force of global enterprise.

That can lead to higher stress levels and exhaustion. 

Every day, I receive phone calls from my clients looking for help in addressing work-life balance issues. It’s becoming a pandemic.

Here are ten practices that, when used together, help us counter the negative effects of worry, overwork and competing demands.

1.  Rest – the ability to take regular breaks from the exertion and stress of action refreshes the mind and body through sleep, stillness and leisure.

2. Proper nutrition – a balanced diet of nourishing food and drink that keeps the body healthy and well-hydrated supports peak performance, recovery and growth.

3. Play – full engagement in fun and uplifting activities rejuvenate and relax the physical systems.

4. Companionship – surround yourself with people you love, trust and admire. People who make you laugh – especially at yourself – are healing agents.

5. Reflection – the ability to take time to examine your thoughts and actions helps bring perspective to life. Without reflection it’s hard to figure out how to use your time properly or what’s worth doing.

6. Exercise – physical engagement and training ensures that your body stays in top shape for the rigors of the road.

7. Self-acknowledgement – recognizing and developing your personal gifts, talents, character qualities and contributions contributes to a healthy level of pride and respect in oneself.  This supports well-being.

8. Pacing – managing the burn rate of your inner fire ensures that you don’t burn out.

9. Patience – managing your own expectations for what can be accomplished and accepting that even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t unfold as expected.

10. Planning – looking at your tasks over a short, medium and longer-term basis allows greater perspective and greater effectiveness and efficiency.

Those that allow themselves to become sluggish, fatigued or punch-drunk from the rigors of the passage between possibility and outcome are easily stopped. They become disconnected from the vision that initially inspired them and are easily overtaken by disappointment, resignation, frustration and cynicism.

That is a recipe for soul loss not Visionmaking.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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My wife ate Indian food in early labor. Lots of it. I was not an Indian food fan at the time but a pregnant woman in early labor gets whatever she wants at my house.

Lynne set some kind of Canadian record for time spent in labor. Our middle daughter was born the fastest. She arrived in only eight hours. Our first and third took their time. They were 21 and 24 hours respectively. Our youngest was born in the bathtub of our house, rendering that spot a sacred site.

You learn a lot about a person when you witness them in active labor over extended periods of time. You learn a lot about courage and perseverance, strength and stamina. I am convinced that no man has been born that could handle such a rigorous initiation. I complained about lack of sleep.

If you are paying attention, you can apprehend the atmosphere that accompanies the arrival of a newborn. A soft, warm bubble of grace envelops the place where a baby comes into the world. It is the same bubble that carries us out of this world at death.

Grace is defined as infinite love and mercy. It is also the word used to describe elegance and beauty. All of these qualities, and more, attend the arrival and departure of human beings as we make the two great, mysterious journeys of birth and death.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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“Our task is to look at the world and see it whole.”

-E.F. Schumacher

 

We live at a time of great challenge and great opportunity. These conditions call us to dream the way our ancestors did – with courage and full-hearted commitment. Without our dreams and the will to act, we cannot hope to overcome the conditions that threaten our continued survival on this planet.

The economic crisis has focused much of our attention on our own net worth. Of course, taking care of our own families is a responsibility of every Visionmaker.

But let’s not lose sight of the larger world in which we live. We also have a responsibility to envision a world that is safe, environmentally sustainable, prosperous and free.

Visionmakers, consider this:

• By 2010, the global population is estimated to be 7 billion, double what it was in 1960

• 24,000 people die every day of starvation 

• 2 million people a year die of tuberculosis and there are 8 million new active cases

• 1 in 5000 who die from physical violence every year are under five years of age

• 20,000 people died last year in disasters and 256,665 were affected

• In the last decade, 665,598 people died in drought, floods and windstorms

• 2.3 million people were killed by conflict between 1991 and 2000, 3/4 from nations of low human development

• Conflict killed three times the number killed in natural disasters

• 3 million people die of air pollution each year

• 21.8 million adults and 830,000 children are suffering with AIDS

• AIDS has created 12 million orphans

• 6 million people have been blinded by trachoma; there are 146 million active cases

• 2.2 million people, including 1.8 million children died from diarrhoeal diseases in 1988, contamination of food and drinking water the leading cause

• An estimated 500 million small arms and light weapons are in circulation

• 500,000 people are killed by small arms every year

• 300,000 are killed in armed conflict; 200,000 in shootings unrelated to armed conflict

• 300,000 children are being used as soldiers

• United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea are all nuclear powers; Israel, Libya, and Iran and are suspected of having nuclear capability and perhaps nuclear weapons

• Estimates place active nuclear warheads at 19,000 with approximately 17,500 held in reserve

• In 1998, there was approximately $35,100,000,000 spent on all U.S. nuclear weapons and weapons-related programs

• To date, there are seven cases of nuclear component smuggling from Russia that have been detected; no-one knows how many have gone undetected

• The U.S. Department of Energy determined that 2 1/2 tons of highly radioactive plutonium used in making nuclear weapons was missing from its supplies in 1999

• There are allegations that the Russian government is unable to account for 80 “suitcase nukes,” small atomic demolition munitions ( ADMs)

• Accidentally, the United States has lost and never recovered 11 nuclear bombs

• One percent of the global economy and 200 million people rely on sea fishing yet 77% of polluting substances that threaten the marine environment comes from human land-based sources; the majority of the remainder comes from shipping and sea dumping

• Shipping contributes an estimated 568,000 tons of oil annually to marine pollution

These are just some of the troubling statistics that are available on the state of the world. There is ample material here to challenge several generations to creatively solve problems.

This is another reason why it is urgent that we return to the Cycle of Visionmaking as a disciplined practice of leadership. It is our responsibility to leave the world a better place for our children.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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There is no time so miserable but a man may be true. -William Shakespeare

Recently, I had a business executive question the amount of time and focus I place on the development of character as a solid foundation for Visionmaking.

“What’s that got to do with leadership,” he asked?  ”Isn’t that just about being a good person?” 

That this executive is working in the financial services industry is more proof that many in the business community just don’t get it.

Why is there so little recognition that the right use of power–a fundamental responsibility of leaders–is directly tied to character development? 

Most of the economic calamities of the past year are outcomes of a deficit of character and the failure of many leaders to abide by the basic, moral values that guide good governance.

You would think that with the dizzying array of business failures, arrests, government interventions and negative press about the state of the world economy and those that lead it, these smart people would reach the same conclusion.

This is not simply an economic crisis. This is a crisis of character.

With great talent and power comes great responsibility.  Talent and power must be subject to morals values and principles. Without these as ballast, leaders behave like despots who stand above the rule of law.

Yet, we have tolerated the excesses of those who are most talented, seduced by a “star player” mentality that runs the gamut from petty tyrants and bullies in the office to grandmaster Ponzi schemers looting billions from trusting investors.

Winning at any cost may be the highest value in Western society today. If this is true, the ways of honor and integrity are endangered. But so is free enterprise which is a trust-based economic system.  If we lose our faith in the integrity of global markets, capitalism as we know it will collapse and we will be thrust backwards into heavily regulated, protectionist economies.

Trust is the problem… but it is also the key to addressing this crisis.

Trust is earned and maintained by the quality of leadership that we demonstrate. Ethical, principled and thoughtful leaders are required to restore trust in the system and re-balance the economy as a result.

Character development-the foundation of trustworthy leadership– is on few leadership curricula that I am aware of outside of the military.  The United States Military Academy holds as its motto: “The cadet will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those that do.”

A good policy. We may not all have lied, cheated or stolen the property of others. But we may have been too tolerant of falling standards and practices of integrity. Time to recover the way of honor. 

That’s why the Visionmaking places so much emphasis on character and the right use of power. It is the solution to the problem in most of our institutions and leads to ethical conduct that results in the recovery of trust in leaders.

Lewis Mumford describes the road ahead. 

 

“At moments of crisis, where the roads to disintegration or to development separate, as on a watershed, a single decisive personality, or a small group of informed and purposeful men (and women)*, may by a slight push determine the direction and movement of an otherwise uncontrollable mass of conflicting social forces. At such moments not a single institution or group, but a whole society, will be involved in a change far beyond its ordinary capacities for adaptation: yet the dynamic agent in this transformation, the “spark” which kindles the great forest,” will be the individual human person; for it is he who precipitates the change in the social order by first initiating a profound regrouping of forces and ideal goals within himself. At such a moment the human integer represents the whole and in turn has an effect on the whole.  Only within the compass of the person can a total change be affected within the span of a single generation, sufficient to produce the necessary effect on the civilization at large: like the seed crystal, he (and she)* passes on to the whole the new order of the part.” 

(* My additions.) 

 

Visionmakers can be that small, informed group committed to sparking the new order that Lewis Mumford depicts. It is a path with heart.

Thank you for visiting Visions.  Your comments and insights are most welcome.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.

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