Conferences


Dreams Worth Dreaming - Visions and Values

When your imagination is engaged, energy is released, ideas flood in and action becomes compelling - you become a vehicle for the manifestation of a Vision. So how do you find a compelling Vision? Releasing your imagination to roam free over the possibilities and potentials of something that captures your attention is often where Visions begin. A single individual ‘see’s’ how something could be better, different, more uplifting, more fun. It might arrive in your consciousness in a moment staring out a window, or in the face of an overwhelming problem, as an answer to a question arising inside of you, as a flash of inspiration - a seed. If that seed has ‘legs’ - if it’s potent with life force, it will germinate and grow and you will find yourself with all sorts of support invisible before that moment. This is the magic of synchronicity, serendipity, meaningful co-incidence, purpose, passion and commitment.

The flow of energy from the unmanifest to the manifest seems to go something like this: Our attention is drawn to something - a problem, a yearning, a ‘noticing’, and if it is resonant with us as an individual, if we are attracted, if we feel a ‘click’ inside we experience dreaming and wishing and fantasizing about it. If the dream/wish/fantasy has any substance (just like mass) it moves towards desire/want/purpose...it gets ‘energised with passion’ - the fuel of action. This energising is an attractor (thoughts have ‘gravitational pull’) to that which will help the process along and moves us towards ideas/strategies/plans aligned with our dream. Plans then become actions that have consequences (or results). The way we interact with those consequences helps us stay on track and make the inevitable corrections required to keep us on track until little by little (and sometimes big by big) our Vision (the disembodied idea) spirals to ground as manifest perceivable reality - a dream fulfilled, a vision manifest and alive in the world, continuously evolving until it’s purpose is fulfilled and a new vision is born.

This whole process is easy to see in hindsight when we hear the Visionary tell their story of how their idea became reality and yet whilst we are ‘in it’, we can become blinded to the process, despondent in the face of obstacles or deluded by our egos. The challenge is to stay conscious and focused on the horizon we are headed for, and open to everything that will enable us to succeed.

Disconnected or irrelevant visions don’t have much impact. Everyone knows someone who is full of ideas that never get to ground. Visions born of solid values/principles have a foundation on which to stand. So get clear about your values. The question to ask is “What is REALLY important to me?” Getting clear about your values opens a whole new world for some people. It can prompt life changes in relationships, careers, changes in direction and personal evolution. Decision making becomes much easier and procrastination dissolves in the light that is clarity. This shakes down all the way through to day to day behaviour in every moment.

If someone asked you - “What are your values?” would you be able to respond immediately, without really thinking about it? If they asked “What is your Vision for your Life? What is your Vision for your community? Your species? Your planet? What is your response....do you notice cynicism or hope in your answers - are you a victim to ‘what is’ or a beacon of faith able to move towards possibility? Do you have the humility to risk doing ‘bellyflops’ in order to move a great idea forward or are you so afraid of humiliation you are paralysed?

Is your Vision life affirming? Does the idea of it feel like a valuable contributor to the Whole in some way? Having a clear vision gives us purpose and meaning in our day to day activities. When your vision serves others, it is even more motivating than when it only serves yourself.

A great example of Vision in action at the organisational level is one of our treasured clients called PORSE. The Vision of that organisation is ‘to expand the hearts, minds and wellbeing of a nation, through nurturing childcare in-home”. THAT is what I call a lofty, life affirming vision. This wonderful organisation has a clear values base that is shared with everyone who comes to work/play there. Unsurprisingly PORSE attracts fabulous staff who are committed to influencing the destiny of a whole country through the environments they promote for babies and small children. They are leaders in their field and demonstrate what is possible with an aligned team of people who all value the same thing - baby humans. The absolute privilege Jude and I have is to share that dream, that vision, and contribute to it with our own work. Along with others, we partner as teammates and collaborators in the work PORSE does and the services it offers to families, the professional opportunities it offers to those drawn to provide nourishing evironments for children and of course to the very heart of the organisation - the children.

PORSE is committed to consciously evolving itself so it provides the very best practise in early childhood care. Who wouldn’t want an organisation like that to be successful? What staff member wouldn’t be energised by that vision, knowing they contribute to it every day, in every interaction.

Dare to dream big - at this time on this planet we need more BIG dreamers with BIG hearts and BIG minds - we can all do our bit to dream and behave our way to a positive future for Humanity and our little home address in the vastness of ‘our’ Universe - Earth.

Whether your enterprise is big or small, individual, business, or community - Happy BIG dreaming!

Note: download for free a basic values clarification exercise

Amanda Fleming
p: +64 21 357753
e: info@amandafleming.co.nz
a: PO Box 56064
Dominion Road
Mt Eden
AUCKLAND