Having a vision

Nimue Brown

June 8

(Nimue)

Having a vision doesn't mean waiting around for some flash of divine inspiration. It can be a deliberately chosen thing, and it can operate at many levels.

It's good to have a sense of personal direction. Where do you want to go with your life? What do you aspire to? Ask at the same time what kind of future you want and what kind of society you want to live in. Think about what you'd have to do to make any of that possible, and what the everyday moves are that would take you – and everyone else – in that direction.

I envisage a future where people are kinder and living sustainably, where resources are shared fairly and everyone can flourish, and the wild world can thrive.

This is quite n ambitious vision, but I try and hold in my head what that would be like, and to find my own small ways of moving towards it. Seeking joy in ways that don't consume a lot of resources seems like a good idea on those terms. I advocate for fairer and kinder ways of doing things. I support and amplify people who are heading in the same direction.

As individuals most of us aren't going to single handedly change the world in a noticeable way. However, society is just a lot of people, and change can start anywhere. Making what change we can and trying to inspire others to do the same will have an impact.

Visions don't need to be realistic – in fact I think there's an argument for saying they should not be. Realistic visions keep us trapped in the same paradigm, doing what's pragmatic and expedient at the expense of what's good and necessary. Beautiful, hopeful, wild, outlandish visions have more potential to inspire us and to change things.

I dream of having a garden, and to be able to grow a few food plants and do more to support wildlife on my doorstep. I can't buy a wood or a field, but I can help my local community buy out a local area of land. Having a vision makes it easier to tell when something comes along that I'd actively like to support. It keeps me alert to good opportunities.

It's worth taking the time to invest in daydreams and hopes, and see what they bring up for you. Most of us, I think would like gentler lives, with more rest and time off to enjoy ourselves. Most of us want community, respect, and to live somewhere pleasant. More kindness, more beauty and more delight are things to aspire to. A vision of something better can hold you together through challenging times, creating purpose and hope. One of the things we need to do is stop believing that new and better products are going to give us all the human things we are missing. Once we step away from consumerism and look round for alternatives, more options appear.