by Jim Cathcart 

Hey we’re headed for the Future. Give us some room, we’re going to build a new dream. 

Lean on me and I’m gonna lean on you. We’re headed for the Future and the Future’s ours. 

Neil Diamond, Headed for the Future

If you listen to the news media you’ll hear nothing but situation analysis and speculation. In other words, they are focusing on the past and the present, not the future. Despite claims to the contrary, most people do not look toward the future. If we did we would see it coming and be well prepared for it. 

The truth is; the Future sneaks up on us and surprises us. We don’t see it coming… unless we decide to. 

Our culture celebrates visionaries because they are so rare. We look to the Walt Disneys and Bill Gates’ of the world and marvel at their capacity for seeing the future then making it a reality. But the truth is, we are all capable of that on various levels. In fact, you have done it many times in your own life. 

Visionaries think about what they want and then commit to the behaviors that bring it into form. You have done that many times. When you decide on an item or an experience that you are committed to achieving you are doing what Disney & Gates have done. This can be a job, a home, a relationship, a trip, or a level of fitness. Whatever you want, when you see it in your mind and then alter your behavior to make it real, you are creating your own future. 

Futures are not built by fortification. All that does is protect the current reality. When you put up defenses, build walls, cut back, and lay low, you diminish the future possibilities that are open to you. I’m not saying you shouldn’t protect your assets, but protectionism is not a growth strategy. 

What people want most during a challenge is: Hope and Direction. 

They are thirsting for an optimistic viewpoint, a direction to pursue, and the confidence that comes with doing intelligent things that have a great potential for success. They don’t want a mere cheerleader who has them chanting “I think I can” or, to be more current, “yes we can.” That is nice but it’s not enough. They need faith in something. 

I suggest that you provide that “something.” Instead of doing as others do, take the brighter path and Focus Forward. Acknowledge today’s temporary realities and then shift your gaze to what you want. Look at what can be. Be the person whom others want to be around because you give them strength and assurance. 

“But what if I don’t know the way?” you ask. Leaders don’t always know the way, they just know that looking at the ground around you isn’t it. So they raise their sights and focus forward while acting confidently in the direction of their goals. If you had to know every step of a journey before taking it you’d never move. There is always uncertainty, but you are up to the task. You can handle whatever you encounter. Maybe not alone, but you can find the resources and answers you need…IF…you move confidently toward what you want. 

When you grow this new orientation and others observe the change in you they will be attracted to you. You will possess an energy that they want. You will not simply be an optimist in a sea of pessimists and “realists” but you will be a Solution Source. You’re the one with a better way. 

Pledge to yourself today that you are done with the habit of feeding on the cynical world view of the media. Commit to habitually thinking of what you want, not what you do not want. Refuse to dwell on the limits and negatives. Change the subject when others start complaining. Limit your exposure to skeptics and cynics. Talk often about what you want, how it will look and feel, the rewards that will come from it, and the joy of achieving it. What you think about, talk about and go toward…will become a reality. You are a creator. 

Make it so!

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