I love stories and as a child I loved hearing those opening words ‘Once upon a time’. They meant I was about to travel in my imagination with the characters in the story. But the journey was always into the distant past – a long time ago and far, far away. As an adult, I have noticed that we tend to look back an awful lot. We talk about the good old days, holding on to the romantic notion that life was much better then. But was it really? I don’t think so. I think that life is so much better NOW and I believe that life can get even better in the future. But for that to happen, we have to IMAGINE a better future. We have to plant seeds today of that better future, so that when we get there, the seeds we planted will have grown into what we want to become. So here’s my story for the future:
Imagine a time when you can wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and see reflected back to you that person that you know you truly are. Your first thoughts are ones of unconditional love for who you are and who you are becoming. So you can’t help but start the day with a smile on your face! Then as you go about your daily activities, every person you come into contact with, whether known or unknown, you see them as you wish to be seen – as a whole person doing the best you can given your own personal story. So you treat everyone with respect and kindness. You also decide that you really don’t want to go live on Mars, that you love Earth and so you will treat all life with respect. You will immediately stop harming her, so that you and future generations can continue to live in harmony on this beautiful planet. You decide that you no longer want to pay taxes that fund war and destruction, but that you do want to pay taxes that fund health and education for ALL; that you no longer want to support a vision of this world torn apart by our differences, but that our diversity becomes our greatest source of wealth and happiness. As you imagine all this, you know that your positive thoughts go out into the world and become those seeds which will unfold a better future. Because your thoughts lead you to inspired action and by your action, your life lived becomes an inspiration for present and future generations. And in this way, the better future is already HERE and NOW.