Most of us know what we are against. We’re against racism, against inequality, against fossil fuels, against war, against the alt-right, against trans-and-homophobia. We’re against corporate political donations, we’re against capitalism, we’re against xenophobia, we’re against violence, we’re against the Murdoch media bias, we’re against big oil, we’re against foreign intervention, we’re against offshore asylum centres.
The list of things we are against in changemaking circles is endless – and rightly so. We’re working to change what currently exists, and that means being aware of the problem and its causes. It’s easy to center our work around this because reality is seemingly centered around this.
But I want to also ask a different question: What are we in service to? What would a world without ‘the problem’ look like? I’m talking a radically different world… can you imagine what that experience would feel like?
When you picture a world with the solutions to the issues you care about, what do you feel right now in your body? Relief? Lightness? Tension? Can you even imagine it?
What does this world sound like? Look like? What would your life look like in that world? What role would you play with the freedom to do so?
This imagination exercise isn’t just for fun, it’s for clarity.
Because, here’s the thing – it’s not enough to be against something. We need to know what we’re for at the same time.
We need to build as we resist.
We need to heal as we end harm.
We need to liberate as we fight.
If we remain solely focused on what we are against, we miss the opportunity of embodying the change we seek. Our work is not just for the future – it’s for now. If we want others to feel joy or freedom, we must allow ourselves to experience them too.
Knowing our vision – our how, our why, our calling – means knowing where to serve.
Knowing what we’re for allows us to articulate new stories and ideas to those who cannot see them yet.
Knowing what we’re for is the bedrock of hope and inspiration.
So let me know what you are for, comment below, or drop me an email, I’d love to hear.