I have been a big fan of science fiction my entire life. Back when I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to watch the latest episodes of The Jetsons, Lost in Space, Outer Limits and of course Star Trek. Recently, Thom and I agreed that one of our favorite rides at Disneyland used to be Carousel of Progress. In 1977, the year Thom and I met and married, theaters gifted us with the first Star Wars movie—and we saw it at least seven times that summer along with every sequel and prequel ever since. And let’s not forget books like Dune or everything written by Ursula K. Le Guin or Robert A Heinlein. I think the attraction is the mostly positive vision of life, people and worlds so creatively different—and yes, all wrapped around an adventure. To me, science fiction requires unlimited imagination and open-mindedness. If we can’t imagine something different and yes, impossible—how can we ever hope to create or achieve it? And now, a new sub-genre of science fiction called solarpunk raises that bar in optimistic and innovative ways.
Imagining A Different World
This morning I listened to a podcast interview of author and speaker Adam Grant. I wrote a blog post about his latest book several weeks ago and he is still on my mind. What I appreciate most from that book is his challenge to “think again” about so many of my deeply held thoughts and beliefs—and to do it from an open, curious and humble position. What if instead of approaching the day like we normally do, we did it as though it really was the first day of the rest of our life? What if we threw out all our preconceived ideas about right or wrong and started fresh? What if we gave people the benefit of the doubt, trusting that most people are basically good? What if we were willing to admit that a lot of the time we don’t have the answers and are just trying to do our best? What if we gave other people the same consideration? Instead of ever thinking that I wish other people knew more, did better or acted more like I think they should act—I decided instead to be the best kind of person I could be? What if we all did? Imagining what the world would be like from that space would be a very SMART thing to do.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Even though the current pandemic crisis isn’t over, many of us are starting to ask what comes next. Will things just go back to normal? Do we want that? Was normal so great for ourselves, other people or the planet? Or is it possible to use this current experience to learn something and do better than before? This week in our April Vlog Thom and I talk about a few things we would love to see more of in the days to come. And as a surprise, we’ve asked a few of our friends to join in with what they would also hope to welcome as we recover from this tipping point in human history. While none of us expect to convince you of what you should hope to see for yourself, it is SMART to remember that your thoughts and intentions do influence your future. Remember, what you think about, you help bring about. It is done unto you as you believe. Let’s make sure our thoughts are what we hope to experience. Together we can help co-create a better world if we take the time to envision our highest possibilities. Join Thom, me and a few friends as we share a couple of ideas to get started.