Foresight

The first wheel maker saw a wheel, carried

in his head a wheel, and one day found his

hand shaping a wheel, the first wheel.

                                        –Carl Sandburg

Forsight is the name given to the inner journey that a Visionmaker takes between two fields, the Field of Possibility and the Field of Outcomes. The Field of Possibility contains all possible courses of action available by which a path of heart and meaning might be travelled. The Field of Outcomes contains all the results and repercussions–positive and negative, constructive and destructive–that can occur from the actions being considered.

By envisioning these to fields through reflection, the Visionmaker is able to see the longer-term possibilities, opportunities and consequences of action taken or not taken. Such envisioning is a heart-act. Only when the heart is open can we explore the full range of what is possible without being overwhelmed by opportunities or needing to control what we see to remain in our comfort zone. And only the courage and knowledge gained from the Four-Chambered Heart – which is full, strong, open and clear – enable us to pluck the future from the fingers of chance. The heart is the source of possibility, and chance is a crack in the fabric of the status quo that is opened by Destiny for an act of intent.

The Visionmaker recognizes that every encounter with the Field of Possibility carries with it the potential for dramatic change. This is not something to be taken lightly. Every conception of the self and the world can be dashed in an instant. "Even a thought, even a possibility," writes philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "can shatter us and transform us."

In past times, foresight was seen as a gift of prophecy or divination. This explanation makes foresight seem too special, supernatural and out of the reach of ordinary people like you and me. In Visionmaking, forsight is seen differently. We all have access to foresight, which simply means we all have a vision for a path of heart and meaning and we are taking stock of how to build it through purposeful acts. Foresight requires that we plant one foot firmly in the present moment and one foot in chance. If we're awake, we can feel chance spark like an electric current as it runs up and down our spines. It stands the hair on end. Alert, agile and openhearted, we must be ready to act at a moment's notice. 

Foresight initiates the journey of discovery that every Visionmaker's heart cries out for, the journey into a field of transformative possibilities where we can never be the same again.

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.