Films for Action Director, Tim Hjersted, has some sage advice that mirrors what I have talked a lot about in this blog concerning sustainable living. The change we first need is internal; a change in beliefs and values about who we truly are and how we relate to the world both human and natural. This then reflects back to the new external, it is a mistake to assume that the reverse can happen – that is, we somehow become sustainable and this then influences the essential personal changes. It hasn’t happened so far, so no reason to believe it can now.
I was watching some David Attenborough films, and what became obvious is what makes humanity different from the rest of life. It isn’t our big brain – after all, whales and dolphins and primates have big brains too. It isn’t simply out tool using capacity; many of the primates and other animals are able to use simple tools as well. What sets humans apart is something more amorphous – our unique imagination. All animals (as far as we are aware) live entirely in the present moment. They have memory of past events that serve survival and bonding strategies. What sets us apart is that we can imagine the future. We can think ahead and plan.
Imagination is an amazing mental tool for focusing our thoughts to creating what we want in life. The problem however, is that it is like the genie’s wish curse. You have to be careful what and how you think. Imagination focuses our attention like a laser beam for both personal desires and collective ones. Thoughts are mental energy that have tremendous power; they are the precursors of what we physically create as our reality. It is this personal reality that we all individually create every moment of our lives. But we don’t live isolated in a vacuum. Our cultural conditioning is what we collectively use to generate our agreed upon collective reality. And there is the rub; those seeking to control the world use this to control us – it is a well-guarded secret millennia in the keeping.
To paraphrase spiritual guru’s and cognitive researchers, when billions of people focus their attention upon listening, seeing, hearing the same words, the same pictures, and the same descriptions, tremendous thought energy is generated and massive thought-forms are created (mental constructs that take on an independent existence). Your imagination is your true source of freedom – guard it well – place your attention where you want it, not where some other group convinces you to. Your attention is being aware, mindful, and fully conscious of the information that it accepts.
Sadly, when we live conditioned by the global management system, we live mostly unconsciously in fear with negative memories of the past and fears about futures that haven’t happened yet. Few live consciously in the present. The majority of the mass media around the planet relentlessly keep us all in a state of managed chaos. We seem convinced that the bogeyman will get us, and only the powerful ones can protect us. Our imaginations once captured, collectively make us create the negative and polluted world of hate, violence and war we currently live within. The solution – simply imagine and create a better, positive, Loving, compassionate and cooperative world.
Thought-forms abound. Everything from governments, economics, worldviews that destructive exploitation and infinite growth are necessary, can be easily changed. Seriously! When YOU set your imagination free from the conditioned reactions, you become an incredibly powerful creator of your reality. When you use your imagination to align positively with others in liberating their imaginations, you collectively gain the secret of creating the world you want.
Tim Hjersted, has a wonderful list of things to focus upon (below), where your imagination can take flight and flock together with others in creating that garden of Eden we once had back in the mythological past. Theology aside, that garden idea is where humanity evolved over 2-3 hundred thousand years in harmony with nature. We weren’t evicted from the garden; relatively recently (5-6 millennia) we let in and listened to some corrupting influences that captured our imaginations to let them ‘rule’ us to solve the problems they were creating through us. We’re still doing it. Change your thoughts – change the world. No need to fight anything.
- Hold onto Radical Empathy – Seek to understand others deeply, especially those you disagree with. Acknowledge the humanity in everyone, and resist the urge to demonize. Real empathy breaks down walls and creates spaces where true connection and change can grow.
- Resist the Allure of Cynicism – In a world riddled with injustice, cynicism can be a refuge. Resist it. Stay open to small acts of beauty, courage, and integrity—they are the seeds of a better future. Protect your hope, even when the evidence feels thin.
- Take Responsibility for Your Actions – Acknowledge the role you play in maintaining or challenging the status quo. Recognize that every decision—how you spend money, what conversations you engage in, what you support or oppose—reflects your values and shapes the world around you.
- Engage in Nonviolent Resistance – Find ways to resist oppression and injustice without perpetuating cycles of harm. Nonviolence is not passive; it requires courage, discipline, and an unshakable commitment to the dignity of all, including those complicit in oppression.
- Embrace Vulnerability and Compassion – Allow yourself to feel and show vulnerability, even when it hurts. Genuine compassion requires you to be present with pain—your own and others’. Lean into the discomfort and let it guide you toward actions that restore and heal.
- Build Resilient Communities – Foster connections in your local community that resist isolation and strengthen mutual support. Communities rooted in trust and solidarity can withstand more and offer real resistance to a world designed to divide and control.
- Pursue Truth Relentlessly – In a culture flooded with propaganda and misinformation, seek truth with a fierce commitment. Challenge narratives that obscure power dynamics or excuse exploitation, and use your voice to amplify perspectives that are too often silenced.
- Practice Radical Generosity – Give of yourself—your time, resources, and energy—not because others “deserve” it, but because you recognize our shared humanity. Generosity nourishes our collective resilience, and it keeps you grounded in what matters.
- Embody the World You Wish to Create – Let your daily actions reflect the justice, kindness, and solidarity you wish to see. In a broken world, simply living with integrity and kindness is a profound act of resistance.
- Accept that Small Actions Matter – Grand gestures are rare; it’s the small, persistent acts of care and resistance that shape the world. Plant seeds, even if you may never see them grow. In the face of overwhelming challenges, remember that even small acts contribute to a larger tapestry of struggle that goes back generations.
- Connect with the Beauty and Wonder of the Earth – Ground yourself in the natural world—not as an escape, but as a reminder of what we’re fighting for. Let forests, rivers, and sky restore your sense of proportion and purpose. The earth’s resilience teaches us that life persists even after devastation, and that we are part of something vast and interconnected.
- Cultivate Discernment Over Certainty – In a world of competing narratives, resist the comfort of absolute certainty. Develop the capacity to hold complexity, acknowledge what you don’t know, and revise your understanding as you learn. Discernment allows you to navigate ambiguity without collapsing into relativism or rigid dogma.
- Honor Rest as Resistance – Reject the myth that relentless productivity equals commitment. Rest is not weakness—it’s necessary for sustained action. In a system designed to exhaust and exploit, choosing to restore yourself is an act of defiance. Pace yourself for the long struggle ahead.
- Create and Preserve Stories of Resistance – Document, share, and celebrate the acts of courage happening around you. Stories shape our sense of what’s possible and connect us to a lineage of those who refused to surrender. By preserving these narratives, you arm future generations with proof that resistance has always mattered.
- Return to Joy Without Guilt – Allow yourself moments of genuine joy, even amid crisis. Laughter, play, dance, singing, music, and celebration are not betrayals of those who suffer—they are affirmations of life itself. Joy replenishes the spirit you need for the work, and it reminds you that our movement is about protecting all that we cherish and love.
We all need a Reset of our creative energies, done consciously by us, through us, and for us in order to create a better world. The better world we want is not quite like flipping a switch, but using our imaginations to change our thoughts is – literally.
To be Continued ……………
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