How can you see what your “enemy” is saying at such a level that you have the power to call them to stand with you?  This seemingly impossible task is not only possible, it’s quite simple.

Here at Vision Force, and inside of Visionary Mind Shifts, we make the distinction between a position and a stand.  If you’re still struggling to grasp this distinction, think of it this way… underneath every position is a stand.

Consider that every single person, even your enemies who you think you understand, are heroic human beings standing for their values.  Now, you may totally disagree with how they are going about standing for their values, and you probably judge them for it.  Your position is that they are wrong, immoral, evil, selfish or (insert your label here).  From this position, you cannot see them as human beings, and they cannot see you.  To protect themselves from your judgments, they form and protect judgments of their own–they form and maintain their own position, from which they cannot see you.

It doesn’t matter how smart you are, your power to create the best results is severely limited, because you lack the kind of vision that could make all the difference.

The key in us being able to move forward individually with powerful vision AND in us being able to co-create with the other side lies in our ability to so clearly see the others’ stand that we are deeply moved by it.  As we are moved and come from this place, the other side feels seen and then can open up to see us as well.  From this place “miracles” can happen, where previously compromise was the best alternative.

It’s a subtle yet incredibly powerful distinction and understanding it is not what makes the difference.  Successfully applying it makes the difference.  You must experience what it is like to first see the positions you didn’t even realize you had, then break through them and then experience the kind of vision that happens as a result.  That level of visionary training is not going to be found in leadership workshops, self-help programs, wealth mindset courses or any such thing.

You will find this revolutionary training is powerfully provided at Vision Force’s iStand Experience, otherwise known as the Vision Force Boot Camp.

At this very moment, Vision Force is searching for 30 to “be the ones” to walk a new path and lead the way for humanity.  If you think this might be you, apply here:

A First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army has taken a stand. Ehren Watada, a 28-year-old Hawaii native, faces a court martial next month and up to 6 years in prison. He is the first commissioned officer in the U.S. to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq.

Here’s the link to the blog and audio. Overy 100,000 people have commented on this man’s stand. Many of his peers call him a traitor and a coward. Others think he’s anything but that. (leave your comments below)

It’s easy to take a position on this young man’s decision, and that’s one of the fundamental problems with the world we live in. Actually, the problem lies within our methods of thinking, our consciousness. Yesterday’s consciousness is insufficient for the world we face today with all of it’s accelerating change, globalization, the advancement of technology, etc.

Someone thinking with yesterday’s consciousness, the “positionary mind of the past,” rushes to judgment without much honest inquiry. Rather than look to understand the person or organization they judge, they simply attack. It’s usually in defense of a position they formed long ago.

This is a very emotional issue, especially for those who chose to stand for their country by risking their lives by fighting at war–even if they objected to the war. To be inspired by this man’s stand, it’s assumed they’d have to turn on their own stand. They are proud of the stand they took to fight, and feel that those who stand for their country by not fighting are invalidating or dishonoring them.

Some soldiers, in going to war, might judge those who don’t as cowardly. This affords them more pride and confidence in their decision, but the judgment itself is what devolves their stand into a position.

In our eagerness to stand for something, we too easily form a righteous position, from which we can no longer think honestly about the situation.

Isn’t honesty the quality of not refusing to look at or think about something, when forming one’s thoughts, words or opinions? Yet, when we form our thoughts and opinions with yesterday’s positionary thinking, those very opinions become walls beyond which we cannot see. Beyond the walls of our position, we can not see the humanity, the courage, the stand taken by “the other side.” And then we treat and speak to them as less than human.

Is it any wonder the world is in such a state of crisis?

What we’re lacking is a new form of consciousness. A visionary consciousness, the likes of which have been rare throughout history. Gandhi is a great example of someone with a visionary consciousness. What we’ll need going forward, however, and what I see is fast approaching, is a much more sophisticated and developed visionary consciousness–higher level thinking methods that facilitate visionary thinking and make it much easier and more common place.

Eventually, evolution to a new kind of thinking will occur. Indeed, it must if we are to survive and thrive in this world.

Some are courageously undertaking the quest to evolve their consciousness even now, and are seeking out training for living as a visionary. Of course, that’s why VisionForce exists–to facilitate this conscious evolution of consciousness.

And right now, we’re looking for 30. We’re looking for those willing to live their lives standing for humanity, including men and women who are standing for peace and freedom even now in Iraq–at war.

If you are willing to live your life as a visionary, as someone who stands, as a hero for mankind, we’re looking for you. We need parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians, activists, artists–we need you. Are you willing?

What does it mean to live your life from a stand?  How do people who try to stand for something fall into the trap of forming a position, from which they lose their vision, passion, compassion and power to cause the kind of change they intended?  What does it mean to live a visionary life–to think, speak and operate from a place of authentic power?

Embark on this journey inside of our Visionary Mind Shifts program, and continue it with the Visionary Mind home study program, an experiential program of self-inquiry and visionary thinking.
Then if you’re ready to be the visionary change agent that the future requires, then go learn how you can be part of the emerging One Million Visionary Campaign and possibly be one of 30 visionaries to lead the way in 2007.

We all have ideals and values we want to uphold, and as we encounter resistance, we begin to form and strengthen our ideological positions.

Watch this video of a pastor in Ohio, who is standing up for what he believes. In his mind he is fighting the “secular jihadists!” It’s good against evil and god is on his side.

He is fighting “evil,” just as George Bush is doing, just as Osama Bin Laden is doing, just as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is doing, just as Hugo Chavez is doing…

Isn’t it wonderful we have so many people fighting evil? If we keep it up, all the evil will be gone in no time! lol

Now, this man, no doubt, is really standing for values we can all relate to. He wants children to be raised with good values, he wants us all to be good people, etc., etc. It’s the tactics that we must call into question. Are his tactics really even forwarding his own objectives in the long run? Is defeating our ideological enemies a sustainable method of positive change?

Looking deeper than an ideological position, what is formed by caring, passionate people who are trying their best to stand for something is what I’d call a psychological position, which becomes a barrier that frames our view of reality–barriers beyond which we cannot see.

This man is fighting the ACLU, an organization of human beings who are standing for people’s rights. Because they are supporting legislation and solutions that conflict with the ones he thinks are correct, they must be the evil enemy. Indeed, he cannot see people when he looks at them. He cannot see caring, passionate people who are also standing for worthwhile values.

Beyond the specific strategic solutions they support, the ACLU is simply standing for human beings, for their freedom, for their dignity. Who can oppose that? No doubt this pastor shares the same values. So why can we not collaborate and co-create in ways that work for all of us?
Rather than all of us fighting evil, why don’t what if we start standing together more for the values we hold in common?

The day will come, I do see, when all the world will view our current ways of thinking and communicating with one another as quite silly. Literally silly–ridiculous even. People of all ideologies will come to see how living this way, at the level of position, is antithetical to all of our values, and it feeds our devolution into people who cannot use our god-given (however you define that term) faculties of human consciousness.

I believe we can all rise to the level of vision. We can learn to think, communicate and interact at higher levels of consciousness; and, indeed, many of us are discovering how to do this at present.

Does our future demand finding the one and only true belief, joining the army of the righteous and defeating the evil ones?

Or does our future require us learning to rise above such positionary thinking?

No one needs to be afraid, for giving up positionary thinking does not mean giving up your ideals or compromising your values. It only seems that way, because from a position there is not much vision. I say, we as human beings are visionaries by nature–meaning we have the innate capacity to live at the level of vision. And I say it’s time we learn to make this shift in thinking.

“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” –Anne Frank

Please comment…

Just recently I mentioned the formation of a campaign to find, unite and train one million visionaries, each of whom are dedicating their lives to stand for all of humanity and create a world that really works for everyone.

When we speak of “visionaries,” we are not speaking of people with a special “gift” for thinking big, thinking creatively, etc. We are speaking of people who choose a certain kind of path in life. Most people do not choose the visionary path (at least not at present).

Many people focus on achieving “success,” “financial freedom,” etc.; however this is easy to do without living a visionary life.

Many people also focus on “making a difference,” “leaving a legacy,” and “doing my small part” to “change the world;” yet this is easily done without living a visionary life.

Further, people focus on attaining “salvation,” “enlightenment” or “transformation.” Once again, pursuing these objectives is quite easily done without living a visionary life.

You can live a visionary life while pursuing any of the above objectives, however most people dare not tread in the realm where the visionary lives. The visionary life is anything but “easy.” Indeed, it is a road less traveled.

What we tend to do in life is seek noble goals, values and ideals, while staying safely within the realm of our psychological/intellectual position. We could say this is living a “positionary life.” Or living beneath the level of vision.

If this is so for you, then you’d be content with actions and solutions that compromise your highest values and ideals, and your path of conscious/spiritual/intellectual growth/evolution. You might not act like you like such actions and solutions, but you’d tolerate those actions in your life, as if there is no other practical alternative.

Thus, in various areas of your life you’d see 1) a great disparity between what you say you value and how you act, OR 2) that you’ve come to accept very low values, dreams and ideals OR 3) that you are not consciously evolving both your values and your actions to higher levels as you could be (more about this later).

Here’s the kicker… Living beneath the level of vision, one can often not even see much evidence for 1, 2 or 3 above (Unbridled self-honesty is more accessible and prevalent at the level of vision). Thus we cannot see how much we cannot see, and so we think there’s not much that we don’t see.

Look around at the world today, and what do we see? People who are perfectly content with compromise solutions, as if we as human beings are not capable of rising to new levels where compromise is not necessary. As evidence of positionary thinking, I’d point to the acceptance of compromise as a valid, worthwhile and even noble approach–in life, in marriage, in international relations, in politics, in business, etc.

Visionaries in general do not espouse compromise. Visionaries face what few do. Visionaries are more like warriors than dreamers, in that they walk the path, they face what there is to face, and as a result a vision that others cannot see emerges. In the same way that the man who does not climb the mountain cannot see what’s on the other side, those who do not walk a visionary path cannot see what the visionary can.

I am eager to share more about the One Million Visionaries campaign and how Vision Force will be partnering to recruit and train the one million visionaries… watch for some exciting announcements… soon!

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at a news conference today, announcing further developments with his country’s nuclear program.

Referring the U.S., he said, “If they fix their behavior toward us, we will have a dialogue with them because that’s a principle of our foreign policy. But you know, they have their own way of thinking. They really think they own the world, they always sort of look down upon you.”

Notice his last two sentences. The crises we face as human beings in this era is given by our level of thinking. While most of us intellectually understand Einstein’s observation that we cannot solve our problems on the same level of consciousness that created them, we collectively have yet to 1) emotionally/behaviorally understand these words, or 2) understand how to evolve to a higher level of consciousness.

What will it take to evolve our thinking to the “next level?” Consider that the level we’re at has prevented us from even glimpsing the level beyond it. And we’ve been at this “level” for thousands of years–or as long as there has been consciousness as it exists today, with a high capicity for self-awareness.Can we really be so blind as to not see how the context from which we see and relate to the rest of the world is feeding the problem? Can we really be so foolish as to think that in today’s world we can continue to force our solutions on the rest of the world with military might? Do we not see how our own thinking is at the root of the problem?

It is time for a distinction between two levels of consciousness. Let’s call them the “position level” and the “vision level.” Consider that most of the world operates most of the time at the position level. This level of consciousness has the qualities of being dualistic, defensive, reactive and primarily motivated by psychological fear (whether one is conscious of it or not).

[The ideas that follow will be grasped more completely by those in the Visionary Mind Shifts course by e-mail.]

Considering these qualities, it should be no surprise that one who is thinking on the level of position does not recognize his own thinking as the source of the problem. For one thinking on the level of position, the problems are “out there,” not within–in fact, that’s the mind’s fundamental use for a position, is to avoid the pain of looking within. Honest introspection and vision are obstructed by the position, for these qualities exist at the level of vision.

For many thousands of years, thinking on the level of position has “worked,” or at least been tolerable. The more one looks around and sees everyone else behaving at the same level, the less one questions one’s own behavior.

At the level of position, one finds a view of the world (or position) to stand in, and proceeds to defend from and attack others’ whose views threaten one’s own. Thinking at the level of position, one naturally tries to achieve goals or change the world by 1) converting, 2) compelling (forcing to submit; overpowering), 3) compromising with, or 4) killing one’s adversaries.

At the level of position, there is only one right way to view the world; and one’s job is to find it, believe it, obey it and convert or compell others to believe it–or at least obey it. Short of converting everyone to your worldview, as a positionary thinker, your next best option is forcing others to obey. If you have trouble with this and you have a moral problem killing them, you might try to compromise with them first. If you have more of a moral problem compromising with them, you try to kill them.

We can see the disastrous effects of positionary thinking around the world in politics, religion, education, parenting, romantic relationships, business and more.

In today’s divisive world of growing complexity and accelerating change, an “enlightened” positionary thinker sees compromise as a virtue. Such a thinker believes that it’s best if we all just give up a little bit of our position in order to have more peace and progress, and learn to tolerate each other.

There is a quantum leap from the position level of consciousness to the vision level of consciousness. And this generation will be known by our willingness to rise to this level of thinking, or not.

The vision level of consciousness is nondualistic, integrated, holistic, creative and primarily motivated by a force that we’re all familiar with, but to which we give different names.

This level of consciousness, as I see it, is not some esoteric state of enlightenment or greatness, given to or attained by a chosen few. It is available to all of us, regardless of our views.

Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, you can approach yourself, others and the world at the level of position or the level of vision. At the level of position, everything that you are trying to stand for is compromised and most often seems beyond your reach. People can’t hear what you’re saying, you are virtually powerless to inspire the other side. At the level of vision, everything you stand for is honored and seems to be within the realm of the possible. People can hear you, see who you are and you have power to come together to “make the impossible happen.”

Indeed, at the level of vision, the human mind’s capacity for creative thinking, problem solving and invention is much more accessible. Whereas at the level of position, we can usually see few alternatives, but convert, compel, compromise or kill.

In the realm of the hard sciences, we are relatively unencumbered by a positionary consciousness. Things like physics, chemistry and biology are relatively impersonal, and thus we are open to use the full power of our minds to understand these domains and create technologies such as satellites, cell phones and aids medication. Operating on the level of vision in these domains is generally much easier, although still problematic (Scientists subscribing to different theories often form positions, and then become limited in their thinking. Those who move beyond them usually come from new paradigms unburdened by the psychological limitations of those clinging to a long-held and time-honored position).

In the realm of economics or business, where we market our technologies to create wealth, some of us operate at much higher levels of vision. These are the entrepreneurs, the social entrepreneurs, the wealth creators. (For many of us, this realm is more personal and thus our thinking is more on the level of position, thus limiting our access to our natural creative capacities).

It is the realm of the softer (and softest) of sciences that we find positionary thinking most evident and pervasive. Indeed, our conspicuous impotence in this more personal realm has bred atrocious results, which we’ve quite shamelessly come to accept as the norm.

Growing crises with addiction, depression, suicide, domestic violence, lawsuits, overpopulated prisons, ecological disruptions, pollution, terror, war, genocide, hate crimes, corruption, etc., are the disastrous results of thinking at the level of position.

Defining the problem as “some people are believing or following the wrong doctrine” is positionary thinking. This kind of thinking leads to even more of the problems we complain about, as we ostracize, humiliate and antagonize “the other side”–or the opposition–the opposing position. They fight back and retaliate to defend their position, and the world we all share grows increasingly worse. This level of grossly irrational thinking is the norm at the level of position.

Globalization is one of the modern dynamics threatening and shaking the instutions of position level thinking that have controlled individuals for centuries. Most threatened are fundamentalist religions and people in positions of unquestioned authority. No longer are so many of the masses willing to simply follow and obey.

Indeed, no longer are individuals so willing to blindly accept some authority or ruling majority’s pronouncement of good and evil, and then be “good” followers. More and more of us are coming to see the great feat of our generation is to go beyond what positionary leadership deems to be good follower behavior, and rise to greatness.

Our task is to be willing to risk the esteem of those we deem to be our moral authorities or peers, to stand for a world that really works for all of us. Robert Kennedy’s words seem more appropriate now than ever,

“Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital, quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.”

The shift in thinking is one that awaits each of us as individuals. It lies before us as the moral imperative of our time. Who will we be now and tomorrow? Will we rise to a new level of thinking–a new level of consciousness?

The question is not just one for our leaders. No, each of us must choose to be the visionary leader we’ve been waiting for. Our personal failure to meet this challenge, is not just a matter of being able to live together in peace as a global community. No, it’s a very personal matter.

The challenges that we face within ourselves and the suffering that we experience can be shown to be but symptoms of position-level thinking as well. Greater inner peace, inner power, vision, natural passion, honor, courage and love are available to the person who thinks on the level of vision–or to one with a visionary mind.

This shift I speak of is a subtle one, yet one that changes (and I say WILL change) everything.

That’s why I’m so excited that our new home study program, Visionary Mind: Experience Your Call To Greatness is complete and available to the world. One day, perhaps, maybe one of these packages will find it’s way into the hands of the world’s leaders. In the mean time, though, let’s get it in the hands of our future leaders. That’s you, right?

Post your comments.

In part for reasons explained here, we’re changing the name of our popular online course that a few thousand people have been beta testing.  Instead of emailing out Power To Stand distinctions, we’re going to be emailing “Visionary Mind Shifts.”  This integrates with one of our key themes or memes here at VisionForce.com: the shift humanity is making from the Positionary Mind of the Past to the Visionary Mind of the Future.  So, if you’ve been signed up for Power To Stand, you’re already signed up for Visionary Mind Shifts.  It’s the same thing.