Photos of Shepherd's Tree in Namibia by Hannes Thirion

Broken-hearted idealists: Time to turn our idealism into practical idealism

If the cumulative effect of the last 6+ years has broken your idealist heart, this is for you (and for me too). It’s time to turn our idealism into practical idealism.

We have visions for positive change: to heal individuals, groups, societies, and the planet. It’s good to have a vision. Vision motivates us. People are more likely to change when they are working towards a vision of an ideal future than towards fixing a problem.

But an idealistic vision is not enough, especially in these times.

To reach your vision, you need to create a plan broken down into action steps. And your plan needs to be grounded in reality, which is rapidly changing right now—often for the worst. Sometimes it can be difficult to believe in your vision and to accept reality.

As a Big Visionary in these challenging times, our mission, if we choose to accept it, is to:

Have a dream and keep our feet on the ground.

Believe in our vision and accept the present.

Embrace practical idealism.

In a world that is falling apart, our job is to be like the desert dwelling Shepherd’s Tree (Boscia albitrunca) which sends down deep roots (some of the world’s deepest) while still growing towards the sky and providing shelter for its fellow beings.


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Shepherd’s Tree in Namibia by Hannes Thirion via iStock.

2 thoughts on “Broken-hearted idealists: Time to turn our idealism into practical idealism

  1. tha40 says:

    Britt..I do agree that vision holds an energy the empowers leaders and entrepreneurs to create now ideas. There are many paths to a vision.

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