The real importance of having a big vision of the future

“He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how”

- Nietzsche

Viktor Frankl was a holocaust survivor who wrote the book Man's search for meaning; and founded logotherapy, a philosophical and psychological construct premised on the idea that man's primary motivator in life is to find an existential purpose in life, which is greater than himself.  

As a futurist and somebody who is fascinated by the practical application of idealised design for commercial purposes, Viktor Frankl's theories and philosophies speak directly into many of the methodologies and theories of general futures studies. His approach is far more from a psychological perspective, but what I love about his thinking is that it recognises the existence of the past and the present, but urges that our greatest power and point of personal leverage is in our ability to imagine and ultimately create our ideal future.

In this lecture which dates back to 1972 - Frankl explains why it is vital that in order to be the truest version of yourself, you owe it to yourself to imagine a wildly positive future.

“If we take man as he is, we make him worse. But if we take him as he should be, then we make him capable of becoming what he can be.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Which leaves us with some important questions:

• What should your life look like?
• How should your organisation be operating?
• What contribution should you be making to the world?

It's easy to get all-consumed by the stresses and distractions of the present, but the ups and downs of life are part of the experience; there is meaning in all of it.