An idealistic awakening:Part 1

“That’s an idealistic notion” my mother-in-law said, with a hint of dismissiveness in her voice.

“Yes, it is” I replied, with a confidence that defied the voice in my head.

The voice in my head agreed with my mother-in-law’s sentiment that my solution to the political problem that was the current topic of debate around the dinner table with my husband’s family (a very common occurrence!) was a “nice idea” but not actually possible in the “real world”. My usual modus operandi during these, often very heated, debates is to observe, stay quiet and let them fight it out amongst themselves. 

But on this occasion and for a reason I don’t know, I heard myself offering up a different perspective. The perspective was along the lines of “if we all remembered and connected with our innate humanity the problems would solve themselves”.    Writing those words here and reading them from someone else's perspective, I can see that it it could be perceived as lacking strength and substance and completely unrealistic given the extent of the challenges society is facing and yet, in the moment I spoke them, there was a deep inner sense of absolute conviction to what I’d said and complete trust that it is possible despite the odds.

And that is when it struck me…..I AM an idealist! 

Idealist: “Someone who believes that very good things can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others”

It felt unbelievably liberating to acknowledge myself in that way and to own my perspective.  Rather than hiding away, agreeing with others, making myself wrong for holding a more hopeful view of the world or criticising myself for being naïve, I backed myself and stood behind my beliefs.

In truth, I have known that I see the world differently to others for as long as I can remember. I have always been someone who:

• looks for the good in people and situations
• seeks out ways to grow and develop and helps others to do the same
• is altruistic by nature and seeks to make things better for others
• has hope and positivity when others only see the negative
• is self-motivated and guided by a strong inner sense of what is right
• sees life as about more than the physical, is connected to a more spiritual experience of life.

And I have also been someone who has at times:

• experienced self-doubt and sometimes crippling self-criticism
• strived for perfection through self-improvement
• avoided conflict and not stood up for what I believe for fear of ridicule
• struggled with turning ideas into practical reality
• felt alone even when surrounded by people
• felt disillusioned and detached from the physical world around me.

Since that comment from my mother-in-law and the insight it offered me, I have been exploring the behaviours, perspectives and experiences that lie behind the label of idealist and I have discovered that the lists above map almost exactly on to what it is to be an idealist.

It turns out that I am the very definition of an idealist!

(Isn’t it funny how the human mind likes the reassurance that comes from external validation!! Watch out for another blog on that subject soon).

And so, I have embarked on a journey of embracing it and leaning into my idealistic way of viewing the world. Apparently only 15-20% of the population are idealists and so it seems right that those of us that make up that relatively small percentage have the courage to bring the hope, possibility, creativity, inspiration and love that fuel our perspective of the world to the darkness, negativity and hopelessness that is often the more prevalent perspective. 

It may not be an easy road and undoubtedly I will meet resistance, ridicule, defensiveness and may be dismissed or ignored by those who think the only valuable perspective is a pragmatic one, but I am willing to go there. I am willing to be the shift in energy and focus that is needed in the world and so, check back in as I continue to explore the idealists perspective in future blogs.

And if you have read this and realise you are also an idealist (whether in the closet or fully out in the world), get in touch!

This is the first blog in a series of 4.  You can read the next instalments here:

Part 2 - the struggle

Part 3 - the acceptance

Part 4 - the way forward

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