The Practical Visionary

Around 1994 my life was changed by a book called Spiritual Politics. It helped me see the big picture of global conflicts and gave me an elevated view of what was happening. It delivered a fascinating analysis of the cosmic, karmic and metaphysical reasons behind politics, world affairs and current events. It revealed that I had to work on myself to make a difference in the outer world. It’s a large, detailed, and exhaustive work on the hidden reasons behind the superficial news and talk show bantering. It’s all about change as an inside job. I never forgot the book. Recently the same authors came out with a new book, The Practical Visionary: A New World Guide to Spiritual Growth and Social Change. I was so eager to read this one that I bought the Kindle edition from Amazon and instantly started reading it on my iPad. I liked what I saw so much that I went back to Amazon and bought copies of the paperback to give as gifts. I then reached out to the authors, Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson, to interview them. The Practical Visionary offers overwhelming proof that every social problem you can name is being addressed by some person or group. There are entire chapters stuffed with resources. It does the soul good to see so much being done in the world to move us forward to unity. In a time when the mainstream media rarely nods in the direction of the good deeds people are doing, seeing all this evidence for the positive is wonderful. None of this is to say you or I are off the hook. We can’t let others solve all the problems we see. We have work to do. But the best way to do it is to align with your connection to the Universe and do what’s right for you. As you do what you are called to do, you become The Practical Visionary. Besides all the resources, wisdom, and optimism in the book, another reason I love it are the meditations in it. Early on there is a vivid one about pretending to turn an inner knob to raise the vibration of your energy until it matches that of Spirit. I was a little tired as I began the meditation, but just imagining playing with an inner frequency dial that raised my energy actually did raise it. Nice. The Practical Visionary reveals eight keys for transforming yourself and the world. It’s not an either-or approach. As you work on yourself, you work on the world; as you work on the world, you work on yourself. 1. Shift from what’s dying to what’s being born: discover the new world of practical visionaries all around you; 2. Understand the big picture and the higher evolutionary plan: find your part and get engaged; 3. Make your livelihood a social change strategy: be a spiritual warrior, an innovator, a reformer and/or an exemplar; 4. Invoke the magic of your soul: explore the new world within you and make friends with your subconscious; 5. Turn within to find a source of spiritual strength: develop a regular meditative practice to receive clear guidance; 6. Clarify your higher purpose and vision: create a mission, practical strategy and right timing; 7. See money as a spiritual asset: trust in the abundance of the universe—and be practical and wise; 8. Transform duality and conflict into a higher synthesis: find common ground personally and politically to change the world. The Practical Visionary is a mind-expanding and soul-enriching book that helps move you into a new paradigm. You might even call it The Abundance Paradigm. There are some statements in the book that make you sit bolt upright and take notice, such as: “To progress spiritually, you shouldn’t just go with the flow of whatever is happening, as some people mistakenly advise, as some flows of energy are good and some are harmful.” And – “On a deeper, metaphysical level money is concretized energy or prana (life force).” And – “Schedule your activities. While planning is an intention, scheduling is a commitment.” There’s so much more in The Practical Visionary that I just want to keep writing about it. But instead of reading this review, go read the book. I love this book and suggest you read it, share it, and act on it. It’s at Amazon, in book stores, and available from the publisher: Unity. Remember, The Practical Visionary is you.