Self-empowerment gurus often talk about turning vision into reality. If the goal in your mind is clear enough, your brain's filter will open up and look for opportunities to reach that goal. If you can see and feel yourself buying that new house, you will find a way to get it. The idea comes from research by psychologists around self-efficacy, where studies show that if you think you can do it, you are more likely to do it. If kids think they are good at math, they are more likely to find a way to ace that math quiz.
My hope for my city of LA, and for America for 2010, is that we become self-efficacious as a community. If a person can realize dreams by setting clear goals and believing in them, why can't a city or a nation?
Americans from all races, political parties and income levels have pretty much the same vision of what we want. We want our kids to be safe and happy and to attend schools that provide them with a good education. We want access to health care in case we get sick. We want economic opportunities that will keep us out of poverty and give us an equal opportunity at the American Dream of wealth. We want clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. We want homelessness, famine, and war to be gone.
I believe our unity of vision is growing stronger all of the time. I sat on a panel recently with an LA police officer, City Councilwoman, researcher and former gang member, and it was extraordinary how they agreed on their vision for creating safe communities. I had the good fortune this year to meet billionaires and gang members, police officers and politicians, athletes and entertainers, and we share so much in common. We have the talent, research, resources and will to make our communities and nation anything we want them to be.
The main challenge will be allowing our collective filters to hold on to that common vision and block out all of the irrelevant chatter that makes us lose hope or clarity. Political parties and talk show hosts telling us how divided we are on every issue. The media highlighting anything negative. Cynics shooting down any notion that we can solve any major issue. We must be the ones out there reminding us how similar and connected we are, how much common ground we share. We must dedicate ourselves to bringing the community, businesses, politicians, agencies, and institutions together to break down silos and work toward -- as phrased by one of my favorite authors, Lisbeth Schorr -- a common purpose. If we can hold on to that vision and not let it go, no matter what, imagine the impact we will have in 2010.