Part 4 · Going Forth
We Are The Future
Read the Lyrics
There ain't no use to be complaining all the time It's your attitude in life that sees you through and makes you lighter So you can fly above your troubles There's no trouble, that's too wide For you to jump with your solutions and with our friends all by your side We are the future We are the future We are the future And the future is on our side There's no time to be wasting; there's just time to live our lives So do everything with love and the bread you bake will come out good The world will be your family and we'll make friends with our enemies Time will surely go, so give your love to what you know Who you are and what you choose ripples out in an afterglow We are the future We are the future We are the future And the future is on our side We are the future We are the future We are the future And the future is on our side We are the future We are the future We are the future And the future is on our side There's no time to be wasting; there's just time… to live our lives
Sit With This — reflect on any question that resonates with you
Theme: collective agency, love in action, ripples outward
- What does it mean to be "the future" — not someday, but in how you live now?
- What would it mean to do everything with love — even the ordinary things?
- What's one thing you could do differently tomorrow that ripples outward?
- Who are you doing this with? Who is your community of action?
Map Your Mycelium ▾
We Are the Future is a song about going together, and the image sitting underneath it is mycelium — that vast underground weave, feeding and reaching and holding things up in the dark where nobody thinks to look.
Most of us have very little idea how extensive our own network already is, because we have never once sat down and properly looked at it. So this is the sitting down and looking — and you'll need paper, because it genuinely doesn't work in your head.
How it works
You'll need paper and a pen. Give yourself 8–10 minutes.
- Place your name at the centre of the page
- Around it, write the names of people who play a significant role in your personal and working life
- Draw arrows to show the flow of support — in or out. The thicker the arrow, the greater the support
Once the map is drawn, sit with these questions:
- How satisfied are you with the flows of support you receive and offer?
- Do you feel sustained? If not, how could you invite more in?
- Do you feel you have more to offer than you're currently giving? Where might those flows go?
- Is there anybody you could add to the map? Anybody you would like to add?
Share maps in pairs or small groups. Notice what surprises you about someone else's network.
Needs paper and pen. Works well solo first, then shared. 10–15 minutes drawing, 5–10 minutes sharing in pairs. No full-group debrief needed — the conversations in pairs are enough.
Going Forth Circle (Group) ▾
A practice from the Work That Reconnects · Joanna Macy, Active Hope
An intention kept quietly in your own head has a way of evaporating somewhere on the journey home. Saying it out loud, in a circle of people who heard you say it, gives it something to hold onto.
How it works
Form a circle if you can. Each person speaks one sentence: "I go forth to..." No amplification, no performance — just the sentence, spoken plainly. The facilitator begins, to model brevity and groundedness. The circle holds what's said without response.
Facilitation note: keep the frame simple — one sentence only. Resist the urge to elaborate or explain. 5–10 minutes depending on group size.