Thriving Together: Imagining A Sustainable, Purposeful Future Rooted In Ancestral Wisdom

"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."

Arundhati Roy

For generations, Indigenous cultures around the world have warned of a time when humanity would face a profound choice: a return to balance or a descent into destruction. The Hopi speak of the Two Path Prophecy—one road aligned with the Earth and Spirit, and another guided by greed, disconnection, and unchecked consumption.

Whether taken literally, metaphorically, or spiritually, this prophecy mirrors our modern crossroads:Will we choose extraction or regeneration? Isolation or community? Domination or collaboration?

As we stand on this threshold, we have the opportunity to envision a New Earth—a future where we reclaim our interdependence, dismantle harmful systems, and co-create societies rooted in care, creativity, and collective liberation.

Let us imagine and vision the next 20-30-50 years, as clearly as we can. But know that this isn’t just a vision for the future. This is our past. Come learn with us.

My definition of "success": everyone eating, everyone learning, everyone growing, everyone thriving. A world where no one is left behind. This is the kind of world worth fighting for.

Two Futures: A Choice We Must Make

2030 — The Nightmare

Underfunded transit. Wage stagnation. Dirty air. Corporate surveillance. AI manipulation. Private police. Environmental collapse. Disconnecting and Silencing intuition. No safety net or support systems.

This is not dystopian fiction. It is the predictable byproduct of extracting life for profit and productivity.

2030 — The New Earth Path

Solar cities. Abundant gardens.Public art. Accessible healthcare. Free education. Walkable streets. Shared resources. Honored elders. Protected lands. Joyful, connected communities.

The act of Visioning works as both a compass and a catalyst: clarifying what matters most while inspiring consistent, aligned action that turns intentions into reality. It helps us access creativity and possibility rather than operating from fear, urgency, or scarcity. When "my vision" becomes "our vision" we become powerful co-creators, that manifest meaningful, positive change.

The Value of Vision

Clarity is power.

Individual Visioning is valuable because it gives your energy, decisions, and actions a clear direction to move toward. When you intentionally imagine the future you want for yourself and your loved ones—how it feels, what it looks like, and who you become in the process—you activate motivation, align your choices, and filter out distractions that don’t support your path.

Collective visioning multiples this impact by bringing people together around a shared sense of purpose, direction, and possibility. When a group participates in imagining the future they want to create—whether it’s a community, organization, or movement—they build alignment, trust, and motivation. It transforms scattered individual efforts into coordinated momentum by giving everyone a common north star to work toward. Collective visioning also ensures that many voices, experiences, and perspectives shape the outcome, which leads to more equitable, resilient, and creative solutions.

"Focus instead on what you want to happen and how to make it happen, rather than on all the things that keep it from happening."

Daniel Quinn

My 2055 Vision

Imagine waking up in a world where the billionaire elite class no longer controls policy, resources, or the narratives of possibility. Where society functions for real working class families, women, and minotiries just as well as it does for the white male.

The first step is to reshape both the built environment and the social expectations around labor, making it easier for every person, regardless of gender, class, or ability, to both participate fully and equally in society, both in leisure and at work.

People-First (Not Profit-Driven) Homes, Workplaces & Communities

• Mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods: Homes, workplaces, childcare, healthcare, and community spaces close together reduce the burden of caregiving and domestic work.

• Universal, accessible childcare: On-site, subsidized, or community childcare hubs enable full workforce participation.

• Shared domestic infrastructure: Co-housing, communal kitchens, laundry, gardens, and rotating meal programs reduce unpaid labor.

• Flexible work models: Hybrid, remote, or distributed work options ease commuting pressures and give caregivers autonomy.

• Safe, accessible transportation: Well-lit streets, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and reliable public transit support mobility and independence.

• Affordable housing near jobs: Proximity to employment reduces commuting time and stabilizes employment for caregivers.

• Flexible zoning for work and entrepreneurship: Mixed-use areas allow small businesses, studios, clinics, and workshops within neighborhoods.

• Equitable domestic labor policies: Paid parental leave, mandatory paternity leave, and cultural encouragement for men to share caregiving responsibilities.

• Community support networks: Time banks, mutual-aid childcare swaps, and community kitchens lighten household labor.

• Universal design principles: Accessible buildings, streets, and public spaces accommodate strollers, mobility devices, and caregiving needs.

• Sustainable, resilient infrastructure: Solar panels powering community microgrids; greenways, pollinator corridors, and edible landscapes replacing concrete jungles.

• Thriving communal spaces: Community gardens, intergenerational living, and shared kitchens foster connection, learning, and food sovereignty.

• Cultural and ecological restoration: Rituals, ceremonies, and engagement with nature; clean rivers and flourishing wildlife.

• Local artisan relationships: Every household connected to herbalists, farmers, carpenters, seamstresses, and astrologers for community support and resilience.

• Participatory, transparent, local government: Matriarchal or collaborative councils replacing hierarchical power structures.

• Community care as the organizing principle: Universal healthcare, living wages, and accessible public goods are non-negotiable.

• Feminine approach to leadership: Power is shared (“power with”) rather than imposed (“power over”), emphasizing weaving, not ruling.

• Democratic economy: Society and economy run to meet collective human needs, not enrich a small elite.

A utopian future is possible when we stop designing society around extraction and start designing it around mutual aid, community, and the Earth’s regenerative rhythms.

Real matriarchy is not the inversion of patriarchy. It is rooted in relationship, reciprocity, intuition, and shared responsibility- not supremacy, hierarchy, domination, isolation, and scarcity. It is a circle - not a triangle, a web - not a tower.

Mutual Aid: The Cornerstone

Mutual aid is not a radical or even modern idea. It is actually the oldest survival strategy on Earth.

Forests share nutrients through mycorrhizal webs. Wolves raise pups collectively. Rivers feed wetlands that feed forests that feed us.

Nothing in nature thrives alone. Human beings are no exception.

Mutual aid is in our past, and it also waiting in the future. This is because of universal truths:

• Survival is a collective act.

• Abundance grows when it is shared.

• Ecosystems thrive through cooperation, not competition.

The New Earth embraces indigenous wisdom, but first requires inner revolution. Before we burn the ladders outside us,we must dismantle the ones inside us.

The Decolonization Process

Before we heal the world, we must heal the "Internal Empire" within ourselves. This shift doesn’t just build new systems—it creates new building blocks, new people.

Decolonization is about rebuilding from the ground up—not through conquest and control, but through collaboration. It's about going back to the old ways, an ancient remembering

The wisdom we need to survive the next century is not new—it is ancient. Indigenous peoples have always understood:

• the land as kin

• healing through nature and community

• leadership as service

• wealth as shared wellbeing

• time as cyclical

• stewardship as sacred duty

Decolonization is about

• Naming the land you’re on

• Protecting sacred ecosystems

• Funding tribal healing centers

• Honoring knowledge keepers

• Practicing from your own lineage

• Returning resources stolen from Indigenous communities

"Give people what they need: food, medicine, clean air, pure water, trees and grass, pleasant homes to live in, some hours of work, more hours of leisure. Don't ask who deserves it. Every human being deserves it.”

Howard Zinn

The Courage to Demand Change

If we are going to achieve a thriving world, we need structural reforms grounded in egalitarianism, empathy and equity. We also need to enact policies that protect us from those who misuse and abuse their privilege. Here's a look at "Project 2028" if those of us with consciousness were leading:

Accountability & Qualifications for Public Office

• Mandatory cognitive competency testing for all elected officials and Senior Government Employees (SGEs).

• Comprehensive background checks required prior to holding any public office.

• Psychological evaluations assessing fitness for duty, emotional stability, and ethical reasoning.

• Mandatory U.S. civics test demonstrating functional understanding of government systems.

• Mandatory U.S. citizenship exam equivalent to what naturalization applicants must pass.

• Mandatory drug testing (initial and random) for elected officials and SGEs.

• Release of all qualification test results as public record.

• Mandatory physical and mental assessments certifying baseline health and capacity to fulfill duties.

• No individual with a felony conviction may hold the office of President.

• Establish term limits for Supreme Court Justices  an all elected positions to ensure regular judicial turnover and accountability.

• Implement age limits for the President and Supreme Court Justices to promote effective governance and leadership capacity.

• Cap Congressional salaries to reduce political self-interest and ensure accountability

• Law requiring all bills to be single-issue to prevent pork-barrel attachments and hidden amendments.

Election Integrity & Anti-Corruption

• Abolish the Electoral College and transition to a national popular vote system for presidential elections.

• Prohibit gerrymandering nationwide to ensure fair and representative electoral districts.

• Prohibition of corporate political lobbying in federal and state elections.

• Overturn Citizens United to limit the influence of corporate and special-interest money in elections

• Mandatory divestment from private business interests for any candidate or officeholder.

• Stronger conflict-of-interest rules for public servants at all levels.

• Publicly funded elections to reduce influence of private wealth.

Economic & Labor Policies

• Equitable taxation for billionaires and corporations, closing loopholes and enforcing minimum effective tax rates.

• Institute equitable taxation on billionaires and religious megachurches to ensure fiscal responsibility and societal fairness.

• Universal basic labor standards, including a 32-hour work week without loss of pay.

• Raise the federal minimum wage to provide a living wage for all workers.

• $1,000/hour federal maximum wage cap (or proportional pay ratio law).

• Strengthening union rights and pro-union legislation.

• Policies guaranteeing a comfortable, dignified living wage for all workers.

Social Safety Net & Public Health

• Guarantee universal healthcare and universal basic income for all citizens.

• Universal pre-K for all children.

• National plan to end homelessness, including housing-first approaches.

• Legalization of marijuana at the federal level.

• Fresh, organic food subsidies to make healthy foods affordable and accessible.

• Expansion of public programs for rest, wellness, exercise, community gardening, and nutrition.

Environmental & Infrastructure Policy

• Green New Deal–aligned climate legislation, including carbon reduction, jobs programs, and energy transition.

• Walkable cities initiatives with pedestrian safety standards.

• Expansion of public transportation to ensure access to farmers markets, green spaces, job centers, and healthcare.

• Urban planning laws supporting mixed-use neighborhoods and reduced car dependency.

Public Safety & Social Justice

• Common-sense gun reform, including universal background checks and safe-storage requirements.

• Trauma-informed and constitutional-law–focused police training, including compassion and de-escalation.

• Mandatory psychological screening for law enforcement, similar to the standards for public officials.

Food Quality, Health & Transparency

• Ban on artificial additives, preservatives, dyes, and chemicals linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, or developmental harm (similar to EU standards).

• Mandatory full ingredient transparency, including “natural flavors,” fragrances, and proprietary blends.

• Mandatory front-of-package labeling showing sugar content, artificial ingredients, allergens, and ultra-processed markers.

• Clear origin labeling so consumers know where food is grown, processed, and shipped from.

• Strict regulation on pesticides with phase-outs for chemicals shown to harm human health or pollinators.

• Mandatory labeling of GMO products, with QR-code alternatives banned so the info is accessible to everyone.

• Stricter microbial safety standards for meats, eggs, dairy, and fresh produce to prevent contamination

• Regulation of factory farm pollution, including water contamination, antibiotic overuse, and waste management.

• Phase-out of antibiotic use in livestock except for verified medical need.

• Stricter regulation on microplastics in food packaging and water sources.

• National cleanup of contaminated soil and water near agricultural, industrial, and chemical sites..

Uncomfortable truth: The economy as we know it is not actually ours. It is the patriarchal capitalist system that a select few people built to maintain their own power and control using other poeple's labor. The new earth that awaits is its own economy based on mutal aid, community care and other matriarchal principles.

Food System Equity & Access

• Subsidies for organic and regenerative farmers so healthy food becomes more affordable than processed alternatives.

• Urban agriculture legislation enabling community gardens, rooftop gardens, and micro-farms in every city.

• Funding for local food hubs and farmers’ markets to increase regional food independence.

• Healthy food affordability laws, including SNAP support for fresh and organic foods.

Consumer Product Safety

• Ban harmful chemicals in consumer goods, such as BPA, phthalates, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), and known toxins.

• Stricter cosmetic regulations, requiring pre-market safety testing (similar to European standards).

• Ingredient disclosure for all personal care products, including fragrances and preservatives.

• Regulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, packaging, toys, water bottles, and household items.

• Safety certification for children’s products, including non-toxic materials and third-party testing.

• Legalize and decriminalize cannabis nationwide; expunge past convictions.

• Use tax revenue of cannabis for public health, education, and equity programs.

  
  

Corporate Accountability & Oversight

• Stronger FDA and USDA enforcement, including annual audits and surprise inspections.

• Heavy penalties for companies that mislabel food, hide ingredients, or violate safety standards.

• Transparency laws requiring companies to publish lab test results for heavy metals, pesticides, and contaminants.

• Ban corporate lobbying in food and agriculture to prevent industry-funded deregulation.

• National standards for farmworker safety, banning toxic pesticide exposure and ensuring fair wages.

• Safe handling standards across the food supply chain, including transport, storage, and retail.

• Transparency in global supply chains to avoid child labor, forced labor, and unsafe working conditions.

Public Health Education & Prevention

• National nutrition education programs grounded in updated science, not industry influence.

• Public campaigns on reducing ultra-processed food consumption and increasing access to whole foods.

• Funding for community kitchens, nutrition classes, and food literacy in schools.

BIPOC reparations and land-back initiatives:

• Return ancestral lands to Indigenous tribes for stewardship, cultural preservation, and sustainable development.

• Extend financial reparations for communities harmed by slavery, segregation, redlining, and systemic discrimination.

• Fund tribal and BIPOC-led programs in education, healthcare, housing, and economic development.

• Protect and preserve sacred sites and cultural heritage from exploitation or destruction.

• Prioritize BIPOC ownership in federal land, housing, and business initiatives.

• Support legal recognition of tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

  
  

Real change starts at home first, and in the voting booth second.

The New Earth Is Already Emerging

The New Earth is not something we vote for once every four years. It is something we practice, every day, in every interaction, every relationship, every choice.

The future isn’t top-down. It is built in circles with hearts aligned. The Earth beneath us, and ancestors behind us, we are supported.

The New Earth is possible and we will build it together, one day, one year, and one generation at a time.

In reality the real American dream should be building a society whre nobody starves or goes homeless, and everyone is treated equally, has health insurance and is paid a living wage.

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Erin is a certified feng shui consultant, energy healer, wellness coach and holistic growth strategist.

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