The past forms you or deforms you. But the future -a vision- "transforms" you. We are defined not only by where we have been. We are defined, also, by where we are going. That is why visions are so important for human growth, since it is through visions that we enter the path of transformation. One of the practices among traditional communities is to encourage its young people to go into the wilderness, to some sacred places, and seek a vision. At times, that vision is clear to them, and they know the meaning of their vision without need of further interpretations. But sometimes the meaning of the vision is not clear, and then they have to seek advise by those who have had visions before them. Their teachers or elders. I remember an elder Lakota Indian friend telling me how he could not figure out the meaning of a vision when he was a young man. He went to an elder, and falling prey of self-importance, said that he had experienced a sacred vision -although he did not know what it meant- and that the elder, being so wise and good would have no trouble interpreting. The elder asked him to describe what he had seen. My friend stated that after several days of fasting he saw several lights while he concluded a traditional dance. The elder smiled and said "I have had that happen to me." "What does it mean?" asked impatiently my friend. "Exhaustion" said the elder man without any further explanation. My friend had to return several times to the wilderness in search of a vision. And a vision came to him once he got through his self-importance. It could not happened any other way. The vision is for the "Self" not the "Ego" of the person. The vision is meant to reveal to us our true face, not the mask with which we wish to impress the world. A vision humbles us, and shows us how we can be of service, instead of making us an idol of ourselves. In a way, a vision is the opposite of the dominant message of our modern world that worships fame, fortune, power, and physical attributes. A vision leads us to build community rather than pursuing individual goals. A good number of people are becoming disenchanted with the success dream of our society. Some of them, having reach great success, are now changing radically their path in life. Voluntary simplicity, involvement with social change, protection of the environment, compassion in action, are some of the directions that they are now taking. This change has also been brought upon by the awareness of the destructive consequences of their previous way of existence. For some it has come as a result of a development of a global consciousness, where they have seen the devastating consequences to the Earth and other people of their success. In short, they could no longer live with themselves and keep doing what they were doing. They had grown a consciousness. And consciousness is a "vision" too. Consciousness gives us our sense of our relation to each other, to the fact that we are connected to each other and to all life on Earth. Then our challenge is to walk this Earth as a Human Being. To take a moment in nature and find our humanity, that dormant part of us that appreciates the sunrise, the flight of the birds, the sound of a waterfall. It is there where our true Self dwells. And our Self responds to this natural life around us. When Self and life meet we find our path in life. "I am 40 years old" Willard Rhodes, an elder Pit River Indian told me a few years ago. I shook my head, for I knew him to be at least 80 years old. "Why do you say that?" I finally asked. "Because it was 40 years ago that I found my "tinihowi" (a Pit River word for healing or direction in life)." Willard Rhodes told me that life comes down to two simple things: We are either finding our life, or running from our life. A vision helps us find our life: it also makes us aware of our responsibility for the life around us, which is, actually, the same life.