Encountering vistas changes us.

“What do we want to create together?” presents a vista. We figuratively stand here and now with our partner, and we look forward to the future.

Physically encountering vistas changes us. We shift the direction we are facing, and at what distance our eyes are focused. We take a deep breath, and we settle into a more stable posture by assuming a solid stance or by sitting comfortably. We pause, and we spend some of our irreplaceable time in simple observation. We become more calm, and throughout all that our thoughts and mood shift. We may even find solace, inspiration, or a deeper connection to the world around us.

Those changes are so common we have aphorisms such as, “If the uphill struggle seems impossible, think of the view from the top!”

Peter Block in his book, ‌Community: The Structure of Belonging notes this about conversation:

The insights from large group methods have a bias toward the future and devote little or no time to negotiating the past or emphasizing those areas where we will never agree anyway. The most organizing conversation starter is “What do we want to create together?”

“What do we want to create together?” presents a vista. We figuratively stand here and now with our partner, and we look forward to the future. We demonstrate we’re interested in what our partners have in mind. What would they like to do next? What are their hopes? What visions do they imagine?

We each expend tremendous effort filtering our thoughts. Our thoughts race, and yet talking is so slow. We feel whatever we say should set the correct tone and carry sufficient context. But at a vista things are different. A vista is exactly the place to pause, to lean into greater meaning, and to imagine the future together.

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