I wrote this short story during my fellowship with the Terra.do climate change learning course. It is inspired by the story prompt in the headline of this article. Envisioning a positive future is an effective (and science-backed!) way to cultivate hope and optimism, while at the same time inspiring us to take positive action. No matter where you are in your climate-impact journey: try it for yourself!

Today is my 58th birthday. It’s a mild summer’s day in June, somewhere in the middle of Ireland. I look around my flourishing garden, a haven for birds, insects, plants, trees and flowers - and people. All are working in harmony. All are working together. I smile. I have come a long way as the keeper of this small garden. My garden has taught me invaluable lessons on what it means to be well mentally and physically. It has taught me what it means to be truly human, and what it means to live in harmony with nature and all living things.

When I look around the country I call my home for more than 30 years, I see the efforts of millions of people paying off. Finally, you can see the positive ripple effect at scale, something I and others were talking about in 2023. Large parts of Ireland, once only 1% covered in healthy forest, are now rewilded and buzzing with the sheer abundance of life. Long gone are the traffic-jammed roads in and around the big cities. Instead, the cities and towns around Ireland are not just integrating old and new architecture and light-rail transport, we have also invited the natural world back into our cities and towns. From wild rooftop gardens to vertical greenspaces and communal parks, a vibrant green has now reclaimed most of the formerly grey concrete jungle. It is the most beautiful thing to see.

It didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow process. In the beginning, it was painfully slow. In fact, it was so slow in the early 2020s that sometimes even I, the always hopeful climate optimist, was wondering if it would be enough. People were disconnected from nature, caught up in their own busyness. There were times when it looked like all hope was lost.

But we persevered. The global community of changemakers were in for the marathon, and by harnessing hope, connection, resilience and bucketloads of creativity, we unlearned what had to be unlearned, and then created a renaissance of compassion, connectedness, sharing and learning a new way of life together.

And slowly, step by step you could start to feel the positive difference around us - and within us. It was a transformation for all senses.

Our eyes started to see more green, more flowers, and more interconnectedness of the natural world with the human way of life. You could see more parks with abundant life: children playing, adults meandering, beavers working away, rare birds coming back and bathing in the reestablished wetlands.

Our ears started to hear long-forgotten bird songs, the buzzing of the bees became louder and louder, and soft chatter and giggles of happy people started to come back. And in more and more places you could begin to hear the wind stroking the leaves of lush tree canopies in growing forests, and soft breezes through summer grass in the meadows.

Our hands started to cherish working the land in what can only be described as a tsunami of hobby gardeners emerging not just across Ireland but globally. Caring for the soil, and feeling the land brought with it a renewed sense of nature connectedness. People discovered the transformational power of working the land on their minds, bodies and souls. Gardening, and especially growing vegetables became synonymous for the shift from busyness to mindfulness, experienced through a deep connection with the Earth.

Our noses were in for a treat too. A whole new variety of smells made it to our consciousness. Instead of car fumes, pollution and slurry smells, we rediscovered the sweetness of the summer's rain, the beauty of wildflower fields and the deeply earthy smells of dense, healthy forests. The richness of nature brought back a connection with nature that was lost for so many and helped to alleviate anxiety and stress.

Our tastebuds rediscovered what vegetables and fruit are supposed to taste like, once the soils were restored to richness and life. This is still new for many people and we are celebrating harvest time within our local communities again, cherishing the beautiful tastes of mother nature in a way that brings old and new together. It’s the taste of happiness and joy.

I smile again looking across my garden. This is the place where my climate impact journey started. It was this small back garden that taught me to pay attention, not to look away. It was this piece of land that showed me a new perspective and provided me with the confidence to pursue the path of a changemaker. I am grateful for what we have achieved. And I am proud of the role I played and still play in helping people to thrive mentally, psychologically and to live with all their heart and soul. A better world is always possible. All you need is a seedling of hope that inspires positive change every day.