Vision is the strategy of how you are going to fulfill your purpose.
The vision states what we are doing ... the purpose states why.
Whereas your purpose in life determines what you are meant to do – your vision will define what your success will feel like. What will be your life like – when you are “successful”? Once you’ve found your purpose you can express it by creating and maintaining a vision.
Van Gough once said, “I dream my painting and then I paint my dream.”
He knew his purpose in life. His vision was the completion of paintings, each uniquely different from the other. How he put his vision to canvas, involved a series of short-term goals to paint different paintings.
Your vision must always be clear, larger and more magnificent than the conditions or circumstances which presently surrounded you. It is your vision, inspired by your purpose, that causes you to stretch. The larger and clearer the vision, the bigger and better the ideas will be that flow into your consciousness.
Sometimes people give up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they envisioned or tried. The error they’re making is that they’re looking for results and achievement before taking any action at all !
In many instances, they’re writing their end destination on a Goal Card or they’re writing it in a journal somewhere. This is all well and good, but if you’re not also plotting your course to get from where you are - to where you want to be, how will you actually reach there?
Figure out what you need to do and make those your goals. Don't leave it all on auto pilot. Be always personally involved and focused on the process.
Don’t get so carried away with just plotting the action steps that you don’t ever get out of your driveway! People get so caught up in planning and charting their future, that they never BEGIN it. This is fear in disguise. Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect. Get the foundational elements in place and get moving.
Also, don’t be so intent on driving to destination that you miss the scenery along the way. You’re on purpose - you’re on your way - enjoy the journey!! After all, that’s what you’re doing this for!
People will often complain that although they are keyed in on their purpose in life but, for some reason, nothing seems to be falling into place. They mistakenly think it’s the purpose that is off course. In most cases it’s the vision that’s not clear enough.
If the road signs are telling you, after you have driven for a while, that you are going in the wrong direction then it is time you change the direction. You do not keep driving in the wrong direction. As soon as you would come across the FIRST indication that you were traveling in the wrong direction, you’d brake the car to a halt and do a U turn right there on the highway.
In contrast, if you are going in the right direction, but are feeling some resistance, do not despair. Resistance is not bad, it is not negative. Remember that airplanes would never get off the ground without resistance.
The Safety Blanket Issue
It is possible that you have difficulty getting focused on your purpose in life, because your daily job which exhausts your time, is also covering most of your bills.
You have been programmed from infancy to believe it is better to be safe than sorry. However, in this context, it’s NOT better to be safe than sorry. You have to find a way.
Also, you can’t pursue your purpose if your basic needs of life are not met. When your needs are taken care of, you’re free to move; you’re free to take action. When you’re enjoying freedom, you’re free of restrictions and worry. You don’t lie awake at night planning your escape from your less-than- satisfactory life, because you’re already free.
It is essential then, that you should first decide what your true needs are. What do you need in order to survive – to pay rent, to buy food, to keep the lights on and the water running? What do you NEED – not WANT, in order to ensure freedom in your mind and in your reality. Understand the difference between what you need and what you want. You may want to buy the whole Walmart – but what you may need is a just a few things !
Come up with a figure. Then consider what can you cut? What can you honestly live without for a period of time? We’re talking only absolute essentials here so that you’re free from worry. Find a way to get that financial need met. Can you go to a part-time basis with your existing company? Can you switch to another position within your company that allows that part-time base? In short, can you find a new job that still gives you the freedom and flexibility to work a few hours, each and every day, on what your true purpose is?
Are you willing to give something - to get something? In order to have any good come into your life, you have to create a space for it first. That’s the law: Giving up something of a lower nature to bring in something of a higher nature.
Think of the people who are looking for a new relationship, but they still haven’t let go of the old one. Consider the people are out looking for a new position – but still have got the old position in their minds – with all of its negative emotional baggage intact.
You have to consider sacrificing what is not vital to your survival and second what is not required to achieve your purpose. You might give up something you enjoy as a pastime or hobby in order to devote more time to creating this dream of yours. You might be willing to endure a temporary cash crunch in order to get a brilliant idea up and running. You might be willing to give up one or two nights a week in order to receive the education, training or certification you need to get you one step closer to your goal.
But this - following your purpose - is easier to do, if your vision is clear of what is the way in which you would like to achieve your purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment