"The way you see your life shapes your life. How you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents, and value your relationships."
— Rick Warren
Vision is something that we imagine, something in the future we see, not with our eyes, but with our mind. This ability allows us to think and plan our future by intentionally applying wisdom, knowledge, and a well-thought-out action plan to our imagination.
I have written about Joanne Rowling (J.K. Rowling), author of the Harry Potter series, who had a vision of a time to come when Harry Potter would be a household name among children everywhere. She embraced that vision for years before the world knew who she was.
To some degree, we are all visionaries, utilizing our imagination to envision a better future. Unfortunately, many people never take themselves seriously enough to act on their dreams. Leaders pursue their vision until it begins to recreate their current reality. It will eventually reprioritize their daily schedule.
Everyone has a vision, yet many will not see it materialize. Those who do, have allowed themselves to come under the influence of the thing they've been dreaming. I've often said that "The odds for success shift heavily in your favor when your vision owns you."
Our vision comes from our life's purpose and requires our natural gifts. We'll always be most passionate about things connected to the use of our skills. Children naturally gravitate toward those things they love to do (passion); they're using what comes naturally to them (giftedness).
As children, we've all dreamed about what we wanted to be when we grew up – that's vision. To find our life's purpose, we must identify our natural gifts and talents; there, we'll discover our passion and develop a compelling vision.
Vision is where everything in life becomes possible
Vision is a most valuable gift within the possession of every human being. Seeing that which our eyes cannot, vision comes into focus within the heart. Every invention that has helped humanity was initially seen and conceived within the hearts of those who dared to dream.
History is replete with success stories of individuals who believed with great expectations that the visions they were seeing would someday become a reality for millions of people. To some degree, we all can influence others, motivating them to accomplish the dream we are carrying.
Vision always aligns with our purpose
I may be getting ahead of myself here, but knowing our purpose in life produces the visions we carry. Purpose speaks to destiny; I know many people who understand their purpose yet lack the confidence to walk in it, thus delaying their rendezvous with destiny. Their self-doubt stems from their lack of self-awareness. So, not knowing who they are prevents them from seeing themselves as high achievers. You and I will never rise higher than our self-image.
Identity Precedes Destiny
Rick Warren says, "Your life isn't an accident. You have a destiny, one that only you can complete." Since being comes before doing, it stands to reason that identity precedes destiny. Aristotle said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." Self-discovery reveals what we're capable of doing, identifying our gifts and talents reveals our purpose, and embracing our giftedness and purpose inspires dreaming.
Consider the following:
Work with people to realize your vision
Having a compelling vision will cause you to dream about it.
Motivate others to share in helping you fulfill it.
Attract the right people with the right gifts.
Understand Boundaries
Boundaries bring clarity to all we do
Healthy boundaries preserve energy
Allows people to know where they stand with us relationally.
Foster healthy work environments
Be Specific and Consistent
Visions are intentional, not accidental
Lacking a well thought out action plan only makes us dreamers
Daily scheduled to-do lists matter
Dr. Myles Munroe stated, "Vision is the Source and hope of life. The greatest gift ever given to mankind is not the gift of sight, but the gift of vision. Sight is a function of the eyes; vision is a function of the heart. 'Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare.' Nothing noble or noteworthy on earth was ever done without vision."