how to be a visionary

Part 1

The other day, shortly after arising at about 5:30 am, I received an inspiration. My guidance often speaks to me through the readings and coaching I do for others, but this time it answered a question I had not yet asked--with another question.

I knew this was important, life-changing even, if I allowed it to be. I scrambled through my nightstand drawer for a pen to write it down before it "evaporated" as these inspirations often do.

It said these words:

"What is the most extraordinary thing I could do today in service of my vision?"

I've started my day with these words every day since. And though I don't always feel at the end of the day that what I accomplished necessarily qualified as 'extraordinary', it does keep my vision alive and in my awareness as I go about my day.

I couple this with "Visioning", the process of experiencing the fulfillment of my vision in meditation and dwelling in the feeling of it's realization.

And, whether the steps I take on any particular day are large or small, keeping myself inspired to continue moving toward my vision is what it's all about.

Part 2

So, how do I go about keeping myself inspired to move toward my vision consistently?

First, the vision has to be grand enough to get and keep me inspired to work tirelessly in service of it.  As I mentioned in my article several weeks ago, it needs to “sizzle”. 

Most people have goals that are too small.  By that I mean, they don’t embrace the whole world.

I know someone who recently removed her profile from a common dating website after meeting a few potential suitors that didn’t do it for her.  She said “None of them were really setting the world on fire.”

I laughed at that, because it was something this particular friend would say.  But then I began thinking about what it meant to be a person who sets the world on fire.  She was right.  If someone doesn’t have that visionary “spark”, they’re not that exciting to hang out with.

Who wants to date someone who’s just working a dull job to make a little money to have a ‘comfortable’ life?

And if it’s not inspiring to date someone with that small of a vision, it’s probably a lot less inspiring to be that person.

So back to what I said about a vision that embraces the whole world.  Do I mean you have to strive to be a famous actress, or travel to a developing country to feed starving children, or both?

No.  A grand vision doesn’t have to be someone else’s version of grand.

There are 2 questions we need to answer in order to connect—or re-connect with our grand vision.

Let’s start with the WHAT.

What are the things you are doing now, or aspiring to do more of that really light you up?  These are the things you could talk about for hours without getting bored.

Raising your children to be exceptional human beings can be a grand vision.

Going back to school to get a degree in counseling so you can help couples communicate effectively with each other so that marriages can be saved can be a grand vision.

Once you’ve got that, ask yourself WHY you’re doing those things.

The answer is usually love.  You love the work.  You do it for love.  You’d do it even if you weren’t (or aren’t) getting paid, or there was no possibility of getting paid down the road.

Here’s an example of one compelling vision:  “I inspire and enrich all of humanity through my teaching.  I challenge my students to be and do their best in the world.”

I know a few teachers who are living this vision.  They are on fire about their teaching.  When we meet for dinner, they talk about teaching.  And nobody’s bored with the conversation, because these are not the teachers who are constantly complaining about their paychecks or the district politics.  They’re fired up about their vision for education.   
 
Maybe they don’t repeat their vision to themselves every morning as they brush their teeth.  They are busy living it, it’s second nature to them, so why would they affirm something they already know?

However, if it’s not yet second nature to you, if you’re not yet living the vision day by day, affirmation ( from a place of centeredness) is one way to begin the process of owning the vision and internalizing it.  Another, as I’ve mentioned, is visualizing it—or, more accurately, going beyond visualizing it to using all the senses in your imagining of it.  Make it as present and real as possible.

The key to this part of the process is to dwell in the absolute certainty of the vision’s realization.

As you might have guessed, this is the part that proves difficult for most people.  This is the same thing as being the person who would realize the vision. 

It’s a point I’ve come back to time and time again in my articles and coaching.  Ask yourself this question:  How would the person who would realize this vision deal with a temporary financial challenge or other seeming setback on the road to the vision’s fulfillment?

How you answer—and live the answer to—that question is crucial to the fulfillment of the vision.

So, here’s my challenge to you (should you choose to accept it):  Get (back) in touch with your vision.  Write it out in a “sizzling” sentence or two.  Create a vivid visual/sensory experience of it which you can keep in your awareness throughout the day, every day.  And live as the person who would realize this grand vision.  In short, be a visionary.

Do this, and I promise you magic!

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Need more support in clarifying, internalizing and living your vision?  That’s exactly why I designed the Attraction Plan Session!  Give me a call at (619) 275-1731 for further information or to schedule your session.