“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
It’s becoming more popular to talk about the power of our vision and the role it plays in creating extraordinary outcomes in our personal and professional lives. Physicists have proven that observers have an impact on the structure of an atom. Because everything is composed of energy this has major ramifications in terms of the impacts of our thoughts. Stories are surfacing more frequently today concerning visualization, law of attraction and mind over matter, including in the mainstream, in business, medicine, and education.
Most people think that once they have a vision, “action and resolution” is the natural and logical next step to take. They ask, “What should I do to make this happen?” What they may be missing is the power of receptivity, stillness; allowing a resolution. Instead of doing, they could simply pay attention to the vision, soak it in, love it and then open up to be the man or woman who can accept a current situation and also receive a change when it manifests.
Here’s an example.
One day I was working in an elementary school and left for a 30-minute lunch-break. I drove to a nearby parking lot, turned off the engine, and took out my food. Then, I realized I wanted to open my windows but when I put my key in the ignition, all I heard was clicking.
Rather than panic, I remembered I could influence the situation simply by getting clear about what I wanted and envision the way I wanted to feel. I wanted to eat peacefully and get back to school on time. I proceeded to take out my lunch and enjoy it without any effort whatsoever to come up with a plan, call anyone, or do anything. In fact, I made a conscious choice to avoid trying to “make some- thing happen”.
What I did instead was watch for clues, signs, or promptings; I waited for a resolution to appear. As a result, I (through a series of brief and fairly immediate occurrences) met a man who not only knew how to fix cars and had the tools to do so, but was also on the board of education from a nearby district – a district that was looking for programs like those offered by my company! This resolution was much more positive and exciting than any I could have imagined or forced.
We are not alone and we under-estimate the power of our vision as the key itself. People, material goods, and events support our deepest desires, especially when we get out of our own way. Knowing our purpose and the vision of our specific work and play is all we need. When we try to do both the part of envisioning and the fulfillment of it, we actually get in the way of broader, more creative impacts that can be brought about by life itself as it collaborates and plays with us, on our behalf, to help fulfill our wishes.
I recently came to realize I have been saying “vision is enough” but there’s a significant distinction knowing that vision is the only thing. Envisioning is a separate transaction. If action is needed, we discover this easily, naturally, and in relaxed, fun ways. We feel inspired, led, or guided or we may observe a resolution happening without our direct involvement at all. Our job is to affirm our vision and then stay open, relaxed and receptive, enjoying the process and its unfolding.
In our culture, we place a high value on accomplishment, being a “go- getter”; a person who “makes things happen”. We frequently undervalue stillness and receptivity. If more of us knew how powerful our minds are and how crucial our vision, we would slow down enough to experience the support available to us beyond it.
So, when you next spend time focusing on your vision, remember to define it, love it, and drink it in. Acknowledge the essence of who you are and your unique purpose. Then, enjoy this as fully as you can. As you do, you live a life of peace and experience magical outcomes. You still “do stuff” but without pressure to prove any- thing and without strain; your life is easy, filled with surprises that surpass anything you could ever come up with solo. So, drink up the vision of your life; it’s not only enough, it’s everything!
As published nationally in the column Emotional Intelligence in Women’s Journals, Dec 2006/Jan 2007
