Vision Casters

Vision: The act or power of imagination; a mode of seeing or conceiving; unusual discernment or foresight.

 

The problem with vision is that we all have it and I'm not talking about the sense of sight. However most of us were never taught how to use it. We live in a society of instant gratification and if we can't conceive it today and have it by dinner time, we don't want it. The downside to vision is that most see it as too much work, or "pipe dreams". I speak with a lot of people about what they want from their careers and most people fall into one of two categories. Either they don't want anything more from their career or they do but because no one has ever taught them how to use their imagination, they have no idea exactly what they want or have the foggiest idea of how to get there. This is precisely when you will need someone to help you cast your vision.

 

Casting vision is nothing more than being specific about your dreams and goals. It is the process by which the track is laid for you to run on as you chase your dreams. Many times you meet a mentor that has achieved similar goals to yours and they help you lay that track. However for most of us, myself included, your own best mentor is your willingness to persevere. Many of the things I want to achieve were achieved by people that I currently don't have the opportunity of meeting. However many of them have written books or magazine articles on how they accomplished their goals. In my opinion, this is some of the best forms of mentoring most of us can obtain as we start to lay down our track. On the other hand, finding a mentor may be as simple as sitting down with your pastor at church or your boss. The only qualifying factor I would suggest is that this person have a character that you admire or respect. There is nothing worse than finding a mentor who does not share the same values as you.

Mentors are very valuable in your journey to achieve your goals, however they are not the only way for you to cast vision on your dreams. There are two other very positive ways to cast vision for yourself. I will break this down into the tangible and intangible. Tangibles are the things that you get to have as a result of achieving your dreams. Ask yourself – What will my life look like to others once I have achieved my dreams? What kind of car will I drive? What neighborhood will I live in? What stores will I shop at? Where will I vacation? What kind of hobbies will I enjoy? All of these questions are in support of casting your own vision. For many of us, this may be enough and we can start right here. We can burn the fire hot enough to make our vision shine and put our dreams in the spotlight. However since we all have the desire to be internally fulfilled, we now must consider the intangible.

Intangibles are those things which cannot be measured by others. This is the personal joy and satisfaction you receive from achieving your goals and living out your dreams. Questions you would ask yourself: What level of personal fulfillment will I have for achieving my goals? (For some of us this will be enough as many of us were taught to go to school, get a job, and work until we retire. We were told to stop day dreaming. This usually happens right around the time that our dreams become good enough to start telling others about them.) What kind of friends will I have? Will I have a family? If you already have a family, what kind of relationships will I have with them? What will my relationship with God be like, will I reconnect or start a new journey with Him? Will I support the church with my time or money? Many people find greater personal achievement by fulfilling their intangible goals. They find higher levels of excitement by the tangibles. Whatever your dreams are, there are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions. And no requirement for creating balance. They are merely a way for you to become your own vision caster.

 

The Plan

One way to cast your own vision immediately is to create a Vision Board. This is nothing more than an exercise in laying down the track for you to run towards your dreams.

Things you will need:

• Poster Board
• BIG stack of magazines (the BIGGER, the BETTER)
• Glue – rubber cement is best (it won't wrinkle the pictures)

This will take some time, especially if you don't have magazines at home. You can get them from the library, hair salons, or your doctor's office. Or spend some time at the bookstore browsing magazines. As you see pictures of the things, both tangible and intangible, that you desire pick up these magazines. Take them home and plan an hour or two for arts and craft. Cut out pictures, arrange them in a collage, and create your story. This is your vision for where you are going and if the light shines bright enough you won't lose sight of it. Now hang this up where you will see it often, better yet where others will see it too. They will help you focus on your vision as questions are asked about your vision board. You will probably be surprised how many of your friends have the same goals as you and you may even find an accountability partner to make sure you stay running on your track, don't take shortcuts, or rest for too long.

 

Regardless of what motivates you to achieve your goals, knowing what they are is the key ingredient to any success plan. I would hate to hear that you feel like you never succeeded because you really didn't know when you got there. Know your goals, make sure others know your goals, and let everyone know once you have achieved them. The more you keep others involved in your vision, the more likely they will keep you on track. Keep your vision in focus and your eye on the prize. Your journey will be simpler if you know the destination and don't have time to concentrate on all the obstacles in your way.

 

A Word of Warning!!!

Just as there are techniques and mentors who are vision casters, be careful of vision crashers. I'll tell you how to avoid those in my next post.