Dear friend,
There is a verse in the Bible (Proverbs 29:18) that says:
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
But why?
Why do the people perish without vision?
What IS vision?
Do you have it?
Do I ?
Why is vision so important?
What is vision
In physical terms, having vision means
we have our ideal ability to see our environment.
Without clear vision, we can perish in a car crash or other mishap.
In business terms, a company’s vision statement
expresses the ideals that guide their venture.
Without a strong vision, their business may perish.
Political leaders offer a vision expressing their ideal goals
for the city, state or country they seek to lead.
Without an inspiring vision, their leadership may perish.
And unless their vision is morally and politically healthy,
the freedom of their city, state or country may perish,
along with that of any territory or persons they oppress.
Spiritual leaders offer a vision of the ideal faith of a believer:
what God asks us to believe, to be, and to do.
Without a healthy, compassionate and life-generating vision,
the integrity and constructive purpose
of their ministry and flock may perish.
Some of us may have created a vision statement
expressing the ideal purposes and outcomes
(personal, spiritual, educational, relational, financial, political, etc.)
that we hold up to guide our own life.
Most of us neither want nor need
to do that comprehensive an analysis!
but without creating a basic picture
of our ideal way of living—
a loving vision that is true to the best within us—
our happiness and fulfillment may perish.
In all these dimensions,
we see that vision is an ideal.
Vision is an ideal picture of life toward which we strive.
Having vision means we HAVE
an ideal picture of life inside us.
One that grows and develops
as we build our awareness
of what we believe in and seek to become.
Having vision also means we have the capacity
to SEE and to evaluate
the ideal pictures
being held up to us by others.
Our capability to see and embrace and build with
the constructive and admirable visions of others
is what connects our mind, body and soul
with our community, our country and our world.
Why the people perish without vision
We perish without vision
because it is our vision
that gives us hope.
And hope is what keeps us alive.
Our hopeful vision
gives us our dream of the future
that no fearful events can ruin.
Our hopeful vision
makes us eager to get up in the morning
even when we are in a painful and challenging time.
Our hopeful vision
transforms all our work into our joy
as we devote ourselves to making our dream a reality.
You, my beloved reader,
by considering the insights I offer,
make real my hopeful vision
of being a doctor who builds freedom.
Blessings,
Dr. Hall
Question:
During your life, whose vision has given you hope?
OK, Dr. Hall. You did it again. You helped me unearth fond memories and reflect deeply. Kudos!
Vision is a very big word. I have been reflecting on this for a few days before responding. I think I was lucky enough to be born with hope. Lucky enough to have had parents who were examples of hope. After all, they survived the battles of WWII and returned home to start a family together. And I was raised to think critically - not swallow the pablum of any pulpit or political pundit. To live cheerfully and with a hopeful approach. To speak well of others and enjoy their different origins and styles.
When I think of the word vision, I immediately think of one the earliest conversation I had with the woman of my dreams who agreed to marry me 25 years ago. That chat happened about 16 years before we married. BTW, I highly recommend mating with someone you have been great friends with prior to launching the romance factor. It can be a solid foundation of mutual trust and admiration. I have tried it the other way more than once. Not good results.
That conversation was about "creative visualization". Picturing a future life change. It could be a place to live. It could be a change of employment. The big stuff in life. If you embrace "CV", you begin to take the small steps that lead to that goal that you continually visualize. So as friends, we had enjoyed discussing the philosophy of all that. When we connected much later as a couple, we employed CV as a tool to move our lives in new directions. We moved to the coast of Maine and opened a business together. Every step was a blend of luck and welcoming the opportunities that we had visualized.
So for me, Hope IS a vision. Hope is a Goal. It's also, embracing failure, dusting oneself off, and revisiting the vision.
Vision is also the ability to see clearly what is before and around us and how it contributes to or detracts from our ability to reach the goals we envision for ourselves and our world.
I don't know that anyone else's vision has inspired me although there are definitely people whose example I've been inspired by and that might be the same thing. My goal for some time has been to end each day having made the world a little bit better place to live in.