The other day I attempted to console a good friend who questioned the next step to take in her life. She had recently come short of passing an exam she needed to pass in order to work in her profession. The reality of the present situation forced her to question her existing vision and life path. Does she continue to work toward achieving her dream profession? Does she take the current circumstance as a sign to take a detour and carve a new path? Does she still feel passion for the profession in the midst of discouragement? It got me thinking about our vision – not just the picture of our immediate stimuli, but the greater vision we hold for ourselves. How do we navigate through the maze of life when the things we envisioned for ourselves do not manifest as we thought and hoped they would? How do we re-create our vision and begin to dream a new dream?
Let’s face it, life is full of challenges. Things may not always go as planned, but it is important to have a roadmap. I have always been a big believer in creating dreams or visions for my life. There is no way to achieve the things you desire unless you first create a mental image of it in your mind. I think we all do this to some degree. We do this when we decide on a career path to take, or when we visualize a life partner, or when we imagine our dreamhome. Many times during our journey, we hit roadblocks – you don’t get the job you want, you go through a divorce, you lose your dream home to another buyer. What do you do next?
The thing about creating visions is that they can always be re-created. Part of our own roadblock is the attachment we hold to the old vision. It takes a lot of strength to let go and surrender to the idea that another path is not only possible, but it can be greater and more fulfilling than you could have even envisioned for yourself. You may still achieve all that you desire, but it may not be in the way or in the timeframe you thought. Perhaps, during the process, you may discover you have a new desire.
Oftentimes, the reality of our situation doesn’t make sense to us. It’s not supposed to. Steve Jobs, in a speech he gave to Stanford University Graduates in 2005, states, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever”.
Remember, life doesn’t end when it doesn’t go as planned. The most successful people will tell you that the times in which they felt lost or as though they had failed, were actually the catalyst for creating, or re-creating a better dream and a brighter future. Be willing to take the risk in creating and re-creating!
Deepali’s Piece of Wellness: Have you given up on your dreams, because life hasn’t turned out as you expected? Can you start creating a new vision for yourself today? What does it look like? **More tomorrow on how to get clarity on a new vision!
Wellness Kriya 
What a wonderful focus for me today! I think this encouragement is good even for those of us who aren’t in the middle of a big change/shift, or feeling a pointed discouragement. It’s hard to shake off the general sense of national malaise right now, and then the color kind of drains from even the best of circumstances–sometimes even a little low-level depression creeps in. What a great reminder to focus on the vision. Maybe create an entirely new one to get excited about. I look forward to what you’ll share next! Debra
Debra, thanks for your feedback! I agree, many times there is a general malaise that kicks in. It’s important to challenge ourselves to create a picture of what wellness looks like to each of us. Appreciate your comment.
In my experience, I dreamed a dream. I had a big request of God and I asked it every day. I asked him for a baby girl. I didn’t do a lot of visualizing because I knew that the way in which I would receive my daughter, and what my daughter would be like, wasn’t up to me. Nor did I want to be disappointed when the story unfolded and it didn’t match with my vision. All I did was ask and have faith that the end result would be a daughter. She didn’t come the way I had a hunch she would come to me. She didn’t look or act as I had a hunch she would. It was all so very different than what I might have imagined. But by being OPEN and not envisioning the specifics, I was able to watch for signs and pursue them and let a beautiful story unfold before me. It was the most miraculous time of my life and my daughter is just right for me. So, do have a vision for yourself or request of God, but envisioning specifics can be dangerous, as you need to remain open to the way the dream was meant to be delivered to you.
Anita, I love how you mention “not envisioning the specifics” and allowing some room for allowing. Your story was truly a beautiful one unfolded!
I love the way you see the world. I think that life is what happens while your making plans. I believe all you can do is put out a positive energy, be kind and honest with others and hope for the best. The rest will take care of its self in time. I will keep your words in my heart this week, as I paint the broad strokes of the vision I hope for myself in the future. Another beautifully written blog thank you.
Millie, you absolutely exude that energy toward all those you touch. Thank you for being that inspiration to me!