Passionate Theme of the Day: Vision

What’s got me buzzing today (on yet another rainy, wet STL October morn)? A little nibble from Steve Pavlina.com and his post, Purpose = Permanent Message + Temporary Medium. Here’s what I’m chewing on:

“Once you discover and embrace your life purpose, are you set for the rest of your life?  Do you keep fulfilling that same purpose until you die?  Or can your purpose change over time?”

Steve and I agree on the fact that it could be a little bit of both. His post goes into greater detail about the difference between medium and message and how we play with our purpose in this world.

“In a way you have two purposes then:  your message and your medium.  Your message is the primary contribution you’re here to make.  Your message is who you are.  If you can connect with your higher self, you know your message.  Your message doesn’t really change, but your depth of understanding will change over time.

…Your medium is the specific expression of your message.  This is how you express your contribution to the world.  You can have a really wonderful and empowering message, but if you choose a lousy form of expression, you won’t have much impact.”

I loved this article. If you’re curious, go check it out for yourself and follow that thread of thought. For now, I’m gonna hop off on another related track, and that’s taking a closer look at vision. I think Steve makes some great points in his article. But what about the people that still aren’t clear what their purpose is?

When I work with clients who are seeking their purpose, I encourage them to really step back and look at the bigger picture of their lives. Some coaches are all about goals. Checklists and crossing things off to-do lists. That’s not quite how I operate. Yes, I’m all about writing things down and getting things done. But what about the bigger vision?

If we get too attached to our goals and crossing these finish line, then we’re sort of up/down up/down, aren’t we? If we have a long term vision for our lives, doesn’t it become more like surfing? More of riding the ebb and flow of it all? Can’t we actually arrive at each “checkpoint” with more ease because it becomes a more organic process and not just “Check, I scratched another one off the list! Next “thing” please!”

Think of a blank canvas. Say that’s your life. It’s an ever-evolving work of art. What do you want it to look like? Maybe today I want my “medium” to be blogging and writing articles and coaching individuals and groups. Perhaps in time, it’ll look more like public speaking, book tours, radio or TV.

My medium can change, but my message remains the same (which is helping others to fall in love with life). But if I don’t have a clear vision of what that might look like, I might be stifling my success. If I’m only focused on arriving at the next goal marker, can’t there be major let downs if things don’t go according to plan?

Holding my vision and aligning that vision with my values (I’ll have a rant on that one soon), keeps me adding colors and textures and mixed media all over my canvas. Holding my vision allows me to have a framework for my life vs. handcuffing myself to a goal and getting swept up in emotions if I can’t quite “check something off my list” in the allotted amount of time.

It can be dangerous getting too attached to the outcome of HOW we’ll arrive at accomplishing each goal. Instead of letting go, surrendering to the co-creative process and allowing the magnificence of the Universe to play along with us.

Vision allows us to design our lives with the big picture and mental image to hold in our minds eye. I’m not saying the details don’t need to be checked of lists and “things” don’t need to get done. But when I start DOing more and BEing less, I find myself frazzled, unmotivated, uninspired, frustrated and bored.

How can you get crystal clear about your vision for your life? Many people know what they don’t want (usually more of the same of what they’re already getting). So how can you get clear about what you DO want?

Get out some paper and a pen. Or markers. Or crayons. Or colored pencils. Or a bunch of magazines and a glue stick. Rip and shred and cut and glue and color your way thru your page. Fill that page with words, images, colors, postcards, pictures, logos, slogans, and sound-bites that resonate with you. Hell, if a piece of paper is too small, go get a scrap book page or even a bulletin board.

I upgraded from making collages on scrap paper to collaging an entire bulletin board. Now I have a vision board of beautiful and amazing pictures, places and things I want to attract into my reality. I try and look at my vision board each night before I go to bed. It’s sending a message to my subconscious that the pictures on that board ARE my life…I just haven’t quite “gotten” there yet.

Each time I look at it, I KNOW that I WILL get there (or somewhere better). And I begin to FEEL as if I already AM there. Which allows me to vibrate at a higher frequency, thus attracting to me the people, places and experiences that will soon draw those exact desires into my reality.

Take some time this weekend to consider what your vision is. If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about it, take a pause for the cause and reflect back on what it is you want your life to look like. If you have never done such a thing as a vision board, why not start now?

Elvis Costello said, “Everyday I write the book”. What book are you writing? A tragedy? A comedy of horrors? A romance? The great American novel? This is your life people. If you’ve hesitated on taking action up until now, why wait? Don’t feel guilty that you’ve waited. Let the guilt GO. J

ust get clear about what you want your life to look like and take the baby steps required to move forward. You can’t be there AND be here. If you want to BE there (wherever you desire) you have to MOVE. Focus your vision and watch the magic begin to unfold!

Pretty pictures of you,
Kam