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“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela
Do you have a burning passion to see your vision fulfilled? Passion is the desire and endurance that says, “I am going to go after my vision, no matter the cost. If I have to stay up late and get up early, I have got to make it happen. If I have to go it alone, I will go by myself.
How hungry are you
If you are truly hungry for your vision comfort and complacency will not be a part of your vocabulary. You will not settle for the status quo or mediocrity. You will not allow what others say you can or cannot do hinder your progress.
You will not surrender to your negative inner voice that says, “You will fail if you try” or “No one will support you”. When you settle on your vision it will seem like everything and everyone will come against you and your vision.
If you have a true hunger to make your vision a reality, you will persevere with your vision regardless of the pessimistic words from vision killers. When others are saying, “it is impossible to do that’, you will refuse to let their pessimistic voice hinder or stop you. If you let their doubtful and fearful words penetrate your thoughts, you will begin to see your vision as unrealistic and start to lose the hunger for your vision.
Vision under attack
I remember several years ago when I realized and wrote my vision for the areas of my life, I was immediately attacked by an overwhelming sense of fear and doubt. I was constantly bombarded with negative and contrary thoughts that refused to shut up. They were relentless.
To be honest, I allowed them to dictate my vision progress. I allowed the contrary and negative thoughts hold me hostage for years. The thoughts would tell me, “Who is going to read your stuff, don’t you know you can’t write, you don’t know enough or have enough experience. I heard these and many more destructive thoughts daily. I was under an extreme attack.
It was not until I had a change in thinking that propelled me to overcome the attacks on my mind. I made a conscious decision to think differently. I changed what I listened to and read, who I let speak into my life and where I spent my time. When I made the decision to change my thoughts, the direction of my life began to change.
I have not arrived; I am still a work in progress. I am overcoming daily. I realized this is not a one-time destination, but a journey that must be lived out daily. When the thoughts of defeat, discontent, and discouragement bombards my thoughts, I immediately refute them with thoughts who God designed me to be and what I am purposed to do.
7 keys to feed your hunger for vision
If you are hungry to see your vision fulfilled in every area of life then you will develop an unstoppable attitude. You will focus on your vision and move forward at all cost. Here are seven keys I discovered that will feed your hunger to live out your vision.
You must constantly feed your mind with positive and progressive thoughts.
We live in a negative world that constantly feeds our minds with negative thoughts. The world will beat you down with its negativity. But, you can fight back against the negativity by feeding your mind positive and progressive thoughts.
Read inspirational books that encourage you that you can live out your dreams. Connect with people that build you up and encourage you to go after your vision. This is not a one and done deal, but you must constantly feed your mind positive and progressive thoughts.
You must commit to following your vision no matter what life deals you.
Life will throw you some curveballs. Things you thought would work out will not. People who said they have your back will walk away when you need them the most. Life happens. We must be willing to move forward even when life presents challenges.
Commit today to follow your vision even in the midst of chaos and crisis. Don’t give up or throw in the towel because life gets hard. Don’t let others dissuade you from going after your vision because they keep reminding you of your difficult situation. Make up your mind and commit to following through because you have a vision that wants to live through you.
You must have the courage to walk by faith when you and others connected to you don’t see it.
What is courage? Courage is standing when everyone else wants to run, speaking when everyone is afraid to speak, acting when everyone is paralyzed by fear, taking action in the face of danger, holding one’s character and moral uprightness when everyone else is tempted to compromise theirs.
You must have the courage to walk by faith to make your vision a reality. You will encounter resistance from others you cannot see where you going. If you don’t watch it you will talk yourself out of going after your vision because you don’t see how everything will work out.
You must confront your past failures. Make a list of your past failures.
This is difficult, but it helps you confront your past failures in a real way. You cannot change what happened in the past, but you can learn and grow from it.
If you do not honestly identify your past failures and their causes, the chances of moving forward will be limited. You will stumble through life and fumble opportunities for success if you keep repeating the same mistakes. When you take the time to seriously identify your failures and their causes, you position yourself for success.
You must create a vision plan.
Do you have a clearly written vision that impacts your life and family? What is vision? Vision is a clear mental picture of a preferable future that an individual wants to live. The individual becomes so committed to the vision that he or she will pursue it despite any obstacles or challenges. It is the ingredient that launches an individual out of stagnation and into forward action.
Create a clear personal vision plan for the seven areas of life (relational, spiritual, physical, mental, social, financial and professional) that documents where you want to go. A vision plan should clearly describe what you want most in life, how you expect to get there and a timeline for making your vision a reality.
You must consistently take action on your vision plan.
What actions have you taken to turn your vision into reality? Once you have a written vision plan, it is time to take action. It is your responsibility to make daily decisions to do something to move forward. You can’t wait for the right deal, the right people to support you or the right situation to happen before you take action on your vision.
The key to achieving your vision plan is to take consistent action. Living out your vision is not something that you do haphazardly and hope everything falls into place. Taking consistent daily action sets you up for success. You must put in the work. You could have written the most captivating, compelling and challenging vision possible, but if you don’t take consistent action to implement your plan, your vision will remain just a wonderful dream.
You must communicate your vision to at least two people you trust who will hold you accountable.
Surrounding yourself with people you trust who will hold you accountable to your vision is one of the best ways to help you face and overcome the hurdles you will encounter. You cannot do it alone. You cannot run your race in isolation. You need individuals in your corner who will encourage and speak truth to your life.
Do not build your inner circle with individuals who only tell you what you want to hear. You do not need a ‘YES’ team. You need people who will let you know when you are off-course and who are willing to help you get back on track. Build your team with individuals who want to see you succeed and who speak truth to you even when it hurts.
Question: How can you remain hungry for your vision while you are dealing with tough obstacles?
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Photo by Cody Board on Unsplash