Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Power of Vision


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Vision is the ability to see without seeing. It consists of having unshakeable faith and foresight in things before they have come to pass. Vision is about walking by faith and NOT by sight. Do you have a vision for your life? Can you imagine future success? Are you able to see yourself where you want to be BEFORE you get there? This is the power of vision.

Too many times in our society we place limitations on ourselves and choose to be kept locked in a box. We allow others to inject us with fear as a means to remain complacent. We have to understand that complacency is the very reason why we do not walk into greatness. I have heard this expression and find it quite compelling, “good is the enemy of great.” Once we find ourselves comfortable and in a place of familiarity, we tend to stay there. We convince ourselves that we are too (fill in the blank) to accomplish (fill in the blank). From that, we prevent ourselves from experiencing our full potential and walking into greatness. Being great means to never settle for less. Being great consists of 1) knowing your purpose in life and 2) living each day in that purpose. We become excellent and reach the level of expertise when we embrace our purpose, calling, gifts, and talents and utilize them.

Before we can ever reach a level of greatness, we need to spend time with ourselves. Knowing yourself and remaining self-confident is the necessary ingredient for greatness. Once you are there, it is important to then take practical steps to strategize and execute a plan. For instance, if you have a vision to be an entreprenuer, you then have to ask yourself, “what am I doing now to prepare for that business later?” Do you have a clear business idea and target audience in mind? Detailed business plan? Website of the business? Business cards? Potential partners and investors? Attend networking events? You can’t ever reach your level of greatness without the power of vision and action steps to make it all happen. See yourself there before you get there!

I encourage you all to not let the vision die out. Dare to dream and believe that you can live that dream. If you are a visual learner as I am, try this mini-exercise: 1) Get a stack of 5-6 different magazines that you don’t mind reading. 2) Cut out images and texts that best describe your future. 3) Collect all of the text and images and glue them on some construction paper and/or printing paper. 4) When you are done, write down the date on your finished product and then either laminate it or place it in a plastic report cover. I encourage you to take this project very seriously and take time with it. This finished product is a photo journal of how you see yourself 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years down the road. From time to time, it will be great for you to take a look at your collage and work towards making it come to life. Once we envision, then we are empowered to create.

Take home message: The power of vision will lead you into your area of greatness. Greatness is about leaving a legacy. A legacy is not built over night. Do not let what you do not see now determine what you will see tomorrow. Believe in your vision and walk it out. Once you walk it out, wait it out. Invest now and you shall reap later.  
Faith Challenge: I challenge you to focus on the fruit of the spirit JOY. Aim to experience joy intentionally. I would love to hear from you on how you have included more joy in your life. Spread the joy!
Love and Blessings,
RTN J

Creativity Exposed




We all have gifts, talents, and characteristics that make us who we are. We all are endowed with blessings to do great things in life and impact others in a mighty way. I believe in the power of words and thoughts. Perhaps, that is why I highly value wisdom and writing. More specifically, I place high value on valuable writing. I desire to read and send messages with meaning. These monthly email series that I am embarking on is birthed out of creativity and expression. With that being said, I would like to share a great quote.

“Every problem is an opportunity for you to discover creativity” (Bishop T.D. Jakes).

Sometimes life does not offer us what we want or when we want it. I believe that is great timing to turn on our creative abilities. I can hear some of you now saying, “I am not creative” or “There is nothing about me that is creative.” I beg to differ. I believe that each of us have some creative capabilities. Some may have more enhanced creative ability than others. However, we all have creative abilities. We choose whether we express them or not.

Creativity is exposed when we allow ourselves to express that which lies deep within us. As children, we used our crayons to color, our imaginations to wander, and our creativity to be released. However, for some reason, as adults we have decided that creativity is comparmentalized to only arts or only “what children do.” Creativity is thinking “outside of the box.” I define creativity as a method of imagination that is realized along a walk of faith and may include some risk. Creativity is that part of self that says no matter how broad or limited my resources and no matter what obstacles may or may not come against me, I dare to do, say, or be x, y, or z. These unknowns denoted by x, y, or z can be any blanks that you want to fill. I challenge you to not allow fear, society, or sometimes even self stand in the way of who you were destined to be. Yes, sometimes we are our own biggest critics. Trust in the power that lies within you.

We are in a special time. As the economy and global issues become more and more unpredictable, we have opportunities to express that creativity that lies deep within us. If you are having trouble obtaining gainful employment, find creative ways to still use your gifts and talents. Allow creativity to be the means to get you out of any rut that you may find yourself in. Allow creativity to be the way you solve that problem that seems to be insurmountable. You may be facing an issue at this very moment, be it, personal or professional. Know that the step you take to come up with a solution involves you using your creativity. If you feel that your problem is getting increasingly worse and not better, I challenge you to use your creativity and “think outside of the box” to come up with a solution.

For me “thinking outside of the box” is a means to be innovative and generate refreshing ideas. It is about creative expression. Personally, I love writing. My passion for writing comes from the interest that I have in creative expression and the value that I place on the power of words, as well as, the great meaning behind messages. I am taking a step in being creative and stretching myself by embarking on this journey to write these monthly messages. It is my way of contributing to others while simultaneously feeding my passion. I choose to live life with purpose and on purpose. I do not expect the workplace to be my only medium whereby I express my passion and purpose in life. I believe that the workplace is just that, a medium, and not the final destination. This being said, each of us have the control to define our passion and purpose in life. Don’t allow others to determine your destiny. I hope this message has encouraged you, as well, as challenged you to think in a refreshing way.
Take home message: Creativity is and always has been inside of you. Choose to release it now.
Faith Challenge: I challenge you to focus on the fruit of the spirit LOVE. You can do so by showing more love to your friends, family, and strangers each day. I would love to hear from you on how you have demonstrated more love for this challenge. Spread the love!

Love and Blessings,
RTN J