The Day Loans Blog

Every man who accomplishes things sees first in his mind what he wishes to do. He puts away all doubt. It makes no difference how small or how large the thing you want to do may be; if you have an unlimited confidence in your ability to do it, you will do it. - Charles Fillmore

By definition, vision is a future orientation, a broad stroke picture that serves as the basis for making decisions or taking actions towards achieving the vision. In order for a vision to become a reality, there are certain elements that must be present.

Most importantly, the vision must be anchored in truth. If there is no or little truth, the vision will not be obtainable. For example: If a client says that she wants to be an opera singer despite the fact that she truly can’t singcan’t carry a tune, has no pitch, etc. it’s not impossible for her to achieve some level of singing ability with singing lessons. However, the struggle and the reality is so far fetched, that it really doesn’t make sense to have this as an aspiration.

Accordingly, it would be important to find out just what she would hope to gain or could expect her life to be like as an opera singer. Upon investigation and exploration, it would be discovered that she loves to be on stage, get attention, and perform in some way. Those qualities can be used in many ways besides being an opera singer - and surely would be anchored more in truth.

It is also important that the vision is aligned with your purpose in life. If she wants to make this world a better place by sharing her talents and gifts, then singing would probably not be a wise choice. On the other hand, if she chooses some form of teaching and reaching many people so that she is sharing her ideas and wisdom, she’s probably aligned with her purpose. Perhaps some form of public speaking might be more appropriate.

A vision must be exciting and compelling. If not, there is no incentive to take steps towards making it happen. If she chose to have a vision of becoming a nurse and caring for sick people when in fact, she doesn’t particularly enjoy being around sick people, it’s not going to pull her forward to wanting it to become a reality. In fact, there will most likely be lots of struggle and sabotaging along the way. Could it be a possible vision with truth? “Yes, but…” She could learn nursing and she could care for sick people, and it does align with her vision of sharing talents and gifts, BUT for her, it’s not exciting or compelling. Therefore, the chances of her finishing the necessary course work aren’t great and even if she did, it would feel more like drudgery.

So in creating a vision, it’s important to think about what experience you would like to have. It would be helpful to notice and check if it’s anchored in truth - for you. Does it align with your purpose? Is it compelling and exciting to you? Could it pull you forward and be an incentive and is it motivating you to wanting to take steps towards it?

Invitation to Experiment:
Create a vision for your life. Include the type of experiences you want to have - include ALL of the elements possible: such as where you will be living, how you will be living, with whom, what type of work you’ll be doing, etc. Don’t leave anything out from your dream. Once it’s crafted, look at the truth in it. Does it align with your truth? Look at your purpose for being on the planet. Does it align with your purpose? And lastly, is it exciting and compelling? Could it motivate and inspire you to take steps to move towards it? If so, take your first step, and then the next. It may at first seem like a pipe dream, but if it’s aligned and compelling enough, it can become reality. You may modify your vision along the way, but all the while, you are moving towards a life that truly fits who you are and what you want.

Marion Franklin - is a Professional Certified Life Coach who coaches individuals and groups regarding personal and professional change, focus, human relations, and conflict management. Marion has coached managers at major corporations including PepsiCo, Toys’R'Us, and Reader’s Digest. She conducts and help clients design workshops and presentations, has been a featured presenter at meetings, retreats, and an ongoing Women’s Workshop Series, has been cited in The Journal News and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared on local Cable Television.
http://www.lifecoachinggroup.com

Looking for some ways to feed your soul in the midst of all you do? Try one or more of these great ideas!

1.) Body Work/Movement: Tai Ji, massage, Feldenkrais, Reflexology … there are tons of modalities which contribute to healing in soulful ways. Try one today!

2.) Connections with Others: Support networks/groups, accountability groups, on-line chats/boards, spiritual direction, soul mates and soul friends all offer you healthy interconnections if these relationships help you maintain a fluid balance while you protect and defend your interpersonal boundaries.

3.) Daily Rituals: Setting quiet time aside for your soul daily both refreshes and empowers you. Experiment with meditation and visualizations. Journal your thoughts, feelings, blessings and conversations with your soul. Discover aromatherapy. Use music to affect your mood, energy and creative output. Take a self-discovery walk, a luxurious bath or a nurturing nap. Make time and space for personal expression every day.

4.) Create Mini-Retreats: When you go on a retreat you create conscious cocooning space in your life, which allows you to nurture your woolyworm nature into the butterfly you know you are supposed to be. Set aside time in your lunch hour for things that enliven you. Every few weeks take off 2-4 hours if you can, just to spend with your soul. Try to attend a weekend retreat seasonally if possible. Retreat time need not be complex - it can be as simple as making homemade bread or simmering soup just for you.

5.) Express Your Natural Creative Heritage: From cooking to music to writing to crafts, there are hundreds of ways to express your creativity daily. Here are a few new ways to think about: Play daydreaming games with yourself to discover who you long to be. Scrapbook your dreams, your work life or your dialogue with your soul. Journal your night dreams, then draw or write poems about the images you dreamt. Learn about feng shui, the Chinese art of placement, which teaches you how to create a soulful atmosphere in your home or workplace. Experiment with expressive arts, which involve artistic, fun techniques for relating with your own unconscious through metaphors. Make an inner child play date with yourself weekly to keep life from becoming too serious and foreboding.

6.) Dialogue With Yourself and With Your Higher Power (whatever you conceive It to be): Take classes or read self-help books which enable you to identify, explore and live out your life’s purpose. Write your spiritual autobiography. Try new ways to pray. Find a spiritual director. Journal your personal conversations with your Higher Power.

7.) Create a Personal Wellness Calendar: All of the great ideas above will fail to serve you unless and until they become firm, scheduled habits in your life. So create a personal wellness calendar to enable you to do just that.

Schedule the elements above that you choose to begin experimenting with, remembering that it generally takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Set firm boundaries around these activities to protect them while you learn to integrate them into your life. Try incorporating no more than 10 new habits into your life at any one time. Consciously downshift at key points throughout your day and week and use the activities above to help you do so. Be flexible in your scheduling and your thinking - it is your soul that matters, not your planner!

Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they’ve always wanted to live. Cheryl is the author of more than 30 print/Internet articles and the founder of Coaching Solutions for Women, a coaching website that showcases and produces career, business, and life coaching solutions to help today’s busy women balance work with the rest of their lives. For a complimentary copy of her latest e-book, Ten-Minute Stress Zappers For Women Service Business Owners, visit http://www.coachingsolutionsforwomen.com.