Take a minute and close your eyes. What do you envision for your life? What do you expect your life to look like one, five, or even ten years from now? Do you have better relationships with your family members? Do you have a new home or your own transportation? Are you walking into work in a fancy suit? Or maybe you’ve opened your own thriving business? Maybe you see nothing.
It’s easy for children to let their imagination flow, but as we get older, we tend to stop indulging our imaginations. I encourage you to allow yourself to dream, get creative, and be imaginative again like you were as a child. Why? Because you have to see what you want to obtain it.
Think about it—how does an artist paint a beautiful landscape? Either she sets up her easel right in front of what she’s about to paint, or she has a picture in her mind’s eye that she uses to create her masterpiece. Motivational speakers will tell you to write down what you want for your life, get a picture of your goal, and stick it on your mirror or someplace you will constantly see it. They’ll tell you it’s easier to work toward a goal if it’s constantly before you. It motivates you to achieve. God tells us to write our vision and run toward it. Imagining the result of hard work drives us to keep pushing even when things get tough.
Having a vision for your life also diminishes the distractions around you. Think about it: when driving in heavy rain or an unfamiliar place, you naturally block out the ambient noises and sights to focus on getting to your destination. How often do we lose sight of our goal because of being distracted by life’s twists and turns or the naysayers in our ears? Stop, focus, and give yourself permission to dream again. This time, pursue it fully. Purpose in your heart that nothing will stop you from reaching your destination.
Building a vision for your life will help you see how choices today will affect your result tomorrow. Every day, you have an opportunity to decide what kind of life you’re going to live. You get to choose how you build your life and what you build your life on. You determine what images you put in front of your eyes. You determine your inner image and take that to build what God wants created in your life.
Take some time today to get quiet and let your imagination flow. Truly imagine what you want your life to be and how you want it to look. You may already be on the pathway to obtaining the life you always dreamed of, and if so, great! Celebrate your successes and continue to plan for your future. If you’re not on the right path yet, take a minute to write down the steps you can start taking now to get yourself on track. Decide today to work toward your goal. Beware of distractions and always keep the vision before you. Remember, goals come from visions, and visions start with a healthy imagination, so decide today to imagine again!
