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When I first began coaching twelve years ago, I had a vision of helping people who wanted to break free of the limiting behaviors and thinking that held them back from living up to their full potential.
The motivation for this came from my coach who listened with great care to the story I told. I had earned a degree in history, raised three children, lived in various parts of the world, written a couple of books, and acted as part-time cantor for the Jewish High Holy Days in Paris and Amsterdam for five years.
All of this seemed to just happen; and I did it all because I could. I had no idea what it was I actually ‘supposed’ to be doing.
That same coach told me it was pretty clear and helped me to clarify the vision which had been in front of me all the time, though I couldn’t see it on my own.
You see, when I was a child growing up in a poor neighborhood in Scotland, I wanted to be a writer, and a singer. I also wanted to be a teacher working with kids in underserved schools in neighborhoods that nobody would go into. My desire to help others began on the tenement steps of my building giving advice to the local children.
Somehow, I knew there was something there I had to do But exactly what it was was a mystery - a whisper of something, a shadow that crept up on me from time to time, and asked for my attention.
Related: What Consistent Actions Are You Taking to Reach Your Goals?
Many people say they have a VISION but the truth is vision without action is simple a daydream. We are frequently limited in our vision by barriers we put in our way that make us believe whatever it is we see won’t be possible.
Our mindset dwells on things that limit us like; “we’re not smart enough”, “don’t have the right resources”, “nobody will be interested”, “it’s too big a dream”, or my favorite, “dreams get you in trouble”. (I heard that one from my mother who saw her dreams shattered).
Without vision, we stumble in the dark. Without vision, we struggle to find our place, without vision we don’t know where we belong. Without vision, we limit who we can be in the world, and the difference we can make.
With a strong vision, we build meaningful relationships. With a clear vision, we build companies, and engage people to help us become a power for good in the world. With a compelling vision, we can change the world, one person at a time!
Over the years, the vision has continued to expand, and last year I redefined everything I’ve been doing for the last twelve years, and it has become part of what I call my VITAL program.
As vital as it is to have your heartbeat steady, your blood pressure normal, and your breathing natural, these five elements of Vision, Insights , Trust, Appreciation and Legacy are VITAL to creating leadership that inspires and motivates others.
It is everything I have learned over twelve years of coaching, and over a lifetime of gathering and living experiences that have taught me everything I know about the human experience.
Listening to Whitney Johnson, the author of Disrupt Yourself on a recent webinar, she asked these essential questions for anyone developing their VISION:
As I answered all of these questions, it clarified the vision I created in childhood and whispered to myself throughout the years. It became my reality when I declared boldly that I was here to serve, and I wanted to change the world one person at a time
My vision is simple. I help good people be better people so we can build a better world. It’s not complicated. I show up, make myself available, and listen.
VISION is the first step to building VITAL leadership skills , but more importantly, it is the first step for you to become the person you were meant to be. To bring forth into the world all that you may be whispering to yourself, but have not fully declared?