BE THE VISION

A Few days back, I wrote a note on my Facebook page titled “My Free Advice to the Ugandan Opposition”. I wrote this note a day after Ugandans went to elect their Leaders, before any official results were released by the Electoral Commission. Granted, many people the world over are not happy that Uganda as a nation has the same President for over 20 years. Their quick interpretation is ‘Dictator, corrupt, clinging to power’, and so on.

Revolutions have taken place in the Arab world in such a short time that it amazes the rest of the world. Many news analysts and ‘experts’ are equating Uganda to the Arab world. I sometimes have a problem with ‘Expert’ sitting continents away in a cozy high tower building in the west (or east or north or whatever) analyzing a situation on the ground for me. I can agree that sometimes, it is good for me to have a world view of things, but that should never be at the expense of my view, my empirical view. Before I came to Uganda in 2008, believe me, I could give you an ‘expert’ analysis of how a dictator the incumbent president was! Having stayed here for close to two years, I see some errors that I committed in my judgment.

In a nutshell, I told the Ugandan Opposition to style up! I told them that the masses expected much more than they offered. I told them that doing the same thing over and over again, each time expecting different results in nothing but insanity. I told them to think through their strategies. However, the most important thing I told them to do is to ‘be the vision that they want to see’.
 

And that my friend is one of the indisputable Laws of success according to Life Signatures. Christians have a practice which to the casual observer seems bizarre and weird to say the least. That custom is called ‘Baptism by Immersion’. What blew me away about this practice is the WHY behind it. According to the Bible, baptism is on OUTWARD sign of INWARD change. You see the point? Change starts from the INSIDE….then spirals on to the outside overflow. Unfortunately, the overflow that the masses in Uganda saw on their Opposition parties were such that depicted hatred, bickering, war, complaining, lack of passion, lack of vision, resistance…and so on.

The fastest and sure way of accomplishing your goals, your vision and mission is to be the vision. Experience the vision for yourself inwardly so you can have a true ‘expert’ passionate disposition about it. We talked previously about Setting Goals-a key component of any successful life. We discussed how important it is to have yourself focused on that which you want to have, do or become. After the Goal setting, it is absolutely imperative that you go to work on THYSELF immediately as far as your goal is concerned.

• What are the good habits, disciplines and behaviors that you need to EXPAND?
• What are those bad habits, ‘the little foxes that spoil the vine’ that you need to STOP?
• What is the general idea of the person you are to BECOME in order to attract or attain your goals?
• What are the NEW HABITS, disciplines and behaviors that you need to START?

As you can see, this is totally what this blog has kept advocating-Life By Design. You actually have the opportunity to take your life, examine it, and make the necessary alterations as you seek to be a better you. Moving from one glory to another will not happen without inward constant change and alignment.

There is no shortcut to the process. It’s a roots and fruits thing. You see fruits on a tree because there are roots. It’s a systems thing…you become successful by implementing powerful personal success systems over and over, much like the organizations of the world are built upon well-oiled systems.

When people see the inward changes you are making in order to attain your goals, events, resources, connections, ideas and everything else needed to attain your dream start aligning themselves towards the attainment of your goals.

So, go out there today, and be the vision! Then and only then will you start seeing progress towards realizing that which you are dreaming as a Visionary.

I HOPE YOU DANCE

I think I read somewhere the following: there are two overwhelming principles of success, and all others hinge in these: ‘go-for-it-iveness’ and ‘stick-to-it-veness’. Microsoft word is looking at me as a cow on a new gate when I type those two.

My main point for this post is the second part of success: ‘stick-to-it-iveness’. Visions are always bigger than the visionary that is why they are called visionaries. The distinguishing characteristic of all visionaries is that they believe in something bigger than themselves, something that all their current resources put together will not pull off the vision. The only masterful resource at their disposal is faith, belief. Faith that the vision will happen, and belief that the vision is worth waiting on. ‘Stick-To-It-iveness’!

Sometimes a visionary gets so caught up in the impracticability of the fruition of his vision. Sometimes a visionary suffers lack…lack of money, lack of motivation…sometimes his/her vision is diverted by the current pressures of basic needs: food, shelter and clothing. The distinguishing factor of visionaries is the ability to believe in their dream even when obscured by the current pressures of the world.

 

The best we can do is just gaze at the vision…yes, we might be totally incapacitated…at the moment, but now is not the time to give up on it altogether. Stick-to-it-iveness. One great scientist said that the reason he is more successful than others is because he stays with problems longer than others…and I am sure he sticks to his vision in the face of his problem…and ‘outsticks’ the problem.

At this moment in time, the above perfectly describes yours truly. One of the best quotes I have heard is by Mary Manin Morrisey “Absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence”. Again, I heard someone else say “What lies before me and what lies behind me are nothing compared to what lies within me”! Enough said.


The following song has been playing in my heart for quite a while, helping me to stick-it-out.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,  
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger, 
 
May you never take one single breath for granted,  
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed, 
 
I hope you still feel small When you stand beside the ocean,  
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, 
PROMISE ME YOU'LL GIVE FAITH A FIGHTING CHANCE ,
 
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
 
I hope you dance 
I hope you dance 



I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, 
NEVER SETTLE FOR THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE ,
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking, 
 
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making  
Don't let some hell bent heart Leave you bitter, 
 
When you come close to selling out reconsider, 
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, 
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
 I hope you dance~Lee Ann Womack