Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law Proverbs 29:18
“Those who look behind will never see beyond.”
― Sherry K. White
A Clearer Picture
The path to the desired port comes with unforeseen circumstances. The voyage may not always turn out the way it was intended, but in fact, become the kind it was always meant to be. It comes down to the simple but overlooked question: Why embark on this journey? Many may fail to understand the beauty of process. There is no real joy and inner excitement that comes from successfully heading out, enjoying clear skies and good winds, smooth sea and every favourable condition possible, arrive and believe in your heart you are different person because of it. The essence of endurance is centered around building someone to approaching both life as a whole and their own life differently, through what they have perceived from their journey.
Look and See
For as long as I can remember I have been viewed exactly the way my name portrays me according to the misunderstanding of it: trivial. You see in my culture, Shona, my name Tarisai is directly translated from the related word Tarisa which is Look. I, therefore, tend to be teased in various ways people can creatively use that word. I have, however, realized that their blindness to the depth, heart and destiny inculcated in a name has nothing to do with me, in spite of their efforts to present it that way. The beauty of such experiences is that the truth of who they are inside is revealed in their outer actions. This is something that anyone is able to see in general without any effort, however, when it comes to pursuing or fulfilling a dream, achieving a goal, or reaching a destination at any point in your life, taking the time to *see * the final outcome before and during the pursuit is non-negotiable.
One of the ways I like to get a deeper understanding of a word is to compare it to similar kinds. Here is what I found the word Look to mean from a different perspective:
Glance, peer, peep, watch, count, view, glimpse, spot, spy, check, squint, a quick cast of the eyes, scan, gander, look-see, leer, flash, just to name a few.
The challenge I have with these words is they imply a lack of value which is not my portion. Those who understand the meaning of names and the impact it has on an individual’s life would know that direct translations do not apply to names. The genuine meaning of my name is Behold and that needs no explanation. If your name and/or your ambition is going to imprint on this earth something that leaves a lasting impact, it will start with learning to see the finish line. Here is what it means to see:
observe, examine, behold, inspect, pay attention to, heed, perceive, identify, study, distinguish, recognize, take in, become cognizant of, catch sight of.
Now those are words worth leading a life after. Anyone can make the effort to live up to becoming something to be gazed upon in wonder. It is simple because there are not a lot of prerequisites required, but not easy due to the process one has to go through. The first thing that should be done when heading out to accomplish a great feat is to see yourself as already possessing the qualities of the person they aspire to be. From there it comes down to acquiring the skills, connections and resources to get the job done.
What Does It Look Like
This does not refer to the snappy response an annoyed person gets when they feel they’ve been asked an obvious or potentially offensive question, but rather the lifestyle of the individual who has arrived where they want to be. How does that person behave? What do they eat and where do they eat? How much leisure time do they have and why do they spend that time performing those activities? What does their social life look like? How many close friends or circle of friends do they have? Interviews of the influential, high profile people give a good idea of what it takes to live life at their level. The question is often about the willingness to pursue that dream over the resources and skills to needed to get there.
Understandably if the dream was possible before the pandemic but might not be practical in the times we are in, at the time of this writing, then alternative methods to reaching the goal is a recommendation, otherwise, a related profession that accommodates flexibility in changing times and seasons in the world works best. This predominantly means either having an offline job or business that can be operated or transitioned online or exclusively function online. The best approach is to have two or more streams of income where both offline and online sections are covered. The worst-case scenario requires learning a new skill but one that is related to the industry that you are in.
I stated all of that to exemplify the fact that having a vision for who you want to be is paramount. When the vision is strong then everything else will eventually fall into place. Writing down what it looks like is the best place to start and serves as a powerful reminder every day. Additionally creating a vision board or mind-map emphasizes the process much more with that visual appeal, besides, it’s more interesting that way.
What is Your Why?
The easiest ways to fall out of love with your dream is to fail to understand the growth process in the first place, from the lens of purpose. If it is burdensome establishing the reason for your aspiration, then the safer path is for its nonexistence. Desires and missions fail nine times out of ten because of the foundation not laid firmly if at all, to begin with. The sooner you acknowledge your why, the faster you can put together your how. The idea is to work retrospectively. When you locate the harbour you are to disembark at, it will simply be a matter of mapping out the necessary routes that will get you there. If you want to start a business, determine the financial, personnel, skills and resources needed to grow a successful one. From there you will know the courses that build the right skills, the contacts, groups, forums and community that foster encouragement and propel you further than trial and error, the strategies best suited for the budget you currently and tools that create efficiency in the process. All that is only possible when you figure out your why is, because that is the biggest factor to when it comes to anything and everything vision-related.
Covering Your Bases
No plan can ever be complete without the aid of a contingency plan. For every goal that is set, no matter how small, must have a backup in case things fall through. This is an essential part of fulfilling your vision, and as it focuses on emotion. Most people are too uninspired to do what they love because there are no small victories celebrated or planned in the first place, but when the baby steps are considered carefully they result in a passion that eventually becomes unquenchable. Imagine the feeling of reaching what you see. The ultimate purpose of having a vision is to be able to say that you have arrived.
Writersfield 