Where there is no vision, the people perish

I was having a discussion on living a full life with a friend of mine and when we got to the part about purpose he simply referred me to a bible verse which says "Where there is no vision, the people perish"(Proverbs 29 vs 18 NKJV). This verse to me simply solidifies the fact that vision is a very crucial aspect of living a successful and fulfilling life. The word vision itself means the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. Imagination for me is the word that really stood out because as a man thinketh so is he, so until you are able to fully internalize your vision and see it you wont be able to externalize and feel it. The greatest driver to the proper creation and belief of your vision is purpose which to me is just what you were specifically designed to do. I believe that if anyone can bake a better cake or develop a better program or write better poems than their neighbour, no matter they build their house in the woods the world will create a path to that person's house. A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men (Proverbs 18 vs 16). So no matter what your gift is, fully embracing and pursuing the purpose will surely bring you success. To  fully develop your gift and effectively pursue your purpose you need to have a vision of were exactly you want to be. John K. Jenkins abbreviated the word V.I.S.I.O.N and came up with the following :

Visualize => You need to be able to see yourself doing that which you want to do. If you dream of being a doctor or mechanic or lawyer you need to be able to see yourself in that position. I especially enjoyed a story i once heard about a young boy who always wanted to be a pilot and how he would always see himself in the uniform and landing the plane over and over again. This he says was his main inspiration and driving force for him to achieve his goal. So you need to visualize first before anything else.
Internalize => You need to fully embrace what has been given to you. We all have precious treasure hidden deep within us which we owe our respective generations. Completely and wholeheartedly embrace and internalize your purpose and pursue the vision that comes when you have found your purpose. Embrace your gift, embrace your purpose and embrace your vision as if your life depended on it.

Strategize => It is very important to have a plan on how you are going to achieve your goal. Finding purpose and embracing your vision is just the first step in leading a successful and fulfilled life. I believe in the power of putting things to paper as a way of remembering and staying focused on what you want to do. Come up with a strategy and develop steps that will enable you to make it happen.
Initiate => You need to take it upon yourself to do what needs to be done to get the job done. We should always strive to take the initiative on things that truly matter to us. This applies to all aspects of our lives. Take control of your own life and take the leap. In order for the vision to be fulfilled there are some things that you need to do. It doesn't matter if you know that it will take 5 or 10  years, you just need to start somewhere.

Overcome => I believe anything that is worth having will cost you something to have it. Perseverance is your ally, you need to learn how to deal with turbulence and learn how to keep moving. Remember that all the little challenges are just a part of journey. The closer you get to your destiny the more difficult it becomes. Never quit...continue overcoming!!

Necessitate => I feel like whatever your purpose is roots from that thing which you feel burdened to do. That thing which constantly nags and troubles you. That one thing which you can't help but do all the time. Reach a point that wherever you are, you continue doing it because it is a necessity in your life. Rise up and do something about it. The beauty and ugliness of your purpose is that failing to pursue it or ignoring it will no make it go away. It will continue haunting you until you fulfill it.

You are amazing, you have a treasure locked up deep within you that needs to be fully exploited during your lifetime. Do not rob your generation of your gift. You need to ask yourself  "What is it that I am made to do and how best can i achieve that". Have a blessed week and Thank God its Monday.