The Power of Vision Part 2

“And such is true for one’s way of life can perish, especially when drive and passion is lost to mediocrity and complacency for when we have nothing to pull, push, or hold us in a better way of living we eventually become slaves, rather than masters…” — Rick Cox

Vision is the key to success however, with vision comes responsibility; with responsibility comes, choices; and with choices comes, either disappointment or elation. But it all starts with vision. I remember as a teenager having the vision to be ‘the boss’ of my own company. I could see myself in the position of running my own business, implementing ideas and concepts, which I believed would make things easier and better for all.

Perhaps, I had this drive as a result of my upbringing seeing it as a way of proving to my Dad, I was not a failure. Perhaps, I was going to use it to prove to the world I could become a big success for as a graduating senior from High School I only weighed one hundred thirty pounds; growing five inches in a twelve month period after graduation. Perhaps, I had small man syndrome and needed to prove I was bigger than I was in actuality. Perhaps I was a slave to all of this and didn’t consciously know it, but my subconscious mind was trying to help me get out. I don’t know. I do know however, that I could see it, feel it, and dream it; being sure that I would someday have it. Even when I left the drywall industry, not knowing what I would do for a job, I still had the confidence that all would work out. As a matter of fact, that confidence not only gave me faith, it urged me to walk away from a great job, making very good money, and seek something new.

I did not understand it at the time, but what I was doing was operating totally through the power of the vision in my heart. It was through that heartfelt vision I gained the courage and faith to move forward into the unknown, the future, believing it would all work to my benefit and, for the most part, it has. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in essence leaving ‘the country’ I knew and journeying into the unknown. I was leaving the place I had grown up; leaving what had made me feel comfortable; I was leaving MY SAFE PLACE.

Many years later, I do believe what I did was much the same as those who, living in a foreign country, forsook all they knew when they packed up their belongings and set sail for America. America was the land of promise. It was where they could live out their dreams or where through their sacrifice and hard work, at the very least, their children could live out their dreams. Although, they had nothing in writing; no assurances, promises, or guarantees had been made, these immigrants came anyway for they knew in their hearts America had more to offer them; it was the place they could make it all happen. They came based on the belief they were going to be able to enjoy a better way of life. They forsook what they knew and became Americans; living the American lifestyle and therefore, the American dream. They were no longer whatever nationality it was they left, BUT now they were Americans; for America was the way of life they sought. They knew their previous way of life didn’t work so; they forsook it and came here to start over. Yet, even in starting over, the majority has been able to amass much more than they left; doing so, in just a few years. They didn’t whine or complain, they just dug in, doing all that was necessary to become productive citizens while making themselves an asset to the society for which they were now a part.

More often than not when we are forced or even have that inkling in our hearts to do something new, especially if it takes us across the country or to another state, it is like leaving Mom & Dad and moving out on our own for the first time. It can be like moving to another country. It is foreign, unknown and scary. But, when our hearts are filled with vision, then it makes it much easier for we are caught up in the achievement and fulfillment of that vision. We are driven by that which is burning inside us. Steven K Scott, in his book, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, puts it this way: When we have no vision, we lose our direction, our motivation, our joy, our passion, our energy, our creativity, and our commitment. He further said the converse of this proverb is also true: “Whenever you introduce a true vision into any area of your life, you gain new energy, direction, passion, joy, motivation, creativity and commitment.

Not too many years ago I was very discouraged. To put it bluntly, I was having a hard time with life in general. Much of what I had been doing had crashed around me and to be honest, it didn’t seem there was any way it would get much better. Why, well, the truth be told I had lost the vision. I had lost that which at one time had convinced me I couldn’t lose; that I couldn’t be beaten; that I could and would always win. Those who left their previous lives did the same. They had a vision that drove them to come here and succeed and succeed they did.

I had become a slave to my surroundings much in the same way people are in some countries yet, I lived in America. I was no longer a master of my own destiny AS I HAD ONCE BEEN. In order to get out of my present situation I knew it would take motivation and drive. The only way I knew to get the kind of motivation and drive one must have to overcome the obstacles of life; to face the unknown; to leap into the future and to form your own tomorrows was to have a strong powerful vision. With a strong powerful vision there would be energy pushing and pulling me toward the achievement of my goals. That being said I knew only one way to get that kind of powerful vision to get enthused about life again and that was to dig out my old motivational tapes in hopes listening to them would fill my heart with vision and inspiration.

Unfortunately, the old tapes I had didn’t work in the new CD player technology, so I repurchased that same motivational info on CD and started listening for hours at a time. Little by little my vision changed; I started seeing differently. I began to notice opportunity instead of seeing only a closed door. I started seeing a glimmer of light instead of only darkness. I started getting excited about getting up instead of thinking it was just another day to get through. Soon, I was once again excited about life. It wasn’t too many months down the road that things begin to change. Then, one day, I knew it was back. I had forsaken the old past life just as those who immigrated here forsook their old past life, and moved on. I began to look forward to getting up in the morning. Once again, I was excited about reading and learning. I began to believe again whatever I set my heart to, I could achieve. You can do the same – I promise.

Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…

Respectfully,

Rick Cox