Purposeful Vision

CHAPTER 1

The REALITY of your vision will lead to the REALIZATION of your dreams!

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You cannot create anything you want from life if you cannot see it as a possibility. Period. It’s never going to happen.
In order for your dreams to manifest into reality, you must have a distinct vision to help you navigate through life. Having a vision is also critically important to substantiating the meaning of your life and vali- dating the reason why you are here.

PURPOSEFUL VISION

Every single one of us has a vision. We may just call it by a different name, such as a dream, a wish, or a hope. But how do you get from having a dream to seeing it come true?
The long answer? Quite simply, many things need to be set in motion and accomplished before your dream manifests itself.
The short answer? It begins with imagination.

The Importance of Imagination
Imagination is the only state of mind in our lives that allows us to be free from the limiting reality we live in. Allowing our imagination to flow freely liberates us from the restraints of regular life.
Imagination creates a vision for us to see what could be. Imagination gives us hope in the face of adversity because it has no limits. It allows us to believe in possibilities that would not otherwise exist. It allows us to feel invigorated, alive, optimistic, and enthusi- astic. It connects us to a deeper part of ourselves.
I believe:

Imagination is the essence of sustained motivation toward the accomplishment of any goal.

SEE YOUR VISION, KNOW YOUR PURPOSE

Imagination connects you continually and sustain- ably to a tangible outcome. It determines your behavior.
Did you realize that your imagination has an actual physiological impact on your emotions, allowing them to be evoked positively or negatively? You physically feel what might transpire if the situation you are imagining becomes a reality!
Let me give you an example. We have all had the experience of constantly imagining the outcome of a negative experience and immediately feeling our heart beginning to race as feelings of anxiety begin to rise up within us. Perhaps you were in a situation and wondered:

What will the medical test reveal?
Will I embarrass myself at this presentation? What if I forget what I’m going to say?
Are those police lights flashing behind me?

We’ve all been there, but entertaining negative thoughts produces the stress and anxiety as if the potential outcome actually happened! The body is reacting to the images provided by our mind with phys- ical symptoms.

PURPOSEFUL VISION

The reverse effect can also be achieved. If we imagine a positive, uplifting experience, don’t we feel excited, uplifted, and energized? What a difference!
The fact is, your body is hardwired to simply respond to your mind, and your mind responds to the pictures we feed it. It’s the same for all of us.
Now here is where things get very interesting ... your emotions and behavior are also tied to the images you visualize. Though often underestimated, it is a very powerful combination.
Understand and internalize this truth, that your imagination is a reference point. It will help you find your life purpose and future as you visualize it. It is all about the mental pictures you create.
Let me ask you something. How many times have you really had your imagination roam in the recesses of your mind to come up with a huge idea, and been spurred to move forward on that incredible idea, only to be told by others that it is impossible?
Don’t they ask you why you would even think or imagine such a thing? And if you don’t have the educa- tion, finances, or resources, they really give you grief! Regardless of their intentions, they try to ground you before you even take the first step toward flight.
Sound familiar? If so, I want you to grab hold of the following truth:

SEE YOUR VISION, KNOW YOUR PURPOSE

No one has created a life of their dreams by fulfilling the wishes of others.

You may be motivated to please others or look for fulfillment through external affirmation, but do not let go of your dream or your vision simply because someone says it’s impossible. You have the tools and the resources within yourself to help make your dreams a reality.

The Three Facets of Consciousness
Every experience, every conversation, and every reaction to each circumstance in your life is recorded, registered, and played back to you in your mind.
Sometimes this constant replay results in a negative outcome. It may keep you from turning your dreams into reality. It may not allow your dreams to manifest.
Believe it or not, much of this happens without conscious thought. That is because the responses to situations in our lives are subconscious. Simply put, the way we live our lives, the people we associate with, and the input they give us, form the belief systems we culti- vate within ourselves ... and from this we create and form the habits and responses we live by. Naturally, sometimes this is good and sometimes it is bad.

PURPOSEFUL VISION

The opinions of others are stored and ready for automatic playback. We don’t even have to think about a response. We simply act from our previous conditioning, and all conditioning begins and ends with our subconscious and is stored in our subcon- scious.
For example, if you had a bad experience in a rela- tionship, that experience is stored. Then when you meet someone new, any similar behaviors that you experienced in the past will be replayed and thought of as “red flags” in your new relationship. Your subcon- scious has a memory of the previous relationship and similar events act as “triggers.”
But shouldn’t a relationship be based on the present and not the past? But as you might expect, the subconscious does not let go of memories or condi- tioning very easily.
The only way to shake off the old way of thinking, to purge your subconscious mind, is to diligently repro- gram your responses. YOU decide what is useful to store and YOU decide what is detrimental to your growth and well-being.
Essentially, your subconscious is storing, playing, and developing new habits that cause grooves in the brain to be etched and, just like with an old record player, the needle gets stuck and plays the same old

SEE YOUR VISION, KNOW YOUR PURPOSE

tune over and over. You know the feeling of being stuck in a rut, and that is essentially what is happening when you just follow the leading of your subconscious. It’s the same old song.
Habits can be represented by what you like. This can be useful to your well-being as you grow and develop, but it’s not always the case. You have to consciously decide what you want to play, when, and how.
Does your taste in music change over the years? Your clothes? Your preferences of food and environ- ments? These are all external. Doesn’t it make sense then that your habits should also change with every- thing else?
Habits are internal, and internal changes tend to be more challenging than external changes. If the correct habits are made permanent, they can change the course of your life when applied correctly. External changes — like a bigger car, a promotion, or brand new house — can sometimes give a false sense of progress, but external changes very rarely have any effect on habits or conditioning.
Understand and apply this: