When I was growing up my mother instilled the process of writing the vision in line with Habbakuk 2:2 “write the vision make it plain”. Mum held family meetings which included a chat and assessment with her to discuss our strengths and weaknesses and our vision for the next year. Lord knows how I hated those meetings, albeit journaling became a habit. It amuses me to no end looking through some Bible translations that it says “write it on tablets” one would wonder if the Bible had foreknowledge of our tablets!
“THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN. SIGHT AND VISION. EYESIGHT essentially refers to the physical attributes and performance of the many organic components involved in the visual system. 20/20 vision is a commonly quoted measure of normal vision, yet it simply describes the sensitivity of the eye to see fine detail in the distance”
We use the terms interchangeably in our lives e.g. I can see my book on the shelves selling – that is insight. Vision is the finer details of putting the book together, pouring out what is inside me to create the book. I see the manuscript that is on my tablet and laptop – the physical sight of putting it together. Sight has to do with external information received through the eyes; vision is like insight, an inner knowledge; what you see in your heart. Have you ever experienced the process of suddenly seeing pictures in your mind, when minding your own business? I believe these are pictures spoken to the heart from yourself and the Holy Spirit. When an architect is asked to draw a house he has to see it before he puts pen to paper. He does the drawing with exact measurements as the vendor explains what he sees. That is vision, seeing the horizon and the finished product. .
As we enter the New Year it is important to write down the Vision you have for your life and 2017. I gave up the doctrine of “this is the year of this or the other”, the simple reason I believe we live in seasons. Visions don’t necessarily happen immediately and it is dangerous to assume it will birth itself without hard work. There are moments of frustration a bit like a pregnant woman during the different stages of pregnancy. Everything has a season and a time to be born and visions are birthed; they are built, redrawn, changed as new information is brought in.
In 2006 I wrote a Vision “I wanted to help people who had experienced child abuse as minors and functional alcoholics”. Hidden in that vision was my story and the healing process that one goes through when they accept there is a problem. Many times the challenges we go through are to bring healing to others. Other times it births a change on character and it is important to keep this in mind as vision also helps you prepare you to your next place. Healing is a process, you have to uproot the cause of the infection and layer by layer suture the wound. In the end you only carry a scar.
In 2015, I registered my own company Ms Lady Boss whose Vision was to encourage African women to seek what I perceive as a loss of our identity. The aim was encourage integrating what we have learnt from the West with our cultural beliefs as we are unique and are advantaged being cross-cultural. I was concerned that we were raising a generation that seemingly was lost and had no values. The exposure in to mental health meant I could see the shortfalls in Kenya and in Africa in supporting people with mental health illnesses and the importance of understanding of cultural belief to enhance treatment for Black, Asian, Ethnic minority groups. As I grew the vision changed every year and then life threw me a curve ball, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which allowed me to see through the eyes of a service user. Unknown to me it was preparing me to fight for those viewed lesser in our society.
Like a pot in the potters hands, my vision and person changed. I had to challenge my own beliefs and behold the mental health advocate/mentor born. I wrote a vision of what I wanted to do and why I wanted to, the how was yet to be discovered.
In June 2016 I started writing my book “Broken into Purpose” setting aside “Zuena” my first book. I chose to write from the end as I believe you have to have insight on where you are going. In 2015 I have had the opportunity to be on a panel to discuss depression at an open mic session held by The Nous and a speaker at the launch of the book Pain to Purpose by Dr. Ava Eagle Brown in 2016. These opportunities were afforded by Dr. Ava Eagle Brown, best selling author, Business Strategist and Transformational coach and Lade Olugbemi, the President of the Nous.
Write the Vision my friend and trust the process and it will come to pass.
