“He who looks through an open window sees fewer things than he who looks through a closed window.”
― Charles Baudelaire
For the average person going about their daily routine, there is normally a regular amount of stress that comes with that. From handling heavy workloads, balancing work with family and friends, to even traffic.
There are moments in between where you stare into that red light at the crossing for what seems like hours. You find that you ask yourself “What am I doing? Why am I doing this?”
It’s often more taxing to think about a big question rather than a smaller one. Usually, we don’t have answers for that big one. It leaves us with unresolved anxiety and we move on to other more pertinent matters out of necessity.
In light of the global pandemic that’s wreaked havoc upon millions, a side effect might be that we’re forced to spend more time with those unanswered questions in the back of our minds.
The world will arguably never be the same after this crisis passes, and so it’s safe to assume that we have to match that change with a change of our own.
Now more than ever, it’s time to face those burdensome questions and at least begin to find, not necessarily an answer, but rather a path to follow to find one.
We have an opportunity to be able to try and look ahead down the road instead of having to look directly beneath of our own two feet.
We are often so preoccupied with the How and fail to address the Why.
That is the fundamental difference between a Mission and a Vision.
A mission entails everything that you must accomplish in order to reach your vision. Your vision is your dream, your ultimate goal and what you strive to reach.
In the current situation, for many of us the means to our dream have been halted due to lockdown measures or as a consequence in general of the coronavirus.
This gives us time to re-evaluate where we stand in life.
It offers us a chance to see whether we have a vision in the first place or not.
A vision isn’t phased by circumstances. It stands the test of time and tribulations. Whereas a mission can be affected.
A mission can fail, a vision can only be delayed.
So if you feel that your dream has failed, you might be confusing the two concepts.
Don’t let the messy daily ups and downs drag your dreams down.
Envisioning your dream can take years, or it can happen overnight. There’s no way to really judge how to draw out a vision. It’s a mashup of your passions, your deepest desires and your priorities in life.
Working hard is vital, but more important is the direction of that hard work.
The more you reflect on yourself, the more you’ll be able to have a more clear idea of what your vision might be.
This is how we look forward in the midst of darkness.
Not by looking for a silver lining, but by we finding a purpose and meaning. Through a strong and clear vision, no circumstance no matter how hard can come between you and your dream as long you strive for it all your life.
Ultimately that might be what matters most.
Dream big. Dream again and again until you find the one you want most.
When you’ve found it, you’ll fight for it and the hard work will be a little easier to bear because it’s what you most desire in the depth of your heart.