Your vision is made up of three primary pillars: how you would FEEL, who you would BE, and what you would DO if you were living it fully. This is an important distinction because people focus most on the doing, less on the feeling, and rarely on the being. If their vision is to have a thriving business and the love of their life, they write down what that would look like, create a plan for how to make it happen, and then go about trying to achieve it.
The problem is that, even if they manage to muscle their way into manifesting something, they tend to bring the same self-concept with them. Or worse, that self is even more beaten down by the journey. But something more significant occurs, or rather doesn’t occur—there’s no change in their character, let alone their soul. And from the soul level, if you achieve something in the world but don’t evolve spiritually, you’ve achieved nothing. It’s a non-event. In broader terms, if you go through life accomplishing only outer results without transforming your inner being, you’ve lived a non-life. From the soul’s perspective you might as well have stayed home and sat this one out. The familiar refrain “What does it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul” could be updated: “What does it profit a man if he gains the world but doesn’t grow?”
At the end of a year—let alone the end of our life—it’s not what we’ve achieved that gives us the most satisfaction; it’s who we’ve become. Are you more peaceful, more loving, more patient, more connected to yourself and others? Do you feel more empowered and authentic in your self-expression? If you feel more in possession of yourself—even if you don’t have more possessions in the world—you’ve had a good year. Then, through the law of emergence, that new state ofbeing must manifest as more having. But then it’s just icing on the cake.
Being. Take a moment to contemplate your ideal vision, to whatever extent you’ve uncovered it, and ask: “If I was living this vision fully, who would I be? How would I walk, talk, and engage others?” Close your eyes and visualize living that life. Notice how you move through this world. Who are you being? What are your qualities of character? Are you more empowered, confident, generous? Imagine a situation you’ve been struggling with and notice how you respond differently now. Are you more centered, patient, forgiving? Be aware of the difference in how you’re being in the vision versus your current life. Write down these qualities of being.
Feeling. Return to the vision state and get in touch with how it feels to be in this ideal life. How does it feel to give, receive, have, be, and do at this level? Enhance the vision to increase that feeling. If you’re in an ideal relationship, see yourself being lavished with loving affection. If you’re working at your ideal job, see yourself greeted with thanks and congratulations, hugs, handshakes and all. If you’re in the public spotlight, see yourself getting a standing ovation, recognition and reward everywhere you go. Don’t worry about how or why, just expand the possibilities and magnify the feelings. Take a breath, take it in…and write down the qualities you felt.
Activating the Feelings. Create a page with two columns. On the left, write “Feelings” (or Qualities), and on the right put “Activation.” Write the qualities on the left side, giving at least a few lines in between each one. Then on the right, list activities, people, places, and sensory objects that make you feel that quality (things that used to make you feel it or things you think would make you feel it now).
Let’s say you have the quality of confidence. Maybe you remember a sport or creative activity that made you feel good about yourself, but over time you stopped doing it. You might recall a supportive friend who makes you feel like you can do anything, but you don’t talk often. Perhaps you’re working on peace, and you feel it when you take walks, but you don’t take them anymore. Or there’s some music that stirs a sense of joy within you, although you rarely listen to it. Write it all down: the walks, the music
What you’re uncovering are all the ways you can design your life to activate the visionary vibration—to tune into a state that is congruent with your vision. Your homeplay is to pick one or two from each quality—or just focus on one—and engineer them into your life. That might be making a date with the friend who makes you feel good. It could be hanging new pictures, placing new objects on your desk, joining the gym, or scheduling a daily walk in the woods—whatever helps you feel these feelings.
Activating the Being. Make another page with two columns. On the left, write down the qualities of being you would express if you were living your ideal vision, giving some space between each. On the other side, write down the activities you can do to start being that person now. To uncover this, close your eyes and tap back into that vision, sensing into this quality of being. Then ask: “What would it look like to step into being this in my life now?” As the answer arises, in whatever form—a vision, a feeling, an idea—continue to ask until you get a specific,actionable piece of guidance. “Love myself more” is not guidance yet; it’s an abstraction of the ego to make you believe you’ve received guidance so you don’t act on it! Engage the guidance, ask specifics: “What would that look like? Who, what, where, when, how often?” Don’t be afraid to ask specifics until you get something you can actually do.
You might be thinking this is too much, and you don’t have time to design this daily congruence strategy, but the truth is you’ve already designed it, just unconsciously. Most people want to be happy, healthy, and live their dreams, but they’re living a strategy based on a reaction to circumstances that is incongruentwith what they really want. They have become a ‘house divided,’ and there is no structural integrity to hold that bigger life up. If you want to grow beyond your current place, you must design a life – and live a life – that reflects where you want to be, not where you currently are.
To Your Emergence!
