Day 4 ~ Vision

One of the defining moments that got me started on this little excursion was last Sunday at church. Dad preached a sermon and posed the following question, "what would be your reaction if you were told to get your things in order, you don't have much time left to live?" I thought about it for a minute and then proceeded to have my own private panic attack. My angst was not because I would fear for my family or their well-being without me or even the fact that I would be faced with a mountain of legalities to put in order before my demise. I felt panic for the sheer reason that I had an acute realization of all the time I've wasted. If I knew tomorrow that I only had a year or a month or even a week to live, I would be so mad at myself for letting life slip right by without getting out there and living in it. Oh, I have plenty to DO and I stay fairly busy, but I've been checked-out for quite a while now, merely going through the motions.

I am a world-class procrastinator, an expert. It seems like tomorrow always seems like a better time. But what if there isn't a tomorrow? Now, I'm not saying I want to live my life worried that I might leap from this planet at any moment, I'm just coming to a realization that I have got to get myself back into this life thing. I've got an amazing opportunity in front of me and I'm really getting excited about it.

So, I am slowly preparing myself for the trip. Right now I feel like I'm packing my bags and getting ready to go while I've got one foot out the door. I want to take off full-steam ahead but am trying to keep getting prepared so that I am fully equipped and ready for anything that might come my way as I travel. I was given some very wise advise recently. Now and then it's good to pause in the pursuit of happiness and just be happy. Very wise indeed. Getting there is half the fun, right? Even as I "pack my bags" I am finding myself enjoying the task at hand. I realize that it isn't bound to stay in this state of excitement and anticipation so I've got to prepare myself for that too.

Remember a few years ago when that book/DVD series "The Secret" was so popular? It was all about how your thoughts become your actions and that you can ultimately change your life just by your state of mind. I never read the book but I watched the Oprah shows that highlighted the subject matter. It was quite fascinating and I believe that the concepts are valid. You are what you think. Today I was looking up scripture to find biblical backing on this whole theory. I found a few.

....Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may allow what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ~ Romans 12: 2

...Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23

...Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ~ Phillipians 4: 8

...But each one is tempted when, by his own evil thoughts, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ~ James 1: 14-15

I am going to dig further for biblical backing on this but I am assured that whatever is in our heads and hearts will eventually materialize. One of the exercises assigned in "The Secret" that captivated me was the idea of building a "vision board". This is basically a visual stimulus to help your brain absorb the images that you want your life to become. It is also sometimes referred to as a Visual Explorer, Treasure Map, or Creativity Collage. It's basically a poster board or some such thing with images clipped from magazines or books or prints from the internet all of which represent the person you want to become. Not that you can clip out a hundred images of Cameron Diaz and think you're gonna wake up in her skin, but it is more the idea of who YOU want to be, the best version of what God made. So, I've begun collecting images and will be putting my vision board together over the next week or so. It really is exciting.

I love that God gave us free-will. Even though we are at liberty to hurl ourselves into a pit of sin, we are just as free to pull ourselves out of it. Even our miraculous bodies are able to heal and bounce back from years of abuse. Not that we won't be without our scars but we can change, we can be better tomorrow than we were yesterday and if we strive daily to do what's right and if we keep our goal in mind we might just look back and be surprised at how far we've come.