Helluva Vision
Some people focus on a short game and follow fads, but that’s an unpredictable and anxiety-plagued never ending roller coaster ride. Robust longer-term strategies in business or life recognize solid trends over greater lengths of time, rather than short-cycle ups and downs of the present circumstances. Having a more distant view towards a horizon (a landmark, if you will) can move us beyond surviving a moment to hoping for the future with clarity, a sense of purpose, and a definite direction. People are generally consistent in their motives, fears, desires and behaviors over time and irrespective of the issues we confront in our lives. I know that I am. Playing the long-game takes out many nonessential distractions and white noise (i.e. confusion? ambivalence? fear?) that consumes so much space in our lives. When I wallow in my fears, lose sight of my deeper meaningful motives, bury my innermost righteous desires, or behave as if my footprints are inconsequential, I willingly give away the moments of my life and my unique superpowers. What I really mean by the “long-game”, is vision. Having a vision goes a long way to mitigating life’s dynamics by helping me remember who I am, why my life matters, and how i should be spending the finite number of breaths or heartbeats I have. Do you have a personal vision for your life? Have you courageously chosen to integrate your vision into all aspects of your life, even your work or your business? It may be difficult, it may be a significant disruption, it may come at a cost, but the risk or result of not taking this journey is certainly the greater tragedy. Soul-crushing.
In my own life, I’ve chosen integration of the various aspects of my life as part of my vision. Although I am a constant work in progress, it has made for a richer life indeed— irrespective of the hypothetical or real costs i’ve incurred or will incur. I hope I don’t sound cavalier about the consequences of these choices; this process has been painful and disruptive, but it has also been exhilarating and holy. In becoming intentional about my choices (i.e. who and what is worth living for and thus dying for) I’ve had to recognize then eliminate, correct, or forgive uncomely aspects of my own narrative—my own story. The most painful and exhilarating part of this process is the realization that my life has had, is having, and will have an effect on others whether I want it to or not! If I continue living only for myself, then this won’t matter much—until it does. A human being will never experience fullness of life unless he or she discovers and aligns with a vision that carries them humbly well beyond themselves; well beyond the garden walls of their own hearts.
A business enterprise is really nothing more than an extension of the core values of its people put into action. Said another way, a mean’s to accomplish a vision. For us, that simply means using our superpowers to be responsible stewards within our sphere of influence. Maybe this means we do fewer projects and make less than the maximum amount of profit, but we aren’t counting that as a cost. Perhaps this is an intentional albeit nonconventional approach, but it generates life giving returns measured by joy in our days, peace in our souls, clarity of mind and purpose, and strength in our connections.