Having a vision is a pretty standard part of making a bucket list or setting up a non-profit. But rarely do we give the process of visioning the time and container that it deserves. We are content to keep our vision “logical” or “rational”, but in doing so, we’re actually undercutting our ability to do the incredible.

We all deserve the opportunity to do something incredible. That starts with letting yourself vision from a place of wonder and curiosity.

Let’s explore how!

Child-Like Wonder As A Lens For Your Vision

Somewhere along the way, we were convinced that our wonder, curiosity, and imagination were setbacks.

When we dreamt too big, people around us would tell us to be more realistic. We were told we can’t change the world. We were told to pick attainable paths.

Now, whoever told us those things–whether they were a teacher, our parents, or even our friends–was projecting their limitations and fear of disappointment onto us. But because we respected them in some capacity, we learned to absorb those limitations for ourselves.

Our vision–our dreams and our goals about the life we want to live–slowly morphed into something the people around us deemed more likely. Maybe we stopped pushing ourselves to grow and expand, because we reached the stage we needed to be in to make this “realistic” dream possible.

You might be here now. You might be looking at your life, grateful for what you have, and still feeling like there is something more. Something you’re called to do. Places you’re called to see. People you’re called to meet.

Yet, you can’t remember what.

The first stage to unlocking your vision is to reconnect to your childlike wonder.

Do you remember what the world felt like when you didn’t understand how things like money or politics worked? Do you remember seeing possibility and adventure around every corner? Do you remember playing and finding joy, even when you had next to nothing besides your own thoughts to occupy you?

When we are creating a vision, whether it is for ourselves or for our community, we can only imagine as wildly as we let ourselves. A child’s imagination is expansive–endless–infinite. But over the years, that child’s imagination is reined in as we learn how things work around us. Very often, we are told that this is “just the way things are” and that there’s no point in trying to change it. We are told, rather firmly, to settle for reality the way it is.

People are scared of a vision that requires change–even when that change is good

Because change is disruptive. Change makes people uncomfortable.

Change–even when it is to make the world better or more loving–requires that we move through a period of growth.

And growth is frightening when we’ve forgotten it is a feature of being alive–not a bug.

When we’re starting the visioning process–whether we are tapping back into our dreams or are working with others to collectively dream a new reality–our inner child is waiting, right there, to be welcomed back. Their curiosity and wonder about possibility and growth are begging to be tapped into. When we invite the inner child back into the visioning process, we allow ourselves to see the world as it ought to be, rather than as it has been built. We allow ourselves to see the need for justice, for a hero, and for change. And because we are seeing this from the child’s perspective, we know that change and growth are natural–we’re brave enough to start the adventure.

A Strong Vision Emerges When It Is Safe To Dream About Something Better

I can hear some of you already protesting that children cannot run the world. They are naive and idealistic. They don’t understand how hard it can be to make changes.

And you’re right. Partly.

But in the visioning process, we don’t need to have the answers for how to reach our vision right away.

We don’t need to know all the steps. We don’t need to write down a 20-point plan.

We simply need to have a vision of what we’re working towards.

As soon as we start denying the wildest dreams of our inner child, we are sending ourselves a signal that we cannot exist in that unbridled authenticity. We are telling ourselves that we need to tone down our energy and act a certain way for our vision to be acceptable.

We are telling ourselves that it is not safe to be who we are. It is not safe to listen to the dream in our hearts.

I get this. For a long time, I lived a life I knew I did not want, and I had forgotten how to imagine a life better for myself. I focused instead on the things other people were telling me would make my life better–easier. I focused on what I ate. I focused on working out. I focused on trying to control the harmony in my home.

Imagining something new felt scary

Imagining something new–something better–something that didn’t involve me micromanaging every aspect of my life to be happy felt scary. How could I know that it was actually possible? What if I were even more disappointed or hurt on the path to that life?

As I said, these are subtle ways that we teach ourselves that it’s not actually safe to dream about something better. These are the ways we frighten ourselves into settling for a life we don’t really want and that we aren’t actually meant to live.

On both group and personal levels, our authentic vision relies on feeling safe enough in our bodies to actually expand our imagination and expectations. This safety can look like creating a container or space that is designed to bring in softness and calm. It can look like taking deep belly breaths, or even like sharing a group icebreaker to cut through tension.

Once again, our inner child comes back here. When our inner child feels safe to play, they are also safe to imagine. When we imagine, we can see our vision more clearly.

Okay, We Have A Vision–But It IS Unrealistic. What Now?

It is easy to dismiss a vision that we have if it seems unrealistic. Elements of it may be more fantastical than current realities allow for.

This doesn’t mean that you throw the whole thing out, and settle for Stan’s 9 Step SMART goals (sorry Stan–I’m sure you are a cool dude).

The task now is to tease out the parts of the vision that you can act on. When I think about my vision for Vibrant Systems, I am seeking to create a world where communities are built on actualized connections, authenticity, and reciprocity. The framework for this does not exist wholly yet. But, I have developed three mission pathways that help me bring this vision into reality: offering products to help people deepen their connections to self, offering services like Community Mentorship to help folks deepen their connections to others, and consistently working to model what it looks like to deepen our connection to the environments we live in.

Once you have been able to define your mission pathways, THEN we invite Stan back to help us define a strategic plan and SMART goals to act on these pathways.

The true reality is that we don’t allow ourselves to have an outrageous vision in the first place, then we’re actually more likely to hold ourselves back from what we are truly capable of. Having a vision that we never fully realize but work towards every day is far more important than being too scared to dream of a reality because it’s unlikely.

Unlocking Your Vision: A Free Mini Course

Understanding these steps by reading about them is one way to step into your vision. Maybe it’s all the permission you need to let yourself dream truly and authentically.

But, if you’d like to take it one step further, then I have an offering for you!

Unlocking Your Vision is a free mini video course that I created to help you tap into this process of embodying your inner child, creating a sense of safety, and stepping into your imagination. This video course is great for people who are looking to connect to their authentic dreams again. It’s also a fantastic resource for those who are drawn to make an impact in their communities–whether that is as a community builder, a business owner, or in some other incredible way.

We need more visionaries in the world like you!

So jump–sign up to Unlock Your Vision today.

Let’s make your story a vibrant one.