“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller
Not far from my home is the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass. I’ve walked the grounds several times. It’s a beautiful place. One of its most famous students happened to be Helen Keller.
The fact that Helen Keller was blind makes her quote even more interesting. Though she couldn’t see she certainly didn’t lack vision! In order to understand why a little background is required.
In 1887, a teacher named Anne Sullivan came from the Perkins School to Tuscumbia, Alabama to be Helen Keller’s teacher. The first weeks were a nightmare as Helen hit, pinched, and kicked her new teacher. She even knocked out one of her teeth! But Anne Sullivan was not to be dissuaded. She moved Helen into a small cottage on the Keller’s property so they could focus. She had to win her heart before educating her mind.
Sullivan began teaching Helen the techniques developed by Samuel Gridley Howe, Perkins’ first director. It involved fingerspelling the names of everyday objects into the hand. Keller didn’t understand at first, until one day, the pieces came together. While pumping water over Helen’s hand, Sullivan spelled “water” into her hand. Helen later wrote this in reference to that moment:
“Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten – a thrill of returning thought, and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!” (Helen Keller, Perkins School for the Blind)
That day forever changed her life. She couldn’t see with her eyes, but she had new vision!
Helen Keller may have been blind but she didn’t lack vision.
- She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelors degree
- She published twelve books in her writing career
- She founded Helen Keller International to combat the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition
- She was a world-renowned speaker
- She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Clearly, she lived with a purpose and vision.
Mantras, Cliches, or Profound Truths?
We’ve all heard the mantras about vision…
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there. (Cheshire Cat)
If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. (Zig Ziglar)
Where there is no vision, the people perish…(Proverbs 29:18)
Begin with the end in mind. (Steven Covey)
But what is vision and how do you actually get it?
Vision – the act or power of seeing, the act or power of imagination. (Merriam-Webster)
Vision is more than sight or a statement posted on a wall. In the words of Kevin Paul Scott, vision is a dream, a goal, a purpose, or a place you are headed.
Because we were made in the image of God and created with a purpose, we have the ability to dream, imagine, and create. Sometimes vision comes easy but other times it is frustrating – like when the pieces of a puzzle start to come together but you can’t yet make out the overall picture.
We all feel blind sometimes. We have sight but no vision. Here are some things that help form vision in me. Vision isn’t something we figure out once and for all, and it can change from time to time. It needs to be fostered. My hope in sharing my process is that it might bring clarity for your own journey.
1) Pay attention to your dreams and desires.
I’ve written more about desires here so I won’t repeat myself too much. It suffices to say, vision often begins with dreams and desires. Unfortunately, we often lose the ability to create and dream as we grow older. A fairly recent Inc. Magazine article shared a NASA study that found that 98 percent of 4 and 5-year-olds tested at the “creative genius” level. Five years later, only 30 percent of that group scored at the same level, and again, five years after that only 12 percent. When the same test was administered to adults, only 2 percent scored at the genius level. That means you’re 96 percent less creative than when you were a child! Why do we lose our creative genius? According to the study, our creativity is drained by education. Apparently, as we get better at convergent thinking or the ability to “focus and hone our thoughts” we grow worse at divergent thinking – or creative out-of-the-box thinking. Here’s the implication:
The older we get the less creative we become and the harder we have to work at it.
Creativity and vision go hand in hand. The more creative we are, the more vision we have.
2) Margin amplifies creativity and vision.
One of the most common responses, when you ask someone how they are doing, is, “I’m busy.” Imagine if you heard this response instead, “I’m well-rested and in the flow!” While it’s not realistic or authentic to assume this could always be the answer, there’s a reason “busy” is a common one. Most of us don’t know how to find a margin and rest in our lives. As it turns out, creativity and vision require margin, and margin is something we plan too little of these days.
Walks are one example of margin. I take at least one if not two walks every day. Just yesterday, I took a walk and jotted down thoughts and outlines for three different blog/article ideas! As Nietzsche once said, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”
3) Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective (Mark Batterson).
This can be as spontaneous as taking a walk or as intentional as planning an annual vision retreat. I actually do 2-3 personal retreats per year, and every year in November, I go on what I call an “Annual Vision Retreat.” I take three whole days to pray, reflect on the past year, and dream about and do some planning for the upcoming year. I’ve written more about planning and goal setting and focus.
If you’ve never done an annual vision retreat, I recommend starting with one whole day, not three days. I also suggest doing it before Thanksgiving. Once December hits, things get busier and plans tend go out the window. Keep it simple and do these three things:
- If you are a person of faith, start with prayer, and get God’s heart and agenda
- Reflect on the year you just lived
- Think about your dreams and goals for the upcoming year and write down some specific goals.
As you grow in this practice you can become more strategic and do a longer retreat.
Dare to Dream!
Grab your calendar and plan a date for your next (or first) retreat. You won’t regret it!
What has worked for you when it comes to vision? Share a comment below…
*Photo by Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash
