Ignite!

Nothing great that has ever been done happened without vision. It is the spark, the catalyst, the fuse, that ignites action.

Vision is critical, and yet it is killed by the critics. Critics, even casual in nature, push vision back into the box where they think it belongs. Critics, naysayers, cynics - they have done so much damage.

And yet I can’t deny their power in my life – how many times they’ve shoved me back in my place because I haven’t wanted to be seen in a negative light by them or anyone else.

But vision is the central element to everything. Vision comes from a core conviction that it can be done: we will win, the lost will be found, profit will be made, the plan will work, the dream will come true.

The problem with people like me who struggle with a mild case of ADHD is not that they lack vision; it’s that they lack focus. 5000 visions are great, but only one or two will do for a lifetime. So the challenge in the real world isn’t vision as much as it is discipline.

Discipline in this case is the ability to say no to the endless “goods” so you can remain in hot pursuit of the best – and it’s got to be done daily, even hourly, as the next in line behind the critic is the one who has got an opportunity that will blow you right off course.

But like a plant must get water to grow, vision must get fed the fertile food of time, reflection, and necessary adjustment. All of this requires concentration, which I’ve found as a husband, father of three, Lead Pastor, doctoral student, and most recently pastoral coach, is a rare commodity.

But all we have is today. All we have are the seconds that are ticking by. Tomorrow may not afford us as many opportunities as today. Let's not wait to find out.