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The vision you have for your life

A timely ballast in the midst of life's storms, the vision I have for my life held me together. With all the ingredients required to make me fall apart present in my life, the vision held me together. It saved me from self-destruction and gave me strength I never thought I could master.

It gave me control of my life's direction, the way that a car's steering wheel gives the driver control of all the kinetic energy it possesses. The vision also changed how I perceived all the different dimensions that define my life. It redefined my past, present and future, and how I relate to it all. A meaningless and purposeless past, became relevant and vital to my present. I'm now thankful for that past because it is now the tool I use to make my future better, as it comes to me day by day.

A life without a vision is like a kite let loose; it is directed by the forces that be, never giving even the slightest of resistance to life's pressures, eventually ending up far away from home (that comfortable place). You shouldn't expect anyone to give you a vision. A vision is not given, it's created, by you.

The vision has four dimensions: the past, now, the future and you. That is: where you are coming from, where you're at, where you are going and how you relate to it all. Retrospect, introspect, and prospect. You look back on life, look within you, and look forward to the future. It's ironic how your vision opens your eyes and makes you see.

Know your worth

What constitutes worth? In short, I would say the valuable attributes you have in relation to how you can productively use them. Examples of attributes include knowledge, intelligence, skill, honesty, wisdom, kindness and empathy. Worth is a combination of all these, in which the sum equates to productivity. All attributes have value, but they have worth if they are used productively.

The compositions of the phrases self-growth and self-worth are differentiated by a single letter, g, and that stands for go, in my mind. You have to go and do something, to grow and have worth. You are valuable; but you are worth as much as you think and make yourself out to be. You have to go forward in your life, and make progress. If you get your mind set on being a productive person then you will become that, with time.

There is an equation that I like to use when looking at my life's progress:

Current Worth - Past Worth = Progress or Regression

If you have attributes that you could use less productively last year than you can this year (meaning you are more productive), then you have made progress. The opposite equates to regression.

It's also quite easy to forget just how valuable you are if you don't remind yourself. The difficulties of life don't stop attacking your self-worth and self-confidence, you just have to repair and fortify every time. Recall and recite it; tell yourself what you are worth.

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© Innocent Mwatsikesimbe (@imwatsi)