Playing Our Part:
Sir Michael Costa was conducting a rehearsal, in which the orchestra was joined in a great chorus. About half way through the session, with the trumpets blaring, drums rolling, and violins singing their rich melody, the Piccolo player muttered to himself, "What good am I doing? I might as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway!" So he placed his instrument to his lips but made no sound. Within moments the conductor cried, "Stop! Stop! Stop! Where is the Piccolo?" Although it's sometimes hard to see, it's true that often the smallest and seemingly least important instrument can make the greatest contribution. So it is with our life.
I have worked for the past twenty years advising and assisting people to find their personal and corporate vision. My instrument is the capacity to support others in the journey of discovering vision; vision in life and vision in business! As a coach, we have an awesome privilege and are in a unique position to play our part. For all of us, our performance isn't complete until we do our best with what we have. This requires vision!
Defining Vision:
"An informed bridge from the present to the future"
"Seeing the invisible and making it visible"
"Sanctified dreams" -Gerge Barna
"Vision for purpose is a clear mental image of a preferable future".
Vision is the filter by which all other decisions are made and as such it must be owned, because it will take you beyond anything you have experienced before. Vision can be distinguished within your personal mission or your corporate purpose.
It's specific and so can't be all things to all people. If you try to make it so, you usually end up betraying your vision.
As a coach, my primary responsibility is to positively facilitate people through transition.From childhood to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood, from singleness to partnership, unemployment to employment, from sickness to wholeness, from crisis to resolve, failure to success, from poverty onto prosperity.
How can any of us face such daily challenges without a vision of the preferable outcome?
Identifying and prioritizing your vision has to be the best response to self-doubt. It empowers you with it's purpose and direction ? it becomes your compass and your map!
"A person's visionary capacity will determine the outcome!"
Organisations led by people without a clear mental vision often experience symptoms of frustration within and a slowing down of momentum. They have no compass or map and as such, sometimes attract individuals that are happy to remain lost.
On the other hand, an organisation that has established its core values and vision will actually attract visionaries to it.
The buy in factor for visionaries ? people who have force within, compelling forward momentum - goes way beyond natural circumstances and into the realm of values. The value you get out of vision is priceless. The amazing thing about defining and developing vision is that it is never impoverished. It will reward in the end, way beyond your expectations. What value would you put on the potential of vision within your organisation?
Vision is the awakening of our life's purpose and is the force that compels us forward. It attracts people of similar spirit. It will empower you and overcome obstacles.
It stands for something, rather than falling for anything!
Coaching provides one of the greatest avenues to develop vision, accountability, encouragement and empowering questions, all serve to build strategies for vision.
As well as a wealth of free downloads online, many of the books I have written are on sale via the website - and a variety of Coaching options are all there, at your service, to build your vision.
Tony Mckeown is a personal life coach and director of coaching 4 life New Zealand. He has a passion for empowering people to find their life mission and purpose. He has authored training manuals, motivational articles, numerous e-books and regularly hosts international tele-classes and conferences on vision.
He produces a monthly newsletter "get a life", and provides free downloads from his coaching site: http://www.coaching4life.net.nz
AP - Democrats are growing impatient with President-elect Barack Obama's refusal to inject himself in the major economic crises confronting the country. Obama has sidestepped some policy questions by saying there is only one president at a time. But the dodge is wearing thin. "He's going to have to be more assertive than he's been," House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., told consumer advocates Thursday.
AP - A Pakistani militant group apparently used an Indian operative as far back as 2007 to scout targets for the elaborate plot against India's financial capital, authorities said Thursday, a blow to Indian officials who have blamed the deadly attacks entirely on Pakistani extremists.
AP - Desperate U.S. automakers ran into fresh obstacles from skeptical lawmakers Thursday as they appealed with rising urgency — and a new dose of humility — for a $34 billion bailout. Without help, said one senator, "we're looking at a death sentence."
AP - Blackwater Worldwide guards involved in the deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting of Iraqi civilians could face mandatory 30-year prison sentences under an aggressive anti-drug law being considered as the Justice Department readies indictments, people close to the case said.
AP - With just weeks before President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in, his choice for secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is scrambling to reduce massive campaign debt before federal ethics rules prohibit her from doing so.
AP - Erik Estrada has returned to Muncie to take part in overnight police patrols in the city where he starred in the short-lived reality series "Armed & Famous." The former star of the 1970s motorcycle cop drama "CHiPs" is a reserve officer on the Muncie Police Department.
AP - Antonio Pierce and the doctor who treated his New York Giants teammate Plaxico Burress after he accidentally shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub will talk to investigators Friday.
Reuters - The chief executives of General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC said they would consider restarting merger talks if needed to win their slice of up to $34 billion in emergency U.S. government aid.
Reuters - Top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc said it will eliminate 12,000 jobs, or about 4 percent of its workforce, in a fresh wave of cuts to cope with an economic downturn that has exacerbated a decline in traditional phone sales.
Reuters - Central banks in Europe slashed their benchmark interest rates by record amounts on Thursday to fight the global economic crisis, while U.S. automakers pleaded for a bailout to avoid collapse.
Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Pakistan had given assurances of its commitment to root out terrorism and round up anyone connected to last week's attack in the Indian city of Mumbai.
Reuters - Iraq's Presidency Council has approved a security pact with the United States that paves the way for a complete U.S. troop pullout by the end of 2011, a spokesman for the council said on Thursday.
Reuters - The United States will quickly feel a change in attitude from Moscow if President-elect Barack Obama transforms Washington's policies toward Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
Reuters - Thailand's revered and influential king missed his traditional birthday eve address due to illness on Thursday, a speech many Thais had hoped would provide short-term relief to the country's intractable political crisis.
Reuters - Hate crimes against Arab Americans have decreased steadily since the September 11 attacks but are still more common than they were before the hijackings, a civil rights group said on Thursday.
AFP - Leading European central banks took historic action Thursday to ward off spreading recessions, slashing their key lending rates to boost businesses and consumers.
AFP - Car bombers killed at least 15 people in a former rebel bastion on Thursday as Iraq's security pact with Washington won final approval before its launch at the end of the month.
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