Does it ever seem to you that some of your biggest leaps along life’s path come at a time when you were all but broken? There’s a certain inspiration that comes about when our backs are against the wall…whether in career, relationships, personal growth, or whatever.

Why is that?

Of course, I have a theory…

When there’s no more time for worry or fear, we “get a vision”. We visualize what it is we want – how things need to be going forward, and then we work out a plan to get there. This is not to be confused with running away from problems…that’s not “back against the wall”. I’m talking about that time when there’s no place left to turn; no place to hide; and nowhere to run but right back into the storm. We get a vision…we break through…we win…and ultimately we experience growth.

As an adolescent, I studied one of the greats of the game of golf – Jack Nicklaus. His how-to book on everything from grips, to reading greens on the golf course, to dealing with the mental challenges during a round of golf were a first-of-its-kind. The one thing I can recall…only one (refrain from the jokes about my golf game, please)…was an entire chapter he spent discussing visualization. He practically had the reader “dreaming” the putt, or the shape of a shot, well before addressing the ball. He emphatically supported the “get a vision” concept.

Some will shake a finger at me for my truncated use of a Bible verse, but even in Proverbs 29:18, the author tells us, “where there is no vision, the people perish.” The verse is reflecting on how followers should adhere to the Book of Law or else society will fall into moral chaos. But applying it to each of us individually, have you noticed time just chipping away while you go through the motions day-in, day-out without a vision?

Case in point, I started off 2012 with a vision…I was going to lose 50 pounds this year with lifestyle changes. Those of you who read earlier posts know it was not about a resolution but about a simple comment made by my sweet 7-year-old son. January went by and I was down 14 pounds. February saw another 10 melt away. March…I added a few back. April, I hung on. Well, I went to the doctor this week and weighed in…down 20 for the year. Success, right? Nope. Not for me. Why? Simple…my vision gave way to “chaos” – the actions I had followed early in the year quickly gave way to more overpowering actions from my past, or better said, my distractions and escapes clouded my vision. But, rather than throw in the towel to a lost year – because it hardly is lost – I renewed the vision a couple of weeks ago.

The words of a 7-year-old put my back against the wall. But after fighting through the storm to get to the other side, I relaxed. That’s ok…it’s not the end of the world…but it’s also time to get back to that vision.

Similar challenges have presented themselves in both my personal and professional life. Those of you that know me, know that I create distractions to run from the storms. We all do. But what I’m starting to learn, after years of playing with this terrific life I’ve been given, is that it’s much better to seal off all the exits, turn my face to the storm, and create a back-against-the-wall situation so I can “get a vision”.

How do we get there? How do we seal off the exits? How do we turn our face into the storm and deal with whatever it is that needs to be dealt with? The first step, in my opinion, is to figure out what those distractions are.

What do you escape to? Facebook? Drinking? Gambling? Writing essays in a blog because you think people actually enjoy reading what you have to say? (Don’t worry, Mom…my answer isn’t “all the above”). There’s nothing wrong with any of these things or any escapes you can imagine – they’re all a part of life for a reason. What’s problematic is when we run to those safe-havens as a method of repeatedly escaping the challenges that need to be faced. And if it’s always a load off our shoulders once we deal with things, why do we continue to escape? Why not just deal with it, feel the weight lifted, and get on with things?

Simple answer…we lack a vision.

The musician, Seal, has a song that I’ve grown quite fond of (“If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face” – lyrics included below) – the chorus says so much:

If I could fly, I’d spread my wings
In time to free you from these foolish things
And we won’t be back for sure
If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face
Wish I could take you to a better place
But we just might miss your call

Wouldn’t you hate to miss that call? This chorus speaks to the escapes. I can’t tell you how many friends I have that are going through some tough situations right now. As the song goes, their Mondays feel like just another day in the week. It’s so easy to escape…to run away…or just plain ignore the troubles facing them. As a friend, I want wings to help free them from whatever that trouble is in the first place. But the risk of doing that is a huge detriment…they might just miss that call – in other words, they might miss the opportunity to get a back-to-the-wall moment where they can get a vision and have a life-changing moment.

Here’s my simple encouragement – as much and more to myself than anyone reading this – stop the escapes. Close off the exits. Turn your face into the storm and figure out how you’re gonna grow from this one.

Don’t miss your call…get a vision.

Blessings,

Tim

*****

Seal – “If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face”

If you can’t find your place in this world,
Your life means something to me
Feels like every Monday’s just a day in the week
If you’re lonely, and it seems like reaching up might break you down, don’t go under

If I could fly, I’d spread my wings
In time to free you from these foolish things
And we won’t be back for sure
If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face
Wish I could take you to a better place
But we just might miss your call

No one knows your face in the world, maybe that’s your reason to leave
I think you might be someone that I came to see
You’re real, if you feel like waking up then come around
Do you wonder?

If I could fly, I’d spread my wings
In time to free you from these foolish things
And we won’t be back for sure
If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face
Wish I could take you to another place
But we just might miss your call

’cause we live in the world
We live in the world
We live in the world
We’re free in this world

I have made mistakes I’ve wasted life, and I’ve been down you see
Why are the friends I have could not make time for me?
I have lost my face I’ve broken ground, I’ve been around you know
Follow the loudest voice that waits inside, the time is now

If I could fly, I’d spread my wings
In time to free you from these foolish things
And we won’t be back for sure
If it’s in my mind, it’s on my face
Wish I could take you to better place
But we just might miss your call

If you can’t find your place in this world,
Your life means something to me
Feels like every Monday’s just a day in the week
If you’re lonely, and it seems like reaching up might break you down, don’t go under