The Value of Vision

Part 1 of this newsletter – “The Value of Vision” – was inspired by a wonderful experience I had this past month. I hope it encourages you as you plan for the coming year and what you want to achieve…

IN THIS ISSUE
Part 1 - The Value of Vision
Part 2 - Showcase
Part 3 - Personal Reflections
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Part 1 - The Value of Vision
A buzz filled the air as background music played softly and dim lights cast shadows across a stage that would soon come to life. Actors had rehearsed for weeks, stage designers and crew had labored for the right effects, and theatre lovers of all ages had anticipated this night. It was Nov 11th, 2005 – opening night of the 1912 stage play of the much loved novel, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

As the young woman next to me shifted restlessly in her seat, I closed my program, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and whispered, “I’m so proud of you, Sweetie. It’s going to be great.” Tonight was the night that my daughter would realize her 20-year dream – to direct a stage production of Little Women.

The latest movie version of the novel has a line that says, “We’ll all grow up some day so we might as well know what we want.”

When Sarah was 10 years old, I introduced her to the 1949 movie version of Little Women, starring June Alyson and Elizabeth Taylor. She was hooked and her vision was born.

Now, 20 years later, her job as Director of the play is complete. It’s all in the hands of the actors and the backstage crew that she has worked with. Excitement, nervousness, pride, fulfillment – she is feeling it all at the same time. And she can’t sit still.

Fast forward by three weeks.
Opening night is history. This past weekend I attended the closing performance of a successful run of 12 sold-out Little Women shows. The atmosphere was electric.

Your turn
Are you on the edge of your seat – active in seeing your vision become a reality? Or have you abandoned your dream? Are you clear in what you want and see it taking shape? Or is your dream still waiting for you to take action?

In a workshop I led a couple of weeks ago, participants were eager to learn how to make the most of the coming year. Among other things, we distinguished between a dream (seeing what could be) and a vision (seeing what can be and turning it into reality). Having a vision that is clearly articulated is about seeing more than what is. It’s about seeing what can be and daring to do something about it.

It takes courage to turn a vague dream into a vision that can become reality. It takes courage to pull qualities out of ourselves that we either buried or refused to acknowledge. And it takes courage to step out and do something. If we keep our dreams hidden, we’ll eventually wake up older and greyer – still dreaming about what could have been and wondering what might have been.

What dream is inside you – screaming to be heard and realized?

Part 2 - Showcase
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Part 3 - Personal Reflections
My cd player is loaded with Christmas music and we’re ready to take the decorations out of storage. It’s my favorite holiday season. And it’s almost here.

Christmas is a busy time with concerts, recitals, office parties, association dinners, family, and friends. And over the past few days, my family has already been making plans for family gatherings.

A couple of days before Christmas, we’ll get together with my husband’s family to welcome new babies, reminisce about family members who are no longer with us, and catch up on family news (about 25 or 30 of us for that occasion). Coming from a large family that loves to get together on Christmas night, my husband and I (with our children and grandchildren) will join my brothers and sister and all their children and grandchildren for a family gathering of about 60 people. Whew! This year, it’s my sister’s turn to host.

With married children, it takes a bit of coordinating to honor each family’s traditions. But so far we’ve managed it - Christmas morning and afternoon dinner are still reserved for our own little family of two children, their spouses and our four grandchildren.

By now some of you are saying, “But it’s still November” or “Oh no, we have less than 30 days.” Either way, Christmas is coming. Yeah!!!