Your favourite life Vol. 3: A steering wheel & a few diopters for your vision

What do a steering wheel and a visual aid have to do with your vision for life? Well, you'll find out today.

This blog post deals thematically with the element of life Vision & Creativity from my Swing-concept of the 8+1 elements of life.

What future do you envisage? When people think about their future, about what they want to develop, they often have some aspects in mind, but usually not all of them.

Many people never develop a clear concept for their lives - admittedly, it's not that easy because there are so many possibilities.

The element Vision & Creativity I associate it with clarity, helping to shape the world and ideas. It has something explosive and energising about it, almost exciting. I associate it with being joyful and excited, curious and adventurous. For me, vision often has the moment of "A light goes on, an idea is born." That's why we chose the colour yellow and the icon of the light bulb for this element of life.

I live on a houseboat and a few years ago my boat, which can no longer sail itself, was towed to Berlin by a push boat.

At one point, the captain allowed me to steer. I tried to go straight ahead on the Mittelland Canal, but kept steering the ship from one side of the canal to the other.

"You have to look into the distance to be able to steer well," said the captain.

I have not forgotten this advice because it applies to my whole life.

If you suffer from short-sightedness, you find it difficult to see the big picture. Short-sightedness is referred to in medicine as myopia and affects the eyes and sharp vision in the distance, which is limited. Distant objects are perceived blurred. Near objects are seen clearly and distinctly. Short-sightedness" is also a hindrance to having a strong vision for your own life. If you only ever focus on what is very close to you in terms of challenges, then your life will take a meandering course and you will lose a lot of strength.

That's why I want to give you a kind of visual aid with this blog post. Myopia can usually be compensated for very well with glasses and appropriate dioptre values. The term dioptres comes from the ancient Greek and means "to see through". This article is packed with some valuable dioptres that can sharpen your vision for the future. Today you will get inspiration on how to develop a broad horizon, the big picture. Then you can steer better, even on a small scale.

This houseboat was a big dream for me

But before I could live in it, I had to fight hard for it. In August 2018, my book "Leinen los" was published, in which I described the highs and lows of shipbuilding. Rust, tears, dust, financial and interpersonal crises.

But also help, encouragement, gifts, unexpected coincidences.

It was a huge challenge to turn an old barge into a habitable ship that could also accommodate guests. But after years of work, it was mastered.

"Building the ship was already a crisis!", people sometimes tell me.

"One crisis? There were hundreds!"

In the book "Leinen los" I take you on the adventure of realising your own dream. I describe the highs and lows. But also what gave me the strength to persevere.

I had underestimated the power of real dreams, which refuse to die, but instead, like seeds slumber beneath the surface for a long time, only to become to reappear at the right time. Kerstin Hack

For projects like this, you need a vision. I had that. Otherwise I wouldn't have persevered and wouldn't be living the dream and my favourite life today.

What is vision?

The word vision comes from the Latin visio. This means Idea, performance. In the 14th century, it then became visiō  into the German language. However, the meaning shifted from the Latin Idea away to dream visions and revelations that (believing) people received in the night. 

The word still has these meanings in the German-speaking world today

• Supernatural appearance, revelation (for example in sentences such as The visions of the Hildegard of Bingen)

In English, vision refers not only to supernatural phenomena but also to natural vision with the eyes. "I have my vision checked!" means nothing more than having your eyesight checked by an ophthalmologist or optician. 

Vision in English also retains the original Latin meaning of idea and (wishful) imagination. And thus means 

• Visual acuity 
• Inner image, wishful thinking, vision of the future 

In the English-speaking world, it then became customary to talk about Vision when describing the long-term orientation of an organisation, a company or even politics. 

In the meantime, the word vision in German has also taken on the meaning of a trend-setting vision of the future, often renewing existing conditions. "We need visions!", is urged in many places. 

I have described the different meanings of the word in detail because they describe different aspects of what is involved in a powerful vision.

• A vision can be a gift from heaven that is given to you - usually without being asked. 
• A vision usually has to do with an idea of how something should (further) develop or change positively. 
• A vision has something to do with seeing. Either with natural vision or a powerful inner image. 

The creation story from the Bible, which I love because it contains so many powerful images. descriptions and metaphors, contains all three aspects. 

• Since God is supernatural (at least from our perspective, from his perspective the supernatural is probably more the norm), his visions of what the new world to be created should look like have a supernatural character. 
• To develop something from "desolate and empty" to a "flourishing garden" requires a lot of imagination and wishful thinking. 
•  I believe - even if the text doesn't say it directly - God saw the things he wanted to create in his mind's eye before he said, for example, "Let there be light!"  

How do you recognise people with vision?

There are people with tremendous visionary power. Like Martin Luther Kingwhose "I have a dream" has moved countless people and changed the lives of millions of Americans forever.  

Not everything he dreamed of has become reality. Some changes have only taken effect on the surface and have changed little in the depths of people's hearts. Racism on the one hand and feelings of inferiority on the other have still not been eradicated. But without his vision, America today would probably look much darker. 

Similar to its namesake Martin Luther. You can't live off a reformed church anywhere in the world. Profound reformation is needed in many places. And yet, without his passion to stand up for what he dreamed of, we would not be where we are today. 

People often have no idea what impact their vision can have. 

Gutenberg.  Not much is known about the man who TIME Magazine named Man of the Millennium. However, we do know that he made good money from other semi-automatically produced "mass products" - such as mirrors, which were very popular on pilgrimages. 

This suggests that his new invention was more of a commercial interest than a revolution in the media that would have a lasting impact on the next few centuries.

The four people mentioned here are real world changers for me, which is why they - along with a few others - have a place in the impulse booklet "World changer series" get. The impulse booklets published by my publishing house portray impressive personalities in small compact biographies: People who lived for great ideas and ideals and who had a lasting impact on and changed our world.

Develop your vision

• Dream for yourself. Take a few minutes and think: what dream is living inside me and waiting for me to live it? Is it time for me to say: Cast off. I'm living my dream?
• Get the book, if you want to find inspiration and courage to live your dreams. Or even if you just want to read an exciting, inspiring story. My book also makes a wonderful gift.

• Get in touch with me, if you want to develop perspectives. Treat yourself to a coaching session with me or an entire coaching package with support over a longer period of time: I have developed a programme called "My favourite life" that will help you in 10 weeks to keep the steering wheel with a clear view of your future and put your whole life on a new foundation.

The "My favourite life" package

• Several online courses and materials plus
• 5 x personal coaching sessions with me

Important:

Because the programme involves a lot of time from me for personal coaching, I can only accept a limited number of people at any one time. A few places are already taken. I still have capacity for a few people.

Do you want to build a vision, your favourite life? Then get in touch for a free, no-obligation initial consultation. We can then see what suits you best.

Request an initial consultation

Do it yourself with the Swing course. Your best life

If you prefer to read, you will find all Offers for Vision & Creativity here in the shop.

The swing balance concept 

click on the graphic for an enlarged view

The element of life "Sense & creativity" belongs to my Swing-concept: The most beautiful and profound thing I have ever developed for a holistically good life. While the other concepts strongly separate the individual areas of life from each other, the Swing-Concept the basic human needs that are important for a balanced life: 

The special feature of the Swing-Concept is that while it is important for a fulfilled life that all elements are present in life, it doesn't matter where and how you live them out. 

Whether vision and creativity unfold at work or in leisure time is not so important - the main thing is that they find space in life at all.

Online you can do a test herewhich element of life is currently being neglected.

Here you can read an entertaining summary about Swing read in the blog.