The Acid Test of Your Vision

By Dr. William K. Larkin on June 23, 2009

This is the acid test of a vision. Does it give you a sense of significance? And more than driven- is it inspired?

Every single person has a "sense of significance." It is a sort of "this is my place in the universe" and it's about contributing that sense of who you are to something greater that what you are. The research in happiness shows that the happiest people are those who use their strengths in three ways:

1. To live in an UpSpiral
2. Daily play to their strengths as an expression of who they are
3. Contribute and use their strengths for something greater than themselves.

What are you giving "you" to that is greater than you?

I have one place where I have learned to practice my overall vision in a very, very small way. My vision is to increase joy and happiness in the world by increasing people's UpSpiral Living. My reminder is that every time I buy anything over the counter, I want to see if I can make the person waiting on me feel a little "better," a little "brighter" than they did. I have found that a smile works first, followed by a friendly "how are you today?" If they have a name tag, I get the name from the tag and use it in the question. When I leave I say, "Have a great day, Cindy", and I smile and mean it.

I used to believe that the salesperson was there to serve me and make me feel better and if they were grumpy, I just got grumpier. I noticed how they weren't service oriented and how poorly trained and supervised they were. I'd get silent and just finish the transaction and make no attempt to be pleasant and then just leave, a little more "soured" with the world than when I went it. Then some crazy driver would do something stupid and I could honk. Then there was the long red light to complain about. On the way home the driver ahead of me was going too slow in the fast lane and I got up right behind him to let him know that we was slowing me down from getting home and putting my groceries away. Wasn't that something to be in a real hurry about?

Now whenever I leave a store there are two people who are happier--the clerk and me! And on the way home I notice how beautiful the mountains are and feel how grateful I am for such a blessed and abundant life. It really is that simple.

Does your vision give you a sense of being and place in the universe that is meaningful? It is this sense that WHO you are is significant and meaningful in the total picture that is important. Doing something may be one of the ways to express that. You may not have an airtight purpose to accomplish something absolutely specific. For example, you can paint paintings for no purpose at all, absolutely for no other reason than the joy of doing it. You can pot flowers solely for the sake of potting flowers and enjoying them and be living fully within the realm of your vision.