California, October 2018
The airline pilot knows his duty is to get his plane full of passengers to the destination on time. If his time-measured task is not completed, it is deemed a failure. The athlete knows he won’t be picked in the team if he doesn’t get his track time under 12 seconds. The high school student needs to get her score in the top 1% of the nation to gain entrance into med school. AAhhh, the world of goals and striving.
The yoga teacher however, is encouraging us to step away from goal orientation in an effort to bring balance back into our lives.
This great paradox is worthy of honest inquiry. How much of your time is spent on the game of striving towards goals? And what happens when they aren’t reached? The world-wide pandemic of “I am not enough” being fed again and again.
What is suggested here is not to entirely give up the goals setting but, moreso, to step away from it at regular intervals.
In its vacuum, you could possibly flex the other muscle of Visioning?
What is the difference between goals and visions?
Goals are realistic. They are also limiting, stressful, confined and mental. They can be consumed with your own or others’ expectations. They can be a headache.
Visions, on the other hand, are idealistic. They involve an unbound potential and are based on trust, a not knowing, being creative and intuitive and diving into what lights you up.
The strength of vision comes from believing in a life that is on your side. It is well known in neuro-psychology that mental states of goal setting utilise only 5-10% of the brain’s capacity. However when we begin to envision, imagine, sense and explore – welcoming our dreams and heart fuelled intentions into the conversation – another 90% of the brain starts to ignite.
Maybe now is the time to flex the muscle of Vision?
What do you wish to be doing with your life in five years time?
See it, write it, feel it again and again and let life’s course take care of the rest.
Make this a regular practice, and … when life’s course starts to lead us … it is the call to listen, say YES and follow.
After all, it is a life current on your side.
Goals create limits. Vision invites potential.
Huge gratitude wave to all the inspiring Californian crew that gathered to be part of the Zenthai journey in October … I’d love to keep in touch.
With love,
