CONNECT (Best Practices) by Keith Harrell & Hattie Hill

Author:Keith Harrell & Hattie Hill [Harrell, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HarperBusiness
Published: 2009-10-12T14:00:00+00:00

2. Be clear about exactly what your vision will give you and what it will require of you

Throughout high school and college, I played basketball. For most of that time I had a vision of eventually playing professional basketball in the NBA, specifically for my hometown team, the Seattle Supersonics. But the first year I was eligible for the NBA draft, the Supersonics were NBA champs and drafted only two players. What’s more, the competition that year included Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Needless to say, things were tough, and I didn’t get the call. But later that summer I was recruited by a professional basketball team in Rotterdam, Holland.

I thought about the offer for twenty-four hours; then I called the coach back and said no. I felt I had developed my gifts playing basketball, but continuing to chase my dream of a pro career in Europe didn’t really fit my vision for what I wanted to do with my life. Basketball had given me a chance to work hard, dedicate myself to a goal, and come out a winner through my own efforts. All those traits could be used in arenas other than sports. That’s when I made the decision to go into business and applied to work for the company I considered the best in the world at the time: IBM.

Sometimes it’s easy to confuse a vision of what we want in life with the means that will get us there. We can accomplish a vision in many different ways. I know men and women whose vision includes being parents, but for reasons beyond their control they never have biological children. Does that mean they cannot fulfill their vision? Of course not. They can adopt children or be foster parents. They could choose a career that focuses on children, such as teaching or day care. They might work with kids in after-school activities, or mentor young people in job training programs. They might become health care providers and nurture children who are sick. All these means will fulfill the vision of nurturing young lives.

You also must be clear on what your vision will require of you. Will you need to add skills, training, or education? What relationships will you need to develop as part of your vision? Few of us accomplish the vision for our lives alone; who needs to be enrolled with you in the excitement and passion of your vision?

I believe that we’re all given a purpose in life and the vision to make that purpose real. I also believe that our vision must be big enough to encompass all the wonderful gifts that come our way. If you focus clearly on your purpose, you can adapt your vision to fit the circumstances needed for your success.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.