“I hope you’re not becoming a recluse out there”, my cousin Edyson asked. A recluse is someone that avoids contact with other people. I didn’t know if he was joking or not but of course I had to say “no, I’m not becoming a recluse”. I mean, why would I openly accept that I prefer having conversations in my head than with other people? I’m well aware of the fact that I’m a loner, an introvert maybe, but a recluse is something I never thought I’d be accused of becoming.
While I’d like to talk about the intricacies of my mind and need(or not) for companionship, what would benefit you more is to share a story from my childhood. I didn’t wake up one morning and boom, I’m in love with the voices in my head. No, it started about 7/8 years ago. One evening, I had a conversation with Bradley, a friend from school. Bradley was always quiet, collected, mature and shared few words. In short, Bradley had sense.
He was, and I hope still is a fan of Smallville, which was the primary topic of our conversation that evening. We talked about the awesomeness of Clark Kent and the genius of the creators of the show. One thing led to another, and I asked Bradley how he did it? How he managed to be different? Being a smart ass, he said: “I’m not managing, I’m different, and if you want to be different, then you should spend a lot more time with yourself “. It seemed like the weirdest thing anyone could ever say, especially in a world where status is derived from who you surround yourself with. “How do you know who you are if you don’t spend time with yourself?” he asked. At the core, Bradley was talking about vision.
The point of the story is to tell you about a word called vision. I’m not talking about the ability to see what everyone sees. No, I’m talking about the ability to see what no one else sees. Yes, that vision. Most times, people say that vision is an overused word, and I agree. I mean, I have mentioned it a couple times in this paragraph. The one thing I’ll never admit to is that vision is overrated. What I can do is tell you a few things you will gain from seeing things no other person or very few people can understand.
-Vision shows you what matters, what doesn’t, what should and what shouldn’t matter. Vision gives you focus.
-If you truly know what matters, then you’ll definitely want what matters. Only thing is you’re one of a kind, and not everyone will know what matters. I’d say vision sets you apart.
-Vision tells you who you should surround yourself with. If very few people understand what matters, then maybe that’s the kind of people you should keep around you. Vision defines your friends and close associates.
-The last thing I want to say is that vision shows you why you matter. Everyone is born with a gift or talent, and that’s a constant. The only problem is not everyone discovers what they have. Vision reveals what is hidden in you and where that gift could take you.
I’ll round up my story by telling you how my life has changed since that encounter with Bradley. You see, Bradley taught me how to NOT need anyone’s validation. Since then, the more I spent time with, and by myself, the more I saw the uniqueness in my abilities. I bet you would say the same if you tried it, it’s not too late to start.
For now, the one thing you need to take from this article is that spending time alone is crucial if you want to be a visionary. Being a visionary will help you find your purpose, and what more is there if you don’t know why you were put here?
What is your vision for yourself in 2020? Tell me in the comments.
