Find out why your vision may be hard to articulate and share with others.
Understanding how your vision develops helps others to get on board.
Many times it begins with a life-altering moment. A need is revealed or experienced and solving that needs becomes a life calling that does not fade with time. In fact, it continues to grow and urges you to create something that must exist and which will solve that problem.
This is a Big, Hairy Audacious Goal, (BHAG) or dream.
As all artist’s of great things know, sometimes its nearly impossible to articulate the finished masterpiece – you simply have to show people.
In the process, criticism naturally comes as those who do not know what it is that you are creating, begins to appear. As my BHAG has developed over the years, I’ve appeared to have gone from one thing to the next … first this project and then the next. Intuitively and passionately adding skill sets, tools and resources to my palette for the masterpiece that was developing in my heart.
In trying to think about how this process has developed and how to illustrate to people what this looks like when a BHAG is growing inside of a visionary person, I was reminded of this impressive video of speed painter, Michael Ostaski. Nothing expresses or illustrates more clearly, what it is like to have a BHAG develop through the years.
Here, Michael has added a few additional staging effects which embrace his world – to entertain and engage audiences in the creation. This alone is a marvelous example of 1.) embracing who you are and how you ‘do’ it 2.) give something your audience and supporters will understand, while they watch your BHAG appear before their very eyes.
WARNING! Most people will NOT recognize your BHAG until after it has been completed and presented. But that moment when you reveal your masterpiece will have been worth all of the criticism, questions, judgments and years that you invested into developing your vision to its full potential.
Watch this inspiring video of a Master Painter at work – creating in a way that flows freely and intuitively from his skilled hands, heart, and mind. While you watch, think about all the years of preparation and practice, trial and error that he invested in his art. Think about the team he’s had to gather, to help stage and prepare the audience for his performance. Think about the capital that was needed to fund his work from before it was seen by audiences, and now think of the reward he enjoys as people shout and clap at the vision that appears before them.
An outstanding book to read that will help you with your own vision is Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Vision by Andy Stanley. Nothing I have ever read or heard has explained more clearly or realistically, what it is like to have a large vision growing inside for a long time – and why, than this book.
Never give up on your dream. Men have great ideas, God has BHAGS … He is never in a hurry because He knows creation, He knows excellence, and He understands all that must come together for the completion of His Masterpiece.
Enjoy every moment, look for the patterns in your life of those milestone moments that are burned in your heart and mind which gave birth to your vision. When all the pieces come together, you’ll start to gain clarity and understanding of how each color, each tool, each resource plays into the big picture.
Remember that if you try to reveal the vision before it is time, it may only confuse people more. Wait … patience is necessary … you’ll know the right moment. And when that moment arrives, so will other people know – because they will instantly recognize the end result and will cheer you on.
“If your dream is a big dream, and if you want your life to work on the high level that you say you do, there’s no way around doing the work it takes to get you there.”
― Joyce Chapman
If you would like to share your BHAG with us, please share in the comment section below, or just share your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Shannon – thanks for sharing such a beautiful post on vision and I love the video! Great points that most people just will not get our BHAG until after it is completed….and of course I love the book Visioneering!
Thanks for visiting and commenting! Just ran across this video this morning. Imagine this … her “BHAG” was to play in the sandbox as an adult … and have people watch her …