Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Doing the Good Work Possible: Vision/Reality Gaps

What you dream of and what exists often don't match, but that doesn't always means there's something wrong with that.

It's true that many of us envision worlds that don't yet exist--worlds of different opportunities, structure, roles, and use of time.

In some cases the vision/reality gap is huge and other areas it's not so wide or deep, but nevertheless, the nature of vision versus reality means there will be gaps big and small.

As you recognize the distance between reality and vision, you have decisions to make.

How satisfied should you be with reality, and how will you live and work well within that reality?

For example I read a story of a prominent African American woman's life last night. I was struck by her experience of moving from the then segregated South to the nonsegregated North, and how that experienced served, in a sense, to widen the gap between vision and reality. Once she experienced the freedom the North offered her back then, her vision for what she wanted the South to become grew. And when she returned to the South, she worked for that vision to become a reality.

In your own life where do the most prominent vision/reality gaps exist?

Where do you envision and desire potential for change most, and what are you going to do to support change and growth in those areas? On the other hand, where do gaps exist that don't matter as much to you--gaps that you're willing to live with as you focus on other areas of life?

And with regard to the gaps--who supports that, is it purposeful, and are there reasons why the gap should continue, do the gaps serve a good purpose? If not, what forces continue to support the gaps and how can that energy be redirected?

Cognizance about the vision/reality gaps in your life is essential. Taking time to think deeply about why those gaps exist and if you want to shorten or eliminate the distance matters too. As a cliff jumper might do, you have to be strategic about bridging the distance. In this regard, it's advantageous to seek the expertise and skill of others who have bridged these gaps in meaningful and successful ways.

What reality/vision gaps will you bridge? Why? How? When? And with whom?