Vision, I don't need no stinking vision

Well, yes!  Actually I do.

You see, there are many things I want in life.  A boat, a $300,000 home, a camper, a mountain retreat, a summer beach house, a new computer, etc.  And its not just physical things that I want.  I want to live in a land where people respect individual rights, where everyone takes responsibility for their own thoughts and actions, where people are motivated to make the best out of their lives, where my kids are free to become the adults they dream they can be, where my wife and I live happily ever after, etc.

Well, all of these things require a vision of the life that I want.  And before I can start acting towards that life, I need to clearly identify what it is I want.  Otherwise, my actions could lead me anywhere.  How could I tell if a particular thing I'm doing today will help me get the things I want for tomorrow?  By what standard?  Should I buy a new car or a used car?  Do I want broadband Internet access or dial-up?  In my free time, should I go camping with my family, read a book on architecture, or write an op-ed for my local newspaper?  The answer to these questions all depend on the vision I hold.  The clearer my vision, the better I can define my goals.  The better I can define my goals, the easier it is to identify the actions necessary to complete those goals and actuate my vision.

Without a clear vision, I could not define my goals.  Goals require an awareness in the difference between where I am now and where I want to be.  If I don't know where I want to be, I can't define a goal.  Without goals, any action is equally valid.  No one action can be considered more important than any other.  By default, actions without goals tend to gravitate toward short term satisfaction and momentary pleasures.  Getting drunk with your friends every weekend.  Blowing your paycheck on frivolous entertainment.  Extreme adrenaline rushing thrills.  While occasional indulgences are useful for relaxing or making life interesting, they should not occupy one's central purpose in life.

So, yes, I do need a vision.  Yes, I do need a clear view of the world I want to live in so that I can direct my actions.   And yes, I will work toward that vision.