“Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
– Robert Frost
The first time I read the words of the 19th century poet I was no more than 9 years of age; however, those words have echoed in my head like a whisper from the dark every time I have faced a difficult decision.
The road to success and ultimate achievement is never an easy one; if it were, everyone the world over would live in a state of complete ecstasy. However, we know the reality is the exact antithesis.
The road to success and contentment is not an easy one but rather an arduous one. But for those brave souls that choose to embark down that pathway, the rewards can be great!
How do we know which road to take?
For Frost, his decision was based on his desire for a new experience, adventure, and braving a new path, he chose the road less traveled. He had the vision and foresight to realize that he was in control of his own happiness and destiny…and for him, that made all the difference.
Do you have the vision to make the right decisions when you are confronted with a fork in the road? Or are you a dreamer, living in a world of fantasies and unrealities? Soul searching questions indeed!
Do we take the time to examine the type of individual we are, do we pause and take a moment, take a hard long look in the mirror and examine the sort of person we truly are?
A visionary is someone that can see beyond his current situation in life and envision what the possibilities can be once he has fixed his “mind’s eye” on the prize. He then creates and seizes opportunities to make that vision a reality.
We can liken this to the farsighted vision or “wisdom” of an eagle. An eagle will perch itself high above in a tree so as to have the perfect oversight and can spot tiny prey from long distances. It awaits patiently for the right time, its eyes fixed on the prize, and once it is able to make a successful attempt, it seizes the moment and captures its prize.
He achieves his objective through:
1. Positioning himself to see clearly, having an unobstructed view
2. Fixed attention and focus on something in the distance
3. Patience and calculation
4. Seizing the right opportunity and moment
A dreamer, on the other hand, is one that watches the successes of the visionary and imagines that he is the one accomplishing these great and marvelous things.
One is a doer and the other is an observer, always wishing and always living only for the moment and dreaming of what could be.
For example, what man out there hasn’t thought or envisioned in being a pro athlete or a successful and savvy business tycoon or perhaps the guy in the movies that defeats the villain, rescues the girl, and saves the world? It’s sometimes okay to live in the “fantasy land” or unrealities because it serves as an escape from our everyday lives. It shows that we have an active imagination and that we are willing to accept the brave and courageous.
However, when we become stuck in this way of thinking and are afraid, even paralyzed with fear to live the realities for ourselves, is when this type of dreaming can become harmful.
In a world of fast-paced technological advances such as the Internet, fantasy football, iPods, flat paneled curved televisions, and Netflix, it is easy for us to formulate a cocoon that we hide within and shelter ourselves from the outside world of realities.
Is this sort of thinking rational or constructive for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being?
NO! We must fight the urge to live in a world of fantasy and start living in a world of reality, getting out there and making things happen rather than living vicariously through the success and achievement of others.
Ask yourself this question, Do I soar like an eagle or do I watch others soar?
Now you may be wondering, Am I a visionary? If not, how can I become one?
The follow-up article to this one will help you to make that determination. Stay tuned for the article “A Man of Vision”!
About the Author: Martin Alvarez
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