VISION AND RESOURCES

One of the most powerful driving forces upon the universe is that of vision. Behind every personal, corporate or societal accomplishment is vision. Vision has been the result of the transformation and development the world has hitherto experienced.
The world over, we were ushered into the 21st century with amazing impact of visions. From technology to communication, from business management to corporate leadership, politics to spiritual life, from the academics to the industries, one could vividly see the effect of vision and (unfortunately) the lack of it. From all walks of life, no achievement is made outside vision. That is why it is said in the scriptures that “where there is no vision, the people perish”.
If we are where we are today by the force of vision, then we would need vision to move forward progressively. It also means that the lack of vision would incapacitate us from achieving all that our potentials could. The place of vision in the pursuit of purpose has become very necessary that it is a subject of consideration both in the personal, corporate and societal levels.
However, it must be accepted that vision can only be accomplished using the right materials or tools. This means, it is one thing to have a vision, while another thing entirely to know the right materials required in making it a reality. I sincerely believe that the most frustrated person, corporation or nation is that which has a vision but lacks the right materials in bringing the vision to pass. Vision is power but its purpose and benefit is made possible only by using the right material.
In the building industries, resources or building materials are very essential in bringing the building from its architectural design to a standing structure. While the building plan determines the materials to be used, the materials in turn would determine its beauty, durability, strength, usage and value. For instance the materials used in erecting a 4 bungalow structure would not be the same for erecting a skyscraper. Even though all are buildings, but the materials set the difference in all.
The relevance of a material to a particular structure makes it a resource. This means what may be a resource in the construction of a bridge will never be a resource for building a hut. This also means resources are relative.
This principle is perfectly applicable in the pursuit of vision. Vision is built on relevant resources. A material becomes a resource when it is only relevant to the realization of your vision. Many people have trapped the beauty, worth and future of their visions on the laps of false materials which they mistakenly thought was resources to realizing their visions.
Now, for instance, two important resources for realizing your vision are information and people.
No vision is achieved in the isolation of information. Information is the wheel of every vision that would be achieved. However, as important as information is to the realization of vision, it must be accepted that not all information would be relevant to every vision. One must be careful to identify the information that is relevant to his vision. The relevance of the information to achieving your goals and vision makes it a resource to your vision. This understanding would help us go for the best information which is relevant to realizing our vision.
People are wonderful in the pursuit of vision. You never accomplish anything on your own. You would always need people at all levels of your vision. But this does not mean you need everybody. At a particular time, there would be people that you would need to accomplish a particular phase of your vision. If you are ignorant of this and probably not selective, you may gather people who will help you destroy or frustrate your vision rather than build it up.
One of my mentors once gave a story how he quit an MBA programme just because of one lecturer. The professor came to the class that fateful day and said he would be teaching them on how to make money. Ironically, he never looked like one who could make or has wealth from his appearance. So, my mentor said, you cannot give me what you do not have. So he quit and took another programme. You see, while that professor was good, he was not relevant to the realization of my mentor’s vision.
Don’t just gather people in the pursuit of your vision; go for those that are relevant. Their relevance makes them resource to your vision. You see most often than not, we abuse the theme ‘human resources’. I have come to appreciate the fact that no person becomes a resource to anybody, corporation or society until he or she is relevant in the realization of some set goals.
I want you to reconsider what you call resources today in the pursuit of your vision. You could make a drastic change of your resources for the better realization of your vision.
To your vision pursuit