What's Your Dream for 2023?

BY ELYSSA KING

The necessity of a dream is undeniable. How can you dream when you’ve lost a dream? How do you get back up again for another round of dreams when the world falls apart? When year after year it’s hard, how do you dream again for a better one? How do we dream?

There is a key. And the key is vision

A vision is not just a dream. It’s not just a plan or a goal but the ability to dream. Your eyes have the ability to see, and Vision is like the eyes for your soul.

Where a dream says, “I want to grow up to be a doctor in Africa,” vision says, “I will heal many.” When the report shows that your hands aren’t steady enough to become a surgeon, the dream will shatter where vision finds another way.

Vision can rise again after losing a dream that bruises, breaks, and dies. Where we outgrow dreams, vision can keep up with us.

When a dream is too far away, the vision stays near. Vision stays close. The ability to dream lasts where a dream doesn’t. Vision lives in hope. Without it, vision sleeps. Hope makes it alive. To hope again - that is the key to a dream.

An old proverb says, “For lack of vision, the people perish.” This is the first reason to have vision and to dream — it is to live. CS Lewis says, “Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.”

To love, to dream, to risk — is to live “Vision gives pain a purpose.”

Vision stands the test of time and fire, while a dream can break and fade. This ability to dream keeps you going. It’s bendable enough to adjust, flexible enough to grow, and can sustain where a dream doesn’t. Where a golden egg has an end, the golden goose doesn’t!

Your vision gives you a framework to choose from. Without a vision, what should you choose? What would be best? Without a vision, really - why choose anything? Vision gives purpose language, and then you’ll be able to use it. Indecisiveness, whether by lack of hope or confusion, is solved with vision.

How do you get a vision? Amazing question! Vision lives in hope, so find hope.

As a person, we have three parts: a body, a soul, and a spirit. Let’s talk about the body. Vision takes guts. Hope takes guts. Courage is required not just to have and pursue a dream, but it is necessary to find, choose, and commit to a dream.

In your soul, it takes heart to love something enough to risk something for it. The creativity in your soul will flourish with vision. Use and exercise your creativity to grow and establish your vision.

Creativity gives vision color and texture. Vision is already inside you, and you’ll see it come alive with your imagination. Vision requires that. Finally, your spirit finds vision and hope with faith.

To dream, we need vision. It’s the key! That vision makes life alive, giving pain a purpose and, and giving us a reason to choose. Vision is the golden goose for dreams. In your body, when you’re brave, you’ll find your vision. With your soul, your heart, creativity, and imagination will pour water on the seed of vision already inside of you. Lastly, vision walks with faith.

It’s time to dream again. What’s your dream?

About the author:

Elyssa King is a lover of learning and life! She pursues education aggressively and excellently while serving in ministry school and internships for three years. She will complete her Bachelor’s in Business Administration in May and is set to pursue her Master’s degree at Liberty University. She has earned her real estate agent’s license as well as her notary license and enjoys serving the community in those arenas.

Elyssa is a mentor to many and is well-traveled for both pleasure and community service.