A VISION FOR GOOD

I’ve written a great deal about vision lately and it occurred to me that there are positive visions and harmful visions. Certainly, Hitler’s vision of a world populated only by the “master race” even went further than just being harmful, it was pure evil. There are many visions that might be self-serving and may cause harm to others. When I speak of vision, I am speaking of an inspirational sense of positivity that moves people, all people, towards a better future .

In these turbulent times, it has become evident that some people have visions that do not have the better interests of all people at heart. In fact, if I discover that my vision, the driver of my passion, is harmful to people, I am obligated to modify that vision. I do not have the right to pursue ends that harm other people. When we view the world ahead of us, we are responsible for moving forward with care and consideration for what lies before us. If I am driving a car, I must avoid accidents. I must not hit pedestrians. I must not destroy property. My vision must be a responsible vision!

In my life, a major aspect of my vision has been greater civility in all aspects of our society. More than any other time in human history, we need more civility. Treating others with dignity and respect has become more important than ever before. Social media has created an environment that makes it far too easy for people to treat one another with ill will, disregard, and disrespect. Having a vision that makes a positive difference, for as many people as possible, is what I believe each of us should have. It may not be a vision that is as altruistic as my vision but it is essential that your vision be beneficial and never harmful. One of my very close friends has a vision that desires that every company he works with will have a system in place that helps them continuously to increase sales. Part of his system is recognizing that it’s very difficult to sell to people who feel they’ve been taken advantage of. So, a major part of his system is building trust and operating with integrity.

When you create your vision, remember that it’s critical that your vision not cause harm. I’m reminded of the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but there’s even a better rule, often stated by a man for whom I have great respect, Tony Allesandro. Tony introduced me to the Platinum Rule, “Do unto others as they would have you do unto them!” The golden rule does not take into consideration that we are all different. I may want others to be very direct and to the point with me. So, if I treat everyone else like that, I may never realize that some people prefer a more cordial and conversational approach. This tells me that my vision must be broad enough and inclusive enough to allow people, with all their uniqueness, the space to fit into a world that just might move on my vision. If you already have your vision, take a good look at it and make sure your vision can coexist with the Platinum Rule!