A lady was lamenting recently about the difficulties she had been experiencing and then ended her words with 'I'm about ready to give up'. Others that heard the conversation were very sympathetic, even saying things 'I can't blame you, it's so hard'.

Undoubtedly all of us go through tough times, often feeling like we don't have the energy to keep going. But the choice to not give into that thought is something we have to dig down deep for, we have to decide not to be ruled from an emotional weariness.

There is something that you need in life that is going to take you further than many. It's not a secret, you've probably heard about it before but the question is, have you taken heed?

When you look at people that seem to be accomplishing so much with their life you can be left on the outside wondering how they do it, going from strength to strength.

There is something you need. Something that is critical for your future so you're not tempted to give up.

This is the very thing that will keep you going when everything around you looks like its not working.  This is the missing link that provokes action and movement towards the things you want to accomplish.

This element is the anchor that settles you, that holds you. It keeps you on course and not blown around by any trouble that comes.

Not many people actually consider and live by this key and yet they wonder why they are going around in circles, their lives not stuck going nowhere.

This key has been called many things but some of the definitions have included:

• a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation
• the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be
• a concept, a thought
• something seen in our imaginations eye
• a supernatural occurrence that conveys revelation

Have you guessed what I'm talking about yet? It's the foundation that keeps you on track, it's the anchor that keeps you from going adrift.

The critical element I'm talking about is 'Vision'.

A Vision is something that you picture in your heart, it's more than a goal, it's a complete picture of your life's purpose. 

It embraces your heart, soul and spirit and it is the thing that when everything else is changing around you – the vision is critical element to you standing strong, developing resilience and creating lasting change.

A Vision is never just about you. 

A Vision is a BIG PICTURE.  It has impact, it creates momentum towards something. 

There is an outcome that you are heading for, even if you have to adapt and change as you go along.

So many people do not live with the anchor of a vision for themselves, their life, who and what they are.  Life is taken for granted, complaining and murmuring is normal.  When trouble comes they are caught in the up's and downs, the roller-coaster that is out of control or the absolute despair of not being able to do anything to change things.

A vision creates a foundation that allows you to be calm, it helps you to make decisions and keep on moving.

You can create a vision for yourself!  You can absolutely decide what you want your life to look like but the absolutely best kind of vision is the one that God birth's in your heart. 

This is the element that creates the knowing in the depth of your being that despite circumstances, despite everything going on around you, your purpose and destiny is ahead of you waiting for you to keep moving towards it.

When God is the author of your vision He will reveal things to you that you would not otherwise have known.  Prophetic things, dreams that rise up in your heart and a passion for the bigger life than you ever thought.

'Where there is no vision, the people perish...' Proverbs 29:18

The word 'vision' here in the Hebrew is 'Chazon' which is defined as 'a sight (mentally) that is a dream, revelation or oracle.

There are a lot of people that are turning to spiritual guides, clairvoyants or other methods of finding their vision, their meaning in life.  They are calling on spirits and mystical elements that they have no idea who or what they are, what their intentions are. They search for God in all the wrong places and end up entangled in things that they were never designed for.

The greatest success and life book that has ever been published, the one that all success books have based their theories on, The Bible, tells you that without a vision people will waste away.  Without knowing what their creator has destined them for people will continue to struggle and strive without the map for their success.

God is not the author of that confusion.  You have an enemy you don't even see that is doing everything he can to stop you from getting that clarity, that purpose and relationship with the one that can lead you and guide you.  God is only waiting for you to get serious about asking Him for help.  He promised He would if you would ask.

A Vision is not something you carry alone.

This is something that impacts the world, links you with other people that connect and help you to live it.

It's more than getting more money, living in a bigger house or finding the perfect partner.  It enlarges your life and fills it with every good thing.

I really want to encourage you to take the time and get the vision God has designed for you.  The knowing of who you are, who you're supposed to be, who's you are, what you're supposed to be doing. 

It's never a stagnant concept, it evolves and grows with time as you mature and God reveals more and more to you. 

I can't even imagine having a life without a vision. It has been the one thing I could go back to, even when I made terrible mistakes and seemed to take myself off course.  It was the one sure thing in the depths of my heart that I could rely on whenever I felt like giving up. 

It has enabled me to raise three children, grow in my marriage, travel the world, speak with confidence and build other people up - that’s why I share about it on my blog, anchor my clients in it and partner with people with the maturity to understand it’s potency.

It's not enough to say you're a follower of God, it's not enough to go to church and be good, it's not enough to earn money and just spend it on yourself.  There is a vision that is bigger than you.  It will enable you, excite you and take your life into the powerful, impactful dimension.

Spend time with this. Ask God for clarity. This life as a follower of Christ has a purpose, it has a direction and a vision. Anything is possible when you align yourself with that!