A Future Vision

"We must all be concerned for the future because the future is where we shall all spend the rest of our lives."

So, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, we need to have a vision for our future because the future is all we have. The success of our vision will often be determined by our impact for good on those around us. Our visions will be many and varied. Some will be awe inspiring and be played out on the world stage. Yet others will be followed through by ordinary people, like you and me in each locality around this Earth of ours. Every vision is no less important than the next because it gives meaning and direction to our lives.

Dr. Frankl, a survivor of the holocaust, made an interesting observation in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning" when he wrote:

"It is the peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the future"

Later he notes:

"Woe is him who sees no more sense in life
No purpose and therefore no sense in carrying on
He is soon lost."

Frankl, an Austrian Jew and psychiatrist, was incarcerated in a German concentration camp during World War Two. There he began to study how some prisoners were able to cope with life in the camps while others could not. Only one in twenty survived in places like Auschwitz. What he found was that prisoners with a sense of purpose or with something to live for or with goals lived much longer than those without purpose.

So what he did was to set out to give every prisoner a reason to survive or something to live for. He began spreading rumours. He would say "The allies have had a victory. They'll be here by Christmas. Pass the word around to others but do it secretly". This gave the prisoners a reason to hold on.

On another front, he encouraged every Jew to study their tormentors. He asked them to commit to memory their tormentors every movement, their mannerisms and any special distinguishing marks, anything to help recognise them after the war.

So when the war was over, the Jews could search out and find those who committed these terrible crimes against the Jewish race and bring them to justice swiftly. He gave them a reason to live. "Let's get the bastards" became their vision of vengeance for the future.

In a different way, Martin Luther King had a vision to change the world for the better. He gave his life for his vision of a future with racial equality. His vision is so aptly summed up in his now famous "I have a dream" speech delivered before one hundred thousand people on the steps of the Lincoln Monument during the 1960's. some of the words of the speech went something like this:

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live
In a nation where they will not be judged by the colour
Of their skin but by the content of their character."

A noble vision for the future but one put in words of a very personal nature.

To have a vision for the future which we can achieve we must immerse ourselves in it totally. Jesus Christ put it in this way.

"If you want to find life, you must first lose it."

What Christ was talking about was losing yourself in something bigger and greater than yourself. When you do this, you'll discover just how broad, deep, and magnificent life can be. Why else do you think Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King could continue with their visions for the future despite all the odds against them? They felt fulfilled by their so called "sacrifices" that their contributions made to the lives of others.

Each of us has within us the power to make a worthy contribution to the lives of others. Not all of us will or can reach the pinnacles of Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King. However, we must stay oblivious to the immense capability within ourselves. Whatever we want to do, can be done if we believe strongly enough in it.

Terry Fox was a perfect example of this. Here was a young man who had lost his leg to cancer. He wanted to show other cancer sufferers that they, too, could still have a full and rewarding life. So he set out to run across Canada on his artificial leg to raise one million dollars for cancer research. Despite dying on his run he raised twenty four million dollars. Today, around the world, his epic run is celebrated annually with Terry Fox Fun Runs which continue to raise funds for cancer research and give others the inspiration to live their lives to the full. Terry's vision for his life after cancer took his leg was to be thoroughly used up when he died.

On a personal front, I find that life is always exciting when I have a vision for the future. When there are no immediate goals in sight, life seems unrewarding. I need a constant vision of where I want to go.

Louise May Alcott of "Little Women" fame captures that feeling for me in these words:

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations
I may not reach them.
But I can look up and see their beauty;
Believe in them;
And try to follow where they lead."

Let us all have our own vision for the future and seek to achieve that vision. Remember it is the journey that is exciting and rewarding-not the arriving. Let us not allow the following epitaph to be written on our tombstone.

"He slept beneath the moon;
He baked beneath the sun;
He lived the life of going to do
And died with nothing done."

Instead, let it be that:

"We made a vision for our lives.
We created our goals.
We took our opportunities.
We made decisions.
We took action.
And we died happy in the knowledge
That we did it our way."

Our author spent 10 years as a member of a public speaking club called Rostrum in Australia where he learnt the art of public speaking. He loved to write and perform motivational speeches as he needed in everyday life to inspire students in his Maths classes and students in his sporting teams to work hard to achieve the best possible results. Rostrum like other public speaking organisations (e. g. Toastmasters), are great training grounds for those who need to speak well in public. Rostrum's web site is http://www.rostrum.com.au. http://www.toastmasters.org.au. is the web site for Toastmasters.

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