Celebrate Ambition and Vision

"For a vision to come to pass, you have to have a vision" - Brewster McCracken

At a political fundraiser Monday night in support of Austin Mayoral Candidate Brewster McCracken, the candidate spoke about the importance of having a vision. If you want to achieve success, you first have to have an idea of what your success will look like. It bugs me that Mr. McCracken's main opponent in the race for mayor has criticized him for having "vision and ambition" - as if this is a bad thing. For thousands of years our world has been constructed by men and women with both of those traits. People should champion such things rather tear them down.

The importance of vision goes far beyond the politics of running for Mayor. People are often short-sighted and have no idea of the direction they choose for their life. They are adrift and hope that they can get by holding tight to some imaginary handrail. They are paralyzed from advancing, but fool themselves into thinking that their "steady hand" gripping tight is some kind of progress.

To have success we must take action, but this requires a clear vision of where we want to go. Imagine a pilot taking off from Los Angeles and flying toward Honolulu. If he just climbs into the clouds and heads west he MIGHT find the runway in Hawaii, but the odds are without a clear vision of a flight plan he would crash into the Pacific Ocean.

When I ponder our current economic crisis, I wonder why so little is being made of the entrepreneurs and business leaders who have the vision and ambition to create jobs and grow companies. These people are the only engine can drive our economy out of recession. However, I see very little attention being put on the power of innovation and entrepreneurship by the press or our leaders in Washington DC.

I am dumbfounded that we do not celebrate the ambition and vision of entrepreneurship in a bigger manner.

Everyone who can dream of success is a visionary. But we seem to fail to cherish those strive for the stars.

If you have read this far, then you have a homework assignment. Look around you. Whom in your life is a person who has impressive drive, vision and ambition? Think about it for a minute. Now find a way to let that person know you admire them for all that they are trying to accomplish. Celebrate them.

Have A Great Day.

thom