Seashells and the Sea

 Are you a visionary?

I never thought I was. If you tell me your vision, I could give you some tips for practical steps that will help you reach your goal, but coming up with a goal in the first place was never my strength. For me, it was a challenge every semester at Bible School to write down "growth goals" that were required for one of our classes on spiritual growth. We were supposed to identify areas that we wanted to grow in (relationships, spiritual disciplines, fitness/health, etc.) and come up with a concrete plan of how to move forward in those areas. But where to start?

And whenever we worked on a team project, I was never the one to initiate an idea. They just didn't come to me! But if someone else mentioned a vision, then BAM! - I ran with it. I can help bring color and shape to an idea, and point out the aspects that are lacking or the details that others may have missed because of their excitement for the end result.

Detail-oriented People vs. Big-picture People

Actually, it's not about being "versus" each other - both are important! God has created all of us with special strengths and giftings, and when we work together we can learn from one another and complement each other. 

Last week at our small group we heard an encouraging message on this theme. The leader used an illustration to explain the two main personality types. When you go to the ocean, are you the type of person who stares out over the vastness of the water, looking out as far as you can see and taking it all in, enjoying the grand view, or do you walk along the shore collecting seashells? Do you focus on the big picture or on the details?

Well the other day I found a picture on my computer that I had taken a couple years ago, and I think it sums up my personality quite well:

The sea is not out of view, but I focus on the seashells. 

It's not that I don't see the ocean, but it's in the background.

Somehow I'm a mix of these two character traits...while I at times can step back and see the big picture, I'm more comfortable focusing on the present, the details, the small things, the steps along the way. But if I were to talk to a visionary about all the little practical aspects of a project or idea, they would soon get bored because they prefer dreaming. The danger for someone like me is that we get too caught up in the moment and may not be able to think long-term or plan, dream, etc. We may just take everything as it comes and actually end up where we don't want to be because we didn't set a goal from the beginning. On the other hand, the danger for a more visionary type is that they focus too much on the big picture and may not actually get anything accomplished because they always have a fresh idea or a new goal but don't implement changes that will help them reach it. 

I love discovering and discussing personality types, because it's such a great reminder of the creative God we serve! Each one of us is so different, and we need each other. We all have strengths and weaknesses and they are not good or bad - we simply need to be aware of them. 

One tool that has helped me in this area is an online personality test called the "Flag Page." I took it a few years ago and since then have introduced it to my family, my husband, and friends. It is THE best tool I have used (and I have done *many* similar tests and such at school) that helps you discover "how you tick." It doesn't put you in a box; it just describes how you run and what motivates you in life. And it was so accurate for me! As I was reading my results at the end I thought "wow, has this computer met me personally?" It does cost $12 or so but it is TOTALLY worth it. In my opinion it is a combination of a personality test, spiritual gifts test, and love language quiz (if that says anything to you). I would encourage you to take it, and share your results with your friends and family. Often there are little things in our siblings, spouse, etc. that bother us, but that may be simply because we do not understand them or how God designed them. Learning to understand and appreciate each other's differences is so important! So - here's the link: https://www.flagpagetest.com/

You create an account on this website so that your information and results are always accessible, and you can print off your "flag" as many times as you want. If you are interested, give me your email address and I can email you a copy of my Flag Page so you can see an example of what one looks like and how it's done. 

So I invite you to join with me in a process of stretching yourself! :-) For the next little while I'm going to be spending time reflecting on the big picture, and journaling, praying, talking to my husband, (and yes, probably blogging!) about my vision for the future, and what God has in store for me. If you're like me and generally a detail-person, consider answering some questions such as  the following:

• What do I want to be celebrated for on my 100th birthday? What will people notice that I lived my life for?
• What are some core values in my life that dictate how I make decisions and interact with others?
• What goals do I have for my life? How do I want to grow, change, or make an impact in the realm of my family, my marriage, my job or school, in my hobbies, with my friends, or in my relationship with Jesus?
• Have a wild "brain-storming" session where you allow yourself to just dream and be free, and not worry about the "what-if's", the details, the hindrances, the how's. Exercise creativity and draw, paint, mold, write, go outside in nature. If time, personnel and resources were no issue, what would you do if you could do anything?

And if you are someone who is a visionary, maybe try some of the following:

• Share your vision with a more detailed person and be open to suggestions and practical components that can help shape and give structure to your idea.
• Consider the next step that you could take NOW that will help you accomplish your dream. Create a practical plan of what you need to do, who you need to join you, etc. 
• Don't forget to be content in the moment and enjoy today :-)

Well this, in my opinion, is a fun topic, and I love interaction! What are your experiences? What is your personality strength and what would you add for suggestions/strengths/weaknesses? Let me know if you do the Flag Page, or if this information was helpful or made you think. I have a feeling more posts on this topic will be coming soon...