It is easy to create a vision in ones head. A view of how we think the day will go or a project will turn out. As humans, I think we all do this. We spend time thinking through the future – imaging the “best” for ourself, our projects, our classroom lessons. We sometimes think it through so much that we are certain this is what will play out.
We may try to share our vision with others. They may understand it, they may only see a part of the vision and might just jump to conclusions. Seeking the future in our thinking can be tricky. Just ask Marabel and Bruno in the movie “Encanto”. Their’s is an example of seeking the future and missing the point. It took people going back and looking again to see what really was going on and how to fix it. Communication being a big part of it.
Here in our house we are spending a lot of time talking about visions and the future. An amazing and tricky conversation as a little one tries to make sense of words like vision and future. Just try explaining those words to a little person!
The problem with a vision is it is OUR vision – our view of the world and if we are not careful it will bump up against someone else’s vision. Bang – the view shifts and project goes in another direction or the lesson crashes with students not aware of what you had planned or the contractor who has his own vision of your house project.
It is often times no ones fault – this collision of ideas. It may be a time issue or materials not available or a failure from both parties to accurately share their visions.
Here is where my two and half year grandson has unexpectedly reminded me of visions or plans set in stone can lead to heart ache or issues. If we don’t think clearly about our vision and what others are thinking we run into trouble.
Little Man is lost in the world of “Encanto” (he calls it Pacanto). He is working hard in his two year old way to understand Bruno’s vision and the problems that the family encounter when only seeing a part of a vision and jumping to their own thoughts. The world where a family was not sharing their own views led to problems and disruption of relationships.
Well, here I sit. I have been thinking out two construction projects at my house for 2 years now. The world kept bringing them to a halt. It was finally decided we were moving ahead now – the pandemic is slowing and many are vaccinated, the prices are still high but they are not going down any time soon. So we started. I have a two year old vision – I have been ruminating about this work for years. Our contractor has not been. He has been swamped with all kinds of other work. So as we began the first project and walls were going up and windows in I quietly freaked out. This was not the plan. This was not my vision for this space.
He explain due to supply of windows this would be a better plan. There we were visions clashing. It could have been a time of anger, disappointment and not very good relationships. This was not going to be good since we are also starting project two – a total basement redo.
A nights of sleep. A reminder from a 2 1/2 year old about visions and the future made me slow down. I looked at each persons vision and plan. Today we took time, the contractor and I, to sit down and walk through both projects. What did he see in the project and what were my expectations.
I realized if I can take time to look at things from a different perspective we could work this out. The work being done was great we just needed to understand what we each saw and be willing to be flexible. We needed to communicate clearly and without anxiousness (which really is fear when you think about it.)
We ended our Friday with a demolished basement ready for a rebuild. An old screen porch walled in and ready to be made into a small sun and plant room (not as much open window space as I wanted but it will work and be a lovely place to sit and to grow plants).
(We won’t talk about the no water and the broken water pipe that we are waiting to get fixed this evening. It is a small set back that will be handled soon.)
Here is to shared visions, open communication and being respectful of other peoples way of thinking.
Words from JL 