The Four Native Human Capacities -Module 1

The highest manifestations of intelligence or capacities of every human being are for the Mental: vision; for physical: discipline, for the emotional: passion, for the spiritual: conscience. These four represent the highest means of expression of the human voice.

Vision

Vision is seeing with the mind’s eye all the possibilities in people, projects and organizations. Vision results when our mind joins need with possibility. William James writes: what is now proved was once only imagined. When people have no vision, they fall prey to the human tendency toward victimism

Vision is seeing a future state with the mind’s eye. It is applied imagination. All things are created twice: first a mental creation; second, a physical creation. The first creation, vision is the beginning of the process of reinventing oneself or of an organization reinventing itself. It represents desire, dreams, hopes, goals, and plans. But these dreams or visions are not just fantasies. They are reality not yet brought into the physical sphere, like the blueprint of a house before it is built or musical notes in a score just waiting to be played.

Most of us don’t envision or realize our own potential. Most people live in a restricted circle of their potential being. We all have reservoirs of energy and genius to draw upon of which we do not dream.

Each of us has immeasurable Power and Capacity to reinvent our lives.

Albert Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Memory is past. It is finite. Vision is future. It is infinite. Vision is greater than history, greater than baggage, greater than the emotional scars of the past.

When somebody asked Einstein what question he would ask God if he could ask one, he replied, “How did the universe start? Because everything after that is just math.” And after thinking for a while, he changed his mind. He said, “instead I would ask, ‘why was the universe created? ‘Because then I would know the meaning of my own life.”

Perhaps the most important vision of all is to develop a sense of self; a sense of your own destiny; a sense of your unique mission and role in life, a sense of purpose and meaning. When testing your own personal vision first ask yourself: does the vision tap into my voice, my energy, my unique talent? Does it give me a sense of “calling,” a cause worthy of my commitment? Acquiring such meaning requires profound personal reflection, asking deep questions and envisioning.

Sir Laurens Van der Sar Post said, “Without vision we all suffer from an insufficiency of data. We look at life myopically, that is through our own lens, our own world. Vision enables us to transcend our autobiography, our past to rise above our memory. This is particularly practical in human relationships and creates magnanimity of spirit toward others.”

 Vision is the unseen Potential

In talking about vision, it is important to not only consider the vision of what is possible “out there” but also the vision of what we see in other people, their unseen potential

Vision is about more than just getting things done, accomplishing some task, achieving something; it is about discovering and expanding our view of others, affirming them, believing in them and helping them discover and realize the potential within them-helping them find their own voice.

You lift me and I’ll lift you and we’ll ascend together

In many eastern cultures, people greet others by putting their arms in an inverted V shape at their chest and bowing to the other person. In so doing, they are saying, “I salute the greatness in you,” or “I salute the divinity within you. “ I know another person who, when she encounters a person says audibly or in her heart, “I love you. What is your name?” seeing people through their potential and their best actions rather than through the lens of their current behavior or weaknesses, generates positive energy and reaches out and embraces others. This affirming action is also one of the keys to rebuilding broken relationships; it is also the key to successful parenting. There is great power in viewing people separately from their behavior, for as we do, we affirm their fundamental, unconditional worth. When we perceive and acknowledge the potential of others, it is as if we hold up a mirror to them reflecting the best within them, this affirming vision not only frees them to become their best but we too are freed from reacting to unwanted behavior. When people behave far below their potential, our affirming attitude and words become “that is not like you”