My Vision: Isn’t it Wonderful?

I was reading the story of Ruben Gonzalez, four times winter Olympian.  Ruben started training as a Luger at the age of 21 after getting inspired by a winter Olympian, Scot Hamilton. It is said about Ruben that he posted a large picture of a famous Olympian on the wall of his bedroom. He posted the picture at such a position where Ruben could not miss looking at the sports hero both while going to bed at night and while getting up in the morning.  He would look at the picture and let the image sink into his subconscious mind.  He would carry the image into his sleep and let it penetrate the deeper layers of his mind.

He used to think about the sportsman throughout the day as well whenever he got a free time. Ruben’s goal became so solid and concrete that it influenced his everyday life activities in a manner that led him to become a victorious Olympian. Ruben Gonzalez had a very intense, burning desire to be an outstanding person in sports. His desire made him define a powerful goal and objective in his life. He then developed a vision in order to achieve the goal.  Ruben pursued his goal and vision with passion and zeal. His mission and philosophy was to accomplish his objectives according to his heart’s desire. Ruben was successful in his mission. He achieved his goal. This is the magic of goals and vision. Our goals and visions determine our destiny.

 I remember my childhood days. Children daydream about what they desire to become in life. I had uncountable desires and goals as a school and college student. Every now and then the goals changed according to the change of time and needs. But when I joined the university, I had set a goal that after my master’s degree I would join an international school for postgraduate studies in behavioral research.  It wasn’t an easy task. The cost of joining a foreign college was beyond my means. I started working as a lecturer at Gordon College in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. I did not have any funds to afford my postgraduate research work at a foreign college. My financial status clearly indicated that my goal was impossible to achieve. But I did not budge an inch from my vision. I had a clear and solid vision that I was studying in a foreign educational research institute. I used to read about the international research institutes related with my area of study. I would see myself receiving invitation letter from the foreign universities. I saw myself sitting in a classroom in the university I dreamed. The goal and vision was very, very clear and solid. There was no money in my pocket. I had no funds to deposit even the required application fee. Every foreign university and educational institute has very high costs of study. But my goal was very well defined and my vision was very vivid and solid. I never bothered about how I would achieve my goal. Who would pay the air ticket? Who will fund my tuition, boarding and lodging costs? Not for a moment I pondered over these important steps for planning to apply for higher studies in a foreign college. My only support was my vision and my goal. I could vividly see myself sitting in an international conference discussing research project with other scholars and professors.

One day I was sitting in the American Centre’s library located on Kashmir Road in Rawalpindi. I was going through a huge guide book of International Universities and Research Institutes. There were thousands of contacts and addresses of international colleges and research institutes. Suddenly my attention was caught by the Research Institute of Clinical Psychology of Tokyo University of Education in Japan. Tokyo University of Education is now called Tsukuba University and is one of the largest universities of the world. I noted down the address of Professor Kikuo Uchiyama, a leading research scholar in behavioral medicines and a senior professor of Tokyo University of Education. I wrote him a hand-written letter on an aerogram.  Aero-grams were very cheap and affordable means of air-mail communication in those days. Although it was not a very decent way to write an official letter using an aerogram but that was the only type of mail I could afford. After about ten days I got a reply from Professor Uchiyama. He sent me the application package which included admission forms and instruction guide. He mentioned that he had a vacant seat for an international student and that I could try my luck against that seat. The area of study was of my interest because I had already done some work in that field. I completed all the application requirements and in a few weeks I received the invitation letter from the Government of Japan together with an air ticket from Islamabad to Tokyo. All the dues, including the application fee, admission fee, boarding and lodging costs were paid by the Government of Japan. I had nothing to pay. Wow! What a great surprise? Isn’t it wonderful?

In those days, all foreign travels by international students required the clearance of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The State Bank asked me to bring clearance from the Ministry of Education (MOE), Islamabad. The procedure of “No Objection Certificate (NOC) of the MOE was very long and tedious. I had only a few days left to meet the arrival deadline at the University in Japan. The things looked impossible. But I did not lose hope. My goal and my vision were as firm as ever. I met the concerned officer of the MOE. He said it was not possible for him to give me the NOC. As I was about to leave his office, he called me and said: “Wait a moment. Let me speak to the SBP officer”. He called the officer and spoke to him. As soon as he finished his conversation with the State Bank official, he took the letter of NOC request from my hand, scribbled his note that the MOE has no objection to the studies of this applicant in a foreign university. He opened his drawer and took out his official seal. He couldn’t find the ink-pad.  But the officer seemed to be a person who wanted to help people out of their problems. He blew his moisturous breath on the seal and stamped the note he had written. He said, giving the letter back to me, “Good luck, young man!” After a couple of days I was on the flight to Tokyo. Isn’t it a miracle?

The mind experts claim that if our desire is quite intense, our goals and objectives are very clearly defined and our vision is concrete and solid and if we can feel every aspect of our vision through our imaginary senses, we must be able to achieve the objective. There are, of course, certain conditions such as a clear vision in which we feel ourselves participating in the visionary activity. This activity is totally different from daydreaming. In daydream, we sit outside and dream/see ourselves getting our wishes/desires fulfilled. In the vision, we are a part of it and we feel the imaginary experience through our sense organs. If we are able to do this sort of exercise, we shall achieve our goal and objective and determine our destiny. We need not be bothered about the steps involved leading towards the destination. Those are secondary things. We must concentrate and focus our attention on “the goal”. We need to visualize and feel the goal achieved and rejoice in success and victory. This is the secret of all the success stories, discoveries and inventions. Therefore, define your goals as per your desire, create a solid vision and follow it with zeal, passion and faith. Rejoice in a happy end. Move into the feelings of gratitude. I assure you that you will always meet success. Isn’t it wonderful?

Please feel free to contact me for more information in this regard.

Mumtaz Shah