"I can see clearly now, the rain has gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
Gonna be a bright, sunshiny day."
Funny how sometimes a tune will pop into your mind, and, once there, refuse to leave. When I read this week's Sunday Scribblings prompt, these lyrics immediately came to mind, and now I wish I had an escape key for the microprocessor in my brain.
Nevertheless, they're appropriate for the topic. After all, "I can see clearly now..."seems the perfect seque to a reflection on the word "vision."
Unfortunately, it's the second line of the song that seems to dominate my thoughts.
"I can see all obstacles in my way." I wish I were more of a visionary, but after 50 plus years on the planet, I seem stuck in my overly pragmatic (bordering on pessimistic) outlook. Everywhere I look these days, in the wide world and in my own little backyard , I see obstacles - monetary, political, environmental, medical. Many of my own dreams are on hold because of the faltering economy and shaky socio political status. Health concerns loom in my family right now, from the oldest members on down to the youngest. All of life's obstacles are clearly visible, and they've gathered overhead in the shape of some pretty formidable clouds.
At first it seems that phrase is a little out of place in the general "sunshininess" of that song, doesn't it? I mean, if you can see all the obstacles in your way, how the heck can it be a bright sunshiny day?
Our minister's sermon this morning was quite appropriate to my thoughts today. Entitled "Weeds in the Garden" he talked about the pervasive nature of "weeds" in our lives - those obstacles that spring up totally unbidden, flourish despite our efforts, and threaten to destroy the vision we have for our lives. How do you fight these invaders? he wonders.
Three things...a vision, a plan, and committment. Have a clear picture in your mind of what you want your garden to be, make a plan to achieve it, and committ yourself to whatever it takes to keep the weeds out. Of course, if you have a spiritual life, then God (or your higher power) becomes the guiding principle in your life's plan, as well as in the means of bringing it to fruition.
Having a vision seems to be the key. If you can dream it, you can do it, as the saying goes. I struggle with that - not the dream part, because I have those in abundance. But in finding a means to make them come true. And a big part of that is not allowing those inevitable obstacles to blind you to the brightness of your vision, and in allowing the universe to do its part in making the dreams come true.
So, I continue to work toward "openess to possibility," toward looking for silver linings of opportunity peeking out from beneath those obstacles of clouds. In the midst of economoic turmoil, I'm grateful everyone in my family has good jobs; amidst concerns about health, I'm reassured that hopeful solutions exist; despite a loss of focus among our current leaders, I have faith that new leaders will emerge to provide inspiration for change.
And so, maybe it will be a "bright, sunshiny day."