Over years, I've found that a vision in future is a moving target. You can't expect to anticipate something that only exists as a dream of what you would like to be. The future changes based on your experiences, your knowledge, and your changing beliefs and desires. As it changes, holding on to something you once wanted only holds you back. You have to execute your goals to reach your vision and be ready to change your path and your mission when your vision changes.

--- What's next? ---

I once wrote this screenplay called "The Chamber." It was about a teleportation project gone awry. One of strange side effects of teleportation process was that character ended up in future, by several seconds, because of a temporal shift that occurred. When someone traveled via chamber, they were, literally alone, in future, for a period of time until rest of world caught up to them. Sadly, if you aim into future and wait for something to happen, then you too are living in a non-existent time with nothing and no one else around.

Take time to smell roses. Slow it down a bit and take stock in what is going on now and not what "might" happen in future. You're missing out on world that you're creating if you're too anxious to be in a world that doesn't yet exist. This causes frustration, loss of direction and, in some cases, loss of desire. Realize that once you set yourself up and begin your mission to your vision, idea is to enjoy journey. Feel fulfillment of accomplishing your goals along way. When your life is directed at an objective, you're better able to control those things that would otherwise affect you. Aim for future. Don't anticipate possibilities as they're not yet here.

Money will provide you with means to live comfortably and own a nice house. All you have to do is set a goal as to level of comfort and level of home. For instance, you might want to be secure enough to pay your bills and be able to go out every weekend. The house might be a two story, 2500sf beauty and have certain characteristics. You now have a set of goals for which money becomes important. With that, it is important to determine your personal goals in life, regardless of finances, and then determine finances required to meet those goals. Your goals for fulfillment should always come first. The money is simply a means to reach those goals.

However, you might feel, as many do, that you are in a pickle with regards to your finances. You have doctor bills, lawyer bills, and myriad other obligations. The same still applies. Of course, your objective in life is not to pay off debts. Paying off debts is ancillary to your primary goals involved in living your life. Once you determine your goals in life, you will be able to figure out ways that are essential to clearing these debts and moving forward to your goals.

* Extracurricular

Extracurricular activities are a very important part of a whole life. You must to have something else to do besides going to work, coming home, and just hanging out. Your additional activities should provide you with happy, healthy satisfaction for your mind and soul.

In my family, my wife and I share our time. We are both ambitious souls with very creative minds. We both want to do so many things and it is essential that we allow ourselves time to do so. We have managed to organize our lives such that, our work allows us to bring in money and our hobbies allow us to be happily creative. However, we enjoy our hobbies together. My wife sings and I produce her music. I write screenplays and books and she adds emotion and her creative critiquing skills. Since we enjoy our hobbies together, we are able to travel and enjoy boating at lake together and still do things that keep us happy and creative, separately.

Don't think reaching this point was a simple task. We had some serious bouts and discussions to understand each other's needs and wants in life. As we grew together, we came to understand that we can enjoy ourselves together and separately without taking away from each other's time yet adding to each other's success. How does this happen? It takes patience and an understanding of what you want out of life. You and your partner must know each other's needs and directions before you can meet in middle and come up with a life plan together.

--- ... somebody's gotta do it! ---

Once you take stock in your life and examine various aspects that are throwing your life out of balance, you have two choices: fix them or get rid of them. You might feel that tossing something out of your life is a bit extreme, but consider situation. If you're fiddling with a minor obstruction that doesn't somehow benefit your life, then why are you doing it?

To begin to have a fulfilling life, your general priorities should be:

1. to satisfy your basic needs of food, water, and air; 2. to satisfy your needs of security and safety; 3. to satisfy your need for love and to be needed; 4. to satisfy your own self-esteem needs; and 5. to reach a point where you can begin to examine and experience your own personal dreams and desires.

I once worked with a young man who was a "fixer." His goal in life was to make sure that everyone around him was satisfied and moving in right direction. He would help his friends and family to point of utter exhaustion. I asked him why he did this and his reply was, "as long as everything around me is good, I am good." His problem was that everyone around him was happy and moving forward in their lives, with his help. But, he never moved forward or did anything in direction of fulfilling his own life.

His situation was that he was stuck and didn't know how to get it in gear. So, to make sure that his little, quiet, corner of world was safe and happy, he made sure that everyone else was safe and happy. But, his balance came from external world. However, as we examined his situation, he found that his life was literally out of balance. His entire existence was lived through eyes of others and he had nothing to show for it when everyone else moved on to other things.

The point is that you cannot get involved in things that do not fit into your basic needs and direction. You must balance your life such that those elements in your life focus on your fulfillment to help you eventually reach a level where you can pursue your personal desires.

--- What's next? ---

Balance is idea of bringing all aspects of your life together in such a way as they all contribute to helping you reach your goals. Balance can happen automatically if you can set a vision and understand what it takes to get there. It can be a miraculous occurrence where all aspects of your life just line up to aim you in direction of your desires. It can also be a struggle if you don't know what you want out of life or where you want to go. Take control of your life and manage aspects of it such that you are living one, big, fulfilling life instead of a bunch of small interconnected and interfering lives.

Don't expect to receive a pat on back for a job well done. It is easier for everyone else in your life that you remain out of balance so that they can feel in-balance. It is essential that you learn to look within yourself for your own gratification and congratulations.

It is your own inner demons brought on through years of training by unbalanced people and environments that have given you knowledge to place yourself where you are now. Now, it's time to rid yourself of those old demons and move forward with your new, balanced life way you feel it should be lived.