Women of Legacy: Creating Vision

Florence Chadwick was the first woman who tried to swim the twenty-six miles between Catalina Island and the coast of California. It was a cold, foggy day, and she had been swimming for fifteen hours. She gave up and got in the boat, not knowing she was just half a mile from reaching the shore.

At a press conference the next day, she said, “All I could see was the fog. […] I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”[1]

This is the power of vision. We need the reminder of where we are headed to keep us focused, inspired, and driven with purpose.

As we talk about the role of women in legacy and generosity this month, let’s lean into how we as women can craft a meaningful vision to live out the values God has placed in our hearts.

Too often, we take a haphazard approach to life and assume we can fumble our way through, yet research has shown the impact of having defined mission and vision for families and individuals. It is critical to success and enduring impact.

One of the beautiful things in creating a vision statement is the power you hold as a woman here. Women are known for their ability to encourage but also to defend their tribe fiercely. Lean into that voice. Let the vision you create fuel your passion and ability to encourage and champion it, whether for your family, your workplace, or the other tribes with which God has blessed you.

Think about these key questions as you consider the vision God is calling you to:

• What are the causes you want to champion? What issues most stir passion in your heart?
• If you think about the paths you would want your children to follow in, what will be their guiding principles?
• What are past events that have influenced the values most important to you?

Drawing from these, you can start to formulate the vision to which God has called you.

Why does it matter so much? Vision is not just for you. It is laying down the path for others to pursue the causes of Christ.

Vision sets the course for future generations. This might be your legacy journey, but your final breaths will not be the end of the story. It is a beautiful, messy heritage that will be passed on to others. Vision gives the perspective the future generations will need to keep running the race, to know where they are headed, and why it matters.

Two months later, Florence Chadwick stepped back into the waters of the Pacific Ocean to once again attempt the twenty-six-mile swim. Again, the same thick fog set in as she began, but this time Florence kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam. Thirteen hours and forty-seven minutes later, she pulled herself out of the water, this time onto the Catalina shore.

Remember, creating a vision statement is a process. Draft, discuss, start over if need be, and remember that it’s ok to take time in the planning process. You don’t have to do it all in one night.

Learn more about creating a family vision statement.

Check out our printable mission/vision statement PDF.

 

[1] https://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Jan/21/florence-chadwick-and-fog/