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Vision Boards, Future Dreams, and Life’s Uncertainty
Balancing ambition and the present, while embracing life’s unpredictable moments.
I had planned to sit down today and write about vision boards—how they serve as powerful tools to map out our goals, our ambitions, and the life we dream of living. I wanted to talk about professional aspirations, about how we set milestones and push ourselves toward success. But then, Wednesday happened.
A plane went down. Lives were lost. Families shattered. And in an instant, I found myself unable to think about vision boards and future plans. Instead, I was thinking about the people who boarded that plane with their own dreams, their own aspirations, their own carefully laid-out visions for what was to come.
We talk so much about goals, about striving, about working toward something bigger than ourselves. But we rarely talk about the moments when life takes a turn we never expected—when the future we so meticulously planned is taken from us in a heartbeat. Those passengers had plans. They had things they wanted to accomplish, places they wanted to go, loved ones they wanted to see again. And now, their vision boards, their aspirations, are left behind as reminders of what could have been.
But this does not mean we stop dreaming. Having a vision for the future still holds immense value. It gives us direction, motivation, and purpose. We should always look forward, work toward our goals, and build the life we desire. Yet, at the same time, we cannot lose sight of the present. We must find the balance between working toward the future and making the most of the moments we have today. That balance is fragile, shifting in an instant when unforeseen events—like this tragedy—shake our world. And that’s okay. Life is unpredictable, and sometimes we have to pause, grieve, reflect, and then, when we are ready, continue forward with a renewed perspective on what truly matters.
As I reflect on this, I realize that the true purpose of a vision board isn’t just about personal success—it’s about legacy. It’s about the imprint we leave behind, about the people we touch along the way. Those we lost on Wednesday had dreams, yes, but they also had families, friends, and colleagues who now carry their stories forward.
I think of the missed birthdays, the unfinished projects, the phone calls that will never be answered. And I think of the people left behind, wondering how to move forward when the ones they loved are no longer here to dream alongside them.
If this tragedy has taught me anything, it’s that vision boards should be more than just a collection of our personal goals. They should also be about the impact we want to have on others—the love we give, the kindness we share, the difference we make in the lives around us. Because in the end, that’s what truly matters.
So today, instead of writing about professional goals and future success, I write about the importance of living fully, loving deeply, and making sure that the people around us know they matter. Because in the blink of an eye, everything can change. And when it does, the only thing that remains is the legacy we leave behind.
Let’s honor those we lost by living with intention, by cherishing the people in our lives, and by making sure that the dreams we chase are not just for ourselves, but for the world we hope to leave better than we found it.
