The Power of Vision: Lessons from a Prisoner Named Marcus

Freedom & Mental Health / By /

Finding Vision in the Most Unexpected Places

I visit a prison on Thursdays and meet with about 15 inmates to talk about freedom and purpose. That may sound unique, but these conversations are powerful. These men may live in prisons, but they have insights about life that we all need to hear.

Last week, a man named Marcus spoke up. He was talking about three things he is thankful for. He said, “I am obsessed with a vision!” He said this with authentic enthusiasm. After he said that, I considered how important vision is and how it’s actually difficult to live with a vision.

For much of my life, I could not say I was obsessed with a vision. I was too busy focusing on my problems. Mainly, I was focusing on hiding my problems. The process of hiding a problem is all-consuming. It dominates the mind. That was me. There was no room for vision.

Vision Vs. Problem: A Choice We All Face

I don’t think I am alone. I was talking to a couple just the other day. They were talking about their marriage problems. I asked them, “What do you want from life?” Her response was, “I think I have lost sight of that.”

This happens to most people. Before we ever find a vision for our life, we become consumed with our problems and our past. Regret for our past fills our hearts, and shame for our problems steals away our ability to dream.

How come this man in prison lives with such vision?

  1. He does not hide his problems. This may sound simple, but hiding our troubles is what causes our life to be derailed. Everyone faces hard things, but hiding those hard things will block us from having a vision for the future we want to build.
  2. He is clear on his purpose and he applies it every day. 

The two steps above can be done by anybody. You don’t have to fix your problems, but bring them out of hiding. Secondly, get clear on your purpose. If you don’t have a resource for taking these steps, you can reach out to us. This is what we do with people. We take people on a journey to get clear on their purpose and overcome the past and problems that keep people trapped.