Vision, Intention and Means

Dallas Willard, sort of a Modern Day C. S. Lewis, discusses personal transformation as existing in three parts – Vision, Intention and Means (VIM). Vision is the act of putting your mind into the right places – new places, in many cases. It gives one a spot on the horizon to move toward a better life. Intention comes from our individual wills. We need to will ourselves to refuse to think about the depressing parts of our life, but only a bright future. We need to ask God to go with us back into those bad memories to show us why they still resonate with us. We can then reject those bad thoughts and only focus on the encouraging ones. Means are the resources and parts of our daily life we choose anew that can push us along toward that spot on the horizon – the new me. Bad thoughts now ring like a warning alarm. We stop taking as many steps backward as forward. V-I-M. Vision, Intention and Means. We need all three to become transformed.