“Consider not the present condition, but rather foresee the future and the end. A seed in the beginning is very small, but in the end a great tree. One should not consider the seed, but the tree and its abundance of blossoms, leaves and fruits.”

    (Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 410)

Now that you have an idea of what the ego and some of the obstacles might be, it is valuable to think of what you will be like when you have the virtue fully in place.   It is the nature of our minds to only be able to imagine as far out into the future with positive energy as we are capable of currently actualizing.    If you can imagine it, you can go for it.   And then if you start taking steps toward it,  it will become real.

The key to this kind of visualization is to see yourself out there as if you are detached from your body.   This is a different than the kind of visualizing that you get when you are just seeing a vision through your eyes.  Both are valuable, but, in this case,  because you are changing the self  you should do it as a detached self.    If you can see yourself clearly out there with the new quality, then taking steps toward should be a pretty straightforward process without huge obstacles.     When it is not as clear,  it just means that there is some significant learning to do along the path to attainment to the virtue.    The more challenging the virtue and vision the less likely it is to be so clear.   Challenges are good.    The difficulty is that when we don’t maintain the vision we tend to forget that we even set the goal.

As the above quote says you shouldn’t dwell so much on the present situation because it has not yet actualized what you are looking for.   The mind needs a lure.  The vision is the lure.   So when you see yourself more courageous, joyful, honest, organized, everything about your life begins to take you there.   So why not go for something that you really need in your life.

The exercise is to see yourself with the new virtue and then attempt to make it clearer.  The next day is about making a plan. 

How will you see your life changing today?