From Vision to Action: Creating what matters

“The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do” — Steve Jobs.

All human creation moves between vision and action. Sometimes we begin with a vision and give it form. Other times, we begin with action and only later align it with vision. But in either case, both action and vision are needed: if vision does not become action, it remains a dream; if action does not rise into vision, it becomes a nightmare. Between them lies the path of creation that will allow one's gift to unfold into the world.

The creation process

The process of creation is to refine a vision into action or the reverse. This requires multiple areas, each expressing different qualities at different stages of the journey. A vision is inherently spiritual while action is material. This journey of bringing something into the world is not easy, and even when we succeed, it can be dubious if the result was worth it. It is wise to value the journey, rather than any specific result within it. To bring your gift into the world is to commit to a journey of service.

There are two ways of creating great things in life: to break down a vision into goals, projects, and actions or to move from action to projects, goals, to vision. Both methods work, but the latter order usually counts for around 80% of real life examples. When moving from action to vision, it often becomes easier to build something successful in the material world, but harder to uphold the spiritual qualities. Moving from vision to action, on the other hand, is good for keeping the purity, yet it becomes harder to actually manifest something into the physical world.

This is because in the latter case, we move from Spirit to Matter, while in the former, we move from Matter to Spirit. Mystics are usually not entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs are usually not mystics. The two following examples illustrate the two different movements in the creation process perfectly. Steve Jobs moved from action to vision, while Muhammed from vision to action. In practice, however, life is rarely so clean and involves some combination of both movements.

Apple

When we move from Action to vision, it usually comes from a serendipitous event, where one small step leads to a breakthrough. For Steve Jobs, it was meeting Steve Wozniak, who had built a low-cost personal computer.[^1] Through their partnership, daily tinkering, and fascination with computers, they turned their actions into projects: they managed to assemble the Apple I, secure initial funding of 250k, and form the company Apple. Their goal was simple: to sell fully assembled personal computers to individuals. They achieved this and sold over 100 pieces, proving that there was a market for their idea.

But once that first goal had been achieved, a broader vision emerged: Apple could transform the relationship between people and technology. This is what differentiated Apple: a desire to unite beautiful design with cutting-edge technology. Yet, Steve’s journey at Apple was not without challenge, as he got fired by his own board and later rehired as CEO. And through 35 years of iteration to make Apple one of the most influential companies in modern history. But this progress didn’t come without cost.

Apple is a product company that reflects precision, design, and control. But its end-to-end approach leaves little room for openness and outside collaboration. It thus leans more towards Matter than Spirit. Steve Jobs himself lived as a hippie for many years, to later become the CEO of the biggest company on the planet. And while Apple at the start was very innovative, it eventually turned into a company oriented more around profit. That is often the price we pay when moving from action into vision: Matter begins to outweigh Spirit, and the vision becomes distorted.

Islam

When someone moves from vision to action, it usually comes through divine inspiration. This entails that a vision seizes us, and for Muhammad, it happened around 610 CE, in the cave of Hira.[^2] There, he received a revelation in which Gabriel appeared to him and spoke the word: Iqra. He was grasped and pressed tightly as this command to recite was delivered, marking the beginning of his prophethood. But upon returning to Mecca, he was severely distressed by this encounter. He was later assured by Waraqah ibn Nawfal that this indeed was a revelation. But he also predicted rejection in his future.

Mecca at the time was ruled by polytheism and tribal conflict. And from his encounter with Gabriel followed a clear goal: to warn his people and call them to monotheism. Muhammed began preaching privately at first and gathered some early followers. But when he went public, opposition in Mecca intensified, resulting in ridicule, persecution, and eventually exile. He eventually migrated to Medina, where he continued to preach. Over time, his efforts took form in the Constitution of Medina, the Pact of al-Hudaybiyyah with Mecca, and in the formation of a highly committed community.

By 632 CE, at the time of his death, most of Arabia was unified under Islam, only 22 years after receiving his vision. Although his revelations in the cave Hira must have been extraordinary, bringing it into form was not without cost. Muhammed had to lose social standing, security, and protection in Mecca before he was able to realize his goal. If we turn vision into action, it is often the case that we need to sacrifice Matter in order to uphold Spirit. To bring something into the world is more challenging when we move from vision to action. Great thinkers are usually faced with severe rejection at first, and often are much later recognized for their efforts.

Your gift

These are only two examples among many. It is easy to criticize from a distance, but they acted, risked, and brought something real into the world. At some point, we all must realize how much work has been done before us. This is why we feel called to shape something of our own: to contribute in a way that serves the world. Not everyone can do something as big as Steve Jobs or Muhammad, nor should we wish to do so. All we need to do is to realize our own gift and bring it into the world.

As stated above, the easiest way to make progress is to look at what you’re already doing and move up the ladder. Can you shape your actions into projects, set goals, and align them with a vision? The process of creation is nothing more than setting a direction and keeping true to its course, wherever it may lead. Both Muhammad and Steve Jobs show that we cannot foresee all the effects of our actions. All we have to do is to honorably bring forth what is within us, and how the world responds is not up to us.

Whether success comes when we are alive, after our death, or not at all is not within our control. The journey of moving from vision to action, or in reverse, is a worthwhile pursuit in which we become very alive. Spirit (vision) and Matter (action) are always present, and it is our task to balance them properly. And If you want to bring your gift into the world, Creator OS helps you align your actions, projects, goals, and vision. Learn more here: Creator OS.