Last time, I talked about the second lens in the kaleidoscope, The Lens of Thrust & Momentum. Today, I’m talking about another lens: The Lens of Vector & Direction.
The Lens of Vector & Direction deals with destiny…where you’re headed. And in the traffic jams of life, it can feel like you’re not headed anywhere. And while that’s true, the underlying cause is one of Thrust & Momentum. That said, when I find myself stuck in a traffic jam of life, I use the Lens of Vector & Direction to find an alternate route.
For me, the Lens of Vector & Direction is important because it has two centers of focus…and the fun challenge for me is achieving harmony between the two. One center of focus is the longer-term, and the other is the shorter-term. I’ve found that when those two are in harmony, I’m often able to detect traffic jams ahead and adjust to a different Vector & Direction to work my way around the jam.
And…I still wind up in traffic jams now and then. In fact, several years ago, I stayed in a traffic jam of life…for five years. It was a “good job” with a “good company.” One of those that’s consistently ranked among the “Top 100 places to work in (insert your career field here) in America.” And for me, it kept me from doing what I was created to do. It was a traffic jam, and it was impeding me reaching my destiny.
It was while I was in that five-year traffic jam of life that I met my now-fellow-entrepreneur-turned-business-partner, Bill. Bill and I made a pact with each other to break through that traffic jam and “go do something.” Within about a year, we both exited the firm and started down a new Vector & Direction toward our destiny.
A few years later, while we were moving along at a good clip – Thrust & Momentum weren’t an issue – we hit another traffic jam. In that jam, Bill chose to disengage from our turnaround effort. And while we may have been at a standstill in that Vector & Direction, we didn’t quit.
About a year later we created a new Vector & Direction toward our destiny, Lamark Solutions and trulyMEid. A couple of years into that, we attracted others to the vision. And while our original vision was aimed at the commercial world, one of the partners we attracted had inroads into government sectors…so, we created an additional Vector & Direction, Fourth Dimension Identity and FedIDs.
Today, both companies and products are fixing to launch. And within a year, we’ll have over 1 million users on our platforms.
And it all started in a traffic jam 11 years ago.
So What?
The Lens of Vector & Direction is important because it helps me stay on course to reach my destiny…even if it means taking a route that isn’t the most direct. The longer-term center of focus is a constant check on how well I’m progressing toward my destiny. And the shorter-term center of focus plays with the Lens of Thrust & Vector to help me stay moving in, around, and through the traffic jams of life.
Next time I’ll talk about building the kaleidoscope with these three lenses, and how I use the interplay between the three to find beauty in the moment…and a pathway through the traffic jams of life.
