She began to walk as if the vision had already unfolded. Each step was a quiet vow to the truth she had only glimpsed.
Once I started to increase my awareness of the “glimpses” I experienced, I wrote them down. I expanded upon them when I could. They began to proliferate. It started as an idea. Perhaps I might capture these “fleeting glimpses of life.” I hoped that they would be meaningful and instructive.
I’ve tried to live “as if my desire for a specific future was already here.” I haven’t given up. I’m still persevering after my dreams. I have to admit that living this way has been helpful. After all, what good are “glimpses” unless we attempt to capture and utilize them?
Leaning into your dreams, at least in my experience, feels great. My effort, my planning, and daily thinking go into trying to “dial in” these dreams. Each activity. Each choice or decision is important. No matter how small, it creates momentum. I use this momentum to get even closer to achieving something that means a great deal to me. First, how to dial in my dreams.
Later, I’ll address the therapeutic application of glimpses.
Let’s begin with a list of skills that can help give life more purpose and meaning, both personally and in relationships, work, and the wider world:
1. Self-Awareness
- Knowing your values, needs, and emotional patterns
- Helps you align your actions with what really matters to you
2. Deep Listening
- Truly hearing others without judgment or distraction
- Fosters deeper connection and understanding
3. Goal Setting with Soul
- Setting meaningful, values-aligned goals (not just productivity-driven ones)
- Adds a sense of direction and momentum
4. Reflection
- Regular journaling, meditation, or dialogue
- Makes life feel less random and more coherent
5. Compassionate Communication
- Speaking with kindness and clarity
- Builds more authentic relationships and healing connections
6. Emotional Intelligence
- Recognizing and regulating your emotions
- Helps you respond with intention, not impulse
7. Resilience
- Bouncing back from setbacks with insight and growth
- Deepens your sense of personal meaning through adversity
8. Mindfulness
- Being present, even during ordinary moments
- Turns routine into ritual, and urgency into presence
9. Creativity
- Expressing yourself through writing, art, conversation, or problem-solving
- Taps into a deeper well of meaning and insight
10. Service to Others
- Volunteering, mentoring, or simply being kind
- Expands your purpose beyond yourself