Having Vision

At the beginning of this year, I sat down and made a vision board for my year. It was a powerful tool, one that symbolized so much for me at the time.  In many ways, 2009 was a wonderful year.  We brought home our baby boy who has added so much to our lives.  I went to contract and wrote Beautiful You.  I had a teaching position I loved, and Circle de Luz really grew and thrived.  And, yet, it was also the hardest year, personally, of my life as we grappled with very little sleep, Happy’s needs, career changes, etc.  Making the vision board for this year was a way of going into 2010 with some focus, some clarity, a desire to do things with intention, to initiate making things happen.  It was a tool from my past that was needed again in my life, a visual, if you will, to my annual birthday list. 

What resonated with me as I went through my stacks and stacks of magazines were images and words that spoke of good health, living in the present, enjoying myself outdoors, being my own guide, being active every day, creatindg more leisure time, raising a great kid, writing the life story that I wanted to have, taking pleasure in the littlest of moments and things, using my voice, holding true to my purpose, giving my artist space, rejuvenating my passionate nature, making an impact, reaching my personal best, and eating well.  So many of those things did become reality but some of those things are ideas that I imagine will make it on to my 2011 vision board as I am still a work in progress and the life I imagine is still not the one that I fully live. 

Next week, I’ll be making a vision board for 2011 and I want to encourage you to do the same.  I’ll share mine here and would be happy to share your’s, too, if you want to snap a photo of it and send it to me at hijasamericanas@gmail.com.  

For some inspiration as you consider your vision board, here is an excerpt from Day 246 of Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance:   As a college sophomore, I knew what I wanted for myself, but sometimes I would forget it and focus instead on whatever was immediately in front of me. The trouble was, the things that were immediately in front of me didn’t always move me forward in my life. So that summer, I decided to create a visual representation of what I envisioned for myself.  With poster board, tape, scissors, and a stack of magazines, I created a collage.  The collage hung on my wall for the next two years, a daily reminder of who I wished to become and how I wished to get there. It was a moment where I knew I was taking my life into my own hands, choosing to make things happen rather than allowing things to happen to me. That sort of self-empowerment always boosts a person’s self-esteem. Though it was inspired by wishful thinking, it truly became my willful thinking.

Today: Gather your supplies—a bulletin board or poster board, magazines and photos, tape, and scissors—and create your own inspiration board. Use images and words that speak to you and show what you imagine for yourself. When you’re done, write the date on the back and place it somewhere you’ll come across it regularly. Becoming empowered and self-possessed starts with a vision.

Here’s to a new year filled with living the embodiment of our visions!