Your Time to Vision
Now that you’ve landed on a word to be your guidepost for the year, it’s time to REALLY vision into how you want 2024 to unfold.
We can choose to be intentional AND allow the universe to support and provide us with mystery, too.
My all time favorite tool for doing this is to create a vision board. It’s such a great way to launch the year with intention, guidance and inquiry.
Now that you’ve landed on a word to be your guidepost for the year, it’s time to REALLY vision into how you want 2024 to unfold.
We can choose to be intentional AND allow the universe to support and provide us with mystery, too.
My all time favorite tool for doing this is to create a vision board. It’s such a great way to launch the year with intention, guidance and inquiry.
In fact, doing this activity has become one of my family’s New Year’s traditions! The fireplace is roaring, the Christmas lights (and music) are blasting, and I’m typically on the rug, ripping, cutting and gluing, making a giant mess!
Normally I’m extremely intentional about creating a vision board, thinking about the different areas of my life and how I want to experience them. I’ll have imagery for my spiritual development – perhaps a picture of a book, goddess or teacher. I’ll have a picture of a place I want to visit (typically someplace where I can ski). For years I had African animals – elephants, giraffes… I find images of things I’d like to accomplish – pictures of art, words that are inspiring…
But a few years ago, I began doing my vision boards slightly differently. I call it a Soul Vision Board!
Essentially, I incorporated a new collage technique I learned from a friend called SoulCollage® and use it to make my vision board.
Soul Collage is an intuitive, contemplative way to collage using ONLY imagery (no words). With this technique, you typically make a set of cards, then read/interpret them- eliciting meaning from the images you’ve assembled.
Adapting this idea to a vision board, I allow my intuition to guide me RATHER than control it by looking for specific images and words. Instead, I choose pictures that catch my eye. I don’t worry about finding the “right” word or picture but relax into the process, trusting that the images (and words) I find are the perfect ones.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Before you begin, take a moment to think about the year ahead. How do you want to feel? To experience it?
2. Allow yourself to browse images, choosing things that appeal perhaps from an emotive, metaphoric, or unconscious space, as opposed to being so concrete. If you feel inclined, add words that speak to you, too.
3. Once you have a pile of stuff, follow the basic vision board instructions.
4. After the collage is assembled, step back and take in the whole board. What is it telling you about how you want to live your year?
Perhaps what you’ll hear isn’t so much about WHAT you will specifically accomplish, instead it may be more about HOW you will experience your everyday life.
How does that sound?
I’m excited to see how this new technique influences your year.
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Image by Florian Giorgio on Unsplash
The Power of Visualization
My 15 year-old daughter is taking a standardized test in English and as I think about preparing her for it, I’m reminded of an exam I took not so long ago. It was for Psychopathology, a required class for my graduate program in Social Work. We were essentially required to memorize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), read scenarios and apply diagnoses.
All of us students were struggling.
On the last day of class, we showed up on Saturday morning for our final. Before our professor passed out the exams she said, “I want you to close your eyes.”
Being the dutiful student I am, I complied.
She then went on. “Imagine yourself in a library. See the rows of books and all the information. This is what is within your brain. It has all the knowledge and answers. Allow yourself to access this, remembering it is here for you as you read each question and answer it.”
As I listened to her words, I saw myself in the library. I observed how my mind was made up of all this information, of the countless hours I’d spent studying notecards, discerning the differences between types of schizophrenia and personality disorders, between major depression and dysthymia, and on and on.
I took a deep breath acknowledging that all the answers would revel themselves to me. Then I opened my eyes and took the test.
My 15 year-old daughter is taking a standardized test in English and as I think about preparing her for it, I’m reminded of an exam I took not so long ago. It was for Psychopathology, a required class for my graduate program in Social Work.
We were essentially required to memorize the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), read scenarios and apply diagnoses.
All of us students were struggling.
On the last day of class, we showed up on Saturday morning for our final. Before our professor passed out the exams she said, “I want you to close your eyes.”
Being the dutiful student I am, I complied.
She then went on. “Imagine yourself in a library. See the rows of books and all the information. This is what is within your brain. It has all the knowledge and answers. Allow yourself to access this, remembering it is here for you as you read each question and answer it.”
As I listened to her words, I saw myself in the library. I observed how my mind was made up of all this information, of the countless hours I’d spent studying notecards, discerning the differences between types of schizophrenia and personality disorders, between major depression and dysthymia, and on and on.
I took a deep breath acknowledging that all the answers would revel themselves to me. Then I opened my eyes and took the test.
Upon finishing, I felt relieved. I’d confidently answered many of the questions although there’d definitely been a few that had stumped me. Either way, I knew I’d passed. Phew.
When I returned to school the next semester, I had the same professor for another class. After the first lecture, she approached me and told me I’d only missed two problems on that Psychopathology exam. I was shocked.
Why did I do so well?
The Power of Visualization.
I truly believe that if my professor hadn’t reminded me that I knew everything and walked us through that activity, I wouldn’t have done so well.
Can you think of a time when you’ve visualized success and it’s worked? Maybe before a race or a big event? Prior to a lecture or trip?
Using Visualization Does Two Things:
1. It Keeps Worry at Bay
We’re focusing on what we want and not spending a lot of time and energy on what we don’t want (that’s worrying).
2. It Invites the Universe to Help Us Create the Future We Intend
We’re always creating our world even though we don’t often realize it. By becoming aware of our thoughts, emotions and imagery, we can begin to manifest more of what we want into our lives.
Recently I used visualization as a way to staunch my panic and manifest a last minute solution.
I was heading to Morocco and accidentally misread the boarding paper. It was in military time, 17:50, but somehow I was reading it as 7:50 pm. Not so good. We got on the bus at 4:30 pm when I realized my error giving us a little over an hour to go 30 miles on the bus, get through security, and clear immigration to make our international flight.
Needless to say, my traveling companion was furious but I kept telling her: “Visualize us being on the plane. See us sitting there.”
Then she replied, “Fine. Imagine yellow seats because that’s what Ryan Air looks like.”
Sure enough, we got on that plane! The power of visualization.
I seem to always remember to use this tool when I’m in a crisis or to deal with anxiety but the key is to remember to use it all the time. When we plan our lives. When we see our future. When we think about our health. When we find ourselves worried about our children.
Visualize What You Want.
See yourself in perfect health.
See our world at peace.
See your business thriving.
Your children safe.
Your finances growing.
See it, feel it, bring in as much emotion and meaning as you can and watch the magic unfold.
Let me know how YOU use visualization in your life.