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.

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

One Word to Rule Your 2024

Happy New Year!

Do you feel ready to start your 2024?

If not, maybe this will help.

One of my go-to practices that I’ve been doing for over a decade is to choose a word or phrase, something to focus on, dive into, and act as a theme or inquiry for the year.

In the past, I’ve chosen lots of words – receive, relax, joy, shine, communion… you get the idea, then I spend the next 12 months deepening into how I can experience that word or phrase in my life.

Perhaps simply reading this is giving you an idea!

Sometimes a word instantly pops into your head. If that is not the case, here are 3 ways to help you tune into your word for 2024.

1. Ask

Allow yourself to take a moment to get quiet.

Take a few deep breaths and relax into a more expansive space. Once you’re there, ask:

• What is my word for 2024?

• Is there something specific I would benefit from focusing on?

2. Use A Book

If you’ve done #1 above and nothing has come to you, you can always try this cool trick.

Grab a book, any book, off the shelf and close your eyes. Think about your word for the year, what you’d like to call in, and then randomly open the book. Look to where your eye lands and see what it reveals!

Any help?

3. Meditate on it

Once a word comes to you, try it on. Settle into the energy of that word.

How does it feel?

Is there an opportunity for learning and growth?

Is this where or what you feel you would like to explore in 2024?

If the answers feel affirming, you’re on the right track. Don’t be dismayed if you feel a bit scared. That’s often a pre-requisite to change.

Most importantly, have FUN with this! This exploration is meant to be joyful and exciting, not another have-to chore.

As always, let me know what you chose!

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Image by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash