Vision Boards: Get out your glue!

Time to break out the scissors and glue!

Vision: it's what separates the wannabes from the "holy cow, look what I dids" in the world. I like being in the second category so I vision a lot.  I've shared with you the five attributes of a vision, and hope they've gotten you on the way to creating one of your own. Now it's time for a little arts and crafts: making your own vision board.


Don't roll your eyes!  Vision boards are seriously effective! Think about it - from the time we're children until way past when we should have started acting like adults, we doodle on paper about what we would rather be doing.  When I was a kid, I would doodle myself into nirvana,  where I was in total flow and living a life beyond my wildest expectations.  Now that I'm a bona-fide grown-up, that kind of behavior is actually helpful to my life, rather than back then when it mostly just landed me in my teacher's disapproving gaze.  Visioning was not part of the Louisiana public education system in 1986.


I truly 150% believe that we attract everything in our lives to us, either through positive or negative energy. It's true and I will fight you in the parking lot over it. But I'll admit, I was skeptical about how much of a difference going through the actual process of making a vision board would make until I did it and felt the power radiating from it.  Once you experience it, you'll never go back to just thinking about things again.


You can Google "make a vision board," and get all kinds of examples and instructions, and I encourage you to do that. But, making a vision board is really just transporting yourself back to the 5th grade and making a collage. It's really a very simple concept can can be incredibly relaxing, especially since by the end you're so pumped up about your life that you have energy for days.  


Here's what you'll need: a poster board, some glue sticks, scissors, a bunch of magazines, a bottle of water, and some alone time.  The water is just for drinking. Hydration is super important in this heat, yo.


1. First, center your mind, take some deep breaths, and relax.  Then, get to flipping. Depending on where you are with your vision, the process of looking for pictures that inspire you can take a few different paths.  Some people make a list of what they're looking for, and others just browse until something jumps out at them.  I'm a combination. I know what I'm looking for, but I'm not opposed to being surprised by what I'm attracted to.  KInd of like finding a husband.


2. Tear out every picture that you like, and then start organizing and prioritizing. This is crucial - you don't want to cast your net too wide. Remember, this will end up being a tool for focusing you energy later on, so be picky to avoid wasting your energy on something you aren't passionate about. The images, words, and symbols that you end up with should feel robust, but also be as specific as possible. If you have a goal of jumping over a hurdle, as I once did, look for a picture of someone clearing a hurdle that is as close to what your visualized experience will be. Organize however you'd like; this is your vision board, not your mother's. Forget about anyone else's dreams for you and get all self-centered about it!


3. Then, start pasting. This is the anxiety-ridden part for me because I am a perfectionist and don't want to regret where I glued something after it's there. Maybe I need to find a picture of some "get over it" and add that to my board. Anyway, vision boards don't have to be glued on a poster. They can be tacked to bulletin boards, taped to white boards, or stuck on with magnets. But I like the symbolism of glue; it feels more permanent and meaningful.


4. Once you're done, sit back and soak it in.  Let the emotion and magnitude of your vision wash over you. Seriously, I've shed a few tears over my vision board when I was actually able to feel the power of what I was going to set out to do. Place it somewhere prominent, where you will have an opportunity to meditate on it every day. 


The most important thing to remember is that making a vision board is a personal process so don't worry too much about following the rules. Just ensure that it is about you, it's specific to your dreams, and that it represents the vision you created for your life.


Spend some time this weekend flipping through magazines and seeing what attracts your attention. If you need help, let me know; I'm glad to do it! 


Have a wonderful day! Get out there and get healthy!