What’s your vision? Do you have one or even know what it means?
We often associate visions with our workplaces; time spent in meetings defining beliefs, philosophies, and crafting visions for how to move our places of employment forward.
But what about our own personal life vision?
What about spending time and attention on our vision?
Have you given space to contemplating questions about what you believe, what you want most in life, what you’re driven to achieve, and the imprint you want to leave?
Ultimately, our vision identifies what matters most to us.
It encompasses all aspects of our life and expresses our deepest meaning, our truths.
Our vision gets us out of bed in the morning; it inspires our why.
It’s the beacon that lights our way.
However, envisioning our vision is not always comfortable or easy.
In fact, clarifying, identifying, and engaging in the deeper existential experience of creating our vision can be downright uncomfortable.
Defining our vision requires intimacy with our beliefs, which can stir up an array of thoughts and feelings…some positive, some not so much.
Depending on the beliefs we have about who we are and what we’re capable of, creating our own personal vision can be exhilarating and empowering; or, it can feel so scary that we retreat, avoid, and totally deny that we’re even worthy of having a vision.
So we admire our vision from afar, waiting or hoping for it to come true.
Or, we hand our vision over to something or someone external.
Contemplating Vision
Recently, I created a vision board; a symbol of my vision.
I first discovered vision boards when searching for an inspirational exercise for my grad students. I wanted to inspire them to put their passion into action.
My search lead me to Christine Kane’s genius work.
As much as I knew the exercise would be meaningful for my students, I never created my own vision board.
I’d often start clipping out images and affirmations, yet would never follow through with gluing them down and committing to my vision.
I think I always knew why I avoided creating one.
I grew up in an environment of promises.
Promises that I’d get everything I ever wanted; that I’d never have to worry; that I’d have the world by the short hairs.
Innocently and naively, I piddled through life; I gave my power away to waiting to be taken care of by something or someone.
Sure, as I wandered through my life I earned two graduate degrees, achieved a rewarding career, and was blessed with an amazing family of loved ones and friends for which I’m totally grateful.
However, I can’t say that any of what I’ve manifested in my life resulted from a clear and intentional vision.
My life’s been more of a mission driven by hope, chance, and luck.
I never clarified my dreams into a committed vision, nor did I ever craft clear, intentional steps to manifesting my vision.
Overtime, and after a thread of disappointments and failures, I simply stopped dreaming; I ceased visioning.
I figured I didn’t get to play with the dreams-come-true crowd, so why dream, why create a vision, let alone a vision board?
Courageously Visioning
Well, I finally did one…
It took all weekend, as I contemplated deeper questions about what I wanted in life, what mattered to me most, and how I’d truly love to live and give the second half of my life.
With my questions answered, I gave conscious time to selecting an array of magazines.
I enjoyed leafing through them, landing on certain pictures, absorbing affirming phrases and quotes.
Selecting inspiring images and passages that reflected my vision stirred an assortments of thoughts and feelings.
It felt a little surreal and dreamy.
Carefully, I cut out and admired the words and images; I felt all my feelings vibrate.
I felt my resistance to gluing down my selections…my fear of commitment, disappointment, and failure.
Blinking through tears, I deliberately and methodically glued down each pictures, affirmation, and quote.
I allowed each and every feeling to surface.
As my mentors have taught, I allowed each and every feeling to move through me and transform.
My fears of commitment, disappointment, and failure were replaced by warm, tingly feelings of excitement, exhilaration, admiration, and truth.
Once content with my vision board, I stared at it, admiring my commitment to my life and to me.
My vision board now hangs magnificently in my office. I’m damn proud of it. I look at it everyday.
Vision Commitment
If you haven’t created a vision board, or clearly articulated your own personal vision ask yourself, “Why?”
Get clear about the thoughts that clatter around in your mind, especially the excuses and “Yes, buts…” you give your vision to.
Feel the feelings that vibrate through your body, specifically the fears and resistance that prevent you from visioning.
When you’re ready…and I would say there’s no better time than now, here’s my invitation to begin crafting and committing to your vision, today.
You can check out Christine Kane’s Complete Guide To Vision Boards, or Sarah Centrella’s 4 Tips to Creating a “Vision Board” that WORKS!, or Jack Canfield’s How To Create An Empowering Vision Board.
Each of these resources are inspiring and will get you going.
Most important?
Do it.
Give yourself permission.
Allow any and all resistance.
Make it yours.
Finish it.
Commit to it.
Hang it where you can admire it, and where your vision can smile back at you daily.
Take a picture and send it to me. I’ll be your witness…and cheer leader!
Next week, we’ll talk about committing your vision to action.
That’s when the real fun begins!
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