I often write about visioning and the importance of having vision boards. The cool thing is that, more and more, I am seeing evidence in the press of business owners who realize that their vision board drawings or pictures have come to be. Consider Deborah Webster's story about her business, Artspace, which was reported in a recent (December 19th) edition of The Islander Newspaper (Anna Maria Island, Florida).
As The Islander reported, “She had a vision. She put it to paper, and voila, it came to be.” Webster's story begins back in 2004, when she was promoting visioning books at the school where she taught in Schenectady, NY. She told her students “Put yourself there – where you want to be.” She also started her vision book and started drawing scenes of the seaside, sunny days, white beaches, people relaxing and strolling. “I didn't even know this place existed,” she said.
After 2004, Webster set the “beach” visioning book aside and became interested in studying Australian aboriginal art. She began making vision books in which she pasted pictures of kangaroos, koalas, and Australia's coastline in her book. A few years later, in 2006, she was encouraged to apply for a Fulbright-Hays fellowship. But the destinations offered did not include Australia, so she almost didn't apply. Her mentor kept encouraging her to send in her application despite the choice of locations, so she did. As she was applying, she was notified that Egypt, one of the locations, had been replaced with Australia. That winter, in 2007, she got notice she had won the Fulbright and she ended up going all over Australia.
Webster and her husband visited Anna Maria, loved it, and moved there in 2006. She saw the space above the island's post office and realized she had seen it before in her vision books – a studio with 15 foot high ceilings, French doors that opened to a garden off the balcony, and a brick patio – which is what her business, Artspace, is now. “I wrote this in my visioning books in 2004 and this is 2012. It came true and I didn't even remember it was in there. It just happened.”
I've had similar experiences. Doing vision boards (or books) sets a part of you humming, and step by step you begin taking the actions that lead to what's in your mind's eye. You can read more about giving yourself a gift of a vision board in my recent blog post here.
Sue – I’ve done vision boards in the past and I’ve found that when you take the time to really look deep inside, when you create a board based on what your heart and your “gut” tells you, you’re bringing to life and giving importance to those desires and wishes, you’re enabling yourself to focus on them … and what we focus on grows 🙂
Sue,
The more we are able to visualize the more real our dreams, goals and aspirations become.
Fully on board, Vision Board, that is.
Mitch
Love this –
I’ve used vision boards for several years and swear by them – now I need to get my 2013 one done!
Sue,
Setting clear intentions, creating vision boards and taking action are the quickest way to get results. Thanks for the reminder. Time to do a new vision board.
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
I LOVE making vision boards Sue! I think my follow through falls short though since I don’t always have them out where I can see them daily! Thanks for this reminder of a great creative technique!
I use visioning every year and sometimes several times a year to set goals and imagine all the possibilities that are available to me. I have found that every year I do vision board, it’s the most empowering exercise to look back at what I actually accomplished. I believe that looking every day at a visual of your potential helps move you in that direction naturally.
Hi Tara,
I like your words. Yes, it is a natural, evolving thing!
Sue
Sue, this is a fascinating concept and reminds me of the athletes who visualize success. I recently heard a famous young quarterback asked a negative question by a sportscaster. The athlete replied, “I never think in the negative.” Wow! He has a picture of success in his mind! Great way to start the new year!
Visions need emotions behind them to charge them – indeed so many people are visual that this is one of the most powerful ways to set goals and achieve them. I also love auditory and prose approaches – for myself I write an annual gratitude letter where I spell out the year in words. You can read a copy of my annual gratitude letter here: http://www.uqpower.com.au/12-gifts-to-a-new-uq-you
As a Law of Attraction expert, I have many, many stories of the power of vision boards and vision books and visioin journals. They do work. When you put yourself in to the situation you want to be a part of you are already there and when you create something physical — a vision board, for example, it is the first physical manifestation of your dream. It is really beautiful and magical how things can unfold to help you achieve your desires.
Remember: always keep your visioning in the “present tense” in the here-and-now. For example: “I love my beautiful mansion.” (NOT: “I will have a beautiful mansion.”) Also, try to trigger as many of your feelings and senses as you vision because that is where you juice is.
Happy visioning!
Katherine C. H. E.
CEO
iaLOAp, International Association of Law of Attraction Professionals
http://www.iaLOAp.com
It’s very interesting to me how effective visioning can be. I was just reading a book the other day that talked about how people who visualize their goals are more likely to reach their goals when they couple it with action. The same is true with writing down your goals. Vision boards are another way for us to process our thoughts around our goals and make them more real and tangible. The more vividly you create your vision, the better chance you have of actually achieving it.