What creating a vision board taught me!

For months I have had more than one friend or mentor suggest creating a vision board. So, over the weekend, I spent a bit of time in engaging in this activity and the below picture is what manifested. It now sits in front of my computer, literally staring me in the face, and when I get distracted, I ask myself, “are the decisions, thoughts, and actions I am doing right now fit in this vision board?” After finishing the project and pasting pictures from magazines, I stepped back to take a look and realized it was truly a dream board. These are some of the realizations I had in creating this board:

1. I realized how much focus this vision board is giving me and how living intentionally brings a great sense of purpose and mission.

2. I realized how important it is to reflect on my desires, hopes, and dreams and to evaluate where I am headed and to see whether my desires or goals are appropriately aligned, attainable, reachable, or somehow conflicting with each other.

3. If I had to choose between molding myself to reality or molding myself to idealism, I’d choose the latter. I think being an idealist offers hope!

Each picture represents something I aspire to or desire. I also learned more about what I really hoped for through each picture. Let's take a look at my 'vision board.'

Picture 1) I want to work daily to be more merciful and forgiving.

Picture 2) I’d like to spend more time with friends and engage more in those relationships. This picture triggered an idea to rid some ‘distractors’ in my life, like closing down additional email accounts or completely getting rid of ‘texting’ so as to engage more in conversation on the phone or in person, which in my humble opinion, leads to greater transparency and intimacy, something social media cannot compete.

Picture 3) The sunset and flowers remind me to be inspired by beauty. Though there are many ills in the world, I do believe that all humans have inherent beauty and worth. There is beauty all around us: conversation, family, friendship, flowers, music, art, dancing. The list goes on.

Picture 4) The hubby sitting next to me at the beach is my desire for marriage! This picture reminds me to set my heart on a virtuous man who is first and foremost my best friend and encompasses the character attributes to lead, serve, initiate, and protect.

Picture 5) The home represents my own dwelling some day with a husband and children. It certainly doesn’t need to have a pool in the front or be a gigantic home (I mean, I have my beach right? I’m a simple lady).

Picture 6) The sunset overlooking the lake is a reminder for me to seek peace both personally and and in my relationships with others.

Picture 7) The concert hall is a bit obvious (I am a singer!). It’d be great to have the opportunities to use the gifts bestowed to me to sing in halls, theaters, wherever and to whomever. Some of the most meaningful ‘performance moments’ I had were singing by the bedside of patients in hospitals, suffering from great pain/ illness or taking their lasts breaths. As long as I am able to utilize myself in the greatest capacity to serve artistically, I am happy woman.

Picture 8) Of course I would have another beach picture! This picture shows my desire for a family. It’d be great to have many children! Children are such a blessing!

Picture 9) This picture is a reminder to take care of oneself emotionally; ponder life, reflect on moments, think about my actions to oneself or others, have great conscientiousness to life in general, and establishing healthy boundaries in relationships.

Picture 10) I want to strive to live a life of service to others.

Picture 11) I need to take care of my body physically, sleeping well, exercising, eating nutritionally well, and engaging in an active lifestyle. This picture represents too, the need to take take time for myself.

Picture 12) Of course this Italian gal would post up a picture of pasta! This picture represents carrying on family traditions and establishing new ones.

Picture 13) A woman jumping into the lake represents risk: to be fearless, to be an ambassador of change, to impact my friends, family, to stand up for others and the world in a positive way.

Picture 14) The picture of my family represents so much to me! It is a reminder to be thankful for my family. It represents commitment, dedication, sacrifice, and to give thanks to my ancestry.

I'd like to simply note here that having a visual board isn't going to guarantee that all my dreams are going to come true, but it certainly did give me a clear picture of what I want! Now it’s your turn! I encourage everyone to take part in this activity! What’s on your vision board?