Vision…

Last Saturday was just an ordinary day, hold on, actually, no it wasn’t. Saturday was the official start of the one-year countdown to my official March 23rd, 2020 start date for the Appalachian Trail. The A.T. has been on my vision board for a very, very long time, and one year from yesterday, I will take the first of many steps northbound from Georgia to Maine, via America’s greatest footpath. The path to turning visions into dreams and dreams into reality is not always under your control. However, losing sight of your vision is, that is if you don’t keep them top of mind, and acknowledge them every day.

If you’re not familiar with what a vision board is, it’s simply just a board. It can be a cork board, poster board or any other board that you can hang on your wall in plain sight. In my opinion, one of the best spots for a vision board is in your bedroom. This way you can see it in your first refreshing, waking moments of the day, and, before you slip off into dreamland for the night, it will fill your mind with beautiful thoughts. The purpose of a vision board is to keep you centered, focused, and grounded between the conscious world and your desires and dreams and bring those dreams into your future reality. My vision board brings my dreams closer to reality and is a personal tool to expand on my life and deepen my connection with my inner thoughts.

There is a process for creating your board. You should first determine the things or feelings that you want to manifest in your life. It’s best to write them down (if you meditate, meditating on what you want to be, do and have is a great way to start.), then search the internet, or browse magazines to find images, words, pictures, articles, and phrases that represent these intentions. You’ll know them when you see them. It’s important to note that where you can post material things like cars or homes, you should really focus on feelings and experiences that you want to attract into your life. This gets you more connected to your inner self, and what truly will bring you happiness. My board is ever evolving, just as life shifts and evolves. I will check in with my board every few months, and make whatever modifications make sense as the magical journey of life unfolds and my path shows itself.

So, you may be wondering what’s on my board. Just as I mentioned above, I have items that resonate with feelings of what I want to be, do and have, and how I want to feel when those things become reality. For instance, I placed the A.T. symbol on my board many years ago, not originally as a goal to through hike it, but for how I thought I would feel if I could or did. Hiking is my sanctuary, it’s my mental happy place. Hiking brings me clarity, clears my head, relieves stress, brings inner peace, allows me to release anger and let in love. The thought of the length and challenge of the A.T. brings me joy and reminds me of how much I really loved to push myself, mentally and psychically, when I was a long-distance runner. The A.T. symbol made me feel alive. Putting it on my vision board allowed me to dream, and if your dreams don’t also scare you, they’re not big enough. The Universe created the opportunity for me to thru-hike it. I just had to feel the fear and take it.

While there really are not any rules for what you place on your vision board, there are a lot of things it is not. It’s not a materialistic, goal-directed road map, a step-by-step life process, a New Year’s resolution, or a strategic plan designed to rigidly guide your life day to day. It’s not a personal barometer or a measuring stick. It’s simply a peaceful place that will guide your intentions and affirmations of how you want to feel and a way for you to manifest and show gratitude for these things that are available to you when you dare to dream. When you allow the space and take the time to be intentional and grateful for your dreams and desires, and work with your vision board, you’ll be amazed by what happens. Having a vision board will change your life.

Saturday was not just an ordinary day, it was an epic day….Be_again.