Hello Everybody!
Well it has been awhile since my last post, but I wanted to write a little about Vision Boards. I will be giving a workshop on Vision Boards on March 28th, 2008 at The Core Your Perfect Center in Redondo Beach and thought it appropriate to write a bit about them.
Vision Boards are a very powerful tool that have gone by many names over the years. They have been known as Treasure Maps, Vision Boards, Dream Boards, and Visioning Boards. The idea behind the Vision Board is that we think in pictures and what we enter into our brains, our super-computer, the brain goes to work to try to attain or in the case of a problem to try to solve. This happens on a subconscious level and many times without us even trying. This is why many times we have our "inspirations" or "aha" moments when we are in the shower or right before we fall asleep or awake. We are in between the sub-conscious and conscious state that allows for a flow of ideas to take place. "A stroke of genius."
Athletes and coaches use the same process of "visioning" to help them achieve the results they want during a game or tough match. The athlete learns how to meditate and how to "see" or "vision" himself making the shot or making the play exactly as he would want it. You see the brain does not judge what we put into it, it just goes about the business of trying to solve problems and achieve what we ask of it. "What the mind can conceive the body can achieve" as was stated by Napoleon Hill and W.Clement Stone.
The Vision Board works much the same as we imagine or vision ourselves in our "perfect life." The way it works is very simple. We take a board or any material actually that is easy for you to handle and work with and we take images that we have collected from magazines, books, photos, text, print, artwork, material, or whatever you choose that represents the things you want to attain in your life. The more specific we can be with what we want and the clearer we are about our intention to receive it the easier it is to achieve the things we desire. So whenever possible try to personalize your board to suit you. This may mean putting your own picture in juxtaposition to the items you want to attain.
For some this will be easy and fun and you will have a blast just picking out the images you want to attach to your board. For others it may raise questions about what you truly want in your life. Remember this is your opportunity to create your life just as you would want it to be.
This may be more challenging for others as the possibility of actually attaining what we want in our life is a big responsibility. I have done this exercise for many years and you would be surprised with how many people are actually afraid of getting what they want in life. Many talk about the fear of failure but what it really is about is the fear of success of truly seeing who we are and what we want in life.
I would like to say that there is not a right or wrong way to create a Vision Board. Only you know what your ideal life looks like so you create it the way you want it! In my experience the true power of the Vision Board comes from the therapeutic task itself which is a right-brain activity which is the creative and intuitive side of our brains. When we engage this part we short-circuit the left-brain or the critical and analytical thinking brain. This is important for a couple of reasons.
One it allows us to connect with our intuitive or higher self, which some call Source, The Universe or God, but it also allows us to flow from a place that is not judging criticizing what we feel or want to attain in life. Too often when we take part in the process of working to attain what we want we judge it and it never gets off the ground. The ideas we receive from our intuition our God inspired and are our truth.
When we come from this place and listen to what we truly feel and act on it we feel powerful and successful because we are aligned with our highest good. We are doing that which brings us the most joy and happiness in the world.
I encourage you all to create a Vision Board with the things you would like to attain and put it in a place where you will see it and be reminded and meditate on these things to bring them to fruition.
If you would like to join us we will be meeting at The Core located at 4450 W 182nd St. in Redondo Beach, CA. 90278 from 7:00-9:00 PM.
I look forward to seeing you there!
In peace and love,
George
George Castro, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Life Coach and can be reached at gccoaching@yahoo.com or visit him on the web at http://www.gccoaching.com
