birthing a vision board

Chances are, you've heard of the term "vision board" in some way, either on  Facebook, in a seminar, or from a friend.
If you haven't, let me take a second to explain. A vision board, quite simply, is a collage of words and images that contain things that you want to attract to your life. For example, if you wanted to travel more, you might select a photo of Hawaii, and collage the word travel onto your board. If you didn't know you wanted to go to Hawaii, you might just put travel. Repeating the theme puts a stronger feel to it. By the laws of attraction, anything you put on the vision board will manifest in your life, so choose carefully. Make it good stuff! Have fun with it.
For me, this year, I'm just starting my vision board. I am not sure yet if I will share it on  my blog, but I will explain how I'm going about preparing it. For the past couple of weeks, I've been going through magazine after magazine, cutting out words and phrases. My boards usually have a lot of words and maybe a couple of pictures, if any. I like the mystery of discovery. I like knowing what I want, but not necessarily knowing exactly what it looks like.
I've done a few of these in the past, but I haven't been religious about it. I'm about to become a whole lot more disciplined. The other day, I came across my first one and realized I had the word travel over and over and over on it. Looking back, I created that vision board the year before I started traveling to Mississippi for a job. That same year, I also traveled to Idaho for Brave Girls Camp, as well as a couple of other places. Until the other day, that vision board was still hanging next to my bed. In the past 3 years, I have traveled to Mississippi, Rhode Island, Idaho and Oregon. My vision board has held true. Some of the other things on it I'm still working on, but I am making forward motion.
If you want to try to make your own vision board, there are lots of classes online, or, like me, you can run with scissors and make your own!

1. Find magazines like O, Self, Woman's World and First work best. I have had a small amount of success with people, and moderate success with Cosmopolitan. (Ok, that one could have had some fun!) 
2. Get scissors and go through the pages, cutting out whatever phrases or words strike my fancy. I put all of the phrases and words into a bin to keep them together.
3. Prepare a canvas, I usually use a 12x12. I paint the background whatever color speaks to me. It doesn't have to be one color, you can just splash some paint on any old way.
4. Using Mod Podge or Matte Medium and whatever brush you have handy, start collaging. For me, I try not to think. I try to let things fall where they will and assume that's wehre they belong. You may want to carefully plan out your vision board, instead. I also put phrases and words on the sides, where I know they are there, but the casual observer might miss them.

Once you finish and your board is dry, I like to hang it someplace where I see it when I wake up in the morning. This way, I have a constant reminder of what I'm reaching for and wanting more of in my life.
What do you say? Want to make a vision board this weekend? Let me know how it goes!

valor

Every year for the past maybe 5 or 6 years, I have chosen a word to live by. A word that guides my life, my actions, my intentions. This past year, my word was hope (I will talk about that in another post.) My word for 2014 is valor.  

Valor is defined in the dictionary as “strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness :  personal bravery”.

In researching a bit more on valor, I stumbled on the fact that it is the keystone to my favorite Proverb in the Bible, Proverb 31. I didn’t even realize it when the word picked me, I was more hung up on the meaning of valor and what it means to me, in my life, but here is Proverb 31, in case you need a refresher. 

“A woman of valor, who can find? Her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and nothing shall he lack. She renders him good and not evil all the days of her life. She opens her hand to the needy, and extends her hand to the poor. She is robed in strength and dignity, and cheerfully faces whatever may come. She opens her mouth with wisdom. Her tongue is guided by kindness. She tends to the affairs of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness. Her children come forward and bless her. Her husband too, and he praises her. Many women have done superbly, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a God-fearing woman is much to be praised. Place before her the fruit of her hands. Wherever people gather, her deeds speak her praise.”

Wow. That’s some power. That’s the kind of woman I want to be. The kind of woman I strive to be. Yup. Valor, that’s my word. What’s your word?