New Directions by Thomas Hushen Service Coordinator-HRC
A new year is upon us, and people are making New Years resolutions”, however, they lose sight of them as they fade away after about a month or so! Is it possible to truly move in new directions that will lead us to the very life that we only dream of? Yes it is! The secret is having a vision for your life and keeping that vision alive on a daily basis. Think positively and ask yourself, “What is it that I really want my life to be”?
I like using a glue stick, Glue or Rubber cement. Before you begin your vision board:
Make a little ritual before you begin your vision board. Sit quietly and set the intention of what direction in life you want to go. With lots of kindness and openness, ask yourself what it is you really want. Images may come, words, emotions may come up. Just take a moment to be with those. This process makes it a deeper experience. Often we get so caught up in the search for “wellness” that Now that you’re ready…here are the “directions”
we never really focus on our direction in life. We live in the past, robbing ourselves of the present moment, which is all we really have. Often times, life stressors cause us to experience increased depression, worry, anxiety, fear and many other symptoms that only serve to hold us back and keep us where we already are. By spending most of our time focusing on our problems, we lose “sight” of our vision and direction in life. As a result, we end up merely “existing” rather than “living”.
Selectively flip through your magazines and tear images and phrases and words from pages, things that represent the new direction you wish to go in. Next cut them and place them into a pile. No gluing yet! Just let yourself have lots of fun looking through magazines! Have fun with it.
Go through the images and begin to lay your favorites on the board. Eliminate any images that no longer feel are right. This step is where your intuition comes in. As you lay the pictures on the board, you’ll get a sense how the board The good news is that we can make a positive change in our should be laid out. For instance, you might assign a theme lives! The key to this process is to “take action”. It means be- for different parts of the board (Health, Financial, Job, Sobriing honest and real with your self and being willing to em- ety, Spirituality, Relationships, for example).
brace the changes that need to happen and view them as an Now, glue everything onto the board. Add writing if you “opportunity” rather than a “challenge”. In doing so, you can want. You can paint on it, or write words with markers. Be and will create the reality you desire! creative and as wild as you want it to be! Enjoy yourself! There is an project that can easily be done that will help you to go in new directions to create your life vision. It is an effective tool that many people have used to help facilitate the process of change in their lives. It’s called a “Vision Board”. It is a creative, fun and inspiring way to help you get to where you want to go! Here’s how… Create a “Vision Board” What is a Vision Board? A vision board (also called a Treasure Map) is typically poster boards on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from various magazines. It’s fun, simple and very inexpensive to make! The idea behind this is project is to surround yourself with images of who you want to become, what you want to have and where you want to go in life. This project redirects your mind from the past, and puts before you, a blank slate on which you can begin to redesign your life. I highly recommend getting a group together to do this project, it’s fun to clip, cut, glue, paste and laugh, and yes, look at all the catalogs and fun things in them! Take your time and enjoy the process.
This next step is optional, but powerful: Leave space in the very center of the vision board for a good photo of yourself. Paste your self in the center of your board. Finally and most importantly, hang your finished vision board in a place where you will see it everyday, perhaps in the kitchen, bathroom or on the back of your front door. Look at it frequently. Keep the vision alive daily! Each time you look at your vision board, it will remind you of the direction you want to go. And as “your thoughts create your world”, you will undoubtedly see your new life vision begin to manifest in your life! Happy New Year, Happy New You! ~
"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement Supplies you’ll need for creating a Vision Board: - Poster board. (The Dollar Tree has a really nice variety of there is life, and in change there is power." poster board in matte finish poster board) - A big stack of magazines. Ask friends, family and others to ~K'jerrel Smith, PhD supply you with magazines, catalogs etc. (Make sure you find lots of different types. If you limit your options, you’ll lose interest after a while. Thomas Hushen is a Service Coordinator and - scissors to cut out your chosen pictures (you can also tear SacPort Instructor at Human Resource Consultants them out, giving your masterpiece more texture). - Glue. Not Elmer’s. (It makes the pages ripple.) (HRC) www.hrcrst.org