Vision Board

Have you tried making a vision board?  It's harder than you'd think.  I made one in late 2012, while reading some great books about what visualization can do for your dreams.

I went to the library and grabbed a couple of magazines from the free/swap bins and came home ready to cut and glue my way to success.  First, magazines are full of junk.  Lots of advertisements that only sport logos and lots of text.  Don't these people know I am trying to create my dreams here?!  Second, glue sticks dry out... quickly.  Third, it's hard to put your dreams into a visual format when you're not super clear on what they are.

Nevertheless, I created something.  I proudly displayed it next to my desk.  I was well on my way to greatness!! 

Well, vision boards don't really work if you only make them.  It didn't help that I put it on my magnet board and almost immediately covered it up with other bits and pieces.  Now, if that's not my subconscious speaking, I'm not sure what is.  I was unclear on what I really wanted and I couldn't even place that fuzzy dream ahead of to-do lists.

Over a year later, I am talking with my good friend Teresa Powers and she shares that she was planning to do a vision board workshop.  "They don't work unless you do the self analysis first.  Vision boards aren't just pictures and glue sticks."

Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to take her workshop.  That workshop was.... AMAZING.  We did self analysis, guided visualizations, identified strengths and weaknesses, created action steps, and brought some awareness to mental blocks.  Only after doing all of that, did we start looking into creating a visual representation of the dream we were trying to clarify.

We also discussed why vision boards aren't magic.  They do not go out and do the work for you.  They do not grow legs and kick you in the behind when you're not going after what you want.  Vision boards are a great tool.  But, that's the key, they are only a tool.  Tools require an operator.

They also require energy, effort, and meditation.  I put a great deal of energy into mine and I look at it everyday.  I put away my old vision board, cleared the clutter from where my vision board was supposed to go, and even got it framed.  Now, nothing sits in front of it and it makes me smile every time I see it.  However, I have yet to really start meditating and visualizing with it.  That might just have to change today.

Here she is in all her glory.  What does yours look like?

What if Money Were No Object?

This is blatantly stolen from UpWorthy.

I think it's pretty awesome.

Alan Watts - What if Money Were No Object?  NorthStarNetworker.com

Book Club

I have always wanted to be involved in a book club, but I've never done it.  For a multitude of reasons, but mostly because I don't really want to discuss my Self Improvement books with people.  My impression of book clubs, which I assume to be much like my AP Lit class in High School, make mediocre details into a big deal and kill things.  Due to this preconceived notion, I've never pursued joining a book club.

Granted, not everything is "High School 2.0" as one of my good friends would say.  However, I hate when I have one of those blinding moments of clarity and the person I tell about it, just doesn't get it.  I want to discuss and expand my perception of it all.  I want a safe place to put down my thoughts and hear other people's understandings.

Ya know, I always feel silly when I finally change my thought from "Someone should do that, I'd totally get in on it!" to "I'm going to do it for me.  Maybe someone else can get something out of it too."  Once I have that realization I'm amazed I didn't know it sooner.

I created a Book Club.  I'm using Facebook as a platform at the moment.  Maybe it will work, maybe it wont.  All I know is, "I'm doing this for me.  Maybe someone else can get something out of it too."

Self Improvement Musing's Book Club

"Turn Around"

I had a light bulb moment in 2012.  I took this class.  It was 5 weeks long, with a teacher that had traveled the world, there were about 10 students.  On the first day the teacher said, "This class is intense.  It changes people.  SO, if you're not ready, withdraw.  Don't fight it.  When you're ready, you'll be in the class."

That's quite the disclaimer.  Well, it was true.

This class changed my life.  We did many exercises that helped me realize that what I wanted in life, was not present.  The class focused on making your goals align with your work.

I have always been the one who will be on the front line.  Fighting, fighting everything.  I was miserable at my job.  I was fighting the injustice of what was happening, every.day. Always fighting a battle I knew I couldn't conquer.  I was tired, burnt out, grieving what my job should have been (I didn't realize that until later), beating my head against the wall.  All day, everyday, without fail... killing myself.

Then, one day in class we were discussing our careers.  A couple people realized that their unhappiness at work was their own doing and their goals matched up with their career.  Some of us weren't as lucky.  One of the students who was in alignment with her goals and career said this:

"I used to beat my head against a wall.  So focused on what I was doing, I never realized I could turn around and take a different path and arrive where I wanted to go."

It was at this moment that I yelled, "TURN AROUND! OH MY GOD, I CAN JUST TURN AROUND!!"  I didn't realize I was yelling, but my light bulb not only went off, it lit the room.

A few months later, after finding some peace, I was forced to 'Turn Around' and move on from that job (read: I got fired, oops).  I've had several 'Turn Around' moments in my life.  Keeping that option open to my consciousness is a struggle, but maybe by releasing this energy and story, it can come back around to me more often.

Leading to Wholeness

I found my year's theme through a letter to myself, it is written out here.

"I get in random funks.  I think the world, my world (read my relationships) is unhappy and judging me.  It's exhausting.  I try to keep calm, not take it personally, all the things I know I should do.  It doesn't work as much as I'd like it to.  it's gotten better, but I'm impatient.  I want that elusive dream.  I have the misconception that once "it" is obtained there will be no more fear.  Then, over and over again, I realized I'm functioning out of fear.  Most of the time, instead of being that bright moment where I re-align myself, I just want to give up!

Ah, to be dumb!!  To go back to being happy due to my huge blind spots.  To get mad, find a solution, and move on.  NOW, I realize that my 'solution' is a band-aid and what I'm truly mad about is my lack of control, one more face of fear.  Oh to be unaware.

All of this self-discovery, "doing the work" is .... terrifying!  Why?  Why does it have to be so damn hard?  Where's my bliss moment, the sky opens up and rains answers??  Then, I think, "Stop trying.  Read a silly book, watch TV.  numb (as Brene Brown would say)  It's hard.  If you evolve too much you'll loose your comfy life.  Eeek! Go grab a snack!"

Then, a glimmer shows up.  I hear something like Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) tell Oprah, "Whatever's in your head is your mantra... maybe you should change your mantra!"  The thought, "I am whole" crosses my mind.  I think "I am whole" is a wonderful mantra.  Remembering to keep an dmaintain my new mantra will be challenging, but maybe it's enough to keep me on the path.

Maybe."

Whole

Gretchen Rubin posted in her great blog about how she creates her year.  She grabs a theme.

My theme is wholeness.

I am whole.

"I am whole."  To me this means that I am continuing my path.  I already have the seed, sapling of my dreams.   I already create opportunities to Facilitate Growth.  I am grateful for the abundance in my life, in my marriage, with my family, in all aspects of my life.

This is my year, 2014 will be a year where I try to focus on being and continuing to be whole.

What's your theme?

I am whole.

NOT a resolution. A Year in Review...

As long as I post this on December 31, 2013, retrying my blog does not count as a New Year's Resolution.  I've never liked or made resolutions and 2014 does not seem like the right time to start.

I am still on the quest to better myself.  It's a long journey, however, I believe I have grown a bit.

I am a follower of The Daily Love and one of their contributors is Christine Hassler.  She posted an idea of doing "A Year in Review."  I think this is a great way to cap of 2013 and start 2014.  Find her article here.

January
I have to pull up my calendar just to get a glimpse of January because it was felt so far away.  Let's see, in January I was still trying to market my business as a Sign Language Interpreting Agency and hating every minute of it.  However, I was doing a lot of subcontract work and I remember thinking how lucky I was to have the opportunity to work in the settings I was.  Not too bad. OH, we re-financed the house to a wonderfully low interest rate!

February
My husband turned....26.  We didn't do much, because he's not a big celebration kind of guy.  I continued to do a lot of ongoing work as a subcontractor, but I am starting to feel disillusioned about really doing my business in this market.  However, I did my first workshop.  No one pre-registered, but 8 people showed up.  I really started to think I could do something different with my business...

March
Really more of the same.  I remember being a bit dejected about marketing my business and deciding to change what I was doing.  I started looking at what I could do to turn my ship around and add some more light into my life.  I also did my second workshop, I doubled my participants.  Exciting!

April
I started this blog.  It started sort of strong, I felt motivated and excited.  It felt like I was really changing my life (I was) and reading some great stuff.  I went to the state Interpreter Conference.  It was a blast!

May
This is when I realized that no one was really reading my blog, that the 'traffic' was from hoaky sites.  I decided to trudge on, I didn't trudge very far...  It's around this time that I think I really got that emotions and feelings stem from 2 places - fear and love.  I didn't get a lot of work as a subcontractor, thus I spent a lot of time living out of fear.  We also hit the 2 year mark of being homeowners.

June
Work picked back up and so did my social calendar.  I also had my trip home to look forward to in July.  I remember feeling like I was digging out of 'fear' and moving towards love.

July
I spent most of this month in bliss.  My 2 year anniversary with my beautiful husband.  I went home for 2 weeks and visited my family and friends.  My husband came home for the first time in 5 years, we had a great time!  Then, my parents came to my home for a week!  It was amazing!  I worked on my home with my Mom and Dad.  We accomplished so much and I can't even describe what it means to have the love of my parents worked into my home.  YAY JULY!

August
I got a new interpreting gig.  I had been going after this gig for a bit.  I knew that it would do great things for my skills.  I also, through this gig, have continuing education opportunities.  My subcontracting gigs pick up again.  It's also hot.... really hot!

September
I am in the rhythm of both gigs, adding in social things to help balance me out. I am still reading self discovery books.

October
A good friend is created in Theresa Powers.  By listening to her dreams I decide to to challenge her.  I am terrified that I have offended her, however, I am able to help her start the process of creating her dreams.  It is fascinating, fascinating in ways I can't even describe.  It's so much fun watching her be the success she deserves.

November
It's my birthday.  I love my birthday!!  I got a "Thank You Mood!" shirt and the complete hardbound collector's edition of "Calvin & Hobbes."  Needless to say, it was great!  I also did a lot of traveling.  I got to go for a week long training and to Las Vegas for the first time.  I watched my husband give his mother away in a beautiful ceremony.  It was great.

December
Looking back on the year, I have had struggles with life.  However, I think the year was great.  I did a third workshop and worked with Theresa and she has helped me to plan out and make a shift in myself.  I did a vision board workshop and realized that my goal in life, at this time, is to Facilitate Growth.   There are financial aspects to this, but I realized at the end of the month, I have already done what I wanted.  I facilitate growth in my workshops and I bet I am already making my hourly goal with how my work unfolds.  Pretty amazing.

So, that's my year.  2014 looks really great.

I am excited!