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vision board 1

Photo courtesy of Nanette Winter

You may not be who you think you are.

Obviously, you know more about that than I do. But still, what you say you are could be just an illusion, couldn’t it? Skinny or fat, young or old, healthy or not, honest or deceitful, kind or cruel, damned or saved, accomplished or incompetent–whatever you say you are, you’re attached to that.

But what if it isn’t true?

What if we’re all guilty of lying to ourselves at least a little? Doesn’t that thought terrify you a bit?

By now you must be wondering where I’m going with this post, so let me get right to the point. There’s a good possibility that you and I hold certain beliefs about ourselves that are either too generous or too harsh. Don’t you agree? Keeping those beliefs makes us feel happy and sad in ways that we’ve decided we should be happy or sad.

How else can you explain the fact that most women insist their wrinkles arrived overnight? What’s more likely is that we identified with ourselves at some former age for a long period of time–so much so that we didn’t notice change–even when it was staring us right in the face.

What’s the remedy for this condition?

For the body, there is no remedy. We better take care of it tenderly because it’s the only one we’ve got. It’s wearing out from the minute we’re born.

The mind and spirit hold more promise. We can test our hearts against a sacred standard. It takes courage, but it’s the only way to know what’s true. And we can test our actions against our vision to see if we’re true to our intentions–but only if we’re brave enough to set intentions and examine ourselves.

My new friend Nanette is a fine artist and web designer who does this in a literal way with a group of close friends each year. They each design a vision board and then meet to share them with each other. Some people do theirs all in one sitting; others make a process out of it.

This act provides a double layer of protection: 1) they become accountable for their visions among a group of witnesses–sort of like getting married and 2) they receive support from each other for making their dreams come true. Lucky Nanette, to have such true friends.

Have you considered building your own vision board? You could do it this weekend. Or better yet, plan it as a group activity with your most trusted friends. Here’s what you’ll need:

1)    Old magazines

2)    Poster board

3)    Scissors

4)    Glue sticks

Where do you see yourself going this year?

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.

P.S. I am in love with the Michigan dunes on Nanette’s home page. After visiting Michigan Lake for the first time this summer, I can put myself just inside that canvas.