The Uncomfortable (Yet Totally Worth It) Work of Focusing on Yourself
Julie Stephenson from Southwest Health’s Community Outreach Department
Shortly after I started focusing on my own personal development “work”, I realized my biggest call to courage was getting comfortable with my desire to dabble in unfamiliar things suggested by mentors or teachers. Things that seemed a little corny, woo-woo or just downright strange. One example of that was Vision Boarding.
A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.
When I first read that this process would help me manifest my destiny, I was more than a little reluctant to believe it. I didn’t believe in magic. And gluing and pasting images or phrases on a piece of tag board and hoping it would make my dreams come true felt a little like hocus-pocus. What I didn’t know yet was just how much I still had to learn about faith, intention, and energy. Back then those words all lived in the same woo-woo bucket as magic. Now I know better.
I’m so grateful now that I didn’t let my initial impulse to not be a weirdo keep me from creating my first vision board – even before I knew how the tool worked. Back then I wasn’t about to invite hard-working family and friends to spend three hours with me doing a “creative project meant to manifest our destiny.” So I started my vision board practice alone after my kids went to bed and while my husband was thoroughly distracted so he would not ask too many questions that I didn’t have logical answers for.
Now I know better. What’s the actual point of making a vision board? Simply put, we humans tend to be a very busy species and constantly bombarded by distractions. Creating and using vision boards serves several purposes, some of which include helping you to:
- Identify your vision and give it clarity.
- Reinforce your daily affirmations.
- Keep your attention on your intentions.
Let me tell you – I’m so grateful I didn’t let my fear of doing something a little weird stop me. For so long when I first started I was unsure if I was headed in the right direction. I wondered constantly if the workshops, books, blogs, counselors and other inquiries were actually making a difference, or was I wasting my hard-earned money and my valuable time?
If this vision board idea is making you curious, even a little, I invite you to join me for my free workshop “Happiness 101: Seeing Success Through Vision Boarding.” Let me be a supportive guide to encourage you to call on your courage to do something that feels a little weird. The workshop is from 9-11am at Southwest Health’s EMS conference room on December 7th. Registration is required (so we make sure to have enough supplies for everyone). Visit southwesthealth.org/myhealthylife/programs/ to register.
When you see a bunch of Gamechangers in one room creating their own unique vision you’ll see it’s worth a try. You will experience first-hand all the other people asking the same questions and doing the same fun and (a little) uncomfortable work. And the best part is that you’ll be part of a growing movement of courageous rural citizens who are gathering to grow together.