dream big
When’s the last time you were invited to dream big? When’s the last time you allowed yourself to dream big? These are questions I often ask others when I sit down to facilitate a vision board session. Many of us have lost the ability to dream while awake.
I remember the first time I allowed myself to dream big. It started by hearing stories from my mom about her experience growing up in China. There was a photo that hung on the family room wall. The photo was of my mom, when she was only about 10 years old, standing in front of her home in Shanghai China. When I was a child, my mom would tell me stories of her home. She replayed the stories of when the Japanese had invaded Shanghai when she was only 18 and she and her entire family were taken as prisoners. She was never able to return to that home. She had this photo of her as a 10-year-old standing in front of that house. I remember being 10 myself and dreaming that one day I would visit that home for her. I planned on taking a photo in front of her home and visiting Shanghai on her behalf. Flash forward 20 years later there I was standing in front of my mom‘s home taking that photo that I had imagined I would. Let me be clear, it wasn’t about a trip to Shanghai, it was about the feeling of sharing in her ancestry, honoring her memories, and experiencing her history and deeping my connection with my mother. That was my dream and it came true.
After that moment, I started to notice was all the dreams that I would have, started to appear. I started to notice that when I allowed myself to dream and shared them with others, they often came true. That is when, I decided to start the process of creating a vision board every year. An personal, self-invitation to dream while awake.
To be clear, a vision board is not about achieving goals, and although those may be important as well, this is a different process. This is about dreaming about your life, about your future, about what you would like to feel, experience, and create in your world. This process isn’t about identifying things you want or creating a bucket list. This is about creating a visual story of your future. This is about checking in with the kind of feelings you want to have happen in your life.
What follows are some simple guide lines that help me in dreaming. So, although there’s no real rules to dreaming, there are some helpful ways that will support creating a meaningful vision board. I hope you enjoy the process.
Step one: Commit to dreaming big.
Step two: Dedicate time for dreaming. Carve out 3-4 hours for dreaming and know that it is a process. Sometimes it can take up to a few months to complete. The first time you sit down to dream, I recommend that the time should be uninterrupted and in a comfortable space that allows you to be reflective, creative and imaginative. Give yourself the gift of time, space, and personal commitment for exploring your future. If you don’t do it who else is going to?
Step three: Gather materials. I like collecting recycled magazines. I also like a good size poster board, preferably foam board as it’s less flimsy. You will need scissors and a glue stick. Over the years, I’ve tried using paperless computer technology, and cork boards and tacks, and other tools. I have found that although they can feel efficient, they have resulted in a less memorable and connected vision board for me.
Step four: Dream and imagine 10 years out. Please don’t imagine a year out, please don’t imagine five years out, please imagine 10 years out. The reason for the 10 years is because it will allow you to dream bigger. Anything is possible in 10 years, right? For example, I could write a book. I could travel around the world. I could start a business, I could be in that relationship I always wanted. Anything feels possible within 10 years. Dream Big.
Step five: As you flip through the magazines, there are areas of your life you will want to consider. There are generally, six categories to pay attention:
physical health and well-being
relationships/friendship
love/intimacy
community
career/calling/cognitive challenge
spirituality
play
As you select images, allow yourself to be moved by the images. Notice what visuals you are drawn to. Allow yourself to be curious. Allow yourself to dream. I prefer to pull all the images and then sit and review the images with more intention. You may also find words that appeal to you. A “word” of caution, don’t select only words, because your vision board will only have a visual of words and not a visual story of what you want to experience. When your dreams start to appear, they seldom show up as words. Remember this is about how you want to feel. As the saying goes “a picture is worth 1000 words.”
Step six: After you selected all your images, sort and decide if they will be placed on your vision board, in your life. Pay attention and be curious about what feels most meaningful. Where should the image be placed? Center, corner, up, down? After placing the images, take a step back to see if you’ve left white space, if you’ve created connections and see if there’s anything missing. Notice what excites you, and what scares you.
Step seven: Share your vision board. Identify the people who will support your dreams. Share you vision board. Saying what you want to have happen out loud, will alert your loved ones and “the universe“ about what you want to have happen in your life. Be sure to place and respect your vision board (meaning, don’t hide it away in the closet, under your bed) for these are your dreams.
Step eight: Begin. Observe and stay awake to the possibilities that you placed on your vision board.
Every year I commit to a vision board. Every year I’m astonished as to what dreams come true. You have been formally invited to dream big. May you enjoy the connection with yourself and others.
Anna Beuselinck