Recharging the Vision

Like a hamster in a wheel, many of us travel through our days with the same schedule, broken up only by the errands of our weekends and the minute-by-minute activities of our limited vacation time. We do the best we can with what we have, but our batteries wear down. In the details of our day to day responsibilities, we begin to lose sight of our dreams; we nostalgically remember what once made us smile, and at those crazy times, it all seems like worlds away.

So what do we do? How do we get it back? How do we recharge our batteries when it seems like all of our chargers are plugged in somewhere else?

We regroup and we visualize.

It's time for an arts and crafts project.

Some rainy Sunday or maybe a quiet Tuesday night, clear off the kitchen table and channel your inner kindergartner. 

It's time to make yourself a vision board.

For this project, you need a big piece of paper. Posterboard works well. You also need scissors and a glue stick.

Scour your house for magazines. If you don't have magazines, you can ask your friends for theirs or you can ask the local doctor's or dentist's office. If you have access to a printer, you can also print images.

What makes you smile? What do you want more of in your life? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

• Want to travel to Paris? Find yourself an Eiffel Tower (or some other Parisian icon).
• Want to run a half marathon? Find a picture of a runner with a physique that is appealing to you.
• Want a new car? Find your car of choice and paste it on the board.
• Want to try kayaking? Add that too.
• Want to get married? Find yourself a bride and groom. If you have someone in mind, add a picture of the two of you.
• Want to learn how to cook some fabulous Indian dishes? You get the idea.

Arrange your images in any way you want. You can organize them by theme or in any way the spirit moves you. You can also add words and phrases. This is your board. Your vision. Anything goes.

Now, find a place to put your vision board. It should be someplace where you can see it everyday. It should be in a place where you can ask the universe to deliver all that your heart desires.

And it should be in a place to give you the motivation to seek all that your heart desires. Don't leave it all up to the universe; give her a little help.

Try to update your vision board at least once a year. Keep those images of what still makes your heart pitter patter, and remove those images of dreams you may have outgrown.

Will creating a vision board rescue you from life's stress?

Probably not.

But can it recharge your batteries and give you what you need to get through another week? Another month? Another year?

Maybe.

Especially if those images start to become a reality.

What do you have to lose?