One of my favourite coaching exercises of all time is teaching people how to create a Vision Board.
When I first introduce the concept of Vision Boards, typically half of my audience have heard of them and only a third, or less, has actually created one. With this in mind, I’ll briefly explain more about what a Vision Board is, how you can create one and how you can turn it into a Raw Lifestyle version if that’s where your focus is right now. (Trust me, this is GREAT FUN!)
A Vision Board essentially is a pictorial representation on card, paper, wall or board of what you would like to have show up in your world in the next chapter of your life (for this particular activity we’re talking twelve months). It can be literal (like a picture of the car or new home you want), ethereal (like a sense of the mood or theme you want your year to show up like), suggestive (a rough outline of something you know you want but the details aren’t so important – like a photo of a sandy beach or an attractive wo/man) or symbolic - like flowers for beauty, clouds for space, a Buddha for peace. It really doesn’t matter what other people might interpret it to be, what matters is that it means something to you (a LOT to you) and that you believe you can attract/create your vision and are open to receive it.
I have been making vision boards for over a decade now. Miracles happen with Vision Boards because you are literally saying to the Universe: “Hey, this is more than just a fleeting thought – I really want this!” (If you didn’t really want it then you wouldn’t have taken the time and energy to find the picture, cut it out, move it around and stick it down, right?). Every picture should mean something, have a pure and focused energy about it – i.e. you have to really want it, and it should make your energy lift and your eyes light up when you look at it. And your choice of images is just as important as the thought behind it, so make sure you choose images that you love to look at (I cut mine out of glossy magazines or search the internet and print off colour images if I can’t find what I want elsewhere). NB: You don’t have to stick just to images, all of my Vision Boards contain select words or phrases too.
Today it is a joy for me to be sharing with you how to create a Raw Lifestyle Vision Board – all of the basic essential aspects of Vision Boarding are the same; it is just the focus behind it and the underlying structure that is different.
Above you will see an image of The Successfully Raw Pyramid. This depicts the 4 things that must be in place for someone to go raw and stay raw, namely:
- Delicious Food
- Ongoing Support
- Inspiring Vision
- Connection to your Raw Superhero Self (or Soul Self)
I have talked about all of these at various times, but I am hoping that they are all pretty much self-explanatory if you are not as yet familiar with them.
In the middle you will notice my now-famous little Raw Food Coach caricature. “She” really represents the Superhero or Raw Spirit inside of YOU. It is your Radiant Self, your Authentic Self, your Visionary Self, even your Raw Self, if you will. (Come up with your own name, this is all about you). This is the part of you that already lives and breathes and wants to grow bigger, taller, more luminous and stronger, but for each of us it will be to a different degree depending on how far along your journey to health you are right now.
Coming from this place, inside the heart or mind of this Inner Visionary/Superhero/
Raw Self or what you will, I would like you to create your Raw Lifestyle Vision Board. Yes, I mean be him/her and THEN create.
(It is fairly common practise in the world of coaching and training to have clients step into their future self and then ask them questions about how they got there and then listen to the answers; we are using the same approach here.)
So, taking into account the three foundations (food, support, vision) and the central core of “self-care” (or self-respect or self-love) that inspires and drives you to go/stay raw in the first place I would like you to create a Vision Board that tells the story of how you’d like you and your raw food lifestyle to show up over the next 6-12 months.
To get you started here are some first ideas for questions to ask yourself within each section:
Delicious Food
- What kinds of raw food meals would you like to eat? (Every day? As a treat? When entertaining?)
- What foods do you want to try for the first time?
- What raw restaurants do you want to visit?
- What raw recipe books do you want to buy?
- What classes do you want to go to?
Ongoing Support
- What local support would you like to find or create?
- What kinds of people do you want to bring into your world to help you on your raw food journey?
- What new beliefs or habits would you like to take on about yourself and/or your raw food journey?
- How would you like to feel in your heart about raw food and the raw lifestyle?
- What changes would you like to make to your kitchen? New equipment? Decluttering?
- What changes would you like to make to your living space?
- What inner work would you like to do to support you in going or staying raw?
Inspiring Vision
- Who would you like to become during the next 6-12 months – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually? (Are you after reinvention? Fine-tuning? Refining? Other?)
- What would you like to achieve during this time?
- Who would you like to meet?
- Where would you like to go?
- What would you do if you had more time and energy?
Living as Your Raw Superhero Self
- How do you plan on looking after yourself even better starting now?
- What would your day look like?
- What exercise would you do?
- What changes would you make to your home and lifestyle to better support your health and wellbeing?
- What habits would you take on?
- Anyone you would model yourself on?
- What treats would you give to yourself?
- Who might you support?
These are just for starters, but remember, ask the questions, if you are able, from your future Raw Self to get the most “all-seeing, all-knowing” answers and the Vision will be much more powerful and fascinating!
In terms of framework, you can simply follow the normal “montage” style layout of Vision Board where images are mixed up all over or bunched together in groups, or you may choose to follow the outline of the Pyramid and have food, support, vision as the three corners and your Raw Superhero Self in the middle.
All you need to do is keep checking in with yourself as you go: Is this what I really want? Is this the highest vision I can hold for myself at this point in my life? (I mention this as most of us are great at playing too small). Do I love every single word and image I am about to stick on? Is this the best image of what I want?
As your coach I invite you to play full out, no holds barred, really shine! Remember, this is the story of YOUR life, it has to feel and look good to YOU and no-one else has to ever see it.
When you are done I recommend that you pin your Vision Board up somewhere that is very visible to you on a regular basis, like an office pin board, bedroom wall or in the kitchen – wherever feels best. You may even wish to take a photograph of it, upload it to your computer and print out a mini version to carry in your purse or wallet.
The point is, when you’ve done it, keep the Vision alive! In many respects you have done the hardest part, now the rest of it is waiting to show up in your world... you just have to keep on walking towards it, stay committed, focused and passionate about it and watch the miracles occur!
Trust me, this stuff works. Although it is a lot of fun just to create the vision, the best is really yet to come – just keep walking the walk and giving yourself permission to have it show up for you. Be prepared for it to happen in “miraculous” and surprising ways though – you have been warned!
PS: I’d love to see any completed vision boards when they are done and I know they’d inspire hundreds of others... So if you feel you’d like to share please email it to me or link to it in the comments section below. Enjoy your cutting and pasting; trust me you’ll have a ball!
© 2011 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.
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