When The Party's Over
We can use this tendency to our advantage, harnessing the idea that what we focus on tends to get bigger, more prominent in our lives. Or, in the words of Vision Boarding Guru, Christine Kane, "Energy flows where attention goes". If I focus my ttention on all the times my boys 'forget' to clean up after themselves, I can get pretty frustrated! If I decide to notice and acknowdge the times they do, it starts to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
That’s probably not a good thing for a coach to openly admit, you may be thinking? I asked myself the same question, it felt a bit vulnerable and raw to be honest. So, I took a moment to breathe and centre and remember that authenticity is at the heart of our work at HERD and my freelance coaching practice - supporting clients to find their authentic selves and modelling authenticity as a coach. That necessitates acknowledging and honouring our feelings to enable them to pass through.
Honouring Our Feelings
So I’m starting this week by honouring my ’Meh’ and, in the midst of the flurry of everyday life, family and work, undertaking some nurturing practices: yoga, meditation, offering a prayer, listening to a spiritual pod cast, spending time with friends, walking our dog in nature and hanging out with the horses with no agenda rather than to be and enjoy their company.
We’d love to hear about your nurturing practices, how you honour your feelings and what helps you to move forward once you have listened to the message behind the feelings. What do you like to read? What websites do you visit for a valued opinion? What magazines or podcasts due you subscribe to to support your wellbeing? And what are your quiet, internal practices to support reflection and being, in the moment, just as it is? It is helpful to have a repertoire of ‘go to’ nurturing practices for when we need to be our own best friend.
When I’ve listened to my feelings and tuned into the message behind them, for instance, I know that a recent disappointment, that things didn’t work out as I’d hoped, has contributed to my ‘Meh’. This feeling of disappointment is legitimate and valid. Being kind to myself, mourning for ‘what could have been’ and then refocusing on what is within my sphere of influence and checking in with myself what further support I need, creates a sense of spaciousness and acceptance around the disappointment that enables me to move forward.
An Antidote to 'Meh!'
Some of the practices I use to create clarity and momentum, often around this time of year, are to get clear on my intentions for the year ahead in a fun yet compelling way. I like to set a word of the year, more on that in a later post. I also like to get creative, in a literal sense, by creating a Vision Board.
When I share my enthusiasm for Vision Boards, I am often met by either scepticism or interest. On either side of the equation the burning question is "Does it work?" Rather than attempt a scientific analysis, I’m going to speak from experience.
I was first introduced to Vision Boards nearly a decade ago, back in June 2011, on Anna Garcia‘s wonderful Discover ME program .
I still have and treasure that very first board. I can also remember the wonderful nurturing, supportive energy of the other women in the group, each of us rooting for the others as we shared our Vision Boards with each other. It was a magical experience of harnessing the power and energy of a group to create intentionality and accountability. When I look back at that board, it is humbling how many of my dreams have come to fruition.
2020 Vision
Since then Vision Boarding has become a powerful tool in my life. In my experience, Vision Boards, combined with a conscious intention and willingness to act are powerful tools to aid manifestation. And the science does back this up. Our Reticular Activating System, located at the base of our brain, helps us sift through the myriad of information we are bombarded with in any moment to select those prices that fit with our ‘map of the world’. If you’ve ever bought a new car, you’ll recognise this as the pattern of suddenly noticing the roads are full of cars the exact make and model as your new chariot.
We can use this tendency to our advantage, harnessing the idea that what we focus on tends to get bigger, more prominent in our lives. Or, in the words of Vision Boarding Guru, Christine Kane, "Energy flows where attention goes". If I focus my attention on all the times my boys 'forget' to clean up after themselves, I can get pretty frustrated! If I decide to notice and acknowledge the times they do, it starts to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Having used Vision Boards for nearly a decade, it’s not surprising that I have honed and fine-tuned my own personal process. Personally, I like to create a sense of ceremony and occasion to support the creative process. I also like to include meditation and an invitation to the universe to channel the power of intention. But, if that sounds a little esoteric or ‘flaky’ to you, it’s fine to focus on the practical and artistic side of creating your board.
Although this process of creation is intensely personal, in my experience it is also something that benefits from a group energy. From my first experience at Discover ME, to working with my colleagues at Passage to create our initial vision board, to working with Kylie, my co-founder at HERD, to create our first Vision Board together, there is something special about harnessing the supportive creative energy of a group. This is the reason why geese fly in formation and one of the many lessons spending time in nature can offer us.
What's Your Vison?
If you are interested in tapping into your own creative energy in a supportive group and designing your very own board using our HERD 6 step VISION process then you can book a space on one of our forthcoming workshops via our website www.herd.lu. You can also find out more about our coaching programmes and how they could work for you in a free, no obligation, 20 minute ‘get aquatinted’ call contact us to book a time to talk.
We’d also love to hear about your creative practices and rituals. What helps you develop a clear and compelling vision?