The Vision Board isn’t a new concept to most. A large part of the population is familiar with The Secret, and the entire time I read The Vision Board, I was reminded of it.
Essentially, the idea behind the book is to envision and focus on the things you want in life- be they physical or monetary things, or something deeper- by way of placing them on a board so that you can visualize.
Joyce Schwarz, author of The Vision Board, is undeniable proof that getting up and going after the things we want in life is sometimes all it takes. Not only is she an author but she is a producer, a Hollywood VIP coach and a social entrepreneur. She is responsible for successfully launching more than 75 venture funded companies and she herself is proof of what she writes in this book.
Taken from her author bio:
“I created, wrote and produced this book to fullfil my life’s motto ‘to live the possible dream’ and to continue to express my own vision statement ‘to open doors for others and walk through them first.’“
Inspiring, right?
As with The Secret, The Vision Board is going to either be loved or hated. Sometimes it’s that the reader just can’t quite “get there” and other times it’s because people tend to fear things that they don’t quite understand. I appreciate the idea behind the Vision Board because I have seen this theory work. We all have, perhaps we just don’t stop and take the time to look at the things around us.
The big difference between the two is that, while The Secret focuses a lot on energy forces, and new age theology, The Vision Board simply just tells it like it is: In the same manner that you are what you eat, our lives go in the directions of our thoughts.
When you wake up on a Monday morning and spill coffee on your lap, just before slipping on your icy front step only to have a fender bender 40 minutes later, on the way to work, it’s pretty common to throw in the towel and label that a bad day.
But what if you didn’t?
What if you kept on going, and laughed it off. Instead of grumbling (or in my case, crawling into a corner to rock myself as tears trenched down my face) you redirected your thoughts to happier things and rolled with the punches optimistically… I personally believe the odds of the day going an entirely different direction are pretty much guaranteed. Sure, maybe little things would happen throughout the day which, in a more negative mindset would have only added to the grief, but they aren’t likely to hold the same force anymore.
I am guilty of my husband coming home to a stressed out version of me. He will prompt me to talk about it, and will begin unloading the days events… No, the driver who cut me off yesterday didn’t upset me as much then as the driver today did… Pasta boiled over onto the stove top isn’t the end of the world… And finally I just blurt out “It’s just all of it together!”
But it isn’t. It’s that I’m thinking about it all, and how crappy the day is… And so my mindset magnifies everything.
Our mindset has the power to make our mood, control our emotions and motivate or plant us.
At 170 small, illustrated and easy to read pages (plus extra pages for notes in the back), this book is a great asset to anyone who wants to do more with their life. Maybe some of the things Joyce says, you don’t agree with. That’s ok. Most books are like that anyhow. There is still so much here, simply put and easy to understand.
Rainy Day in May... 
Very insightful Misty. Visioning and living an extraordinary life is an ongoing practice. The one thing that helps me continuously is my GRABS system. So I start my day with Gratitude, I release my own grouchiness and am ready to receive the best and acknowledge those things that are going well –something always is –even at the darkest hours a flower blooms, the sun shines or it turns out to be a fender bender not a fatal crash! Then I'm not shy about asking for guidance and assistance in staying on track to my visions (or something better) and being as authentic as I can be to my own true self. Sound corny? That's alright, took me a long time to discover the real me. And I keep believing that I can create my best possible life no matter what. And I share what I've learned and the wonder of meeting someone as honest and open like you via a new technology called Twitter and looking forward to sharing other options and opportunities to inspire the best for our family, our kids and our community & beyond. As I say in the book, you don't have to believe, all you have to do is suspend the disbelief — just like when you go into a movie theatre. Or as my pragmatic dad who just passed on would have said — there are two sides to every coin! PS your readers can browse inside the book by going to http://tinyurl.com/seeinsidebook
I love making collages of pictures that inspire me, like the one I had on my treadmill of strong women doing fun things like walking on the beach, kayaking, and salsa dancing.I think envisioning what you want from life is a very powerful tool.
I am going to see if this is at my library.
I think positive attitude means EVERYTHING. I just wish I could stick to it and not get bogged down in negativity all the time.
misty, thanks for sharing this book…i am going to check it out!a
looks like an interesting book.
Cool. I’ve heard of vision boards, but had not seen this book. Looks like something I’d like to own. Inspiring. :)
sounds like a good book
Misty, just did the vision board and I loved it! I got so much out of it just through the exercise and then putting images on the board. I think that it was meditative on a deep level- got in touch with my innermost need and desires and really let myself see it as the vision layed it out. I feel “at home” in my body and mind since doing it. Like I have a “VISION” for my future. Brilliant huh?thanks, earth saver