My Rebellious Vision Board
MY REBELLIOUS VISION BOARD-
WANNA TRY IT?
Do you ever do vision boards? Or even just reflect on what you want to create or accomplish in the year to come?
Everything felt totally different this time on January 1st when I pulled out the old magazines, scissors and glue sticks and sat down with Tommy and my daughter to do our annual New Years Vision boards/collages.
Now, I gave up “resolutions” a long time ago because they never work and end up damaging my relationship to myself.
But there’s something about an end and a beginning, like New Years, for reflecting on the past, letting it go, and creating the future.
THAT part I love and that’s why I continue with vision boards.
But as I started flipping through the magazine pages, all I could see was the toxic ambitions of my “not-enough” or “too much” insecurities, covered up by my fancy language of growth, manifestation and transformation.
I’d see a picture of a ripped woman working out and think:
Ugh, I’m way too fat and lazy and need to lose weight… except I’ll tell myself “prioritize my health” instead.
Then I’d see a picture of someone meditating and think:
Shoot, I haven’t been meditating or doing yoga enough. I’m too moody and need to get a grip before the second baby comes, except I’ll call it “grow spiritually” .
Then I’d see pictures of all these gorgeous renovated kitchens and think:
I’m not bringing in enough money. I should be farther ahead. But I’ll reframe it as “make a bigger difference in the world by growing business”
….and so on and so on.
It just became SO clear that all these reframes, and empowering contexts were simply covering up some pretty dark views of myself, my life and how WRONG I AM. Apparently I’m doing it all wrong and need to make some major changes. CHOP CHOP MICHELLE!
What’s funny is that all of what I have and don’t have are directly related to either things I cannot control, and/or thoughtful, powerful choices I’ve made, connected to my deepest values and priorities.
So what am I even complaining about!?! Seriously!
What’s more is that I’m about to have a fricken baby in about 10 weeks… so why on earth woulld I create “intentions” based on what some part of me considers “WRONG” with me!?! That’s just cruel!
After all, one of the biggest AHA’s I had this past year was that I’m ready to give up the belief that I have the “wrong body”. This has been HUUUUUUGE for me, because I’ve lived like I’ve had the wrong body since the very first time someone commented on my body in a negative way (I think I was around 8?).
And when I stop and ask myself WHY I think I need to change all these things, it’s usually because of societal programming, a childhood experience, comparing myself to others, or inventing other people’s judgments of me in my head.
Making that choice to give up having the “wrong body” has been very powerful but it takes work. Like realizing that the voice is still in there and choosing NOT to reframe it but instead to fully let it go.
And my AHA on Sunday, while making my collage was to fully let go of ALL my fix-it ambitions and then see what was there.
Here’s what was there and what I put on my board.
The words: KEEP IT SIMPLE.
A picture of a woman soaking in the moment.
An owl which for me symbolizes being guided
A horse– I don’t know why, I was just called to put it on.
Chakras
A woman connecting to her pregnancy
A woman smiling with her family in the forest
And that’s it. If I could encapsulate it into words I’d say that my intention for 2023 is to
Keep it simple, Soak it in, and Trust.
This has never felt more pure, authentic and heart-warming for me.
Totally different energy from the New Years of my past and I like it! It feels really good and to my very core I believe I will gain more from this than any “fix this about me and my life” goals could ever give.
So here’s my invitation to you– totally optional if any of this speaks to you.
If any part of your goals/intentions for 2023 are designed to fix something about you, I invite you to get quiet, put your hands on your heart and talk to the part of you that doesn’t feel enough or feels too much. Hear what she has to say and let your inner wisdom fully hear her, and even support her. Then see what’s there.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t care about your health, or finances, or relationships, or whatever… I’m saying that when we put exceptions on top of wounds, it rarely works long-term and only further cuts into the wound itself.
Will you give this a try?
Big hugs to you exactly as you are and as you aren’t.
Michelle xo
Everything felt totally different this time on January 1st when I pulled out the old magazines, scissors and glue sticks and sat down with Tommy and my daughter to do our annual New Years Vision boards/collages.
Now, I gave up “resolutions” a long time ago because they never work and end up damaging my relationship to myself.
But there’s something about an end and a beginning, like New Years, for reflecting on the past, letting it go, and creating the future.
THAT part I love and that’s why I continue with vision boards.
But as I started flipping through the magazine pages, all I could see was the toxic ambitions of my “not-enough” or “too much” insecurities, covered up by my fancy language of growth, manifestation and transformation.
I’d see a picture of a ripped woman working out and think:
Ugh, I’m way too fat and lazy and need to lose weight… except I’ll tell myself “prioritize my health” instead.
Then I’d see a picture of someone meditating and think:
Shoot, I haven’t been meditating or doing yoga enough. I’m too moody and need to get a grip before the second baby comes, except I’ll call it “grow spiritually” .
Then I’d see pictures of all these gorgeous renovated kitchens and think:
I’m not bringing in enough money. I should be farther ahead. But I’ll reframe it as “make a bigger difference in the world by growing business”
….and so on and so on.
It just became SO clear that all these reframes, and empowering contexts were simply covering up some pretty dark views of myself, my life and how WRONG I AM. Apparently I’m doing it all wrong and need to make some major changes. CHOP CHOP MICHELLE!
What’s funny is that all of what I have and don’t have are directly related to either things I cannot control, and/or thoughtful, powerful choices I’ve made, connected to my deepest values and priorities.
So what am I even complaining about!?! Seriously!
What’s more is that I’m about to have a fricken baby in about 10 weeks… so why on earth woulld I create “intentions” based on what some part of me considers “WRONG” with me!?! That’s just cruel!
After all, one of the biggest AHA’s I had this past year was that I’m ready to give up the belief that I have the “wrong body”. This has been HUUUUUUGE for me, because I’ve lived like I’ve had the wrong body since the very first time someone commented on my body in a negative way (I think I was around 8?).
And when I stop and ask myself WHY I think I need to change all these things, it’s usually because of societal programming, a childhood experience, comparing myself to others, or inventing other people’s judgments of me in my head.
Making that choice to give up having the “wrong body” has been very powerful but it takes work. Like realizing that the voice is still in there and choosing NOT to reframe it but instead to fully let it go.
And my AHA on Sunday, while making my collage was to fully let go of ALL my fix-it ambitions and then see what was there.
Here’s what was there and what I put on my board.
The words: KEEP IT SIMPLE.
A picture of a woman soaking in the moment.
An owl which for me symbolizes being guided
A horse– I don’t know why, I was just called to put it on.
Chakras
A woman connecting to her pregnancy
A woman smiling with her family in the forest
And that’s it. If I could encapsulate it into words I’d say that my intention for 2023 is to
Keep it simple, Soak it in, and Trust.
This has never felt more pure, authentic and heart-warming for me.
Totally different energy from the New Years of my past and I like it! It feels really good and to my very core I believe I will gain more from this than any “fix this about me and my life” goals could ever give.
So here’s my invitation to you– totally optional if any of this speaks to you.
If any part of your goals/intentions for 2023 are designed to fix something about you, I invite you to get quiet, put your hands on your heart and talk to the part of you that doesn’t feel enough or feels too much. Hear what she has to say and let your inner wisdom fully hear her, and even support her. Then see what’s there.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t care about your health, or finances, or relationships, or whatever… I’m saying that when we put exceptions on top of wounds, it rarely works long-term and only further cuts into the wound itself.
Will you give this a try?
Big hugs to you exactly as you are and as you aren’t.
Michelle xo