I can see clearly now, my vision board is done...

One day I watched Oprah and they were talking about vision boards -- in fact, someone in their blog yesterday was talking about them too and I wish I could remember who so I could link them (here she is Serenity Room). I laughed when Oprah said, "I have to get one of those!" and the woman said, "Oh no, Oprah, you have to make one for yourself..." and Oprah said, "Oh! of course, yes! and I will!"

My first thought was, "Huhn. Who has time for that?" Then the skies opened - my vision cleared! Wait! This could be it! The answer to all my dreams come true. The way to success through simple cutting and pasting! WOW! Yippeee! Or I was bored, or curious, or feeling inspired, or didn't want to let Oprah down. Anywhodlydoo, this was in spring or summer. The windows and doors were open to let in the cool mountain air. The wind caused the leaves on the buckeye and the tulip poplar and the walnut tree to wave at me, as if to say, “Go on, do it...do it...do it…”

I feverishly looked through magazines and sale circulars and Reader’s Digests and catalogues—looking for the perfect images to paste on my vision board. I used one of Good Man Roger’s canvasses as my board.

I’d meant to add to it as days went by, but being the kind of person I am, I “finished” it within a few days and stuck it away somewhere. Um, I think you are supposed to stare at it daily and imagine those things happening. Oops.

When I read someone’s blog about vision boards, I retrieved mine and stared at it, looking to see if anything on it had come true. There was one image that immediately drew my attention. A woman on horseback looked almost exactly like the woman on horseback in the trailer Bellebooks made for Tender Graces. Huhn. Maybe? Maybe? When I created the board, I didn’t know I’d have a publisher for TG. Perhaps some of the other pasted things were hints: published author, southern novels, etc.

Maybe I need to keep it out and stare at certain other things, like the photos of dollar bills representing certain amounts of cash (teehee). The picture that reads, “Win a trip to Italy!”(ohhh!) The photo of my dream bathroom (ahhhh). The one about saving the mountain from developers (um, now that I think about it, this one sort of came true as development has slowed and even stopped in some areas...huhn), the magazines I hope Tender Graces will be mentioned in—you know their reader’s corners where they point out great books to read at the beach or while in the tub. I have non-selfish things there, too, of course – but to go into all the stuff on my vision board would bore everyone to tears.

What do you think about visualization? About positive energies bringing to you what you desire? For sure, positive energies make us feel better. I think the greatest thing I received from that show was the idea of Gratitude. To have a sense of thankfulness for what you do have, instead of lamenting what you do not. It’s hard to feel down when you are listing the things or people or places you feel grateful for.

So, there’s that woman on horseback, and there’s the woman in the trailer who matches her – maybe I’m stretching it? Or, maybe, just maybe …
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Now, I’m going to take a mountain walk and then see how the inaugural celebrations are going!

(Note - am watching now - how can you not feel emotional? Oh, Pearlman is playing his violin and Yo Yo his cello -- I could cry; oh how lovely. how lovely. how lovely.)

(google stock image from: http://www.inmagine.com/)