AuthorTrishna Sheth

A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.

What is the point? Simply put, we humans tend to be a very busy species and constantly bombarded by distractions. Making use of vision boards serves several purposes, some of which include helping you to:

• Identify your vision and give it clarity.
• Reinforce your daily affirmations.
• Keep your attention on your intentions.

The purpose of a vision board is to be a visual representation of what you are creating in your life. Research has shown that if you can see an outcome clearly, you are much more likely to achieve it. In addition, many spiritual practices believe that if you look at your vision and bring up the emotions and feelings associated with having already achieved it, especially gratitude, then you activate the universal Law of Attraction and can essentially call that vision into your life.

Personally, I have found vision boards to be very powerful. They have worked 100% of the time in my life – I used vision boards (in combination with intention and prayer) to manifest my dream home, my perfect soul mate, my education and my career. I tend to save them for “big” things but I have many friends who use them for everything and are regularly working on their boards.

CREATE YOUR OWN VISION BOARD:

Step 1: Get a piece of paper and write down what you want. Hand write specific goals that you envision for your career, love life, marriage, school, health and wealth – all aspects of your life.

Step 2: Prepare all the materials you need to make your Vision Board/s. Scissors, magazines, photos, glue, cork/card board or what ever you want to use as a surface.  Remember, you can use the internet to find pictures to print and use.

Step 3: Paste/pin all the pictures, sayings, quotes, or what ever you have prepared. Put them in order of importance, or any other way you want to see them on your board. At the center you might even place a picture of yourself with a big smile so you will remember to smile when you see your board. Remember that you are not just putting up pictures, you are finding ways to create a different emotional state!

Step 4: Place your board/s in places that you will be able to see them everyday. Give yourself at least a minute (five minutes is better) each day to look at your board and find your attitude of gratitude. Imagine you have already acquired everything on your board. Close your eyes and visualize yourself clearly as the happy, grateful person that you want to be.

At HappyMinds Leadership Academy last weekend Smart Leaders made their very own vision board. Their creation depicted very clear picture of how to want their life to be. They covered every aspect of life from Work to Education to Personal life. No doubt they have a very bright future as they express Gratitude, Visualize and Focus for success.

Ways to develop an Attitude of Gratitude:

‘Gratitude’ simply means the quality of being Thankful. As I write this I feel nothing but Calm, Happy and Peaceful. You are probably thinking why? Well it’s because I am grateful for all the beautiful things in life.

Since many years researchers in the field of positive psychology have been studying the effect of gratitude on health and well being. They describe Gratitude as personality strength – the ability to be keenly aware of the good things that happen to you and never take them for granted. Grateful people express their thanks & appreciation to others in a heartfelt way, not just to be polite. If you possess a high level of Gratitude, you often feel an emotional sense of wonder, thankfulness & appreciation for life itself. Individuals who exhibit & express Gratitude are happier, healthier and more energetic. The more a person is inclined towards Gratitude the less lonely, anxious and depressed he or she will be.

It appears that counting our blessings on a regular basis can improve our moods & overall level of Happiness & health but at the same time expressing that appreciation to others will do even more. Noticing, appreciating and expressing our feelings for life’s little blessings can produce unimaginable benefits.

So, it certainly seems that developing a higher level of Gratitude is emotionally, physically & mentally rewarding. Question is, how do you increase your feelings of Gratitude when nothing seems to be going right or life presents great challenges?  It easier said than done. But wait, it is actually possible to express Gratitude when you are not feeling you have anything to be grateful for.  Although we acknowledge Gratitude’s benefits, it can still feel difficult to feel Gratitude. That’s why it makes sense to practice Gratitude in good and the bad times. It is Human nature to notice all  the wrong things, but if we give ourselves the chance on a regular basis to notice all of lives gifts & blessings we can increase our sense of well-being & create hope and Optimism for the future – no matter what is going on.

Here are some ways to start Practicing Gratitude to improve your well-being:

1)      KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL: 

Keeping a gratitude journal and noting down five things you are grateful for everyday will help you focus on the little good things that happen to you daily. Gradually, it will eliminate the negativity and generate a feeling of Gratitude.

2)      EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE:

Appreciating people around you helps build relationships. It helps spreading Happiness and attracting great things. Express gratitude and sense the change emotionally, physically & mentally.

3)      LOOK FOR WHAT IS RIGHT ABOUT A SITUATION, NOT WHAT’S WORNG:

Every situation or action will have something right and something wrong. Analyzing the right and the wrong we judge the situation. In this process focus more on the good and eliminate the wrong. Notice and appreciate all the good things in a wrong situation.

4)      PRACTICE GRATITUDE WITH YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS:

Practicing this concept on daily basis will help you master it. Your friends and family are the people you spend most of the time with. You experience number of feelings around them. Practicing gratitude with them will help you in the best way.

HappyMinds Leadership Academy Session:

We instill these skills in children of HappyMinds Leadership Academy as we understand the development process they go through. This week we conducted a session on Gratitude where in Smart Scholars made a Gratitude Garland mentioning five things they are Grateful for in their life. We also discussed with them 21 acts of Kindness and their benefits. These acts were discussed keeping in mind the situations they are generally in. It is fascinating how they understand Gratitude, Kindness and Respect but forget it in the process of growing up.

A Human Wellness is measured not only from outside but also from within. Wellness is a full integration of States of Physical, Mental & Spiritual well being. There are seven dimensions that act and interact in a way that contributes to our own quality of life:  Social, Emotional, Spiritual, Environmental, Occupational, Intellectual and Physical wellness. To improve our quality of life, we need to understand the importance of lifelong learning. But are we aware of it? Are we giving enough time to learn and improve  quality of our thoughts and skills?

Humans are born learners.  We spend 20 good years educating at school, college, university etc. Generally speaking it is true that a formal education and the resulting qualifications are important. But knowledge can be acquired and skill-sets developed anywhere and at any age –learning is unavoidable and happens all the time. Lifelong learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude to learning both for personal and professional development. Lifelong learners are the people who are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act. Lifelong learning can enhance our understanding of the world and provide us with more and better opportunities and improve our quality of life.

There are two main aspects of a person’s development: Personal development and Professional development. These two aspects may not necessarily be distinct as personal development can improve your employment opportunities and professional development enables personal growth.

Learning for its own sake brings its own advantages. For example, learning in whatever context:

–           Boosts  confidence and self-esteem

–           Makes you Interesting and Charismatic

–           Makes you Independent and handy

–           Makes us less risk averse and more adaptable to change when it happens

–           Keeps your brain healthy

–           Helps us achieve a more satisfying personal life

–           Challenges our ideas and beliefs

–           Is fun

There does not need to be a specific reason for learning since learning for the sake of learning can in itself be a rewarding experience.  We live in the Knowledge Age, which means that the ability to apply the right knowledge effectively is an important skill and the cornerstone of our success. If you ever doubt the strength of knowledge and learning, just ask someone who hasn’t used a computer in 10 years to find an article on the Internet.

Learning makes us more interesting. Knowledge enables a different perspective, fascinating conversation and a deeper understanding. It makes us better people; allows us to make better informed decisions; and assists us in becoming more successful in all aspects of life. The advancement of technology has boosted the pace of our lives, and requires us to learn something new each day just to stay current.

The lack of knowledge prevents personal and professional growth, so it’s important to commit to lifelong learning as a practice for   eternal self-improvement. It is important for our wellness to be aware of our own self and to work each day towards perfection.

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony D’Angelo