"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." ~Henry Rod
I have a cork board in sight. Little more than the size of a boot box, but littered with visual representations of my aspirations. I'd cluttered my monitor with post-its once upon a time, but time decayed the adhesive and some became lost. Some call it a goal board, but that's hardly magical. Maybe it's some incantation of The Secret, an experiment to convince myself there is a force at work for or against us greater than anything we can understand. The cork board required effort. The purchase, the great hunt for thumb tacks in my desk's jungle drawer, the seeking out of images and words to capture a future reality that fills daydreams. Minimal effort, compared to the road traveled to get there, but something more than thought. The permanence of words and actions.
One of the most powerful forces we harness in life is belief. In others, yes. In ourselves, more. It takes a quiet mind to dig down and find our definition of success. What a tremendous leap of faith to take that definition and own it. Shout it from the rooftop. Tell our family. Post it on a board. It makes our dreams vulnerable, a bullseye for cynics. Most importantly, it stands as a monument to ourselves. A Pavlovian reenforcement we will someday come to know as truth.
I can't tell you what's on my board. The contents are too raw, too familiar. Nor do I want to know what's on yours. I do want to share the process. I challenge each of you to begin gathering symbols, ideas, photographs and find a place for them you see each day. If a board doesn't work for you, try one of those travel coffee mugs that are a fillable blank canvas for decoration and drink from it each day. Try the inside of your closet door or a bookmark. Anything goes, as long as you lay eyes on it each day. Add other ideas here. Together we'll find out if there is magic.
Most artistic feat today: paper monsters
Your post is eerily similar to the book I finished yesterday (The Wishing Year)! The author created a shadow box of her wish. My cork board/shadow box is in my head. Maybe it is time to let it out:) Michelle
I keep a lot of this stuff in my journal.
Was this what you wanted all my stuff for? The Secret board?
But you gave me that great shadowbox and now I have things for Trickle of Lies held captive inside -- like the words trying to get out on paper. Those images stare at me, daring me to give them free reign.
You are wonderfully insightful. Thanks for sharing that with us.
One of these days, L.A. I like the cork board idea. I don't have anything to put on it, but maybe that's why I'm not making any progress...
I've missed reading your posts while I've been away.
For several years now I've had a board. I've called it a dream board or a goal board before, but mostly it's nameless and purely visual. It's not exactly small (20x30 in.) but it holds a collection of images--sometimes changing--that speak to me and incite emotion. It sits on the floor of my office, near my computer, and it reminds me of things I love and hope for...
Right now I'm using yellow sticky notes, but I like your idea. I need to work on that. : )
Michelle...do put it down. It seems to take on a life of its own.
Charles...tossing it out into the world means letting other people in, too. Thanks for the visit.
Sandra...no, I have a completely other diabolical plan for those things if everyone will cooperate, oh, say, this century 🙂
Jen...everyone has *something* they can put out there. Lean on your strong faith and it might clear a path.
Marilyn...we missed you SO much. Glad to see you're back safe and inspired
Melanie..yellow sticky notes will simply not do. By definition they have no staying power and they look like snot. Work on that 😉
I try to explain I'm doing something like this in my office, but wife insists I'm being lazy and the wrappers on the floor aren't there deliberately as a representation of my inner frustration.
LA--what a wonderful post! I just started my "inspiration board" this year and this post just gave me chills! Thank you!