I've been a long time dreamer, frequently finding myself lost in thoughts of a life somehow different from the one I'm currently in. Maybe this is funny or ironic, considering I'm such a big believer in practicing presence. So, if I'm living in the present moment how exactly do I justify also living in a state of dreaming about the future? Well, for me, living in a state of desire is living in the present moment. I believe I can be fully present, appreciating all the light, love and abundance in my current state while simultaneously recognizing and paying attention to my innermost desires in that same present moment. One doesn't preclude the other. In my experience, I've found they actually work hand in hand, the perfect compliments to one another. To me, this is how we create the life of our dreams.. paying attention to all that is within. The yearnings, the joys, the beckoning, the gratitude. Notice it all. It's all great information to help us navigate the journey.

Before going any further, let me take a moment to explain the difference in what I call an innermost desire and a surface level desire. Surface level desires often leave us feeling frustrated and empty. They are likely driven by an expectation levied on us by an outside force. This could be culture, our neighbors, or even strangers that seem to "have it better than us." Chasing surface level desires will exhaust us and provide no true joy or peace. Even if we somehow manifest this desire (likely through hard work and superficial determination), we won't feel satisfied with the result. These desires always leave us wanting more; feeling as if we haven't achieved anything worthwhile. However, if we go deeper, we will get in touch with our innermost desires. Now these desires are where it's at! They charge us and leave us feeling driven and excited, even when we are physically tired. They "click" with everything else that feels right for us on our path. They provide ease and a sense of joy. When we manifest these desires we feel full and bright, in touch with our essence. These innermost desires are the desires I am referring to in this post. When I say being in touch with our desire is a practice of presence, it is our innermost desire that I am relating to. It is presence. If we are connected to this space within, we find ourselves fully in the present moment. If we are disconnected, we find ourselves in the past or future, depressed or full of anxiety about how imperfect something was or may be. Our innermost desire is part of the soul. I often call it our soul's desire, because it comes from the part of us that has no judgment. It is born in our inner knowing, the part of us that has perfect wisdom. Some of you may call this god, spirit, or source energy. I believe it is too great to be named and at the same time is honored to be called by any name at all. At least by naming it, we are attempting to communicate our experience with it, the divine, and that is a beautiful thing.

While there are many ways to bring these desires out into the open, one of my favorites is through creating vision boards. Vision boards can be created in several different ways, using words, pictures, and even textures to help remind you of what is important and where you want to put your energy. For years I created my own vision board and hung it in my meditation space. Hanging it in my sacred space meant I'd see it every day and reminded me of how meaningful it was for me. These days, in our home, the vision board is a family affair displayed right in our living area. Truth be told, we usually have a few hanging in various areas of our home all year long. For us, this serves as something to come back to when we feel we've lost our way and it helps to keep us connected to our unique light within when outside pressures are mounting.

To achieve this, we like to create a couple of different types of vision boards. At the beginning of every new year (usually New Year's Day) we do a family project where we lay out our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. We usually begin with a meditation and take some time to get in touch with what feels really good to us. Then we let Jagger choose the supplies (crayons, markers, paint, paper, etc) and we make a fun family art project out of it. Once we're done we display our creation somewhere in our home so we can be reminded of our desires all year long. While this may not be a traditional vision board with pictures and magazine clippings, it works very similarly. We also have a more traditional vision board, purposed to add more detail to and amp up what we create on New Year's Day. We use a bulletin board for this one so we can easily switch it up as our desires shift or as we find new pics or phrases that resonate with us. For me, pictures are great because they sometimes communicate what my brain had no way of assimilating without it. Pictures often capture my internal feelings in ways words can't. I may have this feeling, a vibration, an internal knowing, and at the same time no real way to communicate it to myself or others in the tangible realm. Then, I see a picture and I'm suddenly taken to that feeling. It's a match. When this happens I may notice that I feel happy, excited, content, even cozy. That noticeable shift in my feelings/emotional state is representative of a shift in my vibration. Since I believe that in order to manifest our innermost desires all we have to do is be in vibrational alignment with them, I want to create more opportunities for that in my life. In this instance, if a picture takes me to that vibration, that picture goes directly onto my vision board, because every time I see it, I will energetically go to that vibration. This is one way I allow universal laws to work in my life. I tune in and give room to a feeling that I believe will automatically manifest my desires. In some ways it sounds too good to be true, right? Especially if you've been taught that the only way to get anywhere in life is to work hard. I can understand the skepticism. Had it not been for chronic conditions and a failing marriage to thrust me into this way of living I may still be trying to work hard to achieve my dreams too. Thankfully, I had those life experiences to catapult me into this live though. Because it is a life of greater ease and deeper satisfaction. I've lived by these laws for almost two decades now and they really do work. I don't have some magical power to do anything that you can't. The universe is there, supporting us all, if we allow space for it.

So, how do we create a vision board that actually works for our highest good (because lets be honest, sometimes we create shit that simply works against us)? Personally, I do this by creating a board from the deep seated place of the soul. This takes lots of practice and noticing (how do I feel). For me, vision boards work for my highest good when their creation is connected to spiritual laws. I'll begin with The Law of Attraction. I started learning about this law almost twenty years ago. It was one of the first, along with karma, that I was introduced to. While the information wasn't brand new (I had been taught a similar teaching in church), the application and energy around it was quite different. So, I experimented with this law in its new form to see what I thought. Almost immediately I knew it was no joke. In it's basic form this law says that what we give attention to through thought, speech, etc will come to us. So, by thinking about our innermost desires, speaking of them, and giving them attention, we will vibrationally align ourselves with them and they will manifest. A vision board provides a space for us to do just that - to focus on the desires we most want to manifest. And remember, ultimately our desires are just feelings regardless of the form they take once manifested (relationships, cars, houses, babies, etc are only a manifestation of love, joy, kindness, safety, ease, expansion, etc). Next, my vision board works because it is created in alignment with several laws that Deepak Chopra lays out as The Seven Laws of Spirituality. Here is how several, if not all, of these laws play into my vision board creation and manifestation. First, by acknowledging and making room for my biggest innermost desires I am using the Law of Pure Potentiality. By saying that my dreams are possible, even if I don't yet know how I will make them happen, I am recognizing that I am the immeasurable potential of all that ever will be. So, when I allow myself to dream and create vision boards that feel right and out of my reach, I am making space for my connection with universal abundance to be manifest. Secondly, when I create a board full of the hopes and dreams I intend to live, I am using the Law of Intention. I am purposely focusing on my innermost desires and signaling to the universe that I intend to manifest them. This plants a seed and allows the universe to go to work on my behalf, orchestrating all the connections and resources I need for fulfillment of my desire. Third, I am utilizing the Law of Least Effort. Now this law may be the most confusing of all for those that have been abiding by the idea that hard work accomplishes things. This law says, "do less and accomplish more, do nothing and accomplish everything." Sounds nuts, right? Well, not when you look at it from the perspective of the universe. Look at the cosmos, it simply is/was and becomes/became. Here, we are again pointed toward the power of vibration. Attuning to the vibration of our innermost desires allows us to become and live those desires. I use my vision board to help me do this by simply taking time every day to look at it and feel the vibration those pictures conjure up. I then take that energy with me throughout my day, reminding myself of how I want to feel when I am drawn in a different direction. In dedicating time to this, I am dedicating time to the manifestation of my dreams. I am being all of my desires when I sit in that energy. Finally, because I create my vision board from a place of deep reflection rather than surface level desires, I am also using the Laws of Detachment and Dharma. In bypassing my surface level ideas of how things "should" be or what I "should" want and surrendering to my soul's wisdom, trusting my unique, divine journey on this earth I am practicing the Law of Detachment. In doing this, I'm also committing to finding my true self, which is the Law of Dharma. I'm listening to my inner wisdom. I'm gaining insight through meditation. I'm purposely focusing on and following the unfolding inside of me and allowing that to guide the creation of my vision board, my choices, my life.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, a big part of my shift into living life through these spiritual laws was the wear and tear of chronic conditions and a marriage that was in complete upheaval. This was my catalyst, any number of things could be yours. Personally, I don't have the physical energy to work "as hard as I can" to make things happen. I must use my energy wisely and allow things to happen through the support of the universe. Maybe you have all the physical energy in the world and just want to use your time more wisely or live with more ease. Perhaps you're just curious (god knows I am). Whatever your reason, in my experience, shifting into the universal flow creates a more abundant and rewarding life. These ideas, when put into practice, can become your truth, your new way of being. Like anything new, it does take practice. You'll have to learn a new way of operating. That requires energy and attention. For me, it was energy and attention well spent. So, if you feel curious or challenged, maybe give it a try. You can start small, maybe using meditation or a noticing practice to begin getting to know yourself differently. You can practice taking a breath when you feel pressured and paying attention to how it feels in your body. Perhaps even take it to the next level by asking yourself what thought or action would cause you to feel a little more ease. Maybe make a list of feelings you want to feel regularly and then pay attention to the things that bring more of those feelings. This is all groundwork for a more awakened life and it will help you create a vision board that will go to work on your behalf, manifesting your highest good. I wish you all light, love, and joy on your journey! Happy travels!