Stake Your Claim!

When I read the words “Stake Your Claim”, I have a vision of  a skinny little man with an overloaded pack mule putting a sign in the ground to show the world that a plot of land in the Wild West belongs to him. Can’t you just see him, hat in hand dancing about and laughing like a wild man?

That sort of excitement is over the top and that little caricature of a man leaves me with feeling of excitement and possibility.

Your vision board can be brave and mouthy about how you’d like your life to look while you find your voice. Your vision board is your chance to stake your claim – lay down the gauntlet and create a shift in your foundation.

The sorts of statements that can really strengthen your vision board are most powerful when they’re stated in  present tense in motion terms. Examples of these terms include:  “Best in Class”, “In a League of Her Own”, “Master of his Craft”, “A Force to be Reckoned With”, “Brilliant”, “Unparalleled”.

What you won’t find on a powerful Vision Board are the following phrases: There’s no “I really hope that….”, “What I really want to have is….” or “I’m sort of afraid to say it out loud, but…”

Let’s practice and create ten claim checks –

To start, grab a stack of ten note cards.  Number them 1 – 10.

Now, while no one is looking, write down one simple statement about your talents and your capabilities and true strengths. Even if you are afraid to write some of them down because you might doubt yourself a bit, keep going.

Once you’re finished, review your cards and put them in order of preference. If there are any that you hide at the bottom of the stack, go back to them and make a mark in the corner so that you can mark those for some special attention when you create your vision board. Perhaps all you need is a clearer picture about those concepts to help you see yourself in a less critical eye and to create a more vivid picture.

If time permits or if you’d like to add a touch to these cards, find a picture that illustrates or connects you to these ten strength claims.

Finally – Put a rubber band around these cards into your briefcase or tote bag.  Carry your ten claim checks with you throughout your day. If you can give yourself a five-minute head start to meetings or lunches or to pick up the kids, do so. That way, you can steal just five minutes to focus on your statements and begin to strengthen your conviction about your capabilities and your future.

Best of luck with this exercise. I assure you that this experience is calming, and expanding, and you will quickly become your own biggest fan 🙂

Let me know how this works for you.

Until next time…

copyright 2010 Destiny Rising

Be Adventurous!

Building a vision is like going to an all you can eat restaurant. You can have as many servings of possibility with your vision board as you can helpings of mashed potatoes or dessert at a buffet. You don’t have to be reasonable as you write out and put into picture what you want in your life. Go ahead – Be Adventurous!

When I created what I call my “Universe Catalog for 2009”, I gave myself permission to immerse myself in possibilities. I suspended thoughts about what my busy career would allow in terms of time and resources to move into an entrepreneurial venture.  In that moment, I decided to act as CEO, telling my team about new product development, marketing ideas and financial results I had in mind for my new venture. It was simply exhilarating. And I must share that by being adventurous in my expectations, I am chomping at the bit to progress quickly in my transition.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

First  – write out a statement of how you’d like your life to look – consider aspects such as family, career, home, vacation, volunteerism and health.

Next – magnify that statement – Add even greater ability, abundance and activity to it.

Next – Compare the two pictures. Which one is more exciting?

Next -Make a note next to each of the elements of your grander vision about how having that element materialize in your life would take your life and personal effectiveness to a higher level. Reread that list, along with its notes. Spend a few minutes imagining your life with all of these great things going on.

Finally – Select just one or two of the adventurous future elements of your grand vision and “make believe” that they have come to pass. Write about them or discuss them with a trusted friend. At first, talking about an accelerated preferred future may feel a bit ill-fitting. Maybe it’ll instantaneously feel  like a great fit, and you can take yourself to that great place very easily. Either response is fine. Getting your sea legs with this sort of believing at face value may take time. Most importantly – keep at it.

When you feel that “connectedness” to what you’re  looking at bringing into your life, it’s much more likely to come rushing in.

Good luck, and I invite your comments on this post 🙂

copyright 2010 Destiny Rising

Vision for Haiti complete!

You may recall that in a post two weeks ago, I wrote that I wanted to create a vision board for a rebuilt Haiti. This past Saturday, I had a window of opportunity to complete this board. I really enjoyed the project. It’s finished, framed and it now hangs in my studio. I’ll be posting photos of this vision board it within the next few days as a blog post, and I’ll be adding it to my vision gallery at http://www.destinyrising.com.

copyright 2010 Destiny Rising