Use a Vision Board So I Know It’s Real

In 2010, I spent 2 weeks in the Dominican Republic with International Student Volunteers. I remember crying in the airport, not only because folk in Miami were mean, but because this was the first time I would be around people I didn’t know. It was like the first day of kindergarten except without my mama and cute new clothes. Oh yeah, and I was over 1200 miles away from home. But as the days passed, I began to realize this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only was I helping children and a community in need, I was becoming friends with amazing people who were almost my total opposites. How do you become friends in two weeks? Without electricity, social media or cell phones…that’s how!

When I returned, I had $15 in my bank account and a Ziplock bag full of pesos I could not use to pay my light bill. Did I care? Nope. I was still so full of gratitude and humility after seeing how happy people were with so much less than I had. Fast forward to a few revelation talks later, and I’m introduced to The Secret. First the DVD, then I bought the book. Naturally, I was freaked out; but the more I listened, the more it made sense.

Like I said, two weeks without a cell phone and Facebook helped to clear my mind, which made room for fresh daydreams and ideas. With a little help from The Secret, I decided to make a vision board. Ya girl was full of goals, especially because it was the summer before my senior year of college. I don’t have a picture of the vision board, which wasn’t that visually appealing in the first place, but I remember most of what was on it.

• Picture of the Queen Bey: After basically stalking her at Bonnaroo, my craving to see Bey in concert kept growing. I was determined to see her perform live. FYI: That vision came true in 2013 and 2014.
• The word/year “Vegas 2011″: I met two amazing Capricorns while in the DR, and we made a pact to celebrate our birthdays together in Vegas. I can do a lot of things, but “go to Vegas broke” was not one of them. This was my reminder to save money, and to not back out.
• The number 3.5 (GPA) With graduation being less than a year away, I had to have some type of education goal on this thing. I made the Dean’s List and President’s List, but finished with like a 3.389578493 GPA. The damage from 2008 was already done, haha. I tried though!
• Picture of a melanin queen rocking a mouth-dropping afro: I was hiding my natural hair under braids and for about 2 years. She was the encouragement I needed to not go back to the “creamy-crack”.
• The words “Lose Weight” I didn’t have a specific goal in mind, and honestly, it was because I didn’t weigh myself in years. This vision didn’t set motion until about 5 months later, when I almost had a meltdown in the Target dressing room while buying new jeans. Fast forward to September 2011, and ya girl was 40lb lighter.
• “New Orleans” I was obsessed with the idea of living in New Orleans, and not because it was socially acceptable to day drink on Bourbon St. Reason number 1: My dad and his family are from New Orleans. This city is home to all these people I’m connected to, and I don’t know anything about it…or them. Reason number 2: I watched Princess and the Frog, and came to the conclusion that I was Princess Tiana.

So here I am, 5 years after my first vision board, with new dreams and goals. This time I’m taking the digital route, and using more pictures instead of text. To be honest, I need like 10 vision boards to cover every area of my life. I did my brain and iPhone storage a favor, by only making 2 for now.

My Vision Board

In a nutshell, I want to…

• Write: Children’s books, coming of age dramas, screenplays, novels…basically everything.
• Travel: The picture with the big moon is New Orleans. The picture of the house with the outdoor fireplace is my future home. I have to add curtains to those big windows though.
• Fit that yellow dress again.
• Become financially stable: Because I can’t do any of these things without money.
• Go back to school: Translation = get an iPad.
• Be a better business woman: Translation = get a new MacBook.
• GO TO DISNEY WORLD: I wrote it in all caps, because it is that serious.

I made these using Moldiv, a collage app, and they’re now the wallpaper on my phone. This makes it easier for me to look at everyday and keep up with. Next on my to-do list is to write down the steps I have to take to make this magic happen! Just in case you were wondering: the doughnuts are a background I chose, not a vision. Do you have a digital vision board, and/or multiple vision boards? What do you do to make sure you see it, or them, everyday? Leave a comment below or tweet me @PalmsInATL and tell me all about it!