Dreams Do Come True: Vision Board Magic
When my parents added a second story to our three bedroom ranch, they asked the four of us kids if we wanted two big bedrooms to share (two boys + two girls) or if we wanted tiny, solo rooms. We all opted for the latter.
My room was my safe haven — a space to dream wild dreams, to organize to my heart’s delight, journal, be still and freely express myself.
All four walls were covered with words and pictures that embodied my dreams.
I’d cut up magazines and tape them to my wall — and hang posters that I’d carefully selected from the poster store at the mall.
The faces of fierce females pinned up above my mirror — Mia Hamm and Jenny Thompson — two of my childhood idols, both of whom became teammates in 2000.
“The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.”
Words written across a photo of Mia Hamm, airborne — ball into net. Words that resonated with me to my core — and drove me during my early morning workouts when I was the only one in the pool.
There were photos of places I wanted to visit. Images from Ansel Adams that soothed my soul. And photos of friends and family.
Every inch of my room covered in what I know now was a life size, living vision board.
Complete with glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling.
These words written in crayon on the walls of my childhood bedroom. Words I’ve internalized, experienced and have come back to many times over:
As an 8 year old girl, I dreamed of standing atop the Olympic podium. Of becoming the best in the world. Curious and untainted by the messages and cultural conditioning of who I was supposed to be, I declared this to be my dream.
As we grow and begin to navigate the many curveballs life throws at us, we receive messages about what’s right + wrong and good + bad — about who we’re supposed to be.
Messages we internalize. Messages that begin to shape our beliefs.
Messages that tell us all the ways we are not enough.
And so we begin picking up pieces of armor to protect ourselves from pain.
Armor that becomes heavy and hard to carry. Armor that blocks us from feeling joy.
Instead of believing in what’s possible and leaning into uncertainty with wonder, we fall into limiting patterns of thinking and believing that prevent us from daring greatly and following our dreams.
Our beliefs form the lens with which we view the world, each other and ourselves. Those beliefs impact our thoughts and emotions - and the interplay between the two. Our internal world (thoughts + emotions) impacts what actions we take or don’t take. And those actions, over time, impact our results.
The armor we’re wearing to protect ourselves is often the very thing that’s holding us back from living a life of meaning and fulfillment.
I’ve been there.
One of the most common limiting beliefs: I’ll believe it when I see it.
And what I know to be true — is just the opposite:
We see what we believe.
To feel love and belonging, we must believe we are worthy.
To unlock our inner magic, we must move beyond seeing is believing.
We must imagine and embrace the not-yet-seen.
Which is why Vision Board Magic is one of my favorite nights of the year — when we come together, get still, shed the shoulds and release the restriction of the “one right way.”
Side-by-side, we build our vision boards.
The intention behind building these boards is to give ourselves time + space + an outlet to creatively express what it is we want to experience in our lives.
What brings us joy?
What do we want to strive towards?
What’s worth pursuing even if I know I’ll fail?
What messages do we want to shed?
How do we want to feel along the way, regardless of outcome?
How do we want to meet ourselves when, not if, we navigate hard things?
As you’re sitting + creating, the inner critic might start to get a little noisy with judgement and comments. It might even toss in a bit of shame, “Who do you think you are to dream like this?” Notice. Breathe. Release.
You are worthy of your dreams.
Whether you get there or not, that’s not something we need to know. Because it’s in the journey toward our dreams — in the daring greatly that we discover our magic.
When Self-Doubt pops in, ask yourself, why not you?
On first ask, the answers might coming flying from your mouth — all the reasons why not.
And if you stay with it, and peel back the layers — you’ll realize that most of those knee-jerk responses come from a place of fear.
The fear that we’re not enough.
We are enough.
You are enough, exactly as you are.
You are fiercely capable. Stronger than you know.
And deeply loved.
The how to’s of vision boards:
1. Schedule an appointment with yourself like you would any other important appointment.
2. Gather supplies
- poster board // poster paper // staple together sheets of paper
- markers // pens
- stickers // stencils
- glue // tape
- scissors
- old magazines // print outs from online
3. When your appointment comes, grab a cup of your favorite, dump all materials on the floor + give yourself permission to release all the have-tos and shoulds + create without judgment.
4. If you’d like more guidance and/or want help breaking your vision down into small steps, head over here for an exercise in Vision Mapping.
“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don't belong. You will always find it because you've made that your mission. Stop scouring people's faces for evidence that you're not enough. You will always find it because you've made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don't negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.” Brené Brown
Wishing you a year filled with love + gratitude + the strength to do hard things.
We’ve got this. 🥳
Personal note: I am now an instructor of Mental Health First Aid —a certification course (think, CPR for mental health) for adults who work with youth (12 - 26). I’ve never felt more called to do this work - to help our kids (and the adults who are raising them) develop the supports, skills and tools to positively cope with pressure and stress and other hard things. They are capable. We are capable. And. It’s going to require all of us.
To learn more about Mental Health First Aid for adults who work with youth (12-26) and/or to inquire about Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement, private coaching and/or speaking, let’s get on a call together.
Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, high-performance consultant, speaker, educator and mental health advocate. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance, providing pillars of support to athletes, coaches, parents and organizations to elevate mental health and improve performance.
In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills and developing high-performance cultures. She is a certified instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) and a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid.
Samantha is the founder and facilitator of two, multi-module online courses, the Rise Free Academy and Ride the Wave: A Bootcamp to Strengthen Our Emotional Agility — inspiring, empowering and equipping athletes, coaches and female leaders with the skills they need to become more mindful, courageous, resilient leaders.
Take the five day I AM CHALLENGE and join Samantha’s private community space to link arms, connect + participate in her free challenges.
Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com