new year... new dreams...

funny how difficult it is to begin a first post on a blog called "focus" :-) the idea for this blog has been swimming in my head for quite awhile now and what better day than my birthday to begin... i started off the day by pouring a cup of coffee, lighting some candles and hanging more Christmas lights (who says you have to take them *down* after the holiday?)... all things that give me the inspiration to FOCUS....



having a birthday in early january means that every year the ritual of renewing, recharging, and refocusing that we all seem to go through on new years' day is doubled for me b/c 2 days after i begin a new year on the calendar, i am also reminded to reflect on beginning a new year of my life. this year i have the amazing opportunity of being in transition - while it can feel a little unnerving at times, it is mostly exciting and invigorating to imagine what the possibilities are and how i might craft a new life for myself. but it can be difficult to sort it out...

one thing that is so important for me is to put my intentions "out there" in a concrete way. i often have thoughts swimming in my head but i don't feel settled or sure of them until i write them down, tell them to someone, or do something to cement them in my mind. last year i found a new way to do this ... "vision-boarding". as a counselor i have seen it used to great effect as a tool of expression as well as a way to focus intentions and get clear on what we want for our lives. it activates the creative side of the brain and brings inspiration to the process. it makes thinking about your life and the changes you want to see feel less like a chore (you know how looking at that to-do list saps your energy?) and more like a creative expression of the "real you" (think about how you feel when you create something beautiful - taking a photo, writing a poem, setting a beautiful table).

i started 2011 by vision-boarding with my inspirational friend louise, and so many of the things i envisioned for my life have come into being or are evolving now that this year i am hosting my own vision-boarding session to encourage others in my life to use this creative expression to help them bring what they desire into their lives. i have come to learn that you have to extend yourself to see changes in your life. verbalizing what you need/want/desire makes it real and helps it come true. and sharing it with others doubles the affirming energy....

and once its out there the universe will conspire in your favor - for example, yesterday i wrote out my new years' resolutions and through one phone call at the end of the day they began coming to frution. a friend asked if i would like to go with her to haiti (res #8 - travel, res #4 - be braver) to work with children in an orphanage her uncle runs (res #3 - find my niche in working with children, res #2 - deepen my faith and spiritual journey). how's that for prayers being answered?

so this year is about putting it out there... getting real with intentions and being braver. facing a new year and envisioning new things. dreaming new dreams and expecting them to come true.

its not about doing more, its about having FOCUS