Visioning Step 3: Focus on the Vision

So. You're sitting amidst piles of images and words. You've gathered them because your heart has sent you on a quest. You have made a wish, you have a focus phrase, now it's time to focus on the vision.

"It is said that Michelangelo described sculpting as 'getting rid of everything that wasn't the sculpture.' That's what you are about to do. Step 3 emphasizes the next phase in the creative process: discrimination, elimination, editing, refinement, exclusion." -- page 84, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Now it's time to sift and sort. This step is often overwhelming because I want to take everything with me. So I break down the process further with three piles:  Yes. No. Maybe.

I need to do this because three other words are blocking the way to my collage creation:
Discrimination. Elimination. Exclusion.

These are harsh words. I believe that more of anything is better, especially creative ideas.

This third way of  "yes, no, maybe" creates breath and space. It makes way for fun so I can enjoy the  process. After all, Visioning(R) is fun!!!! Remember???

Gratefully Step 3 applies to the collage after it is created as well:

 

I live in a safe and sacred home in Ventura.

I can apply the discrimination. elimination. exclusion word revelations to my current vision of moving to Ventura. While my collage has manifested in amazing ways, I'm still....not....quite.....there: renting a room and working.
PHOOEY!!!!

But phooey creates the opening for the Saboteur to step in and give up on the journey when I may have only 500 yards to drive.

Looking at my collage, I focus on the phrase "Today is the day I write my own story." Yes. No. Maybe.

Yes, I still want to move to Ventura.
No, I'm not willing to give up on my dream.
Maybe if I send out an email to everyone asking specifically for what I want--my own room in Ventura, even temporarily--so I can practice living my Ventura life.

Bingo! I am happy to report I am staying for several days in a fabulous guest room in Ventura on a beautiful sunny ranch with two dogs, three cats and four amazing new friends.

"Your heart may show you things your minds is not ready to grasp. Keep your eyes open for new possibilities. If you knew everything there is to know about yourself, you wouldn't be weaving a new dream or following your heart's desire. Your creative self is leading you into new territory. Will you travel there?" --page 85, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Visioning(R) works.

What will you do today to focus on your dream????

Write your answers in the Comments section!!!

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a certified Vision Coach who knows how to  focus on a dream. She is the author of My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents, a book about using Creative Journaling and original songs to move through obstacles. www.writeinside.com.

Visioning Step 2: Visioning Euphoria

Visioning® Euphoria by guest blogger Kate Dana

With Lucia Capacchione, PhD, in San Luis Obispo CA, October 2012.

I have this collage with me today.

In October 2012 I attended a one-day workshop with Lucia Capacchione, PhD, best-selling author of 18 books, including VISIONING®: Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Under Lucia’s guidance, several attendees and I followed the 10 steps of Visioning® and ended the day with huge posters of our heart’s desire (“dream goals”). Mine was based on creative work, travel and living in a Spanish-speaking country, all of which I am doing now. Visioning® works. I was convinced when I read Lucia’s book, but meeting her and practicing the method together confirmed me as a believer. If you have a chance to attend one of Lucia’s workshops, I strongly recommend it.

Starting the 10 Steps to Visioning® on a sunny Saturday in México

Occasionally, life goals need adjusting. While I still have my original Vision board with me, when I find parts of it feel “stuck,” I create a smaller board to focus in on what needs a boost. Additionally, I have learned if you are not specific enough with your Visioning®, you will get what you ask for, like ordering mayonesa for your elote, when you really wanted crema. It still tastes good, but it’s not exactly what you want. Realizing this, I spent a sunny Saturday afternoon working Lucia’s magic. Just starting the process of Visioning® made me happy: when we stir energy around us – our lives, our desires, etc., – the kinetic energy is almost like a natural euphoria.

Midway through Visioning® – creative energy feels great

I have the 10 steps for Visioning® from Lucia’s workshop here with me in México. I follow them one by one, from brainstorming to finding images and text to assembling everything into a collage. One of my favorite of the 10 Steps for Visioning is Step 2: Searching for Images and Words, or the designers research phase, which comes as no surprise since I have graphic design experience. Step 2 begins by gathering pictures, captions, and phrases from magazines, a personal collection of photos or other visual sources. The emphasis is on what experience you wants to create in life rather than just images of things to be acquired. The mantra is: Grab what grabs you. Lucia urges creators to keep an open mind while gathering as many relevant images and words as needed. If other great but unrelated pictures surface, set them aside to be used in other collages. As mentioned in Step 3: Focus on the Vision, some people gather too many images, creating a giant pile that feels overwhelming to sort through. The best solution for this is to ask specifically, “Does this express my innermost wishes, my fondest dreams?” If it doesn’t, there may still be a reason it “grabbed” you; find a large envelope and stash these images or words for a future collage, where they may be relevant.

Collage detail: “Grabbing what grabs me”

When gathering words and images, I sometimes feel persuaded to collect positive phrases or motivational quotes, partly because I am fighting off what Lucia calls the “Inner Critic” voice, the doubts we occasionally hear in the back of our minds as we pursue anything. Mentioned in Step 5: Explore and Find Order in Creative Chaos (from the 10 Steps to Visioning®), these doubts can come from ourselves or others around us. I find it most important when this happens to stop and write a “Q and A conversation,” asking myself what I want and why, responding honestly and free of fears. As with most situations in life, if you doubt them, you rob them of opportunity. If you believe, they have a much stronger foundation to stand on, with your focus and faith as support.

Visioning® to Go, in a vibrant “Méxican pink” envelope

While Lucia recommends a giant poster, I don’t have the space, so I create a smaller piece that folds in half or thirds, like a card or brochure. I find having my Visioning® collage with me is like carrying a mantra or prayer. This small item keeps me in check. I refer to it when I wake up, throughout the day, and before I go to sleep so the vision is fresh in my mind. Eventually, the desired outcome begins to happen. Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly; signs and events reveal that the Visioning® is working: it is real. We all have the power to direct our own life, we just need to say how or what we want, and be specific.

Visioning® collage: Inspiration. It’s all around us.

My Visioning® collage turned out great: colorful, organized, and specific to what I am focusing on: all very much to my liking. I can already feel the changes I want happening. Gracias Lucia por tu Visioning® y por su información. Todos somos de gran alcance en su interior.

Guest blogger Kate Dana is a mixed-media artist and travel writer studying Spanish and teaching English in Jalisco, México. Since 2009 Kate has been studying Spanish, creating art and traveling. She is inspired by the music, food and history of Spanish-speaking countries and has enjoyed visits to Spain, the Dominican Republic and México. Visit www.katedana.com to read about Kate's travel adventures.

Kate is also a 2012 graduate of International Teacher Training Organization in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, where she earned a Certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. For more information visit www.katedanateaches.com

Visioning Step 1: Setting Your Intention

It is the 3rd week of January. Many of us are living with the resolutions that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. If they are working for you—congrats! You're headed in the right direction. However, if you are struggling, maybe it is time to turn that resolution into an intention.


Step 1- Making a wish or setting the intention.

There is a big difference between resolution and intention. Resolutions often come from our head—what we should be doing: lose weight, finish that project, start exercising. These are all worthy goals, but joy comes from flowing with the heart's intention. Suze Orman once said that she used to exercise regularly because she enjoyed it. But as soon as she made a New Year's resolution about exercising, she stopped. Esther Hicks, author of the Abraham law of attraction books, states that rather than setting a goal— which only locks in the feeling of lack—focusing on what we want and the feeling of having it, allows the dream to manifest. Discovering and allowing our dream is Visioning®

“...once you have heard your creative conscience, you must take action. How wonderful! And how terrifying. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'Be careful what you set your heart on, for it will surely be yours.' Having your dreams come true brings a new kind of freedom and fulfillment. It also brings new responsibilities. There will be surprises when you realize your true desires. From each risk you take, you become stronger and learn more about yourself. From every encounter with your creative conscience, you learn more abut who you could be. If you dare to dream and act on your dreams, you have everything to gain: your true creative self.”
--pages 59-61, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

Now that you know the difference between resolutions and intentions, ask yourself these questions from the pages referenced above:

1.Am I ready to look into my heart?

2.Am I ready to partner with my creative self?

3.Am I ready to listen to my creative conscience?

4.Am I ready to have my deepest dreams come true?

***

Your COMMENTS matter... please tell us about what part of your day you most enjoy and why.

Lucia's Art Studio: Her dream come true.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a certified Visioning coach. Her latest book “My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents,” is a blend of memoir, self-help and original music. Learn more by visiting www.writeinside.com.

Letting Go through Visioning(R)

This holiday, I'm giving myself the gift of letting go.

As I'm sorting through my paper files, I am not only releasing past financial documentation, but also projects that were never completed. These include short stories, poems, songs, brochures, fliers and even a marketing idea for a CD project.

I have always prided myself on my letting go quickly attitude, but apparently that applied to everything but non-dominant hand writing.

Photo courtesy of thestar.blogs.com

As I sorted through the folders labeled 2004 NDH, 2005 NDH, etc., I was astounded that my inner guidance was often the same.

“Stay in my body.” “Take small, solid steps.” “Enjoy the moment.”

That's it, the basics.

Before moving forward, I took a giant step all the way back to “Cleaning Out the Closets of Your Mind” on page 85 of Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams.

“In making your final selections, home in once again on your focus phrase. Repeat it, say it to yourself out loud. Remember, you are looking for the pictures and words that truly express your heart's desires and your focus.” - Lucia Capacchione

Previously, thinking of clearing storage seemed overwhelming. Each box yielded a plethora of memories, not to mention the inner critical voice if I came across a non-manifested project. Rather than focusing on where I am headed, I was worried about what I was leaving behind.

The sifting and sorting process hit home.

Photo courtesy of designboom.com

Now my creative focus is "if it doesn't have to do with writing my future books, it doesn't make the cut."

While this doesn't necessarily make the process easy-peasy, it is a focused, simple approach to an often overwhelming project.

Here is my holiday wish for you,

Stay in your body.
Take small, solid steps.
Enjoy the moment.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia is a 2008 certified Visioning(R) Coach. She recently wrote a book based on the Creative Journal and Visioning(R) methods entitled My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents. www.writeinside.com

Visioning® Affirmations

One of my favorite ways to play with my Vision board is to create affirmations out of the non-dominant hand dialogues. This brings my dream deeper into my body and expands my energy towards what I want. Working with an affirmation paves the way to allowing my hearts desire. It is a daily feeling reminder that I am heading in the right direction.
“In addition, Visionaries are committed to taking all the steps necessary for giving birth to their creations. Their attitude is: whatever it takes. Like Disney and Fuller, they face doubts, fears, rejection, disappointment, delays and other obstacles that everyone faces in life. Yet, they hold true to the creative idea, knowing that sooner or later it will take form in the physical world. Some gestation periods are longer than others. One idea may take twenty years to hatch, another may take twenty days. The creative thought is the thing. Nurture it, charge it with energy and enthusiasm, and the world will be drawn to it as a magnet.” - from Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Page 26.

"I live in a safe and sacred home in Ventura." 5.26.12

Here are the steps to creating a daily affirmation writing practice.

1. Choose a non-dominant hand conversation that resonates with you today.

Example: I am choosing the sea lions on the beach because that is my latest manifestation. Although the conversation was written in May, I can use the reminder.
DH: What do you have teach me about my safe, sacred home in Ventura?
NDH: Let your home open and call to your soul. You don't have to be struggling.


2. Create a short, single phrase to write and speak out loud from the NDH writing. In fact, use your NDH to create the affirmation so that you are coming from your heart, not your head.

My affirmation is: “I allow my home to open and call to my soul.”
This affirmation is in alignment with what I discovered during a transformational energy session with my coach, Leyla Atwill. We discerned that the most important work I can do is to locate my Higher Power within my body, and connect with it throughout my day. This is my true home, regardless of where I physically live.

3. Write the affirmation. I work with affirmations for about a month. The reason is that in the beginning, I allow the critical voice to have it's say immediately after writing the affirmation. I do not converse with the voice. I simply allow the energy to release, and continue to write the affirmation. Also, I use the first, second and third person in my writing.

Example:

I allow my home to open and call to my soul. Bullshit.
I allow my home to open and call to my soul. Yawn.
I allow my home to open and call to my soul. Whatever.

Dorothy, allow your home to open and call to your soul. Like, open sesame?
Dorothy, allow your home to open and call to your soul. What are you talking about?
Dorothy, allow your home to open and call to your soul. What? You are crazy!

Dorothy allows her home to open and call to her soul. Dorothy who?
Dorothy allows her home to open and call to her soul. Puhleeezzzz.
Dorothy allows her home to open and call to her soul. Shut up!


I have been using this affirmation style for about three months. It has opened up new pathways because I am able to discern and stop the habitual blocks that keep me from my dreams. I usually write the critical blurts for about a week, or until the critic energy dissipates.

Sometimes, if the affirmation is too long, or the idea too big of a leap, I have to change affirmations. I usually write each phrase ten times in the first person, ten times in the second person and ten times in the third person. For instance, because I not only want to move, but create new work, it was better for me to make a collage about my “Safe and sacred home in Ventura.” The assumption is that I have the right work. Trying to create a collage about right work in May was too big of a leap.

Also, depending on the blurt, I might come back and explore the idea, phrase or question with the critic. For instance, the blurt, “What are you talking about?” can be an excellent way to explore my beliefs about my interior home. After all, feeling safe and connected to my Self is the heart of all my desires.

To read the blog on my session with energy coach, Leyla Atwill, visit my blog Stepping Into the Dream Stream.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia, is a certified Visioning® Coach and author of  My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents, featuring an original music CD. www.writeinside.com

Visioning: Celebrating the Journey

While the phrase, “enjoy the journey” trips off the tongue quite nicely, the enjoyment can quickly turn into a traffic jam if you feel that your unmanifested dream is taunting you from the collage. Big dreams mean big-time investment in releasing internal road blocks. Gratefully, if you are following your vision, the answers are a journal entry away.

I live in a safe and sacred home in Ventura. 5/26/2012

 

Last week I found myself beginning Chapter 10 of Lucia's book, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Chapter 10 is celebrating the dream coming true. Oops. I'm still in Morro Bay, dutifully applying for full-time work in Ventura and the surrounding areas. I looked at the journal exercises which all had to do with acknowledging myself for going for my dream. I toyed with journaling anyway, imagining that the dream came true, but that is actually discussed in Chapter 8, in the Writing by Heart exercise. This brings up an important point: reviewing our work.

Reviewing our work is the same as appreciating how far we have come. Looking back at my 6/5/12 journal, I found this entry prompted by Writing by Heart, #2, page 135. DH stands for the dominant hand; NDH, the non-dominant hand.

DH: Dear Patio Table and Chairs, who are you?

NDH: I am the seed of laughter and enjoyment.

DH: Why are you in my collage?

NDH: A strong, fenced, nurturing outside space is vital for your inner life.

DH: What qualities do you have that I need to realize my dream?

NDH: Strong frame to set your tools on, to rest, to meet with friends and to work.

DH: What do you want to tell me about realizing my dream?

NDH: Light filled intention is the way to your dream. Let go of each minute and flow with the good feeling stream.

DH: Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate you being here. Please write me a poem or prose from your lovely, lovely self.

NDH: The Patio Prayer

Come close my child, come sit in my heart.

Would you not find comfort and peace here?

Be with me, be with me even if you are weary and lost.

Be with me in the sun to quench your thirst.

I am always here, my love.

DH: Thank you. I need and love you.

This entry actually did turn into a song entitled The Patio Prayer.

During this review, I realized that good dreams take time. It took 10 years to move to Morro Bay permanently in 1994, after I discovered this area in the early '80s. The surprise was that I arrived in town as a beginning songwriter.

While I am hoping that Ventura won't take that long, my work is to enjoy packing, gassing up the car, smiling at the other driver's and to remember to take snapshots of the scenic views. If I'm being prodded to “hurry up and move already,” then I know the Critic is trying to hitch a ride. Review page 109 in Lucia's book to ditch this naysayer, pronto!

One last thing. I realized this week that there are two smiling women on my collage. One is seated inside. One is sitting outside with her eyes closed, facing the sun. (That image's non-dominant hand voice yielded a different song.) Both women are smiling—happy to be where they are.

Guest blogger Dorothy Segovia, is a certified Visioning® Coach and author of My Body, My Car: How to Coach Yourself Through Life's little Accidents, featuring an original music CD. www.writeinside.com

Come hear Dorothy sing The Patio Prayer at the free concert and book signing on
Sunday, November 18, from 1-3pm at Coalesce Bookstore and Garden Chapel in Morro Bay, CA. 

Native American Healing with Visioning(R)

This months post is a letter from Vicki L. Muir to Lucia, thanking her for the healing she experienced in a Voice Dialogue session with Lucia.

Vicki is a certified Visioning(R) Coach and Creative Journal Expressive Arts facilitator working in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

Vicki L. Muir

Business Inner Circle

Email: Innercircle@Cox.net

Edmond, OK

Hi Lucia,


I wanted to thank you for the voice dialogue work we did prior to my surgery. I believe we summoned up some powerful energies that have continued to assist me in my healing journey. The images that especially speak to me are the grandmothers and the buffalo. I am still receiving energy from them. I wanted to share the experience with the CJEA group.

Prior to my surgery July 24th for a biopsy of the left lung with possible diagnosis of lung cancer or metastatic cancer, I did a collage. The collage was filled with Native American images. The images were of grandmothers singing, dancing and praying; the buffalo, a doe with her fawn; a warrior, and a central figure with spirals, animals and healing hands in a mandala. You facilitated a voice dialogue with the images, which spoke of ancient wisdom, Native practices, prayer and ceremony.

The buffalo spoke to me of power and healing as well as endurance. There were messages of connectedness, nature, and wholeness being in rhythm with the natural and universal energies. One statement said ,"journey of profound healing." This truly speaks to my experience. I believe that I summoned these energies to aid me in my journey. I was overwhelmed when the surgeon told me there was no cancer. My recovery has been remarkable with no complications. I am still feeling the energies of the images with further journaling to move me forward. Thank you again Lucia for this moving experience. I believe that the images are prophetic and hold energies of their own that come to life as we work with them.

Blessings, Vicki

PS: I would like to reiterate that this experience brought forth the importance of connection to others, spirit and the universal energies, which are always available to us. This places the emphasis on my inner connection and accessing my own power. My ancestral communication was significant because my Great Grandmother was a Native American and known as a healer.

Note: Voice Dialogue is facilitated way to interact with the collage images with the guidance of a trained coach or therapist. Using the Creative Journal method outlined in Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams is another way to allow the images to speak, for those who work with their collages on their own.

If anyone else has used Visioning(R) as part of your healing process, please share your story in our Comments section!