Is your vision really yours?

At my last retreat with my coach, she took us through a very specific, very powerful visioning exercise to create our upcoming year. I’m not going to recount it here, because, well… trust me, it’s not the kind of thing that will have the same impact if you just read the instructions. But let’s just say it was grueling. Indeed, at times I really had to push myself to complete it.

Surprised? Me too. When I think of traditional visioning exercises, such as those I’ve shared with my clients & students in the past, “grueling” is not the word that comes to mind. I’ve often said that a potent vision is exciting… energizing… and a little scary. (You know, in that “can I really do this?” sort of way.) But during this particular exercise, I found myself saying…

“Do I really want this?”

That, my coach assured me, was indeed the point.

It sucks to admit it, but the truth is, for many of my thirtysomething years, I’ve lived my life according to something else’s vision – and a limited, fear-based vision at that. Parents, teachers, politicians, employers, friends, relatives, my pet cat Mittens… the list goes on and on. (Okay, so I’ve never had a cat named Mittens, but y’know.)

Can you relate? Unless you grew up in, say, a cave on the top of a mountain somewhere, I’m guessing that the answer is yes. We carry layers of meaning on our back like excess clothing – thoughts, feelings, opinions, and yes, visions that are not our own. A great deal of the time, we don’t even realize that they are not our own. As I worked my way through the grueling visualization exercise, I realized, “Hey, wait a minute. That’s not mine, and that’s not mine… this vision isn’t mine.”

As you craft your vision for 2010, make sure it’s really your vision, not someone else’s wild and crazy plan for you – be it a parent, teacher, voice from long gone by, or (dare I say it?) a guru. I invite you to use your 2010 visioning as a practice in letting go of what no longer holds meaning for you… so you can create a life that does. Bright blessings and massive success to you…