Create Your Very Own Dream Board or Vision Board   Sarah Hughes, Gold Metal Skater, had hers at age six. Joseph Campbell, author, found his after visiting the Museum of History in NYC.  At age 4, Oprah Winfrey remembers watching her grandmother washing clothes by boiling them – Oprah “knew” then her life would be different.  They all found something that raised their inner vibrations, their passion — and created a vision. People who live their visions always seem to have time to do the things they want to do – we often call them “go getters!”  They’re focused, make decisions easily and smile often.  And they’re flexible – they don’t get “stuck” in their vision and miss better opportunities.  As Joseph Campbell said, “We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” And you’re not limited to just one vision.  People are living full lives into their 80s and 90s, something unheard of just a few generations ago.  With continued opportunities to grow and evolve, we can create several visions over a lifetime. I can give you an example…I loved working on a trading desk on Wall Street and couldn’t see myself doing anything else.  But 20 years later, I  found another passion – consulting and coaching.  And when I added speaking internationally to my business, I found just the right mixture to keep me motivated into the next 20 years! If you

By Thomas Leonard Step 1. Get that it is now becoming normal to have a vision. Having a vision is not weird. Having a vision used to be a 'woo-woo' thing, but as more people have more time, space, money and reserves, they can afford to think bigger and think beyond themselves. And part of thinking bigger is to sense more of what's possible. I believe that the terms vision and visionary will become natural and commonplace in the next 10-20 years. To NOT have a vision will be unusual. Even if your vision is "just" an intuitive feeling or intangible sense at this stage, it IS a vision and it's worth discovering, articulating and experimenting with. Step 2. Find someone who can hear you. Dreams, visions and ideas are often dashed and diminished by well-meaning friends, family and colleagues. They tend to ask questions in their quest to keep you 'safe.' Or, because they don't have a vision of their own, they don't know how to listen or hear you and your ideas properly. And it's that special type of hearing that the person with a vision needs more than anything at this stage. Visionaries see and feel on a different frequency than the average person. So, being a visionary and having a dream can be a very lonely experience. You feel the magic and the excitement of your idea, its potential and its likely reach, but until your vision has become a reality, it's often

A few bosses I remember fondly.   Thomas Leonard was one of them.  He was a financial planner, who although he didn’t attend college, was certified as such by a national organization. He created the coaching school I attended, Coach U, and was still teaching there when I registered but had sold it by the time I graduated.  He moved on and started a membership coaching school, called Coachville.  It was there that I worked for him for 3 years.  “t” as he preferred being called is fondly known as the father of the profession of coaching.   He created two coaching schools and two coaching organizations; all four ventures still exist today.  He was a prolific writer and proofreading wasn’t something he thought much about.  At one time he had 22 newsletters going all at once! He lived a full life, although personally, he was often very brash.  I didn’t talk to him often, he emailed me the projects I was to work on.  I once called him to ask a question about a project he’d given me to complete, and his answer was “figure it out” as he hung up the phone.  Of course, I did (figure it out). Born in 1955, he died on February 11, 2003, and still has many lessons to teach all of us.   Read more about him http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/25/business/thomas-joseph-leonard-47-teacher-of-business-coaching.html Here’s one of his articles, created on 11/21/96. The Top 10 Factors Which Contributed To My Success I was recently asked this question by

Where do you see yourself or your business a year from now? 3 years? 5 years? When you die, what would you like people to say about you at the service? The answers to those questions, and a few more, can assist you as you prepare your vision statement. A vision statement helps to pull you forward, towards something you've deemed "special". Without a clear vision, you may find yourself confused, stuck, stressed, overwhelmed, and drained. How can you get back on your track? The answers are as individual as you are. Use some of the ideas below as starting points. Write down every reason (or excuse) why you don't have a personal or professional vision. Don't stop till you have run out of reasons. Then follow the suggestion that fits you best: Celebrate by burning or shredding what you've written! Isn't it time to let the excuses go? Celebrate by creating at least five solutions to each of your excuses. If you can't come up with five, ask your coach or a friend for assistance. Then get started. Make it an adventure!  When my clients have a difficult time writing their vision, I ask what they've done that hasn't worked and then we discuss other options. Try these ideas: Be creative and have fun. Design the most creative vision you've ever dreamed about! Design your first dream board. www.coachmaria.com/articles/dreamboards.html Start a planning box. For "x" months, every time you have an idea for your plan, write