OYou 2012 Boot Camp Challenge – Week 1

Change doesn’t always come in waves.  Inspiration is often sprinkled throughout our lives.  Yet these droplets can make a tremendous impact on our lives…if you catch them.  Last year during out first OYou boot camp, I created my very first vision board.  So it doesn’t surprise me that when I tackled the same task for the second time, I was overly excited.  In fact, I was a bit all over the place.

My dining table resembled a go-back cart at Barnes & Noble.  With four piles of magazines lining the center of the table, my excitement grew.  What did “I” want my life to look like?  It was finally time for a much-needed, self-focused moment.  Typically filling my days with the wants and needs of others, this was special for me. 

My family filled in the empty seats around the table and for the next three hours, we laughed and talked and shared creative and inspiring cut-outs from the piles that sat before us.   I was completely lost in the moments and it was spectacular.  Wrapping the first night with piles of photos and sayings, I decided to wait to complete the process.  However, my dreams and hopes filled my thoughts until I was able to carve out enough time to make it back to the table.

Laying out my dreams before me, some small and others a little crazy, I didn’t know where to begin.  It had been a long time since I allowed myself to dream so big and honestly I was surprised.  My photos weren’t of fancy cars, big houses or jewelry.  I wasn’t looking for lots of money or super success.  My desires were so much simpler and honestly VERY doable.  I realized I didn’t need much in my life to be happy.

With that in mind, I divided my clippings into piles…feeling the need to hone in strongly on each vision board.  Yes, I said “each.”    By the end of the night I had five very specific vision boards.  What surprised me is that the process left me feeling more centered and focused than ever.   This experience was completely different from my first vision board.   I wasn’t worried about making my dreams come true…I was confident they would.  In a week filled with soul-searching, this task couldn’t have come at a better time and I did my best to catch each and every inspiring sprinkle.