New dream board tool on Oprah.com

Check out this new free tool on Oprah.com. You can create a beautiful vision board in minutes. The photos are from Getty Images so there’s plenty of inspiring ones to choose from.

It’s the first time I’ve created a vision board on my PC. Always gone for the manual way before. I think there are benefits to both. This is a lot quicker but I enjoy flicking through the magazines and selecting the photos. Both are great fun though…and both work! (See my old posts).

Great article from O Magazine also, written by Martha Beck, about how to best create a vision board. Covers the importance of letting go of the ideas once you’ve ‘put them out there’. You create the vision and put the power into it while you’re making the board, after that you can let it go. Makes a good point – when you hear of people who’s amazing visions have come true, they always seem to say: “It was only two years later, as I unlocked the door to my dream home, that I remembered that vision board” etc.

The important thing I think is to put all your creativity and effort into it while you’re doing it. Get yourself ‘in the zone’ by doing whatever feels good for you. Whether it’s lighting a candle while sipping tea and listening to soothing music or ordering a pizza and cranking up the ACDC (air guitar optional). By the way, there’s no limit to the number you make or how often you can make a new one. I have four now – the one I made in England, the one I made at the vision board workshop when I arrived in California, one I created for my novel, and now the Oprah one.

Dream on people!

Can vision boards work even for cynics?!

I just randomly came across this clip.

It seems that Oprah actually granted Ellen DeGeneres’ wish! Not only that, Ellen was delighted. Turns out she really wanted to get closer to Oprah.

As a result, she ended up being interviewed on the show.

Is this proof that vision boards work even if you don’t believe in them?

Oprah’s approach to this is just great. Most people would have been really annoyed that someone was taking the mickey out of them. They would either ignore it and store up bad feeling or retaliate in an angry way.

Instead, Oprah completely turns it around!

That’s it. The evidence is in. Vision boards work. Even if you don’t believe in them – or start off thinking you shouldn’t believe in them!

Make one anyway and see what happens.

Vision boards – what’s the case for and against?

Today I’ve come across two very different clips about vision boards. One for, one against (sort of).

It made me think of a question. Do vision boards work or not? Are they worthwhile and life-changing or just silly and pointless?  What do you think?

The case ‘for’: Clip one shows John Assaraf telling his story of how he got his dream home by using a vision board. John is very successful, well known and wealthy, and he puts much of this down to vision boards. In the clip, he shows us his home and the vision board in question. The house is, it has to be said, stunning.

The case ‘against’: Clip two shows comedian Ellen DeGeneres satirising Oprah’s well-document love of vision boards. Ellen is very successful, well known and wealthy, but it doesn’t seem like she is into vision boards. Or maybe she isn’t actually ‘against’ them – it’s just satire. Who knows. Anyway, it’s quite funny. And it sort of reminds you not to get too serious about this stuff, I think.

It made me think that having a balanced discussion about vision boards is important. Because that’s how we learn.

I’ve edited the ‘Experiment’ page to invite people to try making a vision board to see if it works for them…or not. I’d like to have honest feedback, not just positive comments. A mixture would be good and, I think, helpful. You can probably guess which camp I’m in. But we all have times when we struggle to focus on what we want and I think sharing that would be a good thing.

What is the case for and against vision boards? What are the problems we can come up against? Are there ways to overcome them?

Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Review of a test I took about finding your life purpose

I just posted something on a forum about ‘finding your purpose’. It inspired me to write a quick summary of a test I took in January.

It’s called ‘The Passion Test’, based on the bestselling book by Chris and Janet Atwood. I hadn’t heard of the test before but was invited to a workshop in Topanga, here in California. The workshop was led by Sylva Dvorak, an incredibly warm and inspiring speaker.

The test helps you to get clear about your top 5 passions. It’s a great method. Firstly you brainstorm and write down absolutely anything that comes to mind, including things which seem ‘wrong’. Often these have a seed of truth that can help you find your purpose. Then you use a great comparison method, which helps you to work out which are the Top 5.

It involves being very honest with yourself. Sometimes it can be a bit uncomfortable because you choose certain things above others. It’s the only way to cut through those things you think you ‘should be doing’ to find your true passions in life.

I thoroughly recommend doing this test. Afterwards, we made vision boards about our passions. I don’t think I have posted mine, so I will post it as my ‘Fourth Example’. Find out more about the Experiment and Vision Board Examples here.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has taken the Passion Test or similar tests.

World’s richest man, Carlos Slim Helu, on how to achieve success

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu was named the world’s richest man today, above Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Just found this great interview with him, where he is asked what advice he would give young people. He says it’s important to find out what your vocation is – and not to carry on doing something you don’t enjoy.

I find that very inspiring, since it’s a journey I’ve been on during the last six months.

A vision board is a great way to start finding out what you want. I was taking a career coaching course to find my dream career when I first came across this idea last summer. It’s triggered huge changes in my life. See the ‘About Me’ page.

Here’s the link to the interview with Carlos Slim Helu