Tracy's Wellness Journey: Envision Yourself Into an Epic Future
Love by itself isn’t enough. Love requires respect, safety, and reciprocation. Self-help guru and author Brene’ Brown says, “Love is something that we nurture and grow. Love informs our decisions and it requires loyalty and faithfulness.”
My new year started off with a bang, just not the kind most people think of. I needed rest. My soul needed nurturing. And I needed to reconnect with my life’s purpose. My spirit had been dampened and I was experiencing copious amounts of stress, sadness and grief. My heart was broken.
Life is full of emotional events or seasons. One can experience a plethora of feelings over a lifetime. On one end of the spectrum are anger, guilt, shame, disgust, fear, loss, sadness, depression, and loneliness. On the other end, we have joy, surprise, love, pride, gratitude, hope, awe, optimism, affection, kindness, passion and confidence. It can be a challenge maneuvering life and staying positive. As I write this, I can hear my dear departed friend, life coach Marty L. Ward’s voice telling me, “Feel the feelings.” That is easier said than done. But it does work.
At the end of each year, I take the time to reflect on what I’ve accomplished, where I fell short, and where I see myself going in the coming year. This time was different and difficult. As I mentioned earlier, my spirit had been dampened by a family conflict that I didn’t see coming, and it turned my world upside down. It challenged the values and beliefs at my core and left me feeling empty, uncertain, and angry. I was lost and uninspired.
Happiness is something that you have to cultivate within yourself. You can have an experience that is fun and creates a feeling of happiness, but that’s not sustainable. Over the years, I’ve struggled. I find much joy and happiness in serving others, especially when it’s family. And oftentimes, for me, I run the risk of getting myself into co-dependent situations. I prioritize others’ needs and wants before my own personal health and wishes. I am a people pleaser.
My first reaction was to run. I wanted to escape, shut down, and ignore the internal pain that I was feeling. Most days, my body trembled, I cried in disbelief, and hope was non-existent.
Putting together a vision board seemed like a daunting task. Especially when I was struggling each day to just put one foot in front of the other. My life was filled with darkness and it was difficult to visualize a bright and thriving future or at least one that I’d want to document. It took weeks of reflection, counseling, and lots of courage to face reality before I glued the first image on the canvas.
With intention and purpose, I began to sort through magazines, surf Pinterest, and Google images for inspirational pictures that aligned with what I was visualizing for my life — positivity, outdoor adventure, destination travel, quality selfcare, creativity, family, and community.
It wasn’t long before colorful images, activities, and inspirational words began to fill the canvas.
I began to feel uplifted, encouraged, and assured that this, too, would pass. I could see the light and I was very grateful for that. The last thing that I added to my vision board was the phrase EPIC ADVENTURES. Since the completion of this vision board, several crazy things have happened.
- My younger brother texted me from Maui and said if I was up for the flight, he would purchase me a first-class round trip ticket to come and surprise my dad, who was with him and my sister-in-law and nephew. It took 48 hours for me to clear my calendar and board the jet. EPIC.
- Nine days ago, I boarded another jet headed for Dallas. There, I met my 27-year-old nephew who I hadn’t seen since he was 2. I couldn’t believe the similarities. He's creative! He’s a musician, entrepreneur, loves to read, explore, and travel, and just placed in the top 10 of the Great American Speak Off. While there, I was also able to connect with a childhood bestie from Alaska who I hadn’t seen in 40 years. EPIC.
- April 2, I fly to Laughlin, Nevada for another adventure. I’m guessing it will be EPIC, as well.
My point for sharing isn’t to boast. My point is that we all face difficult circumstances in our lives. Some are worse than others. What matters, though, is how you maneuver the situation. For me, I had to feel the feelings, create a vision for my life, and take baby steps every day to move forward in the right direction.
It took me five months to process the emotions and find contentment and balance. Is it resolved? No. But because I was able to process my emotions, I’m in a much better place. Along that path, I was blessed with the gift of quality family time and some epic adventures.
Let’s Envision
If you’d like to learn more about designing your own vision board, please email me at Tracy@TracyStroderd.com. I’m in the process of putting together a class.
Map It
