I’ve noticed a new era of EMPOWERED Women who are planning our lives and declaring things with no limits. One manifesto that we empowered women have started to divulge in more frequently is creating vision boards as a powerful tool to manifest our desires in life. While some may see it as merely cutting out magazine pictures and gluing them onto a board, hoping to attract desires, iEvolve Positive Solutions put a huge spin on the concept this year at its annual Vision Board Workshop.
Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain…” Habakkuk 2:2
I can remember the first time I created a vision board in 2014 to have a visualization of the future I was seeking and to fuel my passion to pursue it. I started by taking the time to write out my five-year goals and desires then found pictures and phrases to match. To this day, this vision board is still framed and hanging on the wall in my home office and I live by it daily. It serves as a reminder of some things I have achieved and others I am still working on and waiting on God to bring into fruition.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come... Habakkuk 2:3
Before now, I had never entertained the thought of making a new vision board because my current one is still relevant and all encompassing. I attended iEvolve’s Vision Board Workshop on January 5, 2019, because I was drawn to this year’s theme, “Dream Big, Pray Bold!” The founder and Life Coach, Diondra Turner, made a call to all VISIONARIES, GOAL DIGGERS, & DREAM SEEKERS who believed God had given them a dream, a calling, a vision, or purpose to do something greater in life. The call was not just to any woman but the woman who had the BOLD faith that she could truly have an abundant life & live out her God given calling!
The Vision Board Workshop encouraged us to declare, in faith, goals and desires that would take an act of God to manifest. This definitely made us all think beyond the average goals that we could achieve in our own strength. In doing so, Diondra challenged us to write individual 2019 mission and vision statements, a list of our 2019 goals, and an action plan to achieve the goals. As you can see this workshop went beyond the usual practice of being creative with putting our life goals into picture form as a visual representation.
Although, I did not create this vision board to replace my current one, the vision board from the workshop incorporates and depicts my goals for Biblically Led Cornbread Fed, which was simply listed as “writing” on my previous vision board. I also included new goals and desires that God has revealed to me since the making of my first vision board. Just as the goals and desires listed on the 2014 vision board, I will now begin to pray in EXPECTANCY (my 2019 theme word) over both vision boards.
There are many true examples of how a vision board can manifest things in one’s life. My favorite example is Lucinda Cross who was a 19-year-old college student arrested on drug charges. While serving time in prison, she began to create vision boards. She put her picture on the cover of an issue of ESSENCE Magazine, determined to one day be in the pages of ESSENCE, and planted it in faith by placing it on her vision board. Guess what? The vision manifested and she was featured in ESSENCE! Among other things, Lucinda Cross is now CEO of Activate Worldwide, an accomplished best-selling author with 5 self-published books under her name, and the recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award from former President Barack Obama.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18
In the absence of vision, we just wander aimlessly through life waiting for things to happen. My iEvolve Vision Board is the grit that empowers me to walk fearlessly into 2019 with big dreams while praying boldly. In times when I may begin to minimize myself and not move as boldly as I declared for 2019, I will refer back to those written declarations of how I see myself ––my mission and vision statements.
No matter where any of us currently stand in reference to our visions, as we all navigate through 2019 with Christ, we may find ourselves in 1 of 3 seasons:
The Writing Season
The Waiting Season
The Working Season
WRITING SEASON
Don’t be afraid to write down your vision for the New Year to provide a framework to guide your choices. Writing the vision is obedience to what God has asked us to do (Habakkuk 2:2). The simple act of doing what God says shifts us from being a hearer of His Word to a doer of His Word (James 1:22-25). It also puts us in a position to receive His best and activates our faith (Hebrews 11:1), which pleases God.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him... Hebrews 11:6
Once you have written your vision and made it plain, now it is time to post the visual representation of it as your constant reminder. The more you focus your attention on your vision the more your faith grows. The vision board then becomes your motivator to overcome life’s discouragements, distractions, and disappointments that comes against your vision. Use it not a rigid checklist, but a purposeful path that can be adjusted as God reveals details of His plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
WAITING SEASON
So often we interpret “waiting” as sitting idly or just praying. Yes, this is the time to continue going to God in prayer for our visions and asking for guidance. However, this is also the time that we are able to re-write any plans that need to be replaced with His vision because there will be cases where God’s vision for our lives may not manifest in the way we expect it. Most importantly, while we are waiting on God we should be actively working on our spiritual growth and personal development. In doing so, we should be of service to Him and lending our hands to His work. It is a matter of stewardship. Therefore, in the Waiting Season being a good steward, keeping the faith, and remaining open to how God reveals the vision will unfold is our work, which keeps us far from being idle.
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
WORKING SEASON
The Working Season is the time when we are actively walking towards what God has revealed to us during our Waiting Season. It is a season of obedience and following His direction. God provided us with gifts with the expectation that they will be delivered to His intended recipients and not used just for us. So, in the Working Season, we are being used by God to promote His Kingdom and bring Him glory, which will ultimately bring us fulfillment. The more we allow God to use us, the more He will strategically bring people into our lives with divine alignment to our assignments to help us fulfill what He has called us to do.
The most important part of this season is remembering that in order to walk in the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives, we must see ourselves the way God sees us. How you see yourself determines how you show up in the world!
Resist the urge to see yourself as less than. Whatever we think in our heart, that’s exactly what we are. Proverbs 23:7
iEvolve Positive Solutions is Diondra Turner’s coaching practice that was birthed out of her passion to discover GOD's purpose for her life. Depression turned into determination and pushed her to walk into her GOD designed destiny!
Diondra truly believes we are all created with a purpose and calling ordained by GOD. She strives to assist her clients in discovering their purpose and identifying the actionable steps to boldly walk in faith towards their destiny. Her website is: https://www.ievolvepositivesolutions.com/.