Create your vision for 2023
A Magic Key Visualization to open your door of possibilities for the new year
In December, I love setting aside time to dream about all the possibilities for the year ahead. The last couple of years I’ve participated in vision board workshops and spent time reflecting on the year that’s past as well as setting intentions and picking focus words for the coming months to keep me motivated.
One of the most powerful ways to start creating a vision for yourself is to experience a visualization meditation. There are many different kinds of visualizations you can try and I’ve got one you can try here.
For the most powerful experience, I suggest you ask the serious adult part of yourself to take a break for a short while and find the child inside of you who believes in magic before you start. Spend some time connecting with your body by engaging in some mindful movement.
Before we begin, I’ll invite you to get your journal and pen ready so you can spend some time reflecting on the visualization after you’ve listened to it. Find a comfortable and quiet space where you can sit or lie down while you listen. Arrive with an open mind and an open heart.
Magic Key Visualization
Open the door to possibilities
As we begin, close your eyes or lower your gaze, whatever is most comfortable for you. Begin to connect with your breath and feel your breath moving quietly and peacefully through your body. See your breath as a golden light that fills your body with magical energy.
As you become more and more relaxed, you begin to sense that you are no longer where you were. Instead, you find yourself standing in front of a door in the middle of an enchanted forest. You look around you and notice there is snow on the ground and trees all around you. Even though it’s winter, you’re not cold; in fact, you feel comfortable and warm. It’s a very pleasant feeling.
You’re curious about the door in front of you. It’s big, old-looking and old-fashioned, and it’s wooden. It has an unusual key hole. Beside the door is a small wooden box that is glowing in a golden light. You decide to open the box and inside is an old-fashioned key that looks like it’s perfect for the big, old door.
Take the key out of the box and open the door.
As the door slowly opens, you notice that on the other side is a long pathway and way off in the distance is your destination. Since your destination is yours alone, spend a few moments looking around and taking in all the colours, sights and sounds. What do you notice? How does your body feel as you take it all in? There’s no right way to feel, you’re just invited to notice.
Once you’ve taken in your surroundings, you begin to walk down the pathway towards your destination. As you are walking, you begin to sense that you’re not alone; another being has joined you on your journey. This being can be another person, an animal, or a mythical creature. Just allow this being to walk with you without giving it much thought. This being is very loving and wants the best for you. It is your guide on this journey and into the future.
When you reach the end of the path you find a bench to sit on and your guide sits down beside you. Your guide hands you a small gift and when you’re ready, you open it.
Inside the box, you find an object that will give you all the answers you need to help you live your dreams for the next year. Spend a few moments considering the gift and what it means to you.
When you’re ready, you place the give back in the box, thank your guide, take one last look around you at your future, and then start heading back down the path toward the place where you started. Eventually you get back to the door and walk back through to the other side.
Once you’re settled back in your regular space, the space you started from, spend some time with the precious object you brought back. And when you’re ready, open your eyes and spend some time with your journal as you consider the following questions:
What was in the box? Describe the object in detail (colour, shape, texture, etc.).
How does your object relate to your plans and intentions for the coming year?
As you think about your magic key and the door it opened for you, what words come to mind? Write down at least 5. Could one of those words be your “word of the year”?
What do you want to remember about your journey through the door?
What new dreams do you have for the coming year? What are the possibilities?
Some additional ideas for more journaling and visioning:
Find some pictures (or draw/paint some pictures) to create a vision board of your experience.
Create a “word board” of all the words you came up with in the exercise above. Perhaps you can find some pictures to help your words come alive.
If you were given a magic key that would open any door for you, where would that door lead?
I’m looking forward to hearing about what you create in 2023.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
Please check out The Journey Within podcast at:
What is stopping you from living your best life? Get out your journal and a pen and take the new quiz on my website to find out:
Are you interested in learning more about life change & mindset coaching from a mind/body perspective? Please email me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com for more information or to schedule a free introductory consultation to see if coaching is right for you. You can also visit my website coaching page.
"I felt at complete ease with Sharon from our first conversation. She has a wonderful, gentle but firm way that made me focus on my thoughts / feelings so I could remove / change to move forward with a completely different feeling to what felt like obstacles. It was great having regular coaching that gently kept me accountable to actioning and moving towards my goals. Sharon has vast experience in so many areas, I felt that makes her an amazing coach.”
— Michelle Carney, East Galway, Ireland
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