Hola amigos ☺︎ after spending a week in Koh Tao and surviving all the "Death Island" threats, I ended up in a place I swore I would never go to: Koh Phangan, home of the Full Moon Party. Spending my days surrounded by 22 year olds who just discovered drugs was pretty fucking far down on my list (and my past) but luckily I ended up in a side of the island that was more like 30 year olds that just discovered yoga type shit.
How did I end up here? I met some guys from a kitesurfing center and they offered me to use the equipment for free in exchange for help in the center. Koh Phangan, what a paradise. Waterfalls, hikes, turquoise blue waters, green curry. I've also never seen so many white dudes with dreads in one place, remarkable, hilarious.
Re-alignment
Last week I wrote about how taking three months off my studio helped me re-draw my vision, and this week I want to worship that word: vision.
We need clarity in a world of noise where we are so disconnected from our WHY. Passion can only be fueled by purpose.
Have you ever thought that those times you've felt that you've ran out of passion for your project or business, is just a sign that your vision is blurry? That all you need is clarity?
And I'm not talking about a business vision; forget about to-do lists and bucket lists and all that cheesy shit to sell stationary and post-it notes. Have you ever stopped and wondered, what do I actually want? what am I living for? Are the things that I do on my day to day contributing to my vision of freedom?
Why such dramatic questions for a little newsletter? Because we have to see the big picture to live in full alignment: being honest with how you want to live your life will give you an understanding of what to do in order to fulfill that vision.
When I re-opened my studio I realized that I was following and old version of my vision. I was going with the plan I made once because it was "there", because it "made sense". When I stopped banging the keyboard and thought about the life I wanted to build, it actually didn't make sense. I found out miss-alignment is passion's worst enemy.
Vision exercise
I want to share a powerful exercise that I do often. This is also the first question I ask my clients on my brand discovery calls, it is such an honest way to understand what they actually want and how can I help them get there.
I believe it takes discipline to curate and cultivate the life you want to live, and imagining that life as a current reality is the first step.
This is extremely potent for many reasons, but as always let's talk about the idealistic and realistic sides of the coin. The magic and the facts.
/one: the magic
Writing your vision in first person as it has already happened is a strong visualization practice. I know manifesting sounds new age-y as fuck, but we really do have access to that eternal source of abundance that is our universe. The human experience is nothing but the universe experiencing itself through you, don't you think then YOU have access to all that abundance as well? Ask, and you will get, but you need to know what to ask for.
Be as specific as you can while writing your vision, the weather, the smells, the sounds. What sensations are arising in your body? Feel the soil in your feet, the breeze by the beach, by the mountains. The more you "trick" your body into thinking that this vision has already happened, the more power you're giving to it.
/two: the facts
It is far more effective to describe a scenario or write about it than to list it out.
I don't know, maybe because I am such a visual person, but I think this:
"I'm living by the beach, the sun is shining and I can see the sea from my hammock. I have three beautiful dogs and my partner and I have the most abundant vegetable garden, I am about to publish my first book...
Is way more relaxing than this:
- Move to the beach
- Build a vegetable garden
- Publish a book
See what is happening here? Your dreams become a to-do list. Instead of being fueled by this vision, your brain is now like UH you better work your ass off to cross all that shit from the "big to-do list".
That's why the idea of a bucket list cracks me up. Like, really? We spend our lives performing tasks, and you would categorize your dreams as "tasks"? That inner narrative needs deep re-wiring.
Clarity
When I need some clarity in projects (or life) I write a page or two of this vision exercise. Sometimes I'm surprised by the path the project wants to take itself. Almost like it doesn't belong to me but I'm just a medium for that idea to be materialized on earth as its being birthed from the tip of my pen.
(but that's a theory for another issue! ☺︎)
I invite you to do this exercise and simply observe how your vision materializes. Write as many details as possible, be descriptive and specific. Save it somewhere important and re-read it often. It can be a month, a year, 10 years from now, the only thing that matters is that you write in first person present.
/Too long didn't read:
☺︎ conclusions
- Having no life vision is a formula for a soulless life and I can't think of anything worse than missing out on the orgasmic experience of living a life infused with purpose.
- Miss-alignment is passion's worst enemy. Ask yourself: "are the things that I do on my day to day contributing to my vision of freedom?"
- A vision check every once in a while is necessary to tune-in with your purpose and pivot goals accordingly and organically.
- Starting a visualization practice is one of the most potent ways to get clear on what you want in life. The power of the mind can be harnessed with discipline and patience.
Even more condensed:
I want to keep building on to this on the next issues, this theme fascinates me. I really do believe that we are all reality benders, that we can grab life and mold it to our liking, and re-mold it when we change again and again.
This issue was powered by this meditation playlist, and a lot of introspection.
"Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it."
✨ Thank you for reading! See ya next Issue!
Support: If you find value in the content I write, forwarding this newsletter to a friend is an incredible cost-free way to support this publication☺︎
Stay curious
m(:
