Sol Treasures

New Year’s Resolution: Embrace Your Vision 

Ever found yourself sitting in the urgent care lobby on an unfamiliar chair with sharp corners on the arms? You look to your right and the little table offers three pharmaceutical brochures, a plant, a tattered board book, and a few magazines that could be from any point in time. You pick up one of them and flip through it. Halfway through the magazine, the image of the smiling model and the bold, multicolored headline jump out at you. You pick up a different magazine, and the cover page shows a relaxing image on the waterfront, and find yourself experiencing a moment of calm, either from a memory of a recent visit to the water or a yearning to go. What about department stores? Ever enter a store and respond to the art on the wall, the ad on the display table, or the window dressing’s inspirational quote? Have you ever seen a mural of angel or butterfly wings and posed in front of them? 

Every day, you are exposed to words and images, from ads to wall art to office decor to purchasable goods. They might make us smile or laugh, and we’ll snap a photo and text it to a loved one or post it to social media. The word evocative is defined by Google as “bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.” When you see things that are evocative, you respond to the memory or the feeling. If you take it one step further, you could ask yourself, why did that image or those words compel a response? Did the sunset remind you of the view last summer when you went swimming at the lake? Did the headline that said “now is the time” speak to you because you’ve been thinking about getting a new job, but haven’t actually applied anywhere? If you are nodding along to any of this, then you should take some time for yourself to make a vision board. A vision board is a collage of words and images that represent your dreams and goals. The dreams are broad, and the goals are specific. Making a vision board is your opportunity to reflect on why it is that the things that speak to you do so. 

I recently put together a vision board for my 2025 resolutions, and the pictures that called to me invited me to reflect on my goals to develop my skills at work, take more outdoor walks, and enjoy a few more laughs indulging the whimsy of life. That’s how my 2025 vision board wound up with pictures of gardens and nature, headlines like “power women” and “get inspired,” and funny animal faces. 

Making an annual vision board pushes you to reflect on what truly taps into your emotions and encourages you to be yourself. Ultimately, they will help you realize where you will find satisfaction in life. You can make a vision board at home with a magazine, scissors, glue, and a couple hours. You could also join us at Sol Treasures on Saturday, February 1st, with certified collage artist Sonia Chapa, and make one in the company of like-minded dreamers and goalsetters. Hope to see you there!  Register Here!

Jessica Riley

Board President