This weekend I began a new vision board! For those of you who are thinking, What’s a Vision Board? Let me explain. A vision board is any type of display whose purpose is to allow your visions, dreams and goals to take on real concrete existence. It can be on a piece of printer paper, poster board or canvas and represented by a collection of articles and “things” that document your goals. The more you have to add, the easier it is to see your vision coming true!
I have done these boards in the past with great success. However, I have never done one with such great intent and effort in appreciating the finished product. This new board, my friends, is a marvelous masterpiece that is poster size and full of color and wonder. It reflects the color and wonder in my vision for my future of 2009 and beyond! I am so ecstatic to finish it and place it on my wall to provide motivation, inspiration and dreaming throughout the year. I encourage all of you to make your own Vision Board to start making your dreams a reality.

Budget cuts, shrinking economy, uncertainty…
These have been the overall feelings all over the United States for quite some time now. But as the crisis continues on, so do the effects. I attend ASU. My intention when I enrolled this past fall was to take the year to finalize any and all requirements I still need to get into the Bachelor of Nursing program and apply for the spring 2010 program.
My first surprise came, however, when I sat in the advisor’s office last fall, and he made me aware of the 3.8 GPA I would need to maintain in order to even think of getting placed in one of the 100 spots they had available. Now, one out of 100 spots available didn’t seem like a gigantic feat until he made me aware of the 282 applicants from the semester before. I was mortified and now had a slight understanding of the kind of competition there would be to get into this program.
Fast forward to this past spring’s advisor meeting and you meet the frantic girl that is me as recently as last week. I walked in so calm and sure that I had accomplished exactly what he had expected of me. I was finishing up the four classes I would need to get me a step closer to that program and I had done well. I was confident I was on track….until I was made aware that, due to budget cuts and the slowing economy, ASU has had to make some serious cuts to the nursing program! EEK. I asked how this will affect me. I was told the 100 spots had been reduced to 80 and could be even less.
I am now in the first few weeks of the semester just floundering around, saying some affirmations under my breath that everything will work out fine and this year wasn’t a waste. Contrary to what my heart wants to think, my mind is angry. I am so frustrated that I have made this transfer to this University thinking this was a great option to attain a bachelors in Nursing, while really I have essentially spent the last year on classes that are unnecessary for any associates nursing degree I might have to get anyway. UGHHHHHHH!
In light of trying to remain calm and peaceful about this small disruption in my world, I will finish by saying I believe in the laws of attraction. I also believe in the universe and all its majesty it has to offer. I’ve learned in my life that some of my biggest rewards and perfect paths were NOT laid out by ME but by a bigger, greater force. Today I share with you something I live by, a chant I came up with four years ago, for two reasons. One, to share; two, to remind myself of why I remain focused on the greater picture and leave the details to those things bigger than me:
“Within struggle, I find wisdom, courage, perseverance and faith. These are the magical journeys that ground me.”
And with this chant I remain free of those intimidating thoughts my mind likes to throw around.

So, this last week I was speaking at Highland High School in Gilbert. After speaking over the last year you sometimes begin to feel as if your story is mundane. It has nothing to do with the school, the super fly students OR administration. It has so much to do with my own ego and the fact that I forget that each time I tell the story it’s THEIR first time hearing it.
What was so uber-exciting this day at Highland was that I had a large amount of positive feedback from administration and students( and they expressed it freely). They told me how much they appreciate hearing something two ways that “worked” for them. Number one, I speak very honestly and bluntly about something not a lot of people want to hear talked about. These are real emotions that were felt by the real actions I and many other ladies and gentlemen make. Number two, I am telling a story of things that I did and take responsibility for. It wasn’t something that happened to me, I happened to me.
I left feeling so good about the impact I made and the messages that were left behind. I am me, raw and imperfect, and I thank Highland High School for accepting me just the way I am. I am grateful for the feedback. We all need to hear sincere, unique, positive feedback every once in a while!