My previous post mentioned the driving forces that have helped me reach this point in my life, but I have yet to share what helps me each and every morning. I would like to share with everyone my vision mirror:

I was told by one of best friends, Sabrina Jones, that I should start my year off by creating a vision board of the things I would like to accomplish. I could only think of the basics, like eating better, staying fit, and take care of my health. After juggling with this idea of the board, it finally hit me. The main vision I have for myself was graduation. Of course, the other ideas followed behind, but my mind has been set on earning my degree for a long time.

The only issue now – I didn’t have enough ideas or photos to fill an entire poster board. The only magazines that ever came through the mail were Better Home, Seventeen, Momentum, Women’s Health and Elle. We still have no idea how Elle started arriving (insert spooky noises). And let’s be serious, I was not about to waste money purchasing magazines only to watch myself cut up my money. I also did not want to waste ink by printing, so flipping through magazines became my only choice. As I began to flip, I noticed myself more drawn to sayings, rather than pictures.

Carefully, I scanned each and every saying. I remember pulling out many pages, and after hours of cutting I had to take a break. I looked down at the pages and noticed that the pile beside me might be more than enough. I began to separate them after re-reading and only a select few made my final masterpiece. As I cut the words out and placed them around a mirror, I stared back at myself noticing that something was missing. A graduation cap! I had previously purchased a black poster board and decided to use it for the piece of resistance.

I wake up every morning and stand perfectly under the graduation cap. Even when things seem to be taking their toll on me, taking a break and standing right there brings a calming effect. I love that this non-traditional vision board was the missing piece of my puzzle. It has given me the hope needed to realize that one day, I will be wearing a blue SSC graduation cap instead of a paper black one.