2017 Vision Quest - 11 Steps To Influence The Year Ahead

A new year awaits you - a fresh canvas to create and forecast your life's journey in 2017. Let me guide you on a vision quest!

A vision quest is a conscious marking or rite of passage, which can apply to natural cycles, events, gains, losses, and more! The essence of a vision quest is a personal journey into solitude and respite. This sojourn within creates an opportunity for you to quiet down the mind and listen to the heart and soul.

The purpose of a vision quest is to co-create. In fact, the purpose of life is to co-create. So you can also use this exercise as a template for how to live your life.

Step 1: Get a 2017 calendar/planner (you can take it further into 2018 or 2019 if you'd like), some art supplies, and a journal. There are many inspirational planners available these days that make the process super fun! If you use oracle cards, grab your favorite deck as well. My favorite deck right now is this one.

Step 2: Create a time and space for your vision quest. Set aside an hour or more for yourself. Whatever time of day you best connect to your creativity.

Step 3: Set the mood by diffusing essential oils, lighting a candle, playing music, doing yoga, making a cup of tea, or taking a walk on the beach before your quest. Whatever gets you in an inspirational mood and makes you feel comfortable!

Step 4: Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Ground yourself by feeling your connection to the earth. Place your hands into prayer and take a few more deep breaths. Invite God/Goddess, angels, ancestors, ascended masters, spirit guides, spirit animals, or anyone else you connect to in your spiritual practice to join you on your quest. Open your mind and open your heart to the experience.

Step 5: Sit quietly in front of the calendar year capturing all months and look at it. Look at each month. Look at the whole. Connect with the energy of the year ahead. Are you receiving any feelings or messages? Ask for insights, then listen, feel. Write them down in your journal. If you use oracle cards, shuffle and pull a card for each month of the year. Mark the card and meaning in each month of the year.

Step 6: What rites of passage are on your calendar? And how will these determined events shape or influence your year ahead? For example, I am moving in the spring. I am training for a marathon in the fall. I am having a baby. I am launching a book. I am in a custody battle. My mother is very sick. These are events that come with a high amount of certainty and create a shaping influence on your year. Write these defining events in your journal.

Step 7: What will these events mean for you and how can you support yourself through them? Whether the above events evoke positive or negative feelings for you, they are inevitable. The best way to handle them is to ground and prepare for them. Ask what is needed to best navigate them. Be honest with yourself. This may be a year with a challenging overall theme. This may be a year with a joyful overall theme. Life is not supposed to be easy! Life is real, beautiful, and all encompassing. You are here to learn, grow, and evolve. What do you need to feel supported? A special vacation? Involvement with support groups? Serious amounts of self-care? Education? Friendship? Physicality? Write in your journal about these ideas and inspirations. Trust what comes up. Don't judge yourself, ever.

Step 8: What are your dreams for this year? A lot can change in a year. Now it's time to focus on the undetermined! This is stuff that you can influence. Need help? Take some time to 'feng shui' your life. Look at your career, relationships, joy, hobbies, home, habits, health... are you where you want to be? If not, what do you want? Is there something you have wanted for a long time, but haven't done? What's stopping you? This is the year to do it...or maybe to take only 1 step towards it. Definitely include some of your wildest dreams! Why not? Write what you want more of in your journal and how you would feel if it came true this year.

Step 9: Take a deep breath. Our culture is fast by nature which leads people to get disappointed really quickly when their dreams don't manifest in a day or a week. Let go of time and space. Understand that there is no race. You need to learn how to be happy today. I'll say it again. You need to learn how to be happy today. And if you still think you will only be happy when your dream comes true, you are in need of a major mental and spiritual overhaul. Every day this year, do more of what makes you happy! Joy is found in the little things in life. The more joy today, the more joy you will attract tomorrow.

Step 10: For each month on your calendar, write down what you want to include from the exercises above. Reminders for self-care. Check-ins on your goals. Things to celebrate. Things to release. Don't forget to include any other intuitive insights that you get.

Step 11: When you feel complete, close your practice by placing your hands back into prayer at your heart. Be thankful and be open to the guidance from your highest self and divine team. If you believe that your dreams will come true, every day this year you will be guided towards them. Continue to journal as each month goes by and to reflect on your vision and measure your growth. There's a lot you can learn about yourself and heal in your quest for a more meaningful life.

Don't forget to join the Enlightening Souls Soul Power Community on Facebook for free support and guidance every Wednesday with Facebook Live! Let's have a beautiful year holding each others' visions and supporting one and other!