Customer Reviews

The Vision Board

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Joyce Schwarz's visually beautiful and inspiring book reminds readers of a key life lesson. As she says in the introduction, "Your time is now."

She shows her readers how to take the bull by the horns and take hold of their own destinies by offering moving stories of people (and families!) who have used vision boards to improve their lives.

For those of us who have never engaged in this type of work, Ms. Schwarz offers step-by-step instructions that not only help readers know what to DO, but also make the concept of the Law of Attraction understandable and attainable to even the most skeptical of audiences.

By offering her own framework to help the reader engage in this work (GRABS), which stands for Gratitude, Release and Receive, Acknowledge and Ask, Be and Believe and Share, the author helps readers really understand their roles in what she calls their own "quantum leap." She literally offers readers a "passport to possibility" by describing how to get started both from a spiritual perspective (offering accounts of personal stories, sound advice and tips for expressing gratitude) AND from a practical perspective (even suggesting what type of adhesive to use).

One of my favorite things about this book was that it leads the reader to understand and agree with the premise without seeming preachy or "out there." For example, who can't understand the value of stopping during the day for a short walk or a coloring break with kids? Ms. Schwarz offers these as examples of ways to "say thanks for your body and the power of your mind."

Having read The Vision Board, I suggested that my business mastermind group work on our own vision board projects to help us solidify our goals and propel our plans forward. I plan to incorporate Joyce's ideas when I work with my job-seeking clients as well. I'm so glad that I found Joyce Schwarz's book at just the right time! I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to jump-start his or her plans, even if you aren't already a believer in the Law of Attraction!

I've spent a lot of time on the road in my life, traversing continents, traveling up river and down, collecting memories, dreams and goals along the way. It wasn't until I put together a vision board that I started seeing my dream of becoming an internationally bestselling romance author come true. Over the years I've pasted pictures and mementos from Paris (Naughty Paris) Japan (The Blonde Geisha), the Near East (Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs), late 1930s and WWII (Cleopatra's Perfume April 2009)--it's all there on my vision board. But that's not the end of my story, only the beginning...

Having a vision board is like nurturing a relationship--you have to pay attention to it to make it work. Add to it, change it around, but keep it focused. Using the techniques in Joyce's book, I found I'm able to put my goals in a more direct line to get to the next step in my career instead of meandering along that road.

I make changes on my Vision Board on a regular basis, rearrange pictures, add quotes, take down a flyer or note that's no longer relevant to my vision (e.g., I removed Civil War re-enactment photos I had taken when I realized I was going in a different direction with my writing; that doesn't mean I won't go back to that Civil War story someday, just not now).

We all have doubts whether or not we're "doing it right." To me, the most important part of having a vision board is evoking that emotional response in you that helps you keep going even when you have doubts. It's like a favorite piece of music that lifts you up and out of your world every time you hear it. You look forward to hearing it, moving with it, humming along. A good vision board is like that. I've found Joyce's book is the best way not only to get your vision board started, but to keep it going.

Joyce Schwarz's The Vision Book is terrific, and offers something for everyone. If you consider yourself artistically impaired, she gently walks you through the process of first visioning, and then articulating that vision with words and images to bring that vision alive in your life. If you have an artistic eye, you will be inspired by the gorgeous vision boards featured throughout the book. If you are methodical and like a step-by-step approach, you'll find that here. Or if you prefer to browse, you can dive in anywhere and come away with value. In addition to samples of vision boards, guidance on creating your own board from A-Z, chapters and exercises for creating vision boards for a variety of purposes, the book is also peppered with profiles of people who have successfully used the visioning process and the results they produced, inspirational quotes from great poets, philosophers, and spiritual leaders, and one-on-one interviews with some of the biggest names in the "new thought" movement. For anyone who is walking a path to lead a conscious life through intentional creation, this book is a must-have.

As an educator, writer, lover, artist & social activist, I truly appreciated the genius of The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life (Harper Collins, 2008) by Joyce Schwarz. What is most telling about my experience with the book is how successful it was in my classroom. I took what I learned from The Vision Board and incorporated it into a lesson for a graduate school course that I taught earlier this November. The result was eye-opening: not only did my class of graduate students make their own vision boards and intelligently discuss them, but one of my colleagues went on to teach a lesson on vision boards in her own high school classroom. The theory behind The Vision Board is simple yet brilliant: if you can actually see your goals, dreams, aspirations, visions, manifested through images and words right before your own eyes then you will be more likely to achieve them. Joyce Schwarz presents the magic behind vision boards in a dynamic and inspiring way--I was left with a renewed sense of hope for my future and an eagerness to see my aspirations manifested in my own vision board. I promptly created a poster-sized vision board that revealed desires I had scarcely admitted to myself. When my vision board was complete I saw that I had constructed a vision filled with love, health, poetry, art, nature, spirituality, community, optimism, creativity, ambition, color, wealth, and compassion. I realized that the vision statement carpe diem (seize the day) succinctly embodied the way I want to live my life. If I were a marketer for The Vision Board, I would certainly market the book to other educators; the book is a perfect resource for both higher education and primary school.

I just received my book today and I am absolutely smitten! I first studied the law of attraction about 4 years ago and began making vision boards early on. Frequently, I searched for a book like this and didn't understand why one hasn't been created yet. Thank god for this author!

It is just a thousand times worth it to have this book in your collection if you are any kind of ambitious, new-age spiritual, success oriented, or pursuing happiness. Even for myself, knowing how to create a vision board, I am in love with having a book comprised of celebrity vision boards, and dreams from contributors around the world! The back of the book has a whole section dedicated to naming the artist behind each board, it is so organic to see that =) My only complaint is that I wasn't a part of it lol I have SOOO many vision boards, If I had only known they were gathering around the world...maybe part 2 if we are lucky!

FOR BEGINNER Vision Board'ees expecially! The author breaks EVERYTHING down into little bites, it is so simple and quite delightful to go through and fill out the workpages and questions! Such a nice way to envision your happiness, it is all there for you to learn!

Beautiful gift, great for your own collection, just a MUST HAVE altogether

What's everyone's favorite chapter? I licked the whole book in 3 hours :))) I like the "Gratitude" chapter the most, very touching..Anyway, never wrote a review before, don't know how 'college professor' analytical I am suppose to be, just wanted to sha

I was fortunate to learn early in life the simple power of writing down what I wanted in life. The act of putting to paper the desires of my heart always seemed to prepare me to receive. In "The Vision Board" Joyce Schwarz takes this concept a quantum leap forward to a more profound and powerful level. And, while I gained insights and inspiration from the many featured examples I keep coming back again and again to Jennifer Haught's image on page 157. I am sure all will find inspiration there.

Overall, I was impressed by The Vision Board. The book is attractively packaged, although it looks something like a college textbook. I recommend The Vision Board as a gift for coaches, trainers, and any individual struggling with change or transition, who is open to this type of practice. This book manages to inform without requiring a specific spiritual or psychological orientation.

First, I liked the colorful illustrations throughout the book. Normally I am annoyed with 4-color illustrations that add to the cost of publishing without adding content. These illustrations are beautiful, and they enhance the author's message. They made me want to rush out and create my own vision board.

Second, I liked the author's clarification of key points in the book. For example, on page 6, Schwarz clarifies the distinction between visioning and visualization - an important point that is easy for a novice vision boarder to miss.

Third, I liked the author's suggested activities. This book is not just theory. The author walks you through a set of actions that are fun and also helpful in unearthing insights about your own motivations.

Fourth, the author provides case studies that are helpful, especially the Goddess of Destiny board on page 50. It was easy to understand the process when we could see how ordinary people like ourselves work through it.

Finally, I like the way the author distinguishes handmade and digital vision boards (p, 52). I've never seen this material presented anywhere else and it's helpful.

I do have a few quibbles about this book.

First, I would have liked to see more visioning related to health and wellness. In general, the author has chosen to skim over a few applications rather than going into a deeper understanding of just a few. I would have preferred to go deeper and maybe pick 3 areas such as money, relationships and health. She does go into quite a bit of detail about using vision boards for love and family.

Second, the author doesn't present a cohesive view of affirmations. Most coaches or guides would not recommend setting affirmations in future tense. Rather than say, "I am talented," you might choose, "I am praised for my artwork," which is true, instead of going into the future with, "I will be talented."

But these quibbles are small. This topic is gaining attention and this book would make an excellent choice for someone who wants to learn more about vision boards or share this technique with a friend or colleague.

One of the most important things about vision boards is that they should be fun and even joyous. I have vision boards and really enjoy them. This book is very complex and covers a lot of topics. True it covers all the relevant topics in depth such as Gratitude, Relationships, wealth and well being but it seems to be just too much. And there is a heavy focus on Visioning as a group activity. For me, vision boards are a personal thing and not so much a collaborative effort.

I think a vision board should be simple, clear, fun and something that flows easily. There is so much in this book about the subject that it almost becomes a chore - which works counter to the whole idea of vision boards.

I would say that if you purchase this book you can get a lot out of it; but use it as a reference and just pick out the parts that are fun and interesting for you. This will ensure your vision board making is fun, creative and exciting. Something to look forward to! And something you can get excited about when pondering on a daily basis.

A Nice thing about this book is that there are some beautiful vision boards that other people have made and these can be a real inspiration for you. Our visual language is extraordinarily rich and you will get some great feelings and ideas by looking through some of these vision boards.

The book shares how to be aware and to give a deeper meaning into the things and pictures you put on a vision board.How they should inspire you from your core of your being. Places to put your vision boards and the importance of seeing it continuously. Good tips for beginners or those that have never put together a vision board. Mostly common sense though.

Nope, I can't tell you whether Vision Boards work or not because I haven't created one for myself...yet. However, I've heard very positive testimonials from friends and acquaintances about the results they achieved through the use of Vision Boards so I decided to give it a try. I picked this particular book because the description on Amazon gave me the impression that this was the sort of guide I was looking for and I wasn't disappointed.

In this book you'll find EVERYTHING you need to know to create your own Vision Board. You'll be guided step-by-step through a process of creating a Vision Board while learning the related principles along the way. This book is clearly written and lavishly illustrated with beautiful, and colorful, artwork.

In short, if you want to learn how to create a Vision Board, buy this book. It's really that simple.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Bob Proctor

Introduction

Visioning

Your Personal Vision Statement

Creating Vision Boards

Relationships

Gratitude

Wealth and Well-Being

Afterword by Jack Canfield

Acknowledgments

Contributor Credits and Resources

About the Featured Artists