I ran a Corporate Vision Quest for CEOs. Here’s what a successful but unhappy CEO of a 35-person software company discovered through making his vision board. “I was a very good tango dancer once, also a good teacher. I’m such a long way removed from this now and it’s hurting. I must do something about it.’
Intuitive Visioning beyond rationalisation
I provide groups and teams with the experience of sourcing ideas, inspiration and answers by using their intuition (which we all have) as oppose to planning it out in their heads and using their mind to find the answers.
The Intuitive Vision Board helps you to chart a new course through the vast sea of life possibilities in a way that is more aligned to your true nature. Beyond ‘the iron cage of rationalisation’ as Max Weber, Sociologist, so eloquently described it.
You’ll discover how it is possible to use your creative right-brain to get beyond what you might naturally call upon to solve a problem to find innovative solutions instead. My book Awaken Your Intuitive Vision describes this and what follows next is an extract.
In my workshops it’s not unusual to see people moved to tears, as they recall parts of themselves and buried dreams that have been dismissed in order to toe the party line. The problem is when you conform to external social pressure like this, it can dampen your spiritual nature too and your connection to deeper wisdom. Then you cannot know what living authentically is or what you’d give your wholehearted ‘YES’ to. It’s not possible to entertain living your true purpose when this is the case. No wonder there are tears, which if unaddressed can develop into symptoms of anxiety and depression to mask the chasm.
I once ran the Intuitive Vision Board workshop for 12 CEOs of small to medium-size companies. There were nine men and three women, all members of an executive club, and this workshop formed part of their annual retreat. The organiser had briefed me beforehand about each person’s circumstances. They requested I focus the visioning process on business and not on personal aspirations because they felt this would be more important to CEOs.
CEOs are only human
I smiled to myself on hearing this. Ultimately CEOs are human like the rest of us and whatever pulls at their heart and was genuinely significant to them would surely appear on their Intuitive Vision Board, whether it was related to business or not. It was not for me to direct them in a particular direction but to trust in the creative process to deliver what they most needed to hear and to show what adjustments they could make to keep them healthy, sane and inspired. This, more than anything, would support and enhance their leadership ability.
We’d got to the stage in the creative inquiry where people were putting the finishing touches on their vision boards and I was doing a final sweep of the room to see what had emerged. I approached a man I’d been told had a very successful software company. Middle-aged and overweight, he was unhappy and, in spite of monthly coaching, had not got to the bottom of it.
What caught my attention on his board was the large photograph of two Argentine tango dancers in the centre. Astonished, I blurted out the obvious: “they’re tango dancers in close embrace”, at which point I glanced across at the CEO and saw tears in his eyes. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘not only was I a very good tango dancer once, I was also a good teacher. I’m such a long way removed from this now and it’s hurting. I must do something about it.’
When did you stop dancing?
What had happened to him is not untypical. There is a tendency to push aside hobbies and pastimes in favour of activities we consider should have greater priority. But often the former is the very oil we need to lubricate our wheels. The fact it shows up on the Intuitive Vision Board is a clear indication the maker must find a way to incorporate this into their life – or ignore it at their peril.
I have never seen anyone walk away disappointed with their Intuitive Vision Board. On the contrary, midway through the workshop I witness people who are totally engaged in creative activity, not anxiously looking over their shoulders to compare their vision board with their neighbour’s. At this point I am the one who is moved to tears as I give thanks for the privilege of helping to midwife the visions now emerging and witnessing the profound shifts that are occurring.
What fascinates me over time is the degree of constancy that appears on the Intuitive Vision Board of returning creators (because I encourage you to make a new board every year). Images may bear resemblance from board to board but they are never identical, each re-occurrence unveiling a different nuance of that person’s path in life. This makes me wonder if the content of the Intuitive Vision Board is less about what the creator needs to be happy and more about what they need to stay aligned to their true calling, a theme which is likely to have travelled with them a whole lifetime.
Next steps
ENQUIRE about the next Intuitive Vision Board workshop & optional coaching session.
For more INFORMATION about the Intuitive Vision Board.
Mary Nondé has pioneered the intuitive vision board since 2010. She is the author of ‘Awaken Your Intuitive Vision – unlocking possibilities you never knew existed AVAILABLE ON AMAZON or to order from your local book store.
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