Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Creating What I Want: An Epic Italian Experience

Do you shut down at the idea of planning? But then feel bummed when things don't go or turn out the way you really wanted them to?

Traveling is a time for planning. Not over-planning, stuffing your schedule, or being rigid, that's when it's easy to want to shut down, or to feel like there's no time to actually relax (this applies to everyday living and planning too, by the way). I used to never want to plan or set up any kind of expectations for myself, for fear that I'd then be disappointed. The catch-22 is that I often ended up disappointed because there were things I did want to do or experience that I hadn't allowed myself to even admit to myself.

The kind of planning I'm suggesting supports the experience you want to have. So you simply need to know and declare what you want. "Planning" can simply mean: getting clear about your intentions, how you want to show up, and what you want to experience.

Last week I wrote a Living Vision for my upcoming trip to Italy. I included:
  • how I want to feel: relaxed, spontaneous, sensual, gracious, savoring, refreshed
  • what I want to do: wake up early, write, read, go out for long, luxurious dinners, taste wine, bond and create memories with my family
  • how I want taking care of myself to keep my energy strong and centered: yoga on the cool marble floors of the villa, healthy green smoothies for breakfast
  • my intention to eat whatever I want: feasting my senses, while honoring my body and without stuffing my belly!
A Living Vision is an imagined script for what you ultimately desire to experience, in all it's juicy details. In our day-to-day, writing is how we declare our commitments, make official requests, and create contracts with others and ourselves. A Living Vision is a kind of request and declaration of intent to the universe. This exercise is one of the fundamental pieces of Tara Marino's (Elegant Femme) process for manifesting the life you desire. And it works.

I created my ultimate Italian experience in writing... and it sounds like a pretty glorious vacation! I know from previous travel and last year's trip that there are pieces I need to put into place to help myself step into this reality. I want to pack certain books, journals, clothes, tea and snacks so that I can have the choices and tools I want to create the experience I desire.

Will everything play out perfectly as I want? No guarantees, but by setting my intention and getting clear about what I want, I ensure that I will show up with state of mind, preparations and intentions to create "this or something better for the highest good of all concerned." (Thank you to Tara again!)

What are you looking forward to in your life that you'd like to set an intention and declare your desires for? Share it with us below: What are your intentions? What would you like to experience?

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