The Vision Quest Chronicles: Tales of Living One's Vision

Today was all about the sensual…awareness of my senses and how they are pleased by this place. So instead of saying where I went and what I did I’m going more with what I experienced through my senses related to sight, sound, touch, smell and spirit…  

Sight: COLORS, green of every description, crystal drops of rain hang, drip from the frilly edges of a delicate white orchid its center a purplepink. A sort of magenta mixed with black on the long leaves of the corn plant, its leaves prettier than most flowers’ petals, certainly much stronger. Looking at the world from 200 feet above the forest canopy and out over the lake that men made, sky and clouds and blue and more green.

Sound; the wind rushing past my ears, the whir of the zip line screaming silently across a canyon. Laying back first in the rushing winds and then the rushing waters of the hot springs and hearing the water almost believing I could hear where it started, at its source I traced the water back on its journey through the roiling earth, heated by the most awesome of all gods, the volcano. The rushing water does not just make one sound, when you listen you will hear about four or five distinct voices. A bird just now laughing screeching outside my door, the profusion of tree frogs, cicadas and other insects. In the midst of all this sound lies pure silence, peace distilled.

Birds call to one another all day and then there is the rain.  The rain, sometimes unsettling and relentless, batters down at times like it will never stop. It leaves everything wet to the…

Touch: How can you feel air? But sometimes you can especially when the air is soft and wet and just a little bit warm. Feeling the wind whip past my face and ears, kissing my cheeks awakening me from my sleep reminding me that I am alive. Hot. The heat that rises from the hot springs. You can feel the steam and the spray on your face. You close your eyes and let the water caress you, rush past you, threatening to drag you on, then you feel that pull and you want to go with it. I lie back in the shallows, a swirling pool and feel the water rush over me. As I lay in the hot water I feel cool raindrops refreshing on my face.

Smell: I took a moment today above the canopy to smell the air. The air smelled good and by this I mean you could actually smell the Goodness in the air. When air is good you want to pull it inside you. It feels like pure life with no chemicals no poisons just good clean air that you know comes to you with only the best intentions. Tonight walking to dinner the air actually smelled sweet. I love when that happens…

Spirit: I love when this happens. You are looking all over to find that perfect orchid so you can take a detail of it’s center. You walk around the gardens all day in search of the perfect specimen. The right orchid never really jumps out at you. When you return in the afternoon to your room someone has placed an orchid on the the small wooden table in the corner.

To view more photos please visit Vision Quest Retreats on Facebook 

**If you are a woman (21+) and would like to contribute to the book I’m writing on women living their Visions of Success please click this link to access The Vision Quest Survey **

If you have any questions about the project please contact:

Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., CEO
Cutts Consulting, LLC & Vision Quest Retreats

www.nicolecutts.com

202.669.5777

Heading on safari rafting trip down La Rivera Pena Blanca

Earlier in my quest to discover my vision I was considering how my passion for travel might figure into my purpose. Ever since I was a child I loved to travel and did so at every opportunity. I think I inherited this love from my mother and perhaps her mother who I referred to as my “nomadic grandmother” because after leaving Jamaica in 1976 she never stayed in one country for more than about 6 months choosing instead to keep no residence moving between our home in Maryland, Jamaica, Florida and Canada. Not only do I love seeing new places and learning about different cultures but frankly, perhaps also like my mother and her mother before her, I do not like to stay still for very long. Stillness breeds boredom in me and boredom I find deadly.

La Rivera Pena Blanca

When thinking about my passion for travel and how this might form into a vision (my true purpoe for which I am also paid well) I considered being a travel writer. Then I briefly considered just working to make enough money to take fabulous trips but it occurred to me that this did not feel right. It was while sitting by a poolside, of all things, in Kruger National Park in South Africa that I distinctly recall realizing that even while in the most exotic locales I feel empty if I am not productive or on some sort of a mission. Eventually this realization led to an understanding; my work must involve travel. This is, in part why Vision Quest Retreats is such a compelling vision for me. Doing what I love; helping women clarify and achieve their visions of success, traveling to exotic locales and “working” in settings that I love and in which I thrive.

All that said I am begging your allowance while I indulge my former fantasy of being a travel writer while I am here in Costa Rica. I will be doing this little travel blog while I am having fun, working on my book/s (always), and doing a little location scouting for future retreats.  

March 18, 2011: Today safari rafting trip down the river Pena Blanca that leads to Nicaragua, saw many birds, fish, howler monkeys, Jesus lizards running across the water, long nosed bats, a couple of dogs and… a cow?

In the Garden

Later went to hot springs thermal spa here at the Tabacon. The water is heated by the active Arenal Volcano and falls in a series of pools surrounded by lush tropical landscape. Lunch traditional Costa Rican food on the terrace overlooking the pool. The sun was divine after what seemed a long winter. Saw the first snake I’ve seen in CR…thrilling!

Siesta in my room late afternoon, then dinner at La Novilla Steak House. A nice meal in an open air restaurant under a full moon. Heading to bed after I do some real writing…

Buenas Noches y XXOO,

N

Don’t expect any great nuggets in this entry. After a few complications, namely discovering that my passport was expired about 24 hrs before I was to leave the country, I did make it onto a 6:00 AM flight this morning. Grateful to the US Passport Agency for hooking me up, but have to admit I’ m a tad salty about what has to be the ugliest passport photo in recorded history. My vanity does not like the idea of looking at that mug for the next 10 yrs, but life is good, inspite of my ego.

So why am I writing? Just to kick start my travel blog/vision quest entries. As on many of my adventures I have set an intention and it helps me to put it out there so I will at least feel accountable. Two intentions; 1) enjoy my time and my family and 2) do some writing and organizing for the book I’m working on about the process of women living their visions of success. This travel blog will focus on the fun and the vision questing. (Family is private.)

Going to bed soon as I awoke at 3:00 AM this morning after a harrowing day yesterday and then an awesome Women Owned Business Wednesdays…perhaps more on this in another post.

after a long day of travel

Listening to Sade and enjoying the peace and solitude of my temporary digs. Torn between beginning work now and getting some sleep….instinct says? Sleep. Ok I will follow this.

Off en la manana to raft down the river Pena Blanca.  Hope we spot some monkeys and crocodiles and anything else that wishes to show its face.

Buenes noches,

N

At the “Taking Your Dreams from Design to Destiny” Conference on Jan. 15, 2011 participants were given an opportunity to go through the 7 steps below  to create a draft of their Success Plan to take it to the next level in 2011!  We started on 1.12.11 with step 1 (see below  post dated 1.12.11). Over the next several  weeks I am going to continue to share the  SEVEN Practical Steps to achieving your goals and ultimately your Vision of Success.   This week we are on Step 5. Updates will occur on Wednesdays  in celebration of Women Owned Business Wednesdays.

SEVEN Practical Steps to Achieving Your Goals

Step 1-Find and Clarify your Vision of Success

Step 2-Define Your Goals Clearly

Step 3-See/Visualize Yourself Achieving Your Goals/Vision of Success

Step 4-Make a Clear Plan With a Timeline

Step 5-Chart your Progress

 Step 6-Enjoy Your Success!

Step 7-Give Back.

This Week’s Step: #-5- Chart your Progress

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said “Heights by great men (and woman) reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night.”

It is important to establish a time to check your progress.  Pick a day once a week or once a month and read your plan and see if you are on schedule.  If you need to change something do so, and be realistic.  If something has changed and you no longer have as much time as you did when you wrote your plan then you need to change your plan.  Also be honest with yourself.  Visions and goals can change.  If you find that you no longer really want this thing do not be afraid to change your plan.  When you achieve one goal on your plan give yourself a treat.  If this week you were supposed to complete 2 loan applications  and you did then reward yourself with something you enjoy like going to the park or the movies. 

If you did not achieve a weekly goal, for example, do not beat yourself up.  Think about what might have stopped you and how you might prevent this from happening next week.  Could you  accomplish this goal later?  If so then just move the goal to the next week and try again.  Don’t be discouraged.  If your plan is making you feel frustrated or too pressured then give yourself a bit more time.

Try these Success Coaching Exercises…

Get a Goal Buddy

Many experts suggest setting goals with a buddy, someone to share your plans with and who will help you check your progress.  For example you could tell your buddy that you will read one book by Friday and she may need to do one job application by that same day.  Then call each other and ask if you have done the task.  Talk about why or why not and encourage each other to keep going and reward your success with compliments and encouragement.

Book Ending

Just pick a friend, doesn’t have to be an established “goal buddy” just call them up and tell them you are committing to taking a certain step or action toward your vision or goal. Tell them when you are going to do it and then call them back after you have accomplished the goal. It’s a shorter term exercise and you don’t need to have a goal buddy who is always the same…just pick any friend who you know supports your visions.

If you have a comment or question drop me a line at Dr.Cutts@nicolecutts.com

Much Continued Success & Well Being,

Nicole

Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., CEO

Vision Quest Retreats & Cutts Consulting, LLC

Are you a Woman Business Owner? Check out Women Owned Business Wednesdays! 

At the “Taking Your Dreams from Design to Destiny” Conference on 1.15.11 participants were given an opportunity to go through the 7 steps below  to create a draft of their Success Plan to take it to the next level in 2011!  We started on 1.12.11 with step 1 (see below post dated 1.12.11). Over the next several  weeks I am going to continue to share the SEVEN Practical Steps to achieving your goals and ultimately your Vision of Success.   This week we are on Step 4. Updates will occur on Wednesdays  in celebration of Women Owned Business Wednesdays.

SEVEN Practical Steps to Achieving Your Goals

Step 1-Find and Clarify your Vision of Success

Step 2-Define Your Goals Clearly

Step 3-See/Visualize Yourself Achieving Your Goals/Vision of Success

Step 4-Make a Clear Plan With a Timeline

Step 5-Chart your Progress

 Step 6-Enjoy Your Success!

Step 7-Give Back.

This Week’s Step: #-4-Make a Clear Plan With a Timeline

Napoleon Hill said “A goal is a dream with a deadline”

Once you have defined your goal and written it down and visualized your success you must outline a concrete plan with steps to achieving this goal and your overall vision of success.  Use the ideal scenario that you wrote and then pulled goals from. These goals are what you will place in your plan. Consider breaking your plan down into 5 year goals, 1 year goals, 6 months, 3 months and 1 month achievements. After completing this plan you can do weekly goals that will put you on schedule for all of the other timeline goals. Be realistic here so you don’t get discouraged. 

Check to see that your goals are in line with and build upon each other.  For example if in 5 years you plan to be out of college then at one year you need to have been accepted to a school and at 6 months you need to have applied to a school.  It is unrealistic to say that you will finish a four year college in 2 years, but it is also unrealistic to say you will finish a 4-yr college in 10 years if you never apply!

Try this Success Coaching Exercise…

Pull 3 goals from the work you did in steps 1 & 2.  Just circle them then write them down. Decide for each goal when you would like to accomplish it. Then one at a time break that goal down into smaller steps and put due dates on those smaller steps keeping in mind realistic impediments but still pushing yourself a bit. Once you have done that for these 3 goals repeat for all others. This is  a draft so be flexible and move things around. Don’t get discouraged and don’t try to accomplish it all at once.

If you have a comment or question drop me a line at Dr.Cutts@nicolecutts.com

Much Continued Success & Well Being,

Nicole

Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., CEO

Vision Quest Retreats & Cutts Consulting, LLC

Are you a Woman Business Owner? Check out Women Owned Business Wednesdays! 

At the “Taking Your Dreams from Design to Destiny” Conference on 1.15.11 participants were given an opportunity to go through the 7 steps below  to create a draft of their Success Plan to take it to the next level in 2011!  We started on 1.12.11 with step 1 (see below post dated 1.12.11). Over the next several  weeks I am going to continue to share the SEVEN Practical Steps to achieving your goals and ultimately your Vision of Success.   This week we are on Step 3. Updates will occur on Wednesdays  in celebration of Women Owned Business Wednesdays.

SEVEN Practical Steps to Achieving Your Goals

Step 1-Find and Clarify your Vision of Success

Step 2-Define Your Goals Clearly

Step 3-See/Visualize Yourself Achieving Your Goals/Vision of Success

Step 4-Make a Clear Plan With a Timeline

Step 5-Chart your Progress

 Step 6-Enjoy Your Success!

Step 7-Give Back.

This Week’s Step: #3- See/Visualize Yourself Achieving Your Goals/Vision of Success

Before setting off on the path to your own success you must first be able to see yourself achieving your success.  You must believe that you can do it.

As motivational speaker Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott states “Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible.”   

One way to do this is through Creative Visualization. “Creative Visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life.” Shakti Gawain

During Creative visualization your imagination or ability to create a mental image, idea or picture in your mind is used to create an image of something or situation that you want to manifest or create. Many experts suggest keeping pictures of the goals that you want to achieve.  It is more powerful if you have a picture of yourself in this situation.

Try these Success Coaching Exercises…

1) Writing affirmations or statements of what you wish to do is a useful tool for this step.  For example you would write “I am a successful college professor, I love my job and my students love learning from me.”  Really put as many details as you can, really imagine what you will feel like when you are living your vision of success and write this all down. Put these affirmations were you can see them.

2) Make a Vision Board or Treasure Map  

3) Try the Pink Bubble Technique

If you have a comment or question drop me a line at Dr.Cutts@nicolecutts.com

Much Continued Success & Well Being,

Nicole

Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., CEO

Vision Quest Retreats & Cutts Consulting, LLC

Are you a Woman Business Owner? Check out Women Owned Business Wednesdays!