Shelling, Vision Boarding & the Reticular Activating System
As the year winds down, we reflect on what’s come true — and imagine what’s possible next. A soulful look at vision boards, awareness, and why what we focus on begins to find us.
This is the week where many of us begin preparing for a time of celebration — nourishment, family, reflection, and often a much-needed break.
I enjoy taking this time to internally catalog my deepest desires that have actually come true over the past year (“Isn’t it wonderful that…”). Sometimes they’re big milestones; other times they’re subtle moments that only make sense in hindsight.
But this year, I want to invite you to take that reflection a step further.
As you find yourself writing a holiday newsletter, sharing your year in conversation, or reflecting privately at your laptop, imagine yourself one year from now — at that same gathering, that same desk — reporting to loved ones that the upcoming year was the best year of your life.
What would have had to happen for you to want to say that?
Not in a pressured way.
In a curious, honest, expansive way.
Vision Boards: A Practice That Works
I can confidently say that vision boards have truly impacted my life and my achievements — and I’m never without one I’m actively working on.
If you’ve been into our store, you may have seen our sun bleached vision board in our front window from before we even had a permanent location. At the time, it felt almost surreal to imagine everything on it coming true… and yet, so much of it did.
Over the years, Shannon & I have made vision boards together, individual ones, ones that have covered entire walls and even one for my husband — where most, if not all, of what was placed on it came to fruition.
There are just a few important “rules” I’ve learned along the way:
The images you choose must hold meaning for you. They should resemble what you want to achieve, but that can be literal or symbolic — from photoshopping yourself into a scenario to choosing an image that captures the feeling or essence of what you’re calling in.
Your vision board also needs to live somewhere you’ll see it regularly — by your bed, near your mirror, on your phone, or as a screensaver — so it remains in your visual field on a daily basis.
And this is where science quietly enters the conversation.
The Reticular Activating System (and Shelling)
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a network in your brain that filters information. Every day, you’re exposed to an overwhelming amount of sensory input, and your RAS decides what’s important enough to notice.
Living in Florida, I love to use the example of shelling.
When you walk along the beach casually, you see some shells.
But when you go shelling for a specific color or type of shell- that is when they stand out. You begin to notice where and how they appear (in shell beds, clusters of shells, somewhat submerged or even under water) and suddenly, you need a bucket to carry them all.
The shells didn’t suddenly appear but they did appear TO YOU…
Your awareness shifted.
That’s the Reticular Activating System at work.
Vision boards operate in much the same way. When you intentionally place images, symbols, and desires into your daily field of vision, your brain begins flagging related opportunities, ideas, timing, and people as relevant. You start noticing paths that were always there — but previously filtered out.
This isn’t wishful thinking.
It’s focused awareness.
Intention, Attention & Gentle Consistency
Vision boards aren’t about forcing outcomes or bypassing reality. They’re about aligning intention with attention, and then allowing small, consistent choices to accumulate.
Much like shelling, it’s not about finding every shell — it’s about noticing the ones that matter to you.
As the year winds down, perhaps take an afternoon to reflect not on what you should want, but on what would genuinely light you up to report on next year.
And then gift your mind something beautiful — and intentional — to notice.
Isn’t it wonderful that…
sometimes the magic begins simply by paying attention.
✨ Join Us in Vision Boarding Your Best Year Yet
We’ve experienced firsthand how powerful vision boards can be — and we’re genuinely excited to take this practice to a whole new level.
By integrating Human Design, energetic timing, and somatic awareness, we will be exploring how vision boards can become even more precise, embodied, and aligned — not just beautiful reflections of desire, but tools that truly work with our unique energy.
That’s why we’re so looking forward to hosting Visioning Portal (Day Retreat) — Design • Destiny • Devotion with Miranda Mitchell at Metaphysically Me this January.
This full-day immersion invites you to deepen your visioning practice, understand the energetic blueprint of your year, and create a board that feels less like wishful thinking and more like a living timeline you’re ready to step into.
If you already love vision boarding — or are new to the practice— we’d love to explore what can unfold together.
January 19th (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday) Monday | 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
✨ Special Early Bird pricing available through December 31st
Photoshopped pic of the first day we looked at our location to our actual Grand Opening!