Vision Boards in Jewish Thought: How to Manifest Goals with Faith and Focus

We've all heard plenty about creating your own reality and achieving your goals. There are wonderful lectures by rabbis on the topic, and it’s truly moving to realize that it’s all rooted in our sacred Torah.

Creating a vision board is not a new idea, but it can sound a bit odd if you’re hearing about it for the first time. A vision board is a physical board where you paste pictures of things you deeply want, but haven’t yet managed to attain.

A few years ago, the concept became so popular that workshops were created just for this purpose. People (mostly women, let’s be honest) would gather around tables for a creative session of cutting and pasting images from magazines of everything they dreamt of.

Does it actually work?
Many say yes. There's something about that daily visual reminder that embeds your desires into your consciousness, and that’s where the magic begins. To be fair, it’s not exactly magic. There’s logic behind it too.

How does a vision board connect to Judaism, and even more so, to Rebbe Nachman of Breslov? Let’s begin with a quote from Likutei Eitzot (Rabbi Nachman’s “Advice”): “One must guard their thoughts carefully, for from thought, real life-force can be created...Thought is higher than all other senses and experiences, like seeing and hearing. It can reach heights beyond imagination, so one must protect it greatly.”

Our thoughts can literally create reality. For this reason it is so important to think good, holy thoughts filled with Torah and fear of Heaven. This principle also applies to more physical desires. If you’re dreaming of a new, spacious home, what happens when you begin to focus your thoughts on it? You’re likely to start praying for it. Why does a Jew want a large home? To fulfill mitzvot- mezuzah, sukkah, raising children with peace and space, hosting many guests for Shabbat meals, and so on.

(Photo: shutterstock)

A vision board essentially focuses your mind and your awareness on the thing you want, using the power of sight. A beautiful image of a big house, pinned to the center of your board where you see it daily, plants the desire deep into your consciousness. Just as Rebbe Nachman taught, thoughts can create tangible reality.

Rebbe Nachman emphasized guarding our eyes from harmful sights because of their powerful effect on our thoughts and soul. As he writes in Likutei Tefillot: “Sanctify my eyes always, and may I not look at anything that damages vision.” From this we understand the deep power of vision, and how wisely we should use it to pursue good goals.

Creating a vision board can be a meaningful family activity. It teaches us and our children to dream and to strive toward realization. Even if it seems silly at first, what do you have to lose? If nothing else, you'll have a beautiful and decorative board to display.

May your vision board be filled with holy and positive desires that lead you to serve G-d with joy.

Have you ever created a vision board? Tell us about it in the comments.