The other day, I was organizing my HeartCoach Pinterest account. It started with an invitation to create a vision board for 2026.

Some time ago, I had said no more to vision boards.

I’ve seen how the mind can get hooked on pretty images that look like happiness. For me, true happiness arrived later—through slowing down, through feeling more peace in my heart. More peace came with radical acceptance of things as they are, and with truly listening to my body. This didn’t happen overnight. It’s been a process.

Before this sense of peace began to blossom, there was more unease. A questioning: Can I be with life as it is? Can I move along with what’s present, without pushing myself toward more goals or seeking security in things that aren’t really aligned with my soul?

Then I remembered a beautiful photo my son took last year. We were walking in Newlands Forest with a friend, pausing to immerse ourselves in the sound of the stream and the gentle movement of leaves in the breeze. As I sat there in silence, connecting to nature, the elements, and a deep sense of peace, my son was taking photos. One of them I absolutely love.

And I thought: Okay. I can play with this.

For me, that image holds a feeling of both peace and flow—so I placed it on my board.

That opened something. I wondered: What other photos carry a feeling I’d like to remember? One came to mind immediately—a photo of an amoeba under a microscope at an aquarium. It was another astonishing moment, one I associate with wonder and curiosity, and with human beings engaging in genuine, interested conversation about what’s right there.

That microscopic image is a marvel of nature I wouldn’t have seen without slowing down and engaging with another person in relaxed, curious presence. I named that pin Wonder & Curiosity.

The third pin is ME / WE, connected to gratitude and generosity. This came from our 2025 Mindful Motherhood practice, where we explored this pāramīta. In Buddhism, the pāramītas are the ten perfections of the heart—qualities that carry one “to the other shore,” from suffering to enlightenment. I feel called to cultivate this quality more deeply: the awareness of our interconnectedness.

Next, I added a book: Forgiveness. This was another theme we explored last year in Mindful Motherhood. While preparing a 15-minute talk before meditation, I discovered the book Forgive Everyone for Everything. That, too, found its way onto my board.

Yesterday, I joined an online meditation group led by Celeste Young. It struck me how the pāramītas seem to be calling several of us teachers to pass them forward—first and foremost by practicing them in our own hearts. Celeste dedicated yesterday’s practice to Sīla, which can be translated as ethical conduct.

I wrote down a simple commitment: non-harming.

Non-harming includes obvious behaviors, but also subtle ones—like unskillful speech. I noticed how my comparing mind, when unchecked, can harm me and affect how I show up with my two boys. Remembering this, I stepped into forgiveness for the past, so I can move forward with more mindfulness and self-control. From that came the next pin: choosing to speak wisely.

The final pin is enjoy time with your partner.

Last year, our garden was full of butterflies. I’ve always been drawn to them. Years ago, we once stayed in a charming little holiday house completely covered in caterpillars—and last year, our garden felt just like that. Butterfly after butterfly.

I took a photo of two butterflies, lightly and freely flying around—each clearly its own being, and yet obviously together. No limitation on one another. Just happily sharing the moment.

So these are my pins on this year’s vision board—created intentionally, without attachment.

And with a deep sense of wonder: What else is possible? How else might we be happy and healthy, amidst it all?

What images, moments, or feelings would your heart place on a vision board—if it were guided by presence rather than striving?

With Warmth, Be

And check out here how the board looks like: Vision Board 2026