(Update 1/31/2010: Here is the updated affirmations image for 2010 – original below is from 2009)

Have you heard of positive affirmations? How about visualization? You’re about to see some of our personal ones…

Today I’m going to share something a little personal, something that we both enjoy. We’re putting this out there, as always, with the intent that it will help others find inspiration, hope, joy etc.

The purpose of this blog is to share more of our raw ideas, thoughts, insights, passions, blah, blah. Not just the Love & Sex variety (as on Ask Dan and Jennifer) or personal development / spirituality (as on Today Is That Day), or even the love and respect animals message from our Help Doggies Foundation.

You may have seen our post on January 1st where we shared our goals for the year, including the results of our Passion Test that we take every January 1st.

And this much deeper and more profound post sharing our our new level of real clarity with our vision and our mission, we shared this with you as well.

Today we’re sharing with you the visual affirmations we created for ourselves use this January, based on our Passion Test and our shared goals and vision. Think of this as the “visual representation” of our Passion test. Enjoy:

Japanese Garden w/ Affirmations
(higher resolution image in our flickr account here)

So how did we do it, and what specifically does one with a pretty picture that has inspirational writing on it?

How we created it: it started with an extensive search on iStockPhoto for ‘just the right image’ and a  $10 download for the right size; followed by again extended search for the right font that ’spoke to us’.

Then getting the core affirmations formed ‘just right’, with just the right shading, etc. so it’s actually readable and appealing. Finally, upload to CVS online for photo quality prints, which we then placed in photo phrames throughout our home.

What we do with it: the purpose of these visuzliations is to actually see them throughout the day, both consciously and unconsciously, so you’re alwasy being reminded of your goals. So they’re all over the house.

This is just to give you some ideas from what we do, in case they help you in your own life.

(Update 1/31/2010: Here is the updated affirmations image for 2010 – original above is from 2009)