Asking for Big Things: A Journey Beyond Aesthetic Vision Boards

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It is a late Monday morning and when I drive up to my job, the sunlight still holds a trace of summer’s warmth, as if reluctant to fully let go, wrapping everything in a soft, nostalgic glow.

Walking into my workplace, I’m greeted by a flood of natural light pouring in through large windows that overlook a playground framed by trees. Their leaves already reflect the changing season’s colours, making me think of cosy fires, the sweet scent of pumpkin spice coffee, and the soft warmth of scarves wrapped snugly around my body.

I settle onto a bench, balancing my laptop on my lap, a fresh coffee warming my hand. My mind drifts back to a sentence that’s been lingering since Sunday:

“Ask God for big things.”

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It’s not like I’m hearing it for the first time. But this time, the words hit differently, especially after my conversation with my mom and brother earlier this morning.

As we sat in the coffee shop, basking in the warmth of the morning sun, my mom out of the blue shared a story. “I know this girl,” she began, her eyes alive “A few years back, she covered her bedroom walls with pictures of her dream life—everything she wanted, all her hopes and plans. And now? She has it all. Everything she visualized. Is there some truth to it?”

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This has surprised me. My mom never talked about visualization. She was all about trusting and praying for the things you want in life. So upon her question, I was eager to share my knowledge on visualization, subconscious and achieving your goals.

Of course, visualization works! When we visualize, the brain activates many of the same neural pathways as when we’re actually doing the activity. It’s like a mental dress rehearsal, strengthening the behaviours and mindsets we need to make our goals a reality. Visualization also works on a subconscious level, guiding us to notice opportunities in our everyday lives that align with our dreams. It isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s a way of priming the brain to take action, transforming intention into movement.

But in truth, creating a visual representation of your dreams is the easy part. It’s the action that often trips most of us up, leaving those images on the wall as mere reminders of what could be. This process oftentimes leaves us angry, confused and sad. Many times in the past I found myself asking: Why isn’t visualization working for me? Am I manifesting incorrectly? Why are my prayers still unanswered?

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Throughout my life, I’ve created many visualization boards; it’s one of my favourite pastimes. Dreaming of the perfect life, scavenging Pinterest for inspiration, and pouring my hopes and aspirations into those boards. My process has always been to gather beautiful, aesthetic pictures of places, people, and experiences and be inspired to chase them in my life.

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But this time, as I sat on the bench, everything felt different. It was as if all those past visualization boards had been guiding me, helping me discern what I truly wanted from what I thought I wanted. They made me realize my authentic dreams, my core values, and my true calling. This time, the vision seemed so much simpler than before.

As I opened Canva and created a new file, I titled it Asking for Big Things.

This time, I didn’t ask for money, a wedding in Italy or a new pair of designer boots. Instead, I focused on what my heart was quietly urging me to acknowledge beneath all the clutter, hurt, and mismanagement that seemed to finally lift from my being. After what felt like ages, I sat in the sun, feeling a profound sense of peace and began to ask for the things that truly, deeply matter to me.

I asked for a family. I asked for health. I asked for love. I asked for security. I asked for the steps to become a writer. I asked for peace. At that moment, everything felt so aligned, true, light. In the clear picture before me, I saw sparks. And without a doubt in my heart, I felt that all of those things await me in the future.

Now all that is left to do is genuinely trust, find the little whispers of my dreams in my daily life and follow them on a journey of becoming all that I was made to be.

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