I finally threw away my love vision board in May.  I’d had it for a year, and though I had found love, it hadn’t lasted–and it hadn’t been the earth-shattering, soul-nourishing love that I craved. I figured, “Why keep something around that isn’t working for me?” so when it came time to move from Boston to LA, I threw it away. And I did not miss it one bit.

And then suddenly, just weeks later, love came to me. And not just any love. Crazy, mind-boggling, giggle-inducing, joyously amazing love flooded into my life out of seemingly nowhere.  There’s a new man in my life–who’s actually one of my old men, my again-and-again man who I just can’t seem to shake. Except this time he says he’s here for good–and I actually believe him!

When thinking of what I would call him, I played around with a few names, but the one that just kept popping up, the one that perfectly describes him and our tumultuous on-and-off relationship over the last three years, is Big.

But this post is not about Big.  It’s about the epiphany I had about why love came flooding into my life precisely after I threw away my vision board.

Just look at my vision board.

It’s full of happy, laughing beautiful Black couples. But I am nowhere to be found.

And that’s exactly what the Universe brought me–images and experiences of happy couples I wasn’t a part of.  This is the poignant image I looked at throughout the entire last year, and though I had love, I also had bitterness, sadness, and confusion. I remember watching an ABC special about Black women’s singlehood shortly after Mr. C and I broke up, and crying on the phone with my grandma for an hour afterwards. Surely I should have known something was wrong then.

I didn’t really believe that it would ever happen for me. Not like this.  I was so far from believing that I’d ever be a half of one of those happy Black couples that I didn’t even notice I’d left myself out of my vision board!

It’s still hard for me to believe that Big is back–and that he’s back and so much better. Rather than go on and on about how in love we are or what promises he has made and professions of love and devotion he has shared, I just want to say that I am very happy–and pleasantly, deliciously surprised.

So if you have a vision board that hasn’t been working for you, take a second look at it. You may find that you have left a very key ingredient out of it, thus keeping from yourself exactly what your heart desires.

But be ready when your blessing comes–because it will overwhelm your heart and soul when it does. At least it has to mine.

Related posts:

1. Must Watch This Video–and then make a vision board!
2. Vision Boards Work