Picture Yourself

Close your eyes and picture yourself in your dream location, doing what you love, surrounded by the people that lift you up. Sit with that for a minute or two or three…. now open your eyes and look around, what do you see? Click here for a guided audio 5-minute guided meditation.

You know that your thoughts become your reality, right? Well, they do. Be mindful of the energy, the people and the words that you let into your sacred space. Years ago, I made a big shift in my lifestyle and this lesson really became evident. I went from being a bartender one day listening to peoples’ stories, jokes and problems to being a group counselor in a treatment center. I used to joke that the only difference was I didn’t need to make the margaritas. As I settled into my role as counselor, I found the big differences were in perceptions, especially mine.

Everyone lived at the center, including myself on the weekends. I was going to school during the week and would work from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. I had a unique perspective to share with the therapists and doctors in my notes as a result of being there during all activities. I too was on a journey of healing recovery and the only difference between myself and the folks that I held groups with is that I was a couple of years ahead of them on the path. As I listened to the stories and shared experiences of the people, I saw a common thread that all seemed to share. There was a deep dark pit in the center of their body. The attempts to fill it with whatever substance or activity was the “drug” of choice didn’t really matter, for everyone the pit was bottomless. Nothing satisfied it, so more was needed and still there was a yearning, an emptiness, a hollowness.

The bottomless pit was caused by the loss of the creative spirit due to addiction and abuse. The person’s identity was denied by others and the internal critic took the role as the constant judge that always found the person lacking. What will change the perception? Begin with words. At the time it was common slang to say, oh I just hate that, or don’t you hate that. Words, like everything else, carry energy and hate is a very powerful word. When it is used unconsciously and continually the spirit of that word is allowed to slip into your energy field. I know this sounds a little woo-woo as I was reminded, but I asked the group to really focus on the words they used. I did the same. I used to listen to some hard rock and metal, but when I really began to listen to the energy of words it all changed. The music I listened to changed and my perceptions began to shift. My creative energy became calmer yet blossomed and became more focused and boundless.

When I added visualization and mindful meditation to the weekend groups, I saw that the visualizations helped them develop more compassion for themselves. The next step was to visualize where they wanted to be when they returned home. How they could change their perspective and their surroundings. We can’t change others, only our interactions with them. What was the replacement for filling the void, the bottomless pit? As they worked on picturing themselves whole, ok in their own skin and awareness of what was allowed into their visualization, the pit began to close. The process took time but allowing creativity to fill the pit was a healing journey.

I was simultaneously working on my visualization of the life I wanted. I wrote in a gratitude journal, and I practiced finding the things during the course of the day to be grateful for. I have manifested the life of my dreams. It took some years and being flexible and refining my desires, but the twists and turns I never expected brought me to a place that is even more rewarding than my initial visualizations. I continue to practice visualizations and gratitude and sometimes it takes reminders to enjoy things just as they are without needing to fix or improve them. Meet yourself where you are now and visualize the place you wish to be. Practice mindfulness and gratitude and the path will open.