“SHE IS reports me! Why am I so afraid of him?’ Batya cried during our session. He described a recent interaction with him marketing lead. Batya, although the CEO, was only 30 years old. When Batya accidentally met this employee, who was much older than him, he could not assert himself and screamed.
Batya grew up with an authoritarian father, whose angry outbursts often frightened him. This background made it even more difficult for him to face his worries at work. Later, we will get to know him more deeply childhood traumaworking on solving these problems. But, at that moment, I realized that he had to find it trust– this is a way to feel strong and wise after age.
Develop a relationship with your future self
At any age, we can all use a little wisdom. Therefore, I quickly invited Batya to our session visualization exercise. I asked her to remember someone she thought was strong, brave, and kind. It could be someone he knows personally, a historical person or a fictional character. Batya’s eyebrows furrowed when he said that no one came to his mind. So I came up with one of my favorite options: she imagines her future aspirations.
Our future selves (wherever the future takes us) have traveled our paths farther. They are ripe with wisdom, but they still know us intimately. Keeping in touch with this aspiring self can be a deep source of guidance and confidence.
First, to help him relax and open up outside of his usual self-limiting ways of thinking, I guided Batya through creative visualization: a walk through a green meadow, along a mysterious forest path, and into a quiet clearing where he encountered a future version of himself.
Batya described to me that he met a woman 10-15 years older than him, who immediately recognized his future identity. Sitting down at the magazine across from him, he asked for guidance on how to manage the intimidating CMO. His future self responded calmly and assured Batya that he could defend himself.
When Batya left the house meditationits state and energy have changed. Sitting up straight, she said she felt deeply calmed, grounded and inspired by the presence of her future self.
While he still felt nervous, Batya mustered up the courage to face the man who scared him so much. Those early conversations were difficult, but they eventually helped Batya assert her authority. leader.
Drawing this image in his psyche in some detail, Batya began to turn to his future self from time to time when he needed sage advice. About six months later, Batya said to me: “The more I refer to this strong, wise and successful future Batya, the more comfortable it is. I’m starting to look like him now.”
Research shows: Higher Self, Future Self, and Wise Self
The meditation I took to Batya was based on the active practice of Carl Jung imaginationit helps people tap into what he calls the “wise self” archetype. Jung believed that these archetypes lived within the community unconscious and can be accessed through dreamsmeditation or deliberate reflection.
By envisioning and conversing with a wiser future version of ourselves, we can enter the present with greater clarity, confidence, and perspective. Research shows that it can increase our strength endurancecompetence and resourcefulness help us grow into the person we aspire to be.
It’s Your Turn: Meet Your Future Self
Essential readings for meditation
If you want to tap into your wisdom, try this visualization exercise:
- Find a comfortable place to sit.
- Remember the challenge you are facing right now.
- Imagine yourself walking through a green meadow, noticing the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations around you.
- Follow the forest path to the sunlit area.
- Meet your future there: 10-15 years from now. Notice their wisdom, calm confidence, strength and warmth.
- Greet them and take time to sit quietly in their presence. Pay attention to how your body and emotions react.
- Sit down together and share your current dilemma. Ask them for guidance and listen openly to what comes up.
- If there is no clear answer, ask what values or principles you should follow.
- After the conversation is over, thank your future self and slowly start walking through the forest and meadow.
- After sitting quietly for another minute, open your eyes and think: What did you hear, feel, or learn? What guidance is available to you now?
There is much discussion about accessing and healing your “inner child”. I would argue that we should pay an equal amount attention to our inner elder.
Connecting with our future self not only empowers us in the present, but also brings us closer to that dream. After all, the qualities that will impress you in your future self are already within you: the full expression of who you are.
