Welcome,
Beautiful soul.
I am Paul and I'm so grateful that you've chosen me as your guide today.
There are times in life when every single one of us feels stuck,
Uninspired or just a little lost.
When we feel that we haven't made the most of our time or when we're unclear about the path we're taking and what the future holds.
We often lose sight of the amazing things that we've already achieved and of the opportunities that lay before us.
But since the mind can't distinguish between real and created imagery,
Visualization is a powerful way to bring ourselves back in focus.
And so during this meditation,
I will guide you on a journey that looks both back and forwards in your life,
Reminding you and making you proud of your accomplishments of the last year and creating a vivid picture of what your life will look like a year from now.
So find yourself a comfortable place to sit or lie down somewhere where you won't be disturbed.
Silence your phone and slowly close your eyes.
We begin by breathing slowly and deeply in and out through the nose,
Allowing the body to calm and settle into the surface beneath us.
Now picture yourself on a cliff top.
You're sitting on the soft,
Lush green grass.
There's nobody else around.
A gentle breeze brushes your skin as you listen to the soft sound of the waves crashing on the shore below.
You look out to see at the beautiful blue sky and the soft white clouds that fill the horizon.
The late afternoon sun is beginning to set and you feel the last warmth of the sun's rays on your face.
You breathe slowly,
Just gently noticing the rise and fall of your belly.
Your whole being is filled with a sense of peace and calm.
As you breathe out,
All of the worries and tension from your day are quietly carried away in the soft sea breeze.
The moment feels perfect.
As you look out,
You see a paved pathway leading from the cliff top,
Stretching out over the sea and into the clouds in the distance.
And as you look along the path,
You see it lined with pictures in the most beautiful ornate frames.
In the distance,
Where the path joins the clouds,
A figure appears dressed in a crisp white robe.
They start to walk along the path towards you.
And as they come closer,
You see that the figure is you,
But not you as you are now.
This is you exactly one year from today.
The figure stands before you and you look deep into their eyes.
Their eyes are bright,
Soft,
Warm and welcoming.
Take a moment now to look closely at this one year older version of yourself.
How has your appearance changed?
Do you look stronger,
Wiser,
Happier,
Perhaps more peaceful?
Your future self gently takes you by the hand and you step out together,
Walking mindfully along the path until you stop together at the first picture frame.
As you look closer,
You see that the picture is of something that you've achieved in the last year.
Perhaps it's a success,
A happy moment,
Or just something that you've overcome.
Whatever it is,
It's displayed in the most beautiful,
Vivid,
Colourful detail.
So take a moment for the picture to form in your mind and notice any feelings that arise as you look deeply at the image.
Perhaps you feel strength,
Compassion or pride in your achievement.
Gently taking your hand,
Your future self guides you further along the path.
You notice that there are two more picture frames,
Each with a different scene from the last year of your life and each one larger than the last.
Take a few moments now to walk to each picture and each time allow a vivid,
Colourful scene to form in your mind.
You can even imagine the sounds and the smells that may emanate and allow yourself to reflect on these amazing things you've achieved in just one year.
Take a moment to walk to each picture and each time allow a vivid,
Colourful scene As you reach the point where the path seems to end,
The clouds part slightly,
And you now see that the path turns slowly back on itself,
Returning to the cliff top that is now in the distance behind you.
Once again the path is lined with picture frames,
But as you look more closely,
You see that the canvases are blank.
You look up into the eyes of your future self,
Who smiles warmly at you.
You instinctively know that this is the path of your life for the next year,
And every blank canvas is an opportunity for you to achieve something new,
Or an obstacle that you can overcome.
Taking your hand once more,
Your guide walks slowly with you along this path of your future life.
As you pass in front of the first picture frame,
You stop and look at the blank canvas.
Your future self asks you to call to mind just one thing that you want to achieve in the next year,
And as you focus your mind,
A picture begins to be painted on the canvas.
The picture is detailed,
Vivid,
Colourful,
And so very real.
Take a moment now to bring this picture to life,
To study it in detail,
Bringing it to life with your wonderful imagination.
Your guide gently takes your hand again as you continue on the path.
There are two more canvases,
Each one bigger than the last.
Walk with your guide now,
And as you stop at each blank canvas,
Take a moment to create another picture of what you will achieve or overcome in the next year.
Make each picture more vivid,
More detailed,
And more colourful than the last.
There are no limits to what you can achieve,
So allow your imagination to let go.
There are no limits to what you can achieve,
So allow your imagination to let go.
Finally,
The path leads you back to the cliff top.
Your future self steps from the path onto the soft green grass and opens their arms widely.
In front of you,
You see the most spectacular Technicolor movie appear,
And this is the movie showing two years of your life,
One year behind and one year ahead.
An epic soundtrack is playing,
Inspirational,
Emotional,
Overwhelming.
Stand now for a moment with your future self and watch with pride this incredible representation of everything that you have and will achieve.
As the movie comes to an end,
Your guide embraces you,
Holding you for a moment in stillness.
They then motion for you to sit once more on the soft grass,
Looking out to sea.
As you watch your guide walk slowly back along the path and then gently disappear into the distance,
You once more feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly.
Taking long,
Soft,
Slow,
Deep breaths in and out,
You start to notice again the cool sea breeze,
The warmth of the setting sun,
And the sounds of the waves crashing below you.
Everything feels calm once more as you sit and breathe softly and slowly.
You smile a great,
Big,
Beaming smile at the journey that you've been on,
The strength that you feel,
And the pride in what you've achieved.
And then finally,
Whenever you feel ready,
You slowly open your eyes.
Namaste.
