I believe it's significantly useful to visualize for yourself what your life would be like without your major stressor or trauma in control of your life.
Imagination is the first step towards creating the future you want.
So let's get started.
Find a comfortable seated or lying down position and close your eyes.
Take some deep breaths and allow your body to relax and release tension,
Allowing it to become limp and loose,
Each breath becoming deeper and longer than the one before it.
Now imagining yourself walking down a path in nature.
What do you see around you?
Is it daytime or nighttime?
You continue following the path,
Enjoying the gentle breeze and the sounds of nature.
The path begins to wind around a large tree.
As you pass the tree,
You look down and see a small magical object in the middle of your path.
Curious,
You bend down and pick it up.
As you gaze upon it,
You notice a tiny inscription that says,
Place me under the tall,
Tall tree to witness your future trauma-free.
You turn and face the tree and notice a cozy looking spot to sit between the roots and a small opening that the magical object fits perfectly.
So you take a seat and gently place the magical object in the opening.
Take a deep breath,
Close your eyes.
You are immediately transported through time and space and into the future.
As you open your eyes,
You find yourself at a place that feels familiar.
It is your home in the future.
Nobody can see you,
But you are able to observe everything that goes on in your future home.
Where is your home located?
What is the weather like at your home?
Going inside and looking around you,
What do you see in your home?
What objects have you placed there for your comfort?
Touch them and notice how they relax you.
What sounds do you hear?
What does it smell like in your home?
Is there food cooking?
What does it taste like?
Which people,
If any,
Have you allowed to live with you in your future home?
Are there any pets?
Notice the feelings of peace,
Safety,
Joy,
And love as you explore your future home and notice how the absence of your major stressor or trauma has allowed you to feel this freedom,
Joy,
Love,
Inner peace,
Safety,
Trust,
And harmony in your home.
How have you created these qualities for yourself in the future?
Taking a moment longer to enjoy and observe your home five years into the future,
You intuitively notice that it is time to move on.
So you close your eyes and feel yourself traveling backwards in time and space.
As you open your eyes,
You realize that you are now only two years in the future.
Look around you and notice where you are.
What is different here?
Do you already have the future home that you just visited?
Working towards it?
People around you?
What do you hear around you?
Notice the feelings of peace,
Love,
And joy as you observe your future.
Take a few moments longer,
Sensing the need to travel on.
Close your eyes and again find yourself moving backwards in time and space.
Realize that you are now only one year in the future.
Do you notice here,
Are you able to break the control your major stressor or trauma had over you?
Do you feel freedom,
Inner peace,
Safety,
Trust,
Or harmony in your home at this point in the future?
Just notice without judgment.
Is there anything getting in the way of you feeling those qualities?
Taking a little bit longer to observe your future one year from now,
And you feel the urge to continue traveling back towards the present.
Closing your eyes and traveling backwards in time and space.
As you open your eyes,
You realize that you are now only six months in the future.
What do you notice here?
How is it different here from your future in one,
Two,
Or five years?
If you are feeling blocked from experiencing freedom,
Joy,
Inner peace,
Safety,
Trust,
Or harmony in getting in your way,
What do you need in order to help yourself remove those blocks?
Taking the time to lovingly observe yourself six months into the future,
And as you sense the need to move on,
Close your eyes and feel yourself traveling back in space.
Realizing that now it is only one month in the future,
What do you see around you?
How is it different here than in your present life?
Who are the people around you?
Is there one small thing you can do for yourself that would help you feel loved,
Joyous,
Free,
Peaceful,
Or safe?
What do you need here to create those qualities for yourself?
Continuing to observe yourself with love and compassion,
And taking a few moments longer to witness your life one month into the future,
And sensing the need to move back towards the present,
Close your eyes and feel yourself traveling back through time and space.
Open your eyes again,
You are sitting under that tall,
Tall tree.
A magical object is in its place next to you.
You find a journal sitting there next to you,
And begin writing down anything you observed that you would like to remember,
Taking special note so that all of these experiences will be available to you at any time in the present.
Once you finish writing,
You tuck the journal into your bag,
Stand up and stretch your body,
Reaching towards the sky.
After taking a moment to thank the magical object and the tree for taking you on your journey into the future,
You begin to walk back down the path,
Taking in the sights and sounds of nature,
And coming back into your body,
In this room,
And fully back into the present moment.
Taking a deep breath in,
And a long exhale out,
Begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Stretching like a cat,
And slowly open your eyes and observe your heart full of inspiration.
