Seeing & Living Your Dream Life

Join Lou in this lighthearted and engaging meditation experience that will encourages you to explore your life's vision. Through this meditation, you will connect with the dreams you hold dear, fostering a deep understanding of what it takes to manifest them. By delving into the core focus of discipline, Lou helps you uncover the actions necessary to transform your vision into a tangible reality.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Lou Redman.

Welcome to an Insight Timer premium track.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share and I am excited about today's practice.

This is one of my funnest practices to share.

I love getting a chance to help people explore the vision that they have for their life and then figure out who do they need to be?

What do they need to embody?

What is getting in their way?

And this is the essence of good coaching,

So I'm hoping I get to help you with that today.

This is going to be a meditation that's going to help you connect with a vision that you have for your life,

A dream that you love to realize,

And then connecting with who you have to become in order for that to be.

What do you need to do in order to make that vision a reality?

And really the core focus is understanding the discipline that it takes.

Often discipline,

People can have resistance towards that word,

But I really want to look at it in the way of self-discipline,

Which looking at the root of that word is to be a disciple,

A disciple of the self,

To have some devotion to our self in a way that is most serving the self,

That is allowing the greater,

The higher self to come through,

To be a disciple of the self is how I want you to start to look at having self-discipline.

There is a famous quote by Jocko Willink that says discipline equals freedom,

And I would say self-discipline equals freedom,

That when we create the structure and the accountability in our life,

The reason that we can be free is that we can surrender into that structure.

We can just allow ourselves to do the things that we have set up to do,

And that creates a more empowered sense of self because we get things done that we set out to,

But it also allows the space to relax when we're not taking action on those things.

There's such power in having a structure,

In having a plan.

If you go to a monastery,

You know exactly what you're going to do each day if you're on a meditation retreat,

And in that knowing,

In that structure,

We can just let go and surrender into the process.

So setting discipline,

Setting accountability for ourselves allows us to surrender into the process,

And as we surrender into the process,

We bring a more potent energy to our lives,

And that is actually what enlivens our bodies,

Enlivens our goals,

And realizes the vision that we have.

And so often,

Some people might say that they lack self-discipline,

But I want to offer something.

Let me know how this lands for you.

You don't lack discipline.

You lack a vision,

And I think back to Simon Sinek's famous start with why,

That if we have a strong why,

Nietzsche said this,

If you have a strong enough why,

You can figure out any how.

And so people that lack discipline,

It's often they don't have a compelling vision.

They don't have a compelling future that that discipline makes sense.

And so we're going to work on that today for you,

Is to really help you get that clear vision,

Or a vision.

I only want to say it's going to be clear.

Just have some energy that you're working towards.

And then the next piece here is who we need to become,

And this gets into the realm of identity.

James Clear,

In his book,

Atomic Habits,

Talks a lot about some of the power of trying to bring in new habits starts with shifting our identity,

Shifting the ways that we see ourself.

If you want to write a book,

But you don't see yourself as a writer,

It's going to be a lot more challenging.

And so there's an identity shift that has to take place so you can see yourself as a writer,

And then writing becomes a lot easier.

So that's what we're going to work on today.

So go ahead and begin to drop in to your body into your meditation space.

And we're going to begin today by setting up a strong structure that is going to support the energy in our body.

So using this theme of discipline to find discipline in the way that we set up our meditation.

And so that might be really checking shoulders above hips,

Ears above shoulders,

Strong back body,

Gentle tuck of the chin down to lengthen the back of the neck,

And then maybe even moving the ears back in space just an inch,

Noticing what that does.

Allowing the hands to fall where they're comfortable on your thighs or in between your lap,

And using wherever your hands are rested as further support for the back body.

Really setting up the container,

The structure of your physical practice.

And this can allow you to go deeper into your meditations.

Maybe you start to notice the energy moving from the ground up through the root,

The back of the spine.

Bring the awareness on your breathing body,

Noticing the inhalation and exhalation.

Maybe you bring your awareness to your chest or your gut,

Your core,

Maybe your lower belly.

Letting the lower body continue to get heavy as the upper body stays alert,

Receptive.

And noticing any urges to scratch or move or itch,

And as a way to practice self-discipline.

Seeing if just for a minute you can resist any urges to shift or move,

To find the centeredness within,

And continue breathing and dropping deeper into your body,

Into your practice.

And when you get that urge to itch or move,

Just notice it and come back to your breath.

We're not going to do this for too long,

But just offering an invitation for some self-discipline.

And then let's take a breath together,

Letting that go.

And for this practice,

We are going to begin at the end.

Meaning when we're working to bring more discipline,

More structure,

Or motivation into our life,

It's important to have that compelling vision in future.

And so what I invite you to do now is in your mind's eye,

In your imagination,

See the highest and greatest vision you have for your life.

I might also ask this to see a dream that you love to realize.

And for some of you,

This might be clear.

You might have thought this and have been feeling this,

Seeing this.

And for some,

This might be new,

Might be nuanced.

And for others,

It might be difficult to come up with a vision.

This might be depending on the stage of life you're on as well.

And begin to see that vision clearly.

Notice who's there,

Where you are,

What the environment's like.

Notice what you hear,

How it sounds,

How it smells,

How it tastes.

And then really drop into how it feels to be seeing this vision,

Imagining that you are living this vision.

How does it feel in your body?

And then go ahead and allow that feeling to grow.

Turn it up 10%.

Breathe into it.

And I'm going to offer an example because it's one that I'm going to use a few times as we move through.

And that is writing a book.

Many people have this dream of writing a book.

So I'm going to use that as an example.

Although your dream and your vision might be completely different.

And so if you do have a specific goal,

Seeing in this vision,

Seeing it being realized,

Seeing it being completed,

Feeling that achievement as if it's happening right now.

And then taking a gentle breath in with me,

Letting that go.

And I invite you now to ask yourself this question,

Who do I have to be in order to realize this vision?

Who do I have to be to realize this vision or dream?

And so before we get into identity,

For this I'm going to invite us to stick with qualities,

Ways of being.

So that could be courageous,

Powerful,

Motivated,

Disciplined,

Focused,

Loving,

Connected.

What qualities of being does this vision require of you?

And if they feel like a stretch,

That's good.

That's how we grow.

That's how we change is by stepping into things that might feel a little bit new or uncomfortable or different.

And so see if you can affirm those things that you need to be affirming them in the I statement.

So it might be I am courageous,

I am powerful,

I am focused,

I'm motivated.

Whatever it is for you,

Whatever those qualities are,

Start to repeat them in the I.

And as you repeat them,

See if you can really allow them to resonate,

Let their feelings resonate within you.

And even if you don't quite feel it fully,

Or if you quite don't believe it,

That's okay.

Again,

We're stepping into something new.

It's okay if maybe there's a part of you that doesn't quite believe it,

That's very normal.

Or maybe it's really connecting for you,

And that's good.

And so you can let that go for now.

And asking yourself another question,

What is required of me to do?

So this is where you might need some self-discipline,

Where you might need the accountability or the motivation to get things done that are going to move you towards your vision.

What is required of me to do?

What is that for you?

If it's writing a book,

Maybe what's required of you is to write for 10 minutes a day this week.

If your vision is enlightenment,

Maybe it's to meditate consistently.

What do you need to do?

Just take a moment to acknowledge that,

Or maybe even think about how that might look this week.

And then letting that go,

And asking yourself one more question,

What identity would help me accomplish those things?

What identity would help me accomplish those things that will get me to my vision?

So this is a little similar to the first question of who you need to be,

But this time we're really thinking of identity.

And so for the book example,

The identity would be to be a writer.

If it's enlightenment,

It might be to become a meditator,

To see yourself as that identity.

So what identity would help you realize this vision?

And this might be clear,

And again,

It still might be something that you're working with,

And that's okay.

So let's take a breath together,

Letting that go.

I'm going to shift into a little visualization.

Imagine that you are in a hallway with a door at the end of it.

You start to walk down this hallway,

Any image that comes to mind,

And you notice that there's a line across the middle of the hallway.

And go ahead and pause just before the line.

The other side of this line represents the identity that you want to step into,

That will help you accomplish those things.

And so before you step over the line,

Asking yourself,

Where am I getting in my way?

And this is typically the place where you might lack self-discipline.

How does it show up for you?

Is it procrastination,

Self-worth issues,

Negative self-talk?

Feel how this shows up in your body.

How are you getting in your own way?

With compassion,

Not to judge yourself or beat yourself up right now,

Just noticing.

And as you start to notice this,

Imagine that the door at the end of the hallway opens,

And in walks someone that you can recognize,

But their energy is different.

And who they are is you from the future.

It is the version of you that is realizing their vision and their dream.

So imagine that you switch from being your current self to being that future self that is looking at your current self.

And so you are now that self that has overcome everything.

You have found the discipline.

You've realized the vision.

You're embodying all the qualities that you know you want to embody.

You've quote-unquote made it.

And from this space,

I'd like you to give your current self some reminders of who they are.

So these might be the qualities that you affirmed in the I statement before.

And so look at your current self,

And this time offer it in a you statement.

You are letting them know who they are.

So that might sound like you are powerful.

You are focused.

You are kind.

You are committed.

You're motivated.

Sharing with them any words or even just an energy,

And see them receiving it from you.

Notice what that's like to send them this from the future.

And then where do you see them getting in their way?

Now that you can step forward and have a different perspective,

And I'd like you to tell them how they get in their way.

So that might mean like you don't take action.

You don't create accountability.

You don't ask for help.

You don't make a plan.

You let fear win.

You don't believe in yourself.

Whatever it is,

Tell them where they get in their way.

You can be that supportive role model and also having that fierce compassion to them.

And then what is the message that you can give them that will help them get out of their way so they can live their vision and realize their dreams?

You are already there right now.

So what is the message that you have for them,

The wisdom that you can give them?

Give them that right now.

And notice what they do receiving that from you,

Giving them that energy of possibility that you represent.

And then switch back from the future self to the current self again,

Feeling yourself receiving that message now and all that you receive from your future self.

And then you notice that their job is done.

They've given you what they needed to,

And they walk back out the door.

And you are still standing behind the line.

You have seen and sensed what is on the other side.

And now it's on you to have the discipline to be a disciple of yourself,

To follow through and take that step forward.

And when you are ready to make that commitment and step into this new identity,

Take one last breath and step across the line.

And when you do,

It's as if you step into a portal.

And that new energy,

That new identity is enlivening yourselves.

Take a moment to feel that,

To breathe into that.

And then continue walking down the hallway toward the vision,

Towards your future self that you saw.

Open the door.

And once you step through the door,

You find yourself back in the room you are right now,

Right here.

However,

This time you have the vision and the resources to move forward.

And so take a few moments to just be with that experience,

Whether you were able to connect with something or not.

Being with your body,

Being with your energy,

Being with your breath.

And then when you're ready,

Go ahead and open your eyes,

Come back into your space.

Great work.

Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you in that practice.

I'd love to hear what vision came,

Where you're getting in your way.

Let me know by making a comment,

Asking a question.

I love connecting with you here.

If you liked this practice,

I want to go a little deeper on these themes.

I have a course called Essential Tools for Healing and Transformation.

And while we don't do this exact practice,

It has a similar energy of working through some internal issues in a similar style.

So I think you might enjoy that course.

And if you are not connected on my circle,

On Insight Timer,

You can search Lew's circle.

And that's a great place to stay connected with future or upcoming meditations or events that I have going on.

I thank you again for your time and your energy.

And I wish with my deepest of reverence to your work,

Your soul,

Your heart,

That that vision comes alive,

Is expressed,

Because I believe that that is how we continue healing and growing this planet.

We need your gifts.

I send you so much love and support.

And I look forward to connecting again soon.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you 🙏🏼

Life changing, dear one...I saw it all! My future self, her amazing energy and gifts. She was encouraging, fierce, and intense with her directives...I met her once in a past life regression but she was about 9 years old then. After your visualization, I have found the fire within again and will reach for my future self with passionate intensity. To let my art explode and honor those who nurtured my gift... much gratitude and namaste.

great !!!

This was a truly wonderful and enlivening experience, thank you so much. 🌟🙏🏼🌟
Your soft voice , and detailed guidance felt very supportive and took me to a new place of self-belief, and empowerment, for a new life I am entering into now. Very very helpful 🙏🏼🧡

Incredible journey. Thank you.

Thank you. I needed that vision of myself to know that I can do it.

Great meditation Lou🙏🏻
I found that I was seeking fir answers from external sources. EG:people. When I have the answers inside of me…judt need to have faith & believe 🙌

Thank you Lou for another great meditation!

Wonderfully insightful !