Hello and welcome to this guided visualization and journaling exercise.
We all have significant emotional events in our past that have shaped who we have become and the choices we make.
If it's important to you,
Then it's important.
There's no right or wrong interpretation.
Your interpretation of the events that shaped you is incredibly relevant to you.
So some of our defining moments can be positive and influence our choices in ways that empower us and move us forward in our lives.
Think back.
Have you ever had a moment in your life where you came to truly see that you were capable of anything,
That you could do things that you put your mind to or that you were a brave person?
Some events are going to be negative to us.
The event that taught you to keep your opinion to yourself or that you were not good at something.
However,
The meaning we give these events is entirely up to us.
Defining moments stay with us in our reactions to the world today.
These important events dictate many of the reactions and emotions we experience in our everyday lives,
Which will ultimately drive our behavior.
It is essential to uncover and explore them.
So to gain more understanding and choice about our reactions tomorrow,
We have to be willing to look at where we gained our habitual reactions yesterday.
In this session,
I will guide you through a process of discovering what these defining moments are in your life,
And together we will explore how you might turn unhelpful interpretations of those moments into new,
More resourceful beliefs.
So settle in with a pen and paper,
If that's going to be helpful for you.
And let's begin.
The defining moment is any moment that when you recall it,
Still has a strong emotion connected to it or a time when you came to know something to be true about you.
So the first step is to recall your own defining moments.
How do you know what was a defining moment for you?
It's any moment that when you recall it,
Still has a strong emotion connected to it or a time when you came to know something to be true about you.
For example,
I am brave.
I am attractive.
I am good at reading or sport or making friends.
I'm a great business person,
Or I'm not very smart and so on.
So close your eyes now and take a deep breath.
Think of some moments that come to mind that feel like defining moments in your life.
When a memory pops up,
Pay close attention to the details of it.
Who's there?
How does it feel?
What is being said?
When you have one,
You may want to open your eyes and write it down on your list.
Then close your eyes once again and explore further.
What other moments are there?
To be really effective,
Recall as many specific memories as you can.
At least eight to gain an in-depth understanding of yourself and how your current identity was formed.
Just keep going until you feel that you have explored all the significant events in your life or specific area of your life.
I'm going to give you a couple of minutes,
So do that now.
Now open your eyes once again.
You should now have a list with at least a few defining moments in front of you.
Take a look at that list now.
Is there one moment that stands out as particularly significant to you?
Choose one of those moments to work on today.
And it doesn't really matter which one you choose as long as it is one moment that still has a strong emotion connected to it for you.
Now allow your eyes to close again.
Bring to mind that one defining moment of your choosing.
Tune into it like you're tuning into an old-school TV set.
Make that picture as sharp as you can and see if you can remember some of the details.
Where are you when the event happens?
How old are you?
What do you look like?
Who's there with you?
What happens that makes this event a defining moment for you?
What are the emotions you're noticing you feel?
How would you change this situation if you could?
What do you want to say?
Who would you say it to?
How would you want them to respond?
What are you telling yourself about this event?
About yourself?
And about other people?
If it was a positive event,
What did you gain?
If it was a negative event,
What did you gain?
What did you give up?
What did you surrender in the form of power or self-determination?
In what ways can you see that your interpretation of this event has impacted your life?
Do you now think or believe this view of yourself,
Of the world,
Of those around you is accurate?
If you found that your old view was skewed in some way,
What has that old view cost you?
If it's negative,
Why is it now time to change your interpretation of this event?
What have you decided you want it to be instead?
With the benefit of hindsight and your commitment to build your new future,
What could that event mean for you instead?
So considering this,
What will your beliefs about this become now?
Take a moment to think about your answer.
What will your beliefs about this become now?
I want you to hold that thought.
Open your eyes and turn your piece of paper over.
I'm going to give you a couple of minutes to write down that thought.
Write down your new beliefs about that memory.
With your commitment to build your new better future,
What will that event mean for you going forward?
What will your new beliefs about this event mean for you going forward?
Well done!
I'd like to finish by giving you a quick relaxation practice here now to help embed those new meanings for you.
So,
Just take a moment to put all that down and close your eyes once again.
And just take a moment to focus on your deep,
Calm breathing.
That's right.
Take a deep breath in and let it out.
Breathing deep and calm,
Just in and out.
And now make the focus of your breathing the area around your heart.
Take some time to feel the relaxation in your hands,
In your legs and spreading around your body.
And know in your heart and in your mind that all those old patterns have left you now.
And you're making space for a new way to be,
A new way to feel,
A new way to see things,
A new story to tell.
That's right.
You're consciously and unconsciously choosing right now to let go of old moments that no longer serve you and make new choices.
And as they leave,
You acknowledge and thank the old patterns for the learning they have given you and the ways they have in the past served you on some level.
And as they leave,
You let a deep breath come in and leave,
Knowing that there is something new now which will serve you even more.
And now I want you to see that new choice floating out in front of you,
About an arm's length away from your body.
And you can feel a gentle,
Friendly warmth radiating from it.
And you know that you are ready now to integrate this brighter,
Better new reality.
So as you breathe in and out,
You see that new reality coming closer to you,
Moving gently towards you.
And you know that it is now becoming part of you.
And as you breathe in one more time,
You feel the warmth and the comfort of that new choice entering your heart space.
And you're so happy to feel it.
It fits much better and you see with excitement already what a difference this is going to make in this area of your life.
And now as you feel that new choice,
That new reality,
That new thing that you now know to be true,
You feel confidence and ease and grace and completeness in this area of your life as you never have before.
Now coming back to the room,
Wriggling your fingers and toes,
Opening your mouth and twitching your nose.
And finally,
Opening your eyes to the dawn of the new reality you're creating for yourself right now.
And now your innermost wisdom is tuned into your new reality and the choices will become easy and effortless for you from now on.
Well done.
Thank you for being here,
Being open and being kind to yourself.
I wish you well.
