Yesterday I asked you to explore how your values are linked to the other driving forces in your life like morals and ethics. Today, I'm inviting you to spend some time as you listen to the episode - and maybe a little extra time with a journal or digital file - beginning to identify your values.
I am going to walk you through a visualization today. If you are someplace you can close your eyes and that is comfortable for you, please do that. If you would prefer to simply let your gaze soften and look off into the distance, that's certainly okay as well. And, if you're driving - keep those eyes wide and focused no matter what!
Take a long, slow deep breath in. Feel your stomach expand. If your shoulders moved up towards your ears, focus on the next breath with keeping your shoulders in place and pushing that breath all the way into your stomach. Let that first breath out slowly.
Take a second long, slow deep breath. Push the air as far down into your stomach as you can. Now, slowly release that breath and while you do visualize that you are pushing out all the negative energy you feel in your body with that breath.
Spend a moment finding a treasured and happy memory. If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is what you'd think to conjure your Patronus. If your life is not rich with happy memories, think of your most exciting dream or goal. Once you've decided on your memory or your dream, let it sink deeply into your mind.
I want you to explore this memory or dream and make it as vivid and real as possible.
What do you see? What colors are really bold? Or are the colors more muted? Is there a mixture?
What do you smell? Does that smell evoke any other memories?
What do you hear? Is there music playing? A conversation happening? A comforting background noise?
Who is with you? How did you all arrive where you were? Are there animals around?
Where are you? What does the sky look like? What does the ground feel like under your feet? Or perhaps you're seated somewhere? What does that feel like?
What is the weather? Is it cold or warm? Is the sun shining? Is it night? What does the sky look like?
What are you wearing? Something new? Perhaps an old favorite?
What do you have with you? Describe the objects that you can see. Can you touch them? What do they feel like?
Are you eating or drinking something? How does it taste?
Spend a few minutes after the visualization capturing some thoughts in a journal, a computer file, or even the voice recorder on your phone. What words or phrases come to mind? What surprised you or invited you in the most? What fears did you feel? Even our happiest memories may evoke fear or worry. That's okay. Just note the feelings for now.
As you feel ready to do so, look at what you've written and see if any words or thoughts come to you as guiding elements of your life - of values you want to make a part of your core.
As you return to your normal daily activities, close your eyes again and slowly take three long, deep breaths in and out. Controlling our breathing is one of the easiest tools we have to hack our own brains and remind the fight or flight part our brains that we are safe because we can still control our breathing.
I hope that this exercise helped you focus on something joyful and happy today - even if only for a few minutes.
Did it lead to any discoveries about what your values are?
If you already know your values, did it help you fine tune them at all?
Once we know our values, they don't change all that often but we do need to check in with them from time to time. That, is a subject we'll talk about on tomorrow's episode. Until then, Don't forget to like, rate, review and share this podcast if it was valuable to you. Do you want to make sure you get every episode as well as everything else I publish? If so, join my newsletter at https://iwannabemewhenigrowup.substack.com/. I'll --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iwannabeme/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/iwannabeme/support
4 - A Visualization to Identify Your Values