“Live out of your imagination, not your history”

‘Live out of your imagination, not your history’ are very wise words spoken by Stephen Covey.

We all love to tell our stories!. We have become masters at telling one another our life stories as they appear now, in what we refer to as reality.

I have been witness to this through the volume of clients I have experienced sitting in front of me on a comfortable chair, or online starting to tell me their life history. They begin by outlining all the things that have happened in their lives or ‘gone wrong’, in an attempt to provide reasons for why they are stuck in life, lacking in self-esteem or unable to shake off feeling anxious.

Luckily for my clients, I have a very specific approach, one which doesn’t focus on the past. I help my clients understand it’s like driving a car – you wouldn’t drive looking through the rearview mirror.

We may have several aspects of our life going very well, such as being in a great relationship or having a brilliant circle of good friends, but I guarantee we will focus on the one aspect that isn’t going so well.

As humans, we get stuck in the details telling our stories over and over again. Arguing for our limitations. Coming up with more and more reasons we believe we can’t have the life we desire ‘because there was this thing that happened last time….’

You may be wondering what’s wrong with this.  You might think it’s better to be practical and cautious and to live from experience.

The fact is, the more focused you are on the past, you are living in the past period. That focus of attention creates the perceptual reality by which you live your life.

Like adding fuel to the fire, whatever you focus your attention on, you get more of the same.

So what’s the answer? Start telling a different story.

The truth is, you are a powerful creator.  You can’t not create!  You live in a quantum universe which works on the power of possibility and not probability (the latter was thrown out by science after the original double-slit experiment performed in 1801 by Thomas Young).

So it’s time to put that creative energy to good use! Start telling the story of your life as you want it to be, living out of your imagination.  Your imagination is a powerful resource and a very creative energy, yet most people misuse the imagination.

‘But that’s living in fantasy land’ I hear you cry!

While it may appear on the surface as living in fantasy land, would you rather use your imagination to think of best best-case scenario or worst-case scenario?  Which is going to make you feel great? And the feeling you are living in is all you ever have!

The mind doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and what’s imagination anyway! You can put this to the test for yourself – imagine yourself eating your favourite food for a minute or two and observing how your saliva glands respond. Or visualise having great sex with someone and notice the way your body responds!

If you are always telling the story of how hard it is to find a new job, what would you love that story to be instead?

The same can be said for dating. If you are always telling the story about the lack of decent single men out there, what would happen if you began telling a story of looking forward to meeting the right man when he comes along and imagining yourself in your ideal relationship?

If you have been fixated on something you can’t do, start telling the story that you are getting better at doing it and you are looking forward to mastering it and imagining yourself doing that activity or behaviour well.

A word of warning, telling yourself a new story once isn’t going to rewire years of living out of your history! That’s like going to the gym once and expecting to come out as an athlete.  The key is consistency and momentum.

Future scripting is a fun way to put pen to paper and let your imagination soar above the jagged rocks of reason!  Think of something you want to manifest – a new client, a promotion, a relationship, a book deal, better health, running a marathon – whatever you desire to create.

Put pen to paper and write about it as if it’s already happened.  You don’t need to know the how – and don’t get caught up in the how – instead focus on the feelings.  The feelings of what it will already feel like to have achieved your goal or intention.  You can even have some of your favourite songs on in the background to really pump you up!

You can read this out loud every day (use your imagination to get into character!) or write more and more details. Let go of the outcome and the timings because holding onto that will only slow down the energetic process of creation. Instead, surrender your dream and let the Universe work its magic!

When you finally let go of the past, and start to create your future you’ll witness magic and miracles appear!

Need a hand to release those unhelpful thoughts, memories and beliefs keeping you stuck in the past?