Day 22: If you think you can, you can

I was thinking about a coach training program I did last year. 

One of the exercises we did during that training was a visualization exercise. This particular activity was meant to demonstrate that we each hold knowledge deep inside of us, that we don't even know is there. 

Our instructor started off having us all close our eyes, quickly followed by a centering/grounding exercise. Then, we started visioning. 

Verbally, our trainer led us through a visualization exercise in which we were to meet our future selves. And by future selves I mean, like, as old people, to gain wisdom and guidance.  

I was skeptical if it would work. I hadn't had a ton of luck with visioning exercises in the past, but I was willing to try. It sounded cool! 

We began by envisioning what our house looks like. We were supposed to note if anyone else was there, what the surrounding environment was like. Is there green space? Is it a house? Condo? Apartment? Hut? Tent? what have you. 

So we see what the scene looks like and then we meet our way distant future self. We start to see ourselves - so for me it felt like this: 

"Oh hi Sarah - hi me . . . nice to 'meet you' sort of? Great to see you... this is weird. I'm kind of excited and also kind of nervous and confused . . ." 

And then we are supposed to go off to a private, quiet space so that we can talk to each other.

I am able to sort of see Future Old Me, not super clear - but enough, as well as pretty clearly see where we go. I live in a house and there is a lot of yard around it and a garden area, I think. We go to talk by ourselves and end up sitting in a gazebo in the backyard. That was pretty cool. 

The main thing I remember from our 'conversation' is elderly Future Sarah holding out her hand to give me something. I open my palm and on it she places a little trinket. As I take a closer look I see it is a very small charm/pendant thing, like you would put on a necklace. 

It is in the shape of a train engine. I see the train and, after a beat to process and take in the shape I'm seeing, I hear the words (though neither her nor I said them): 

"if you think you can, you can"

 

This immediately made me think of my nephews and niece. They absolutely love trains. And from there, the book, The Little Engine That Could, came to mind. 

If you know the story, the little engine, throughout the whole book, keeps telling himself "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." 

He's trying to pull a train to the top of a hill, well, trying to get over a hill so he can pull his cargo back to the train station. He's struggling the whole time but he keeps telling himself that he can do it.
And he does!

Seeing that train engine pendant in my hand and hearing those words "if you think you can, you can" was definitely a confirmation that we can do whatever we want. We just have to want it enough.

And we have to believe in ourselves.