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Levelling Up

    

Visualisation - illustrating before, during, and after a "level up", or SHIFT, in your life 

FULL VERSION - (excertps available on INSPIRATIONAL LIVING PODCAST - Show episode, 30 July 2020 :  Level Up Your Life)

 

"So imagine there is this green, lush, valley, with a river flowing through it, there are houses there, yours is there too somewhere, and there are other buildings scattered around the land around the river.

There is one mountain that you particularly notice and it is towering over the village, on one side of the valley.

 

You are looking up the side of the mountain, you see greenery reaching up the side of it and you see that somewhere towards the top it gets more rocky and less green - the last third of the mountain is like that.

You may sometimes look up the mountain side - but may not feel particularly drawn to it or that you need to know what it is like up there - you may have no desire to go up there and find out ….

You go about your daily life in the valley, you have your family with you, some friends, you have your work place there, your daily activities … then one day something draws your attention to the mountain side, wayyy up, you hear somebody calling or singing from up there … you hear a helicopter and see it circling the mountain side… you know that something is definitely going on up there. Lots of activity.

Something is pulling you towards wanting to find out what is going on, what is happening, you have all these questions in your head, how did somebody even get up there, what are they doing there, why did they go up there, why did they leave the valley, what could have pulled them up there?

So this goes on for a while - some days, weeks, even a month, you even have dreams about what is happening, it is influencing your daily life, your thoughts...   and you find it is on your mind more and more … until one day you finally decide, you just HAVE to get up there, you have to start that journey going up on that mountain side, to see for yourself what was going on, what that person was doing up there.

So you set off, you've packed a backpack with some necessary supplies, put on your hiking boots, and go off. You know that you don’t have to let anyone know why you are going, you are just feeling drawn to go.

  

You start climbing, you notice the silence as you head up the mountain side, you notice the animal life that is around you, insects, rabbits, snakes, birds, or other animals you may see.

You notice the wind. You close your eyes and  imagine all kinds of things as the wind is blowing in your face, and the sun is warming you. You are beginning to feel at one with the mountain side.  It is as if time is standing still, and time is not important - you are learning a lot of things about your own movement, your observations, your thoughts, your perception.  The valley below you seems so small now.  You don’t know how many days you have been gone. And it is not important in the situation. But you still feel your family, your friends when you think of them. They are still there. Some acquaintances may begin to fade a little bit, in your mind. You notice some feel stronger in your heart than others.   

  

 

You are now in the area with no greenery, you find yourself on the rocky part of the mountain. You look at the view – it takes your breath away – the wind is so familiar to you now, it is like it is speaking to you. You are hearing it talking to you, it is like you know what to do next, it is giving you guidance.

You look towards the very top of the mountain – you look down at your feet. You feel strong and ok to climb the next bit of the mountain, so you can see what is up there, and on the other side. You have forgotten about the person you heard calling from up there – and the helicopter – it comes in to your mind briefly, but you know now that this is not important. What is important is that you are up here now, you are having your experience of the mountain, and you are feeling the urge to now continue to the top, to see what is up there, and what is on the other side.

 

So you walk, you stop, you walk you stop, you take in the view - suddenly you find yourself thinking what am I doing up here?, where am I going?, what made me go up here? - and you may feel scared suddenly as you are noticing all these thoughts going on in your mind.

So you take a deep breath, close your eyes, you feel the wind, and you feel the connection with the wind again – you know that this trip of yours is bigger than those questions in your mind. You surrender to that feeling of connection with the wind, with your boots on the ground – and you turn towards the top, and you walk up those last steps, with persuasion and drive – and … you finally reach the top! Just then, the sun comes out from behind a few clouds in the sky and shines directly on you, bathing you in light, and lighting up the valley on the other side! You hear a bird squawking as if it is greeting you.

You feel free and exhilarated!

You are looking down at this new valley below you  – you recognise some familiar houses, you see your own house, you feel your loved ones in your heart, you see well-known roads, landmarks, but … you also notice new places you havent seen before, a new lake with boats in it, some new houses, and you notice the valley stretching further than you remember, into the horizon in between two mountain sides…

You feel rejuvenated! Excited! Like you cant wait to get down there and explore and find out what has happened. You feel excited and happy about reuniting with your family and your friends. And you feel excited about finding out what all those new places are, and what about the extension of the valley and you are already feeling a little curious and excited about what you will do when you get down there. You already know that you cannot go back to the valley you came from. It suddenly seems small and vague now. You just feel it. It is like you are prevented from going back, and you also have no desire to. You are excited about the new valley, and you are excited about going down there. You are curious about what you will do, what you will feel drawn to do. And you feel excited about reuniting with those you love, and seeing them again – and you just know that you will meet somebody new as well – you know that lots of new awaits you."

 

 

© Marianne Johansen, 2020