Breaking Fear's Hold of the Future
A GUIDED IMAGERY SCRIPT BY ARLENE HARDER, MA, MFT
Uncover memories that can help you deal with the fear of the future and that drain you of energy by having you worry about things that may never happen.
This piece is designed to help you uncover memories that can counteract the fear of what might happen tomorrow, fear that can prevent you from making changes in your life today — changes that could conceivably have a positive impact on the future. It suggests how you can reduce the control that fear wants to have over you and reaffirm your power to choose how you will live in this moment, in this day.
As with all the imagery scripts on this website, you can use this in several different ways. First, simply read it as you would read any article, with the purpose of learning something and exploring how that might apply to you. On the other hand, you may want to get into the piece more deeply by reading it several times to yourself, pausing when you come to breaks identified by three periods (. . .) in order to have time to experience that section in whatever way feels comfortable to you.
Or, you can try to experience it as a regular imagery exercise is usually done, that is, first read it into a tape player (or have a friend or family member read it for you) and then, as you listen to it, close your eyes and follow along in whatever way feels right to you. To learn more about the technique of imagery, I suggest you read Exercising the Right Side of Your Brain, Part One of Images and Symbols: The Glue of Habit, the Lubricant of Change.
Begin by becoming as comfortable as possible. . . .And as you allow your body to feel fully supported, notice the quieting sensation of your hands at rest and let your muscles relax all the way down to your toes. . . . And as you continue to relax more . . . and more, . . . allow your mind to become quiet and still. . . . Soon you find yourself in a state of pleasant consciousness. Now I invite you to follow this exercise in whatever way feels right for you.
The first part of this imagery exercise is designed to help you remember some of the many times you have controlled your life, at least to a large degree. You will be asked to recall various times when you responded with confidence and skill to the challenges sent your way. Later in the exercise you will create a very special image that can be used whenever fear threatens to overpower you. As you follow this first part of the exercise, accept your memories as gifts from your subconscious, gifts it offers you as a way out of fear.
And now, because knowledge can diminish the power of fear, recall a time when you solved a difficult problem by learning something new. . . . As you remember this, experience how good it feels to have the ability to learn and grow. . . .
And now, be aware that fear would have you believe that you have to face life all by yourself. But you are not alone. Instead of holding fear inside, where it can grow and take control, when you share it with others you diminish fear's power over your life. And so, recall now a time when, because you expressed your feelings and your needs clearly, you were supported by others. . . . And as you remember, feel love and gratitude flowing throughout your body because you have caring people in your life. . . .
Turn your attention now to something else that fear would have you forget. You see, concern about the future comes in large part from worrying that you might make mistakes. And you might. But you can challenge this concern by validating yourself as a person who not only has many natural talents in solving problems but also has an ability to learn from mistakes. And so, recall now a time when you made a mistake, were able to forgive yourself and learned from it. . . .
And now, notice that fear wants you to focus on the separate details of life, seeing one thing as good and another as bad, with particular emphasis on the bad. And of course, we all have a tendency to see one part of our lives as acceptable and another as unacceptable. But like all of us, you have also had experiences that transcended that sense of separateness, times when you experienced the ordinary, individual details of life as a whole. You may have felt this connection with the essence of life when you held a newborn child or when you stood on a cliff overlooking the ocean, wondering how many millions of other people have looked at that same ocean for countless centuries. And so, recall now a time when you connected with this sense of oneness. . . .
And finally, turn your attention to one of the most powerful things you can do to keep fear from bringing the future into the present -- you can choose to accept the future only when it actually arrives. Furthermore, you banish fear by choosing to celebrate the pleasures that life offers in each moment, for fear is a very serious emotion, with no sense of pleasure and certainly no sense of humor. It wouldn't approve if you relaxed in the bathtub with a box of chocolates and a trashy novel. It doesn't want you to laugh at a funny little bird hopping along the beach or share a silly story with an old friend. Why? Because you can't be overwhelmed by fears of the future if you're fully focused on the present. And so, bring your attention now to this present moment, this time that has never been before and will never be again. . . . And as you focus on this moment, allow a feeling of peace and serenity to gently flow throughout your body. . . .
As you continue to feel centered and calm, we come to the last part of this exercise, creating an image that can reduce the power that fear wants to have over you. Begin by noticing that, in the entire landscape of your life, there is some healthy concern about what might happen. But there is also much, much more. And so, with a deep appreciation for your ability to respond positively to all of life, allow an image of strength and confidence to bubble up from deep within. This may appear to you as an object you can actually experience with your senses or you may just get a general feeling of what it could be. However this image appears, experience it as fully and as powerfully as you can. . . .
As you hold this image in your mind, allow yourself to be filled with confidence and peace. . . . Feel how wonderful it is to know that while you may not have control over everything that happens to you, you have the power to choose how to live. In that choosing, you take away from fear its ability to control your sense of well-being. And so, when you first become afraid of any of the many things that fear would have you worry about, recall the image you have just created and hold it in your heart. And if, once-in-awhile, you find yourself lost in fear or emotionally stuck, repeat this exercise. Then you may discover that you can create an even more powerful image that can help you realize fear need not be your master. And when you have an image that brings you peace and comfort, you may want to use it when other strong emotions try to focus all your attention on their agenda for your life.
And now turn your attention back to the room you are in, bringing with you one particular thing about fear that would be good for you to remember . . . and then feel your body supported by the furniture, . . . take a deep energizing breath, . . . stretch your arms and legs . . . and return to full awareness, realizing that while you will always be aware of the reality of cancer — and of other problems that will certainly come your way from time-to-time — you do not need to be a prisoner of fear.
© Copyright 1995, Arlene Harder, MA, MFT |
