The Power of Positioning

Sabine:

I am visiting a friend in a different city this weekend. And on my way here I noticed another why not: being positioned in the wrong direction.
I took the train this morning and I was coming thru Ulm, a city I’ve been traveling thru quite sometime in my life and once I even worked there for a short while. As I was waiting for the train to move on I noticed my mind going back to the times I’ve been there before. The time I worked there back when I was in my corporate job, the times I’ve changed trains there in the last few months. With those thoughts the feelings I had back then came up, too. That’s when I noticed that this specific train station has that effect on me, reminiscing about old times and falling back into those old feelings that always have some part of longing in them.
It started to dawn on me: I was daydreaming about the past diving back into those old feelings. I was positioned backwards. Yes, i have automated this place to do that, but I can see that I do that a lot of other times and places, too.
So in order to position myself forward in this situation I started anticipating my friend picking me up at the Stuttgart train station and what we’d do this weekend, like going to a Turkish restaurant, spending time at a spa, etc. The effect this “correct positioning” immediately had on me was profound: I was filled with joy and felt really amazing and positive!
I shall check more often which way I’m positioned and correct it when needed.

Adrienne:

What a great image to explain that perspective! This really speaks to me.

A few months ago, when I started painting again, I had that kind of experience too, the reminiscing. It has been about 10 years since I have been painting full time. I have done it all along on the side and periodically for fun and quick “bee money” (for vacations), but it’s been a long time since it has been the income driver. It feels quite amazing. I literally feel 25. So many of the moving parts of my vision are in place, so my mind has time to wander towards the rewards of being successful.

It was sort of funny when I first noticed my mind wanting to engage in that. It was really similar to your description. Everything felt so familiar as I was falling asleep one night. My body felt tired and happy, and I was anticipating the next day, which would be busy and also exciting. It was the last day on a job, and so in my head I was planning out the steps so I could get it all done in one day. There was a lot to do, and the actual time required was just a little bit more than one day’s work, and I would have to be really organised to get it done. Aka no daydreaming. Super focus.

And then ping! All of a sudden I felt 25. The feeling and the thoughts and the planning were almost exactly as they were when I was 25 with a crazy pants successful painting business. It was so fun!

And then yes, all of a sudden, I found myself trying to figure out how to create more things in my life that would in turn generate this feeling of awesome. Suddenly, I wondered what the heck I would think about as I fell asleep 15+ years ago when I was crazy pants successful. What were my automatic bed time meanderings?

Anticipation and excitement. Pure and honest, unadulterated, anticipation and excitement. I would be excited about the painting itself. I would be excited about the colour of the next job (those were the days of aubergine and avacado) (the name of my band). I would be excited about visiting my friends on the weekend. I would be excited about going skiing in the Fall. I would be thinking about the “needs” of the next car purchase – that happened 3X in my painting career ha! I bought 3 cars!

I was not thinking about all the things in life I did not want, was afraid of, or was trying to prevent or avoid. I was not having a “chat” with an offensive colleague or patient. I was not anticipating or solutioning a problem in my business. I was not remembering a bad relationship.

I was literally dreaming of the mountains I would climb. I was dreaming of the beautiful man I was dating and would be seeing in a few short months, dreaming of us moving in together. I would fall asleep thinking of how much fun I’d be having in Ottawa the next weekend. I would dream of the new ski boots I bought the previous Spring.

Ha! Fun to “chat” about this. I haven’t actually shared that with anyone. It seems so silly! It’s like being a little kid on Christmas Eve, or the night before we’d go on a family trip. It’s an “I can’t wait!” feeling.

So fun. Enjoy your weekend away!