If you got in touch with a personification of a younger you, what would it have to say to you? In an earlier interview, Barbara listened to herself when she was twenty.Barbara’s interview below, of a young blue bird, is another way that you can interview a younger you. When you do a life issue interview with that intention in mind, your strongest issue will turn into a young part of yourself. For Barbara, it was “the young part of her that trusts and plays at life.” Notice that this is not so much the five year old or ten year old Barbara as it is the younger part of who she is now, today. Therefore, in this interview, instead of talking directly to a “younger Barbara,” she is contacting, getting to know, and amplifying in her awareness a part of herself that is present now, as an emerging potential within her.
Its gift for Barbara is that it connects her to trust, simplicity, and living without fear, in the current moment. It is about seeing, accepting, and enjoying the freedom and abundance that exists now, in who she is and where she is, rather than diminishing the present by living in some imaginary future that may never come. If it does, will Barbara be happy then or just long for some other imaginary future? This is how most people spend their lives: in the future, out of touch with the great blessings and deep peace that is available to them right now, in this moment.
It is important to remember that this lovely young blue bird is a very important, yet one of many, emerging potentials that Barbara can access. There will be others that are great at planning for. Barbara’s future in ways that are constructive and not fear-based. A general rule of thumb is to learn to spend 90% of your time in the here and now, 5% in the past, with emphasis on how you can use its lessons today, and 5% in the future, with emphasis on setting goals that reflect the priorities of your inner compass. That means that 90% of your time is best spent living, without questioning your intentions or worrying about the future or what other people may or may not think about how you are living your life. This might be called “exorcism 101:” expelling the demons of your past and the worries about your future from your life today, now. The best way to do so is not by fighting, because to do so is to merely put yourself in conflict with yourself. It is much better to amplify your experience of being in the now, right now! Barbara’s blue bird is one example of how to do so; a breath meditation, such as the one described in Waking Up is another easy, natural way to do so. Here’s Barbara’s interview.
What are three fundamental life issues that you are dealing with now in your life?
- Finding a home so I can plant roots,
- Continuing my spiritual journey within,
- Working with animals and people
Which issue brings up the strongest feelings for you?
Finding a home
What feelings does this issue bring up for you?
A feeling of drifting
If those feelings had a color (or colors), what would it be?
IndigoBlue
Imagine that color filling the space in front of you so that it has depth, height, width, and aliveness. Now watch that color swirl, congeal, and condense into a shape. Don’t make it take a shape, just watch it and say the first thing that you see or that comes to your mind: An animal? Object? Plant? What?
It becomes a blue bird
Now remember how as a child you liked to pretend you were a teacher or a doctor? It’s easy and fun for you to imagine that you are the shape that took form from your color and answer some questions I ask, saying the first thing that comes to your mind. If you wait too long to answer, that’s not the character answering – that’s YOU now trying to figure out the right thing to say!
(Blue Bird), look out at the world from your perspective. What do you see?
I see beauty everywhere and abundance everywhere….
(Bluebird), what are you like?
I am a young bird just trying out my wings. I am happy and love the world I live in so much for me to do.
What you are doing?
I am sitting on a branch that I have just flown to and chirping at the life that is around me.
(Blue Bird), what do you like most about yourself?
I like that I have all this freedom and all this space to choose what I will do and where I will be.
What are your strengths?
I can fly, I get to see the world from above I have anything I want to eat what could be better?
(Blue Bird), what do you dislike most about yourself?
Nothing I think I have a great life.
Do you have weaknesses?
(Blue Bird), you are in Barbara’s life experience, correct? Yes She created you, right? Yes
What aspect of Barbara do you represent or most closely personify?
I represent the young part of her that trusts and plays at life.
(Blue Bird), If you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change?
Nope because I can be anywhere I want to be just the way I am. I see no reason to change when I am so happy.
(Character), how would you score yourself 0-10, in each of the following six qualities: confidence, compassion, wisdom, acceptance, inner peace, and witnessing? Why?
Confidence: 10
Compassion: 10
Wisdom: 10
Acceptance: 10
Inner Peace: 10
Witnessing: 10
(Blue Bird) If you scored tens in all six of these qualities, would you be different? If so, how would you be different?
I did score 10‘s that is why I am so happy, I have a great life.
How would Barbara’s life be different if she naturally scored like you do in all six of these qualities all the time?
She would have no questions about her life she would live in the now knowing that all is perfect just the way it is.
If you could live Barbara’s life for her, how would you live it differently?
By being happy with today and what it brings. I would not have a past or a future, just now.
If you could live Barbara’s waking life for her today, would you handle Barbara’s three life issues differently? Yes If so, how would you handle them differently?
They wouldn’t be issues for me. Living each day and enjoying what you have does not allow for issues.
What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of Barbara’s life?
Just being in the now letting go of the thought of any past or future
In what life situations would it be most beneficial for Barbara to imagine that she is you and act as you would?
All the time
Character, do you do drama? No If not, why not?
Because there is nothing I do that causes drama or brings drama to me. I am just living my life enjoying it and all that it brings me.
Blue Bird, you are imaginary. Why should your human pay attention to anything you say?
Because I am a part of her for her to imagine me
Why do you think that you are in Ani’s life?
To keep her light and fun loving
How is Barbara most likely to ignore what you are saying to her?
If she drops into fear or distrust
What would you recommend that she do about that?
Stay in the now, remember all that she has no past no future just now..
Thank you, (Blue Bird!) And now a couple questions for your human:
If this experience were a wake-up call from your inner compass, what do you think it would be saying to you?
That by appreciating all that has been given to me more will come and that all I have is now and that’s okay. I am in a beautiful home now. I am on my way to a beautiful home. I have food to eat, clothes to wear and feel loved and am happy.
Make a list of the recommendations in the interview. Read them over before you go to sleep. If they are action items, check them off if you’ve done them. If they are variable qualities, score yourself 0 – 10. Play a game: see what you can do to raise your scores half a point every day.
