If you had the opportunity to see your own future, would you take it? This is a question I wrestled with a lot while writing my YA novels, Timeless and Timekeeper (Random House), which tell the story of a girl who can travel back and forth through time -- and whose actions constantly impact the world around her. As I put my characters in these surreal situations, I often asked myself, on a real-world level: Would it really be an advantage to know what lies ahead in life? Or would it more than likely lead down a messy rabbit hole of trying to change your destiny? What I came away with was a method for using the idea of time-travel to improve our lives and bring us the destiny we want and choose -- right now.
Imagine that five years ago, you got to jump into the future for a sneak-peek of where you are in life today: your current home, job, relationship status, etc. Would the big reveal of Future You be a thrill or a disappointment? While we may not be able to literally see what lies ahead, we mere mortals can still create the future we want by doing a little time travel mind trick -- or as I like to call it, mind travel!
Still with me? The idea is this: As many a self-improvement guru will tell you, your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between what is real and imagined. And if you believe something to be real with every fiber of your being, your subconscious will do everything in its power to prove you right -- by making your dream a reality. So the way in which time travel can be a useful tool is through visualization. Looking into the future, what do you want to see? Imagine it in as much detail as you can: your dream career, partner, house, and life. See yourself jumping out of bed in the morning excited to start your day, because there is so much fabulousness in your life and so much to look forward to! The most important part is this: believing that what you're seeing in your mind is the future, that you caught a real glimpse of all that's to come. By believing in this vision fully, your subconscious and your actions in the present will align to bring you toward the future you've just seen.
I know, that sounds super New-Agey! But I've seen it work firsthand. If I were to jump back in time to visit my younger self, I'd find a kid who was obsessed with books and who constantly daydreamed about becoming a published author. I know all that daydreaming, aka mind traveling, played a role in making this dream come true.
Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith. Will you make the jump?
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