Miracle Questions

This is a very specific question, originated in the 80s as a tenet of SOMETHING SOMETHING therapy. (I don't remember the name of the theory right now.)

I use it all the time with clients. It's a useful strategy of moving a person from hopeless to hopeful. I recently asked two of my best friends this question, too. The sadness that came through their answers was staggering for me: I felt like I could really feel the tender parts of themselves that dared to wish for something that they long for and the adults parts of themselves that are so afraid of those dreaming not ever coming true.

It's interesting to look at what we dare to allow ourselves. It's sad when we realize our fears of our dreams not every coming true, that what we do to combat this fear actually strips us of the very opportunity that we are looking for: we pretend that we don't these dreams since we are afraid of being disappointed by ourselves, by life.

So, of course, I ask myself this question, too.

"Now, you go home, and you go to sleep. And while you were sleeping, a miracle happens, but you don't know this. When you wake up in the morning, how you are going to know that a miracle has happened? What will be different? Walk me through your day."

(How I love my friends. How I love their ability to be honest when given the opportunity.)

For me, I will wake up in the morning, around 8 or 9 am. Sunlight will be in the room. I wake up in a beautiful house that's mine. There will be three or four rooms, full of vibrant colors, wood, and plants. I get out of bed, walk to the kitchen, turn on music, either Chinese love songs or world music, depending on my mood, and start to make tea. There will be a great assortment of various teas in the cabinet: Earl Grey, Assam, Hibiscus, English Breakfast, Lavender, and all sorts of other teas that I collect from all over the world. I will sip my tea, look out the window and see a beautiful forest. Breathe. Meditate. Listen to music. Connect with the world. Write down my dreams from the night before for later processing.

Then, around 10 or 11 am, I will going to my study where there are beautiful shelves of books that I collected over the years. My ibook. Wireless internet already set up so I can log online in no time. My cats are sleeping in the corner. I check my email first, respond to incoming requests, and start my day. I then start focusing: writing something inspiring for myself and hopefully for others. Fiction, psychology books, something that convey my desire to connect with others and my wish of helping others to connect in this world. I write with great concentration for two or three hours, and then I break for lunch. A light salad and raw fish.

Then I get ready to go out. Shower, dress, very very quickly since I don't like to spend time on getting ready. I will have a closet full of beautiful clothes and a functional car, and I go to a local agency where I see clients and run a supervision group. I see 3 to 5 clients, helping people heal. Then I head home, and Rob will be home already, and we put dinner together or I pick up some food on the way home. We share a good dinner. Not much talking. Just being with each other. After dinner, we sit outside on the porch and we read on our own, our hands linked, loosening the grip only to turn the pages.

Then we come back inside and get ready for bed. We have a wonderfully intimate relationship. The flowers from the garden smell great. There is fragrance everywhere.

My friends will know a miracle has happened to me because I will be grounded. Grounded and energetic, kind and loving.

This is the miracle I conjured up for myself.

I shall not forget.

Makes me feel happy.

I am afraid that I can't make it come true, but I know I can ask for it to come true, and do my best.

That's worth it already.