In my work with clients, whether it’s hypnotherapy or coaching, one of the core questions that comes up is, “Tell me who you want to be.”

My clients have a sense of their ideal self. Sometimes they can describe that person in full detail, other times they have a very vague sense of that version of them even existing, but they can feel them trying to get their attention.

Many times this vague awareness will appear as “I know life can be better, I can feel it. I just can’t tell you what that means.”

I understand that experience. That was what I was saying to myself over 10 years ago.

Where Is Your Ideal Self?

Often, I’ll hear clients describe ‘stepping into my power’ or ‘stepping into belief’ which is an interesting phenomenon of speech that I will tend to challenge for awareness.

If we imagine stepping into something, that means it is outside of us. The idea of stepping into our power places our strength outside of our being, rather than as a core part of who we are.

Which feels stronger to you, “stepping into your power” or “unleashing your power”?

When I client connects to the latter idea, their energy elevates as they begin remembering who they really are, and that their ideal self is inside of them waiting, yearning, calling to be released.

Over years, that core self has been covered over by the mud of life experience, just like the Golden Buddha. Hidden away for protection, playing it safe, living small so your Divine golden self isn’t harmed.

That’s when we begin believing in the mud rather than knowing the gold.

Belief and Disbelief

Belief is a powerful tool in creating and manifesting, that has been stated over and over for millennia.

What doesn’t get discussed is the idea of disbelief.

When we read fiction, particularly works of fantasy, science fiction, and super-heroes, we need to willingly suspend our disbelief so that we can enjoy the material. This is where we pause our critical thinking skills so that we can enjoy something that does not exist in the real world.

Otherwise, you wind up like my dad watching Star Wars smugly commenting, “What a crock of shit!” every five minutes. Where’s the joy in that?

Or, you wind up surrounded by well-meaning, but toxic friends who shit on your dream by saying things like, “I don’t see you doing that,” “Who do you think you are to do that?” or “I’d never do anything like that…” (subtly suggesting that you shouldn’t either).

Living Beyond Normal

To create that which does not currently exist, we need to suspend our disbelief in our ability to be our ideal self.

The disbelief comes from the mud of experience. That’s your imposter/ego self talking. It only knows what it knows, and it wants to protect you. That’s fine. It’s noble cause and it’s gotten you this far.

Transcending, living beyond what you and others consider normal, creating a new experience of life that does not exist for you yet, requires both belief in yourself and the suspension of disbelief.

What are you currently believing about yourself and what you deserve in life that is really blocking your happiness? On the other side of that idea is your bigger dream life waiting to become reality.