Positive Change with the Alexandrian Practice

Can we choose our future?

I have been watching the HBO network programme “Flashforward” as it has been broadcast in the UK on channel 5. What great entertainment, people see a vision of the future and it seems to affect the way people think and act in everyday situations. This vision therefore has a potential impact on the choices the characters make. They potentially give up striving for the things that make them happy and wait for the future to turn into reality.


Can the future depend on the choices we make right now? Is it possible to change our futures by the choices we make day to day? The great Baseball player Yogi Berra said when you come to the fork in the road – take it! Perhaps this means don’t wait to see what happens but to me it shows that by making a choice we are shaping what happens next, what happens in the future and being mindful of the changes we make will provide the best result for us today.

How can we be mindful, what does that mean? Mindfulness as a concept has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years and is currently a hot topic of research and clinical practice. There maybe many different definitions but to me mindfulness is about being in the here and now, making a connection between the past and what you want in the future. A holistic approach that is focussed on the integration of our past experiences, our future wishes and our sensory map of the world to bring a meaning to the actions we choose. By being present in the moment it helps us make the positive changes we need to reach our goals and dreams.

By focussing on our dreams and seeing ourselves living our aspirations we can subconsciously make the choices we need to take the right path. It affects our perception of the environment, the context of the choice we need to make and any trade-offs that need to be made. By being here in the now, we can take all we need from our past experiences and align them to where we want to be.

The characters in Flashforward who want their futures are happy in the Present; they have a firm vision of what they desire. The Doctor, who finds life is better than he thought, is suddenly energised for the future and making positive choices to change his direction. Could we do the same if we can really see what we want?

I think we can and it certainly seems better than waiting for the future to change our directions. If we don’t want what we can see in the future, do we sabotage the choices we make to make sure they never will and then end up with something we really don’t want, out of control and drifting to the whims of fortune?

By being in the moment, we can fully realise our wishes by making the most of what our senses are telling us. How many of us have found ourselves “on automatic” when we are driving or some other familiar task. Making choices in these modes is like working to a prearranged script. Using techniques from Cognitive Hypnotherapy, NLP and EFT it is possible to be more in the moment, taking control of our choices and making a positive choice so you can change direction and realise your dreams.

I am keen to see what happens next in the TV series, but also a little frustrated. Just like when you are watching a horror movie and the lead character decides to walk alone down a poorly lit haunted house and you want to shout “don’t do it”. Watching “Flashforward” sometimes makes me want to shout “don’t to it, think positive and make the change you need, be mindful and in the moment. Dare to dream because you can get there”.

posted by Alexandrian Practice for Positive Change @ 00:03