Picture this:
Imagine you go home tonight and fall asleep. It seems like a typical night. In the middle of the night, a miracle happens. You have no idea this miracle occurred. Yet, when you wake up, your problem is solved. You are unstuck. You are living your ideal life.
So, since you are unaware of this midnight miracle, what will indicate to you that it occurred? What does life look like? What has changed? What is different?
This is the Miracle Question. It is a powerful tool used by psychologists, therapists, and coaches since it’s development in the 1970s by psychotherapists Insoo Kim Berg and Steven de Shazer. It helps reveal what we really want and what possibilities exist.
When we feel stuck, we often only see the obstacles in current situations. We get stuck in a pattern of thinking where we hyperfocus on the problem, the obstacles, the now. The Miracle Question is a brain exercise that helps our mind hyperfocus on the end goal, the ideal situation. It breaks that pattern so the brain can begin to find a path to that end goal. It helps bring clarity about what we really want deep down. It expands our possibilities and our understanding of what actually is possible – not what we logically think is possible due to our current situation.
How can you use this exercise to get unstuck?
Step 1 : Take 5 minutes to really visualize what this ideal world looks like. When you wake up, what miracles have occurred in your life? Visualize the situation in as much detail as possible. What has changed? How do you feel? What emotions are you experiencing?
Step 2 : Journal in detail about this miracle day.
Step 3 : Exercise your brain daily by visualizing your self in this ideal reality for 5 minutes a day. Use all 5 senses in this visualization practice. [The power here lies in the fact that the thalamus (the part of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and reality making) cannot distinguish the difference between this being a reality or an imagination. Then, the brain, which strives for consistency, wants the image in our minds to match our actions. We can then work with our brains to forge pathways to that new ideal reality.
