Out of the Box for Life

Warren Berland, Ph.D., LCSW

231 West 29th St., Suite 301, New York, NY 10001, 212/645-5332 wjberland@msn.com

Moments in My Life When I Spontaneously Got Out of the Box

Recall a time in your life when you were spontaneously out of the box. You may have felt a sense of profound freedom, a sense that "you" were not there, or a feeling of joy and wonder at life itself. These moments may have occurred when you were in awe of nature; dancing; experiencing the beauty of a magnificent piece of artwork; when you were skiing or running, or when you were making love. You might have experienced being without the usual burdens, concerns, or sense of separateness from others or from life itself. At these moments, clients have described a sense of oneness with the world, the presence of God, pure joy, and being absolutely at peace within themselves.
Take a moment to recall one or more of these special moments. Then ask yourself and answer the following questions:
How did I feel? What was my experience of being alive?
Do these moments have anything in common, regarding how I was responding, or what I was doing?
What can I learn about life from the perspective these experiences gave me?
How can I use this perspective?
Can I re-create the feeling now? What does it reveal?
Am I willing to accept what I experienced at these moments as insight into my true nature, and the way life really is and could be for me?

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