Past Performances

Step 1 The trainer explains the difference between happiness and joy: "Happiness is always situated in the here and now. You can't be happy anywhere else. Like the breath, we only have this special moment here and now, the moment in which we breathe in and the moment in which we breathe out. It is always in the present, the here and now. It is important to reflect on what true happiness is and where we can find it. If we think about it we will see that we cannot find it in the past or in the future. The past is gone and our memories of it are unreliable. The future is the unknown and the uncertain. Therefore, we can only find happiness in the present. On the other hand, joy, which is always associated with time - with the future or with the past. We can look ahead or have a pleasant anticipation of things we will do and like, or we can look back in time and remember situations we have enjoyed. While happiness is associated with consciousness, with the enjoyment of the here and now, joy is associated with thinking and thinking always needs a temporal dimension, the past or the future: making plans (future), comparing (past), deciding on the basis of experience (past) etc. Step 2 The trainer illustrates that in difficult situations, when we have problems, it happens that we are not aware of all the strengths we have shown in the past, and helps the participants to think of situations that brought a lot of joy in their lives. This can also be useful when we find ourselves in unpleasant situations. In such situations, fond memories are great sources of power. "You can use the power of pleasant memories to think about situations that brought joy into your life. This can also help you when you find yourself in an unpleasant situation. In such situations, pleasant memories are a great source of power. Close your eyes and relax. Now you can listen to the music and see what kind of sensations you experience, or you can listen to what I am telling you and let yourself be invited on a journey, where you can discover other experiences. Pay attention to your breathing, and be aware of it. Don't force anything, just observe your breathing. Feel your muscles relax now. As you breathe in and out, you relax more and more. As you listen to me, you enter a more relaxed and attentive state of consciousness. Try now to think again about one of those experiences of joy and try to get as close as possible to that situation. Be part of this situation and live it with all your senses. What can you see in this special moment? Are there more people or are you alone? What can you hear? Is someone talking or are you talking to yourself? Or are there other sounds you can hear? And what do you feel at this moment? Are you touching someone or something? Do you have something in your hands? What are you feeling internally at this special moment? Do you experience any specific taste? Try to live this moment with all your senses and when you have the feeling that this situation is very intense, try to make it even more intense and enjoy it more and more. Now think of all the skills you are using right now. Think of all the talents you may need in connection with this special event. What are you doing and what kind of skills are you using right now? Live this moment with all your senses as you use all your skills and talents. Now say goodbye to this special moment and think of a challenge you have to face in the present or in the near future. Also try to live this situation with all your senses. What do you see, hear and feel? Be aware of how you are using all your skills and talents to face this challenge. Now go back to the here and now at your own pace. You can take a deep breath or move your body gently back to this place, the here and now. Perhaps you can bring with you the good feeling you experienced while doing the exercise. Now open your eyes and look around. Be aware of who else is present and keep in mind all your talents and abilities as you return to the consciousness of the here and now. Step 3 The participants use the paper and write down the pleasant experiences they have just evoked, focusing on the strengths and talents they have used in this situation. These papers remain in the hands of the participants, who can use them to remember their strengths in the face of future challenges.