The Science of Happiness

Happiness Break: A Meditation on How To Be Your Best Self, with Justin Michael Williams

May 30, 2024

Guided meditation expert Justin Michael Williams leads a meditation on visualizing your ideal future self. Learn to tap into the energy needed to become that person and step into the life of your dreams. Enhance happiness, well-being, and social connections through this powerful visualization practice.

07:47

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Episode guests

Justin Michael Williams

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Quick takeaways

Visualizing and embodying our ideal future self can motivate us towards goals and increase happiness.

Through meditation and breathwork, identifying and cultivating the energy needed to become closer to our dream self.

Deep dives

Practicing Visualization of Best Self for Happiness

Spending time imagining and writing about our best selves can motivate us towards our goals and increase happiness. Studies by Ken Sheldon at the University of Missouri, Sonya Libramersky at UC Riverside, and Madeline Peter at Maastricht University show that this practice elevates well-being, boosts social connections, and reduces stress levels. Writing down visualizations afterward can enhance the impact of this exercise, helping individuals find more meaning in life.

Visualizing Our Best Selves for Happiness

3min

Visualization Meditation for Realizing Your Dream Life

6min

Here's a favorite of ours: visualize your best possible self and tap into your inherent enough-ness with this guided meditation by Justin Michael Williams.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/5xm9ckff

How to Do This Practice:

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and visualize your ideal future self, the person of your dreams you’ve always wanted to be. Try noticing as many details as you can: What color are you wearing, how do you feel, what are you doing, is anyone with you?
Answer this question in your mind with 1-3 words: As you look at this future version of you, what energy do you need to cultivate more of in your life now, today, to become closer to being that person you see in your vision?
Breathe in deeply, and as you do imagine yourself breathing in that energy. As you exhale, imagine that energy spreading throughout your body and energy field.
Open your eyes. Remember, you have what you need to become that which you want to become. We are enough to start stepping into the life of our dreams.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Justin Michael Williams works at the intersection of social justice, mindfulness, and personal growth — with a touch of music that brings it all to life.

Learn More About Justin’s work: https://www.justinmichaelwilliams.com/
Listen to Justin’s debut album: https://www.justinmichaelwilliams.com/music
Order Justin’s book, Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide For the Rest of Us:https://tinyurl.com/2p8xu6hx
Follow Justin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wejustwill
Follow Justin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wejustwill/

More episodes like this one

How to Find Your Best Possible Self
https://tinyurl.com/6t3uws8d

Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Best Self in Relationships, With Dacher Keltner
https://tinyurl.com/5cx6cd5z

Happiness Break: Visualizing Your Purpose, With Dacher
https://tinyurl.com/39apt7tb

We love hearing from you! Tell us what brings you feelings of awe. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

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The Science of Happiness

Happiness Break: A Meditation on How To Be Your Best Self, with Justin Michael Williams

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Practicing Visualization of Best Self for Happiness

Meditation to Embrace Future Self and Cultivate Energy

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts