I created Living ROI as a passion, to share my experiences and support others who want to live more authentic, joyful and fulfilling lives.

Dear Friends,

Have you ever had a flash of the future in a vision or dream that later came to pass? This phenomenon, which can happen while awake or asleep, is known by many names—intuition, premonition, psychic vision, precognition. The vision can be about positive or negative events, but we often associate premonitions with disasters, accidents and death.

The first experience I had with a premonition was the night before my grandfather died. I was eight years old and had a vivid dream that he died. I saw the ambulance come, and it felt very real. My mother woke me up in the morning and let me know that grandpa had died that morning, and I said, “I know.”

The next memories I have of premonitions came 20 years later and were much more positive.

Finding My Partner
I met my husband, Colin, at a party at my apartment in Madrid, Spain, in February of 1992. He came with his girlfriend, Mady, who was a good friend of my roommate, Liz. I had heard about Colin. Mady was moving to Lisbon, Portugal, the very next week, and Liz told me that Mady was sad to leave this new boyfriend. Liz said I would LOVE Mady because we were similar.

I never ended up talking with Mady, but I did talk quite a bit with Colin. He seemed intrigued by my juggling business. I felt such a sense of comfort and joy talking with him. I thought to myself, “that’s the type of man I’d like to marry.” I was happy that a man like Colin was out there in the world, and it gave me hope that I would find another. I didn’t think it would be him because he was taken.

Fast forward a few months to June and Colin left me a message on my answering machine saying he wanted to buy some juggling balls. We made a plan to go out a few days later. When I opened the door and saw him for the second time ever, I had an uncanny sense that I would know his face so very well—every line and curve of it. By the end of the evening, I knew we would get married. I let him know I planned to move back to California and he said, “I could live in California.”

We were engaged by August and married on December 18, 1992, just six months after our first date, nearly 26 years ago.

Barbara and Colin at their Spanish wedding reception

Baby Dreams
In January of 1995 Colin and I were living in California and had decided to start trying to create a family. I had a vivid dream, before I was pregnant, that I gave birth to a baby girl with green eyes, and in my dream, I named her Emerald. I had never thought of that name before.

Being the planner that I was, I calculated that if I got pregnant that month, my due date would be October 11, 1995. I wrote on the calendar, “Emerald due.” My baby girl was born that very day, with green eyes! And, when I saw her for the first time, my mind flashed back to that night when I saw Colin’s face on our first date—and there was that same face on Emerald.

Colin, Barbara and Emerald on the day of Emerald’s birth

When should we really pay attention to premonitions?

In his book, The Power of Premonitions, Larry Dossey lays out four conditions when we should not ignore a strong feeling or a dream:

1. When it is accompanied by physical symptoms. Many people recounted stories of not feeling well on 9/11 and skipped work because of it. Some victims didn’t feel well but went to work anyway, according to their loved ones.
2. When it is intrusive and insistent. If a vivid thought or dream keeps you from sleeping or going about the business of the day, pay attention.
3. When it indicates death, no matter how fuzzy the details may be. This could be a message to take action. For instance, Dossey shares a story of a Utah woman who had a feeling that her husband was in danger. She rushed home in the middle of work and found him pinned underneath the SUV he was working on. She arrived just in time to save his life.
4. When it seems intensely real. For instance, you may have a vivid dream that you have an urge to write down or share with others.

Though I haven’t had a dramatic premonition for many years, I do tune into my intuition and inner compass when I’m making an important decision or dealing with a difficult situation. To do that, I get quiet and listen to my inner voice. It can be as simple as taking a walk outside or closing my eyes and breathing deeply for five to ten minutes. I also pay attention to how my body feels. If I have a pit in my stomach, or a lump in my throat, something isn’t right. When it is the right decision or situation, I can literally feel in my body that it’s right.

Do you have an uncanny premonition you’d like to share? Please reply directly to this message or post it on the Living ROI Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you positive visions!

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