Sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But so are the results experienced by myself and others who have put this simple, five-minute practice into action. The practice is called positive visualization. That is right, positive visualization. Some of you may think this sounds too simple, some of you may think this sounds weird, and some of you may be ready to start a simple exercise that has more power to impact your life immediately than almost any other exercise I have come across.

Before we talk about HOW to do this exercise most effectively, let’s talk about what the purpose is and why it works. The purpose behind visualization is to allow your life to be as good and fulfilling as possible-both in your actual results and in the attitude with which you approach your day.

Here’s why it works: Our minds are always thinking. We replay situations, and usually, we replay the negative ones much more often than the positive ones. If we’re not revisiting the frustrations of today, we are rehearsing worrisome situations for tomorrow. And, what you focus on in your mind is what your subconscious works to achieve.

That sounds very philosophical…so let’s use a sports analogy. Take football (far enough from philosophical?) When a quarterback goes to complete a pass, what is he supposed to look at? Not his hands, not the ball, not even where the intended receiver is at the current moment, but where he wants the ball to end up, right?

Here’s another one: I used to teach hang gliding. Beginning students do not consciously know how to turn the glider. However, if a person walks a bit in their way, just enough in their line of site to freak them out, the student stares at the obstacle, hoping to avoid it, and yet their subconscious takes them right to it, and they crash! It’s amazing! They literally do not know how to turn, but by focusing on something, their subconscious turns them right to it.

Your mind does the same thing with your life, and yet for most of us, the amount of time we spend focusing on negative situations and possible negative outcomes far outweighs the amount of time we spend focusing on good. So what does your subconscious do? It takes you right to the obstacle you are focusing on trying to avoid-the negative stuff. What you are going to do in your visualization is make yourself focus on the positive outcomes you are looking forward to seeing. You might not even know consciously how to get there, but your subconscious will take over and direct you if the vision is strong enough.

So how do you create strong visions of positive things? It doesn’t require an hour of humming and chanting. You simply should set aside 5 minutes in a place where you know you can be quiet and undisturbed. I have found that pulling my car over in the same spot, every day, on my way home has provided consistent and quiet time.

Then play a movie in your mind of a scene from your future that excites you-are you on the beach with your family? Which beach? What are you wearing? Are you golfing in your retirement? Which course? Which hole? Get a clear picture. Then watch and enjoy. The first time I did this correctly, I literally got goose bumps.

On some days, the exercise will end there. On most days you will want to take another step to bring that same enjoyment into current situations that may otherwise frustrate you. All you do is keep that great feeling and change your scenery. Take it with you into tomorrow’s meeting that’s making you nervous. See how it feels to walk into that meeting with the same level of joy and excitement you had in your visualization. Now watch that meeting work itself out much more positively than you had previously imagined.

What you’ll quickly find is that not only will the possible frustrations of tomorrow start to dim in your mind, but tomorrow will often work out just as you had visualized. And not only will tomorrow be better, but your long-term vision will be solidified in your mind and your subconscious will work to get you there.

Be Free!

Leah Simpson
Instructor