Once upon a time, there was a general leading his army into battle against an
enemy ten times the size of his own. On the way to the battlefield, the troops stopped by a small temple to pray for victory.
The general held up a coin and told his troops, “I am going to implore the gods to help us crush our enemy. If this coin lands heads up, we’ll win. If it shows tails, we’ll lose. Our fate is in the hands of the gods. Let’s pray wholeheartedly.”
After a short prayer, the general tossed the coin. It landed heads up. The troops were overjoyed and went into the battle in high spirits. Just as predicted, the smaller army won the battle.
The soldiers exalted the gods, proclaiming, “It’s good to have the gods on our side! No one can change what they have determined.”
“Really?” The general then showed them the coin again — both sides of it showed heads.
Commentary
As the General in our own lives, we can set up the circumstances in which we give ourselves no alternative other than to attain our desires, whatever the odds. Our fate is in our own hands or, more accurately stated, we are the hands of our own fate. Our beliefs and actions create our destiny for better or worse. Here the soldiers were tricked into believing that the gods had destined them to crush an army ten times the size of their own. With that belief, they carried out their mission in high spirits.
We’ve all known people who have triumphed over difficult circumstances by sheer will and determination, never wavering from their purpose. As Louise Hay put it, ”What you think and what you believe are what will come true for you. Your thoughts create your life. Once you accept this you can start to deliberately create what you want in your life.”
We take responsibility for our lives by acknowledging that we are not victims of the conditions we face. Our thoughts/feelings led to the actions that have created our present reality.
We can intentionally change our thoughts and beliefs and thus change our current and future circumstances. We can choose the way we think by resisting old habits and focusing our attention on the positive, regardless of our current circumstances. We can choose the way we think and take new actions to support it.
But first, we must imagine it. Everything that comes into the world has been imagined first.
Visualization
Mental imagery has long been employed by professional athletes to boost their strength, confidence, and results. We experience the real-world and imaginary actions in similar ways. By changing your thoughts and mental images, you change your “Reality.” When you change your thoughts and attitudes, you reshape your world.
Visualization is a mental practice.Everyone uses visualization subconsciously, but very few use it positively. We can make our brain believe that attaining a goal is possible, simply by using visualization. People who think they are fortunate to make positive things happen for themselves. We can visualize anything; the only limit is our own mind.
Imagery is our most fundamental language. We think in pictures. If we learn to use imagination and visualization in the right way, it can be a tremendously powerful technique to achieve what we want in our lives by focusing all our attention and imagination on it. When we first practice visualization techniques, we open our mind and hearts in order to allow in, without censoring or judging, what we truly want to manifest in our lives, The more we practice, the clearer the details of our vision become. Like the GPS in our car, our subconscious will guide us to the actions that will allow us to attain what is is we imagine. We will find ourselves attracting experience and people that facilitate these desires.
Exercise
- The first step is to relax. Visualization takes practice to master and only works when we are calm. Use familiar meditation techniques for relaxing your mind and body. Start by closing your eyes and placing your attention on your breath.
- The second step is to imagine. As children, we were creative dreamers. As we grow older we are influenced by the stories we inherited and the expectations of others. Dreaming is the design state of creating the future. When visualizing, we use our imagination for something other than worrying. Start by asking yourself what you want to change about your life, what you want to achieve, and who is the person you want to be. Observe those thoughts and images as they pass through your mind.
- Next, Imagine your life exactly as you want it. Don’t entertain doubt right now. Stay on the positive side and positive outcomes while imagining. Our subconscious doesn’t distinguish whether what you are visualizing is a real or imagined. It will pursue what you ask it to. “What you think about you bring about”. Allow yourself to imagine all that will make you happy in the future as if the future is now.
- Fill in all the details of you imagined life in your visualization. Imagine sounds, color, and smells. Imagine what you are doing and, what and who is around you. Become aware of the feelings you’re experiencing. When we strongly visualize our dreams, we feel it in our bodies. Good feelings bring positive energy.
- Stay focused on your vision. When thoughts of doubt or fear enter your mind, observe them, then gently let them go. Believe that your life is already there. Belief is a most important part of visualization. If we can see it by visualizing, we can believe it and achieve it. Everything that has every come into the world has been imagined first.
- Open your eyes and delight in the satisfaction of your dream.Think of that it often as you go about your day. Practice visualizing every day and soon you will find yourself taking actions and attracting people and experiences that move you closer to the life you want.
