Your ability to visualize your dreams
will serve as a catalyst in their creation.
Visualization exercises and techniques are incredibly powerful. Some psychologists are now claiming that one hour of visualization is worth seven hours of physical effort. Remember, your subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined experience. It can’t differentiate between your remembering, pretending, or actually experiencing the event. It responds to all of them equally. Through various visualization techniques you can fully experience any situation as though it were real. You can create emotional and physiological responses to the situation you are visualizing. Your subconscious mind will internalize this information and store it as truth, and the universe will respond to this vibrational energy with the manifestation that matches it.
Visualization is daydreaming
with a purpose.
Bo Bennett
Here is an example of a two part visualization exercise that paints a vivid picture in your mind and brings home the fact that your thoughts and emotions influence your body, as well.
As you read part one, notice how you feel emotionally and physically, and pay attention to how those feelings and sensations differ in part two of the example.
The Skyscraper Visualization.
Part One
Take a deep breath and let yourself relax . . . Imagine that you are standing in the middle of a small terrace on the top of the tallest skyscraper in the entire world. Also, imagine that this terrace has no railing . . . there is nothing at all between you and that vertical drop. As you are standing there, look down at your feet and notice what the terrace is made out of. Are you standing on tile, concrete, asphalt, wood, or stone? Notice that the weather is nice. The sun is shining, there is a soft cool breeze, and you can feel the warmth of the sun on your face and your arms . . . what noises can you hear? Maybe there are some pigeons or other birds up there. Maybe you can hear a helicopter flying by or the street noises far below. . . . Now, walk out to the very edge of the terrace and put your toes right against the edge. Look down at the street far, far below . . . see how incredibly small everything appears to be from way up here. As you are doing this notice how you are feeling. . . . Now, slowly walk back to the center of the terrace . . . still remembering just how you felt when you were standing at the edge and looking down.
Most people will notice some type of emotional and physical reaction. You may have felt your heart racing, your palms sweating, dizziness, or nausea. You may have experienced a feeling of tension or fear.
Part Two
Take a deep breath and let yourself relax . . . imagine once more that you are standing on top of the same terrace, on top of the same skyscraper as before, only this time you have beautiful white feathered wings, and you are totally confident in your ability to fly. You realize that you are totally safe. . . . So, let yourself walk to the edge of the terrace and when you get there, just gently bend your knees, push off, and fly. . . . Notice what it feels like to fly—feel the wind rushing beneath your wings as you soar and glide effortlessly through the sky . . . feel the exhilaration and the freedom. . . . After a while, let yourself fly to any place on the planet that you would really like to be right now. . . . It might be a favorite vacation spot, a place you like to go when you want to be alone, or a special place you would like to go to be with someone you care about. . . . When you get there, just let yourself gently land and spend a few moments enjoying yourself, doing whatever you would like to do there . . . notice how you feel right now, physically, and emotionally.
Compare the different emotional and physical reactions you felt in part one and part two of the visualization. Notice the lightness, joy, and sense of expansion you feel in part two of this example.
Now, think about this for a moment. You haven’t gone anywhere, you haven’t left the room, you’ve only taken a few minutes to visually imagine these two experiences, and yet you probably felt very distinct and different emotional and physiological changes occurring. The vivid images you created in your mind were completely real to your subconscious mind, and it responded to your imagined experiences on an emotional and physiological level as though they were actually occurring.
You are responsible for the images you create in your own mind. So, if you spend time and energy imagining the worst case scenarios in your life, then you are physically and emotionally responding to those images and attracting that very same type of negative energy and circumstance into your life. You must choose to visualize positive, inspirational, and uplifting images, in order to create a vibrational match for what you do want to attract in your life.
This is the power of visualization.
Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a
mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this
picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your
mind will seek to develop the picture.
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
Create your day with this simple visualization.
Sit in a comfortable upright position, close your eyes, and bring your hands together, fingertips touching in your lap, with your spine nice and straight. Now take several slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Concentrate on the rise and fall of your stomach and chest with each breath and, with each breath, find yourself becoming more and more relaxed. Now, just let your breathing find its own natural rhythm—slow, steady, and relaxed. Imagine a radiant white light slowly coming up the left side of your body—starting at your left foot and gradually coming up through your left leg, the left side of your torso, shoulders, neck, and face, moving right up to the top of your head, and then slowly moving down the right side of your face, neck, shoulders, torso, hip, and leg, filling each and every cell in your body with radiant white light. Now, go ahead and do this twice more at your own pace, visualizing and experiencing pure white light coming up the left side of your body and down the right side.
With your fingertips still joined in your lap, begin a period of concentration. You may choose to concentrate on a visual symbol or image such as a flower, a source of white light or a still lake—or you may wish to silently repeat a word, seed thought, or a mantra such as “Peace” or “Joy” or “I am love.” Silently repeat the image or thought over and over without letting any other thoughts come into your mind. If your mind does begin to wander, just bring it gently back to your point of concentration and know that your ability to stay focused will increase with practice.
Next is receptivity and observation. Separate your hands and place them palms facing upward in your lap, relax your mind, and just notice and observe wherever your tension goes—to thoughts, memories, planning, images, worries, sensations, or insights. Just notice and observe from a neutral position.
And now, completion. Close both of your hands lightly and, again, imagine a luminous white light surrounding you, filling you and protecting you. While you are still surrounded by this white light, visualize this day the way you would like it to go. You may have to adjust to unforeseen circumstances and events that show up, but go ahead and create your day the way you want it to be, paying special attention to how you want to be, act, and feel today. Visualize yourself manifesting the qualities you choose for yourself, such as love, joy, courage, strength, patience, and perseverance. See yourself interacting with others with calm, self-assurance, enthusiasm, and clarity. See yourself communicating clearly, stating your desires and intentions, asking for and getting the nurturing you want.
Now, see the specific steps that you will take to achieve your most important goals, and create your day the way you want it to go. See the faces and hear the voices of important people in your life congratulating you on the achievement of your goals and the quality of your being. And now, imagine the emotions you will feel when you are living your day the way you want it to go, and create those feelings in your body right now.
Take a few deep breaths, and once again, place your awareness on the rise and fall of your stomach and your chest as you breathe deeply in and out. Then, when you’re ready, slowly open your eyes, and know that this will be a beautiful day.
Aim not for what you are,
but for what you could be.
Lucas Hellmer
Your vision book.
Your vision book is probably your most valuable tool. It is your map of the future, a tangible representation of where you are going. It represents your dreams, your goals, and your ideal life. Because your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation—by representing your desires with pictures and images you will actually strengthen and enhance their vibrational level. The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” certainly holds true here. Visual images and pictures will stimulate your emotions, and your emotions are the vibrational energy that activates the Law of Attraction.
You have already defined your dreams.
Now, it’s time to illustrate them visually.
This world is but a canvas
to our imaginations.
Henry David Thoreau
Create a personal vision book that clearly depicts the future you wish to create. Find pictures that represent or symbolize the experiences, feelings, and possessions you want to attract into your life, and place them in your book. Have fun with the process! Use photographs, magazine cutouts, pictures from the Internet—whatever inspires you. Be creative. Include not only pictures, but anything that speaks to you. Consider including a picture of yourself in your book. If you do, choose one that was taken in a happy moment. You will also want to post your affirmations, inspirational words, quotations, and thoughts here. Choose words and images that inspire you and make you feel good.
This is a book unlike any other.
You are the author, you are the artist.
This is your map.
You can use your vision book to depict goals and dreams in all areas of your life, or in just one specific area that you are focusing on. Keep your life purpose in mind and refer to the list you created when defining your dreams. Keep it neat, and be selective about what you place in your vision book. It’s a good idea to avoid creating a cluttered or chaotic book—you don’t want to attract chaos into your life. Remember, these are your dreams, so choose them well. Use only the words and images that best represent your purpose, your ideal future, and that inspire positive emotions in you. There is beauty in simplicity and in clarity. Too many images and too much information will be distracting and harder to focus on.
If you are working on visualizing and creating changes in many areas of your life, then you may want to use more than one vision book. For instance, you might use one vision book for your personal goals and dreams and another for career and financial goals. You might even want to keep your career vision book at the office or on your desk as a means of inspiration and affirmation.
How to use your vision book.
Try keeping your vision book on the nightstand next to your bed. Leave it standing in an open position as often as you are comfortable with, and spend time each morning and evening visualizing, affirming, believing, and internalizing your goals. The time you spend visualizing in the evening just before bed is especially powerful. The thoughts and images that are present in your mind during the last forty-five minutes before going to sleep are the ones that will replay themselves repeatedly in your subconscious mind throughout the night, and the thoughts and images that you begin each day with will help you to create a vibrational match for the future you desire.
As some time goes by, and your dreams begin to manifest, look at those images that represent your achievements, and feel gratitude for how well the Law of Attraction is working in your life. Acknowledge that it is working. Don’t remove the pictures or images that represent the goals you’ve already achieved. These are powerful visual reminders of what you have already consciously and deliberately attracted into your life.
Remember to write down the date you created your vision book. The universe loves speed, and you will be amazed at just how quickly the Law of Attraction responds to your energy, commitment, and desires. Much like a time capsule, this book will document your personal journey, your dreams, and your achievements for that particular year. It will become a record of your growth, awareness, and expansion that you will want to keep and reflect back upon in years to come.
The biggest adventure you can ever take
is to live the life of your dreams.
Oprah Winfrey
It’s a good idea to create a new vision book each year. As you continue to grow, evolve, and expand, your dreams and aspirations will also continue to grow, evolve, and expand. This will help you continue to stay focused, motivated, and inspired. You might want to make this a new tradition within your family. If you have children, or younger siblings, help them to create their own book, and encourage their dreams too. You will be amazed at how truly insightful, empowering, inspirational, and fun this process can be.
These vision books are meant to be kept and cherished. They chronicle not only your dreams, but your growth and achievements. There is nothing more precious than your dreams, and this book is the face of your dreams. These beautiful words and pictures represent your future. They create a vibrational match for what you want to attract and create in your life.
Envision your future.
Imagine the possibilities.
Know they are real.
A dream is your creative vision for your life
in the future. You must break out of your
current comfort zone and become comfortable
with the unfamiliar and the unknown.
Denis Waitley