Imagine What You Want, Not What You Don’t Want

Imagine that you are dreaming the following:

The adrenaline is rushing through your veins as you sprint through the dense forest, your heart pounding. The menacing growls of the cougar echo behind you, its hot breath painting goosebumps on your skin. You can feel its eyes locked on you, its hunger driving it closer with each passing second. Just as you think you can outrun the predator, it lungs at your head with lightning speed. You feel the rush of wind as its claws slice through the air, narrowly missing your face. With a surge of fear and determination, you push yourself to run faster, your instincts screaming at you to survive. You know you have to outsmart the deadly beast if you want to see another day.

You wake up! Boom! You are sweaty, your heart is racing, and you are out of breath.

Has this ever happened to you? You have a dream and you wake up and your heart is racing as if you’d just run a mile at your fastest pace. Yet, you have not moved a muscle. How is it that your body is reacting as if you’d just run through a forest and were about to be attacked?

The visualization is so real in your mind that it causes an intense physical reaction in the body.

If you have had the delight of turning the pages of my novel, Under the Roof, you have discovered that the protagonist, Aggie Drakos, has dreams that cardiovert her into her day. She often wakes sweaty, heart racing, or aroused! Did I say aroused? Well, she does have a dream about Richard Gere and her in a hot tub. Yes, sexual thoughts can cause our bodies to react. A perfect example that needs no further explanation, if you know what I mean.

How about when you read a book and the words on the page enter your mind and create a physical reaction…you cry, you are angry, or you laugh.

This shows us that when the mind believes something strongly enough, the body will respond to it as if it is reality.

So the question is, what are you thinking about so strongly that your body is reacting to it? And I’m not talking about dreams anymore, I’m talking about when you are awake, driving to work, at the grocery store, or taking a walk.

We are creating a future based on what we are thinking about. The body isn’t doing anything, the mind creates the feelings in the body as if they were actually happening.

We need to start imagining what we want, not what we don’t want.

If you imagine what you DON’T want, first, your body will respond to that…high blood pressure, tiredness, anxiety, etc. If you imagine what you DO want, your body will respond to that…walking with confidence, happiness, contentment, etc.

First, know what you want. Write it out in detail. Where do you want to be in 2 years, 5 years, 10 years? Write it all out. What will you feel like? What will you smell? Now, project yourself into an event or a future event.

Suppose you are a young man and you want to become a senior representative at your company. Imagine this: 

You are standing tall and confident, dressed in an expensive tailored suit that hugs your broad shoulders and accentuates your trim waist. The crisp white shirt underneath is perfectly pressed, and your silk tie matches the suit impeccably. Your shoes shine, and your hair is styled impeccably. The smell of your cologne is intoxicating and alluring. Your scent lingers in the air, leaving a trail of elegance in its wake. With each step you take, heads turn. You exude an air of power and authority that demands attention. It was clear that this man is someone of high stature and influence, with an aura that commands respect from all those around him.

You continue to visualize yourself in this situation. Add music to your visualization to enhance the experience. Play Chariots of Fire while you are engaging in your visualization. And now…visualize this every day!

You are brainwashing yourself to believe in yourself and get what you want.

You can now take active steps to reach your goals: arriving early to work and performing your duties with excellence; studying books on leadership; staying fit and healthy, etc.

Stop visualizing what you DON’T want; visualize what you WANT!

Become so obsessed with your future, that you make it happen! Walk in confidence.

If you can think about a bad day and feel dread and anxiety in your body, then you can think about a good day and feel confidence and excitement about the good things that are about to happen!