I LIKE TO HAVE A PERSONAL SLOGAN
for each year. This year, it was "Feeling fine
in '99." Based upon my experiences and my learning
over the past year, I now know-feeling is key!
The practice of affirmation and visualization is a common
principle in success teachings. I believe in and practice
both. However-and this is big-I've always wondered why
it works sometimes and not others. If it's Universal
Law, then it's supposed to work all the time. If it
doesn't work consistently, then we must be doing something
wrong.
It's become clear to me why this process has produced
seemingly unreliable results. If we affirm or visualize
something and our first thoughts are of reasons why
we can't/shouldn't/might not get it, we're reversing
the process. We're focusing on what we don't want. If
our predominant thoughts are of lack or fear, then the
very process of picturing our desires is creating just
the opposite. We're creating alright, but we're creating
by default rather than with deliberate purpose. When
our feelings are in conflict with our thoughts, the
feelings usually win.
I've always thought of myself as a big thinker, although
I'm often confronted with how much bigger it can be.
Nonetheless, there have been many times that I've taken
on projects or set off on goals that were beyond my
true beliefs and expectations. I assumed that if I just
thought positively and worked hard I could make it happen.
Sometimes I did, but too often what I was thinking (I
can do it) and what I was visualizing (I have it) were
overshadowed by my fear of failing (I don't have it
and I can't do it). String several failures together
and you start to expect failure as the norm. You feel
like a failure.
I believe that thought precedes feeling. As we think
we feel. We have control over our feelings; it's just
not easy. Sometimes we need to think big but act in
smaller ways until our beliefs and our feelings catch
up with our thinking.Let's say you want to become good
at public speaking (by the way, all speaking is public
unless you're talking to yourself). You begin to picture
yourself making a presentation at your company's annual
meeting. As you do so, you feel fear. Your palms start
to sweat, your heart pounds. Is this a good visualization?
I think not. I believe that the Universe will respond
more to your strong emotion than your well-intended
thought process. As you affirm yourself unafraid, your
body is scared to death.
In this case, it would be better to visualize yourself
giving a talk to a smaller group of people. In addition,
you'll want to take some real-life actions and develop
skills that will position you to visualize and affirm
with true confidence-with strong and positive emotions.
This way, your process will create and attract your
intention rather than scare it away.
I just bought a new car. I was going to put my old car
through another Vermont winter and get a Saab 9000 in
the spring. And I knew that it would happen. I pictured
myself driving it with the sun streaming through the
sunroof. I could smell the leather upholstery and hear
the music from the sound system. There was no doubt
I was going to have this car. I could feel it.
Then, last week, I decided to look in the newspaper
just to check out prices. I saw what looked like a good
deal. I made one call and looked at only one car. It
was everything I wanted and more. The owner accepted
my offer (well below loan value) and within two days
I had sold my old car for more than I paid for it two
years prior. I sold it to the first and only person
to look at it.
You might not think this is a big deal. But it's only
an example of dozens of wins and scores of serendipities
that have made 1999 a very good year. The key for me
has been in aligning my feelings with my thinking.I
now see visualization and affirmation as tools that
invoke the feeling which creates my intention. My confidence
in my ability to deliberately create my life has skyrocketed.
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Copyright 2002 Michael Angier & Success Networks
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