See What You Want, Get What You See

Jack Canfield's Success Principle #11

The brain can only search for ways to achieve the pictures that we put in it, just as a computer can only analyze information that the programmer has given it. In today's lesson, Jack teaches us how to input the right images so that our brains can get to work achieving our goals.

(1) Understand how visualization works.
When we provide our brains with images and affirmations (positive statements), our brain becomes more aware of things that will help us achieve our goals. Have you ever noticed when you're thinking of buying a new car that you suddenly see more people driving that model than ever before? The number of cars hasn't changed, but your awareness of them has.

When we tell our brains to think about the images we give it, we will suddenly find that we have lots of new ideas. We will wake up with answers to problems, ideas will just pop into our heads, and we'll surprise ourselves and others with fresh ideas that we didn't even know we had.

With all of these seemingly new opportunties and fresh ideas, we find ourselves motivated to take action. All this occurs, simply because we gave our brains something to work on. I think the brain is like an eager dog, dying to perform some new tricks for us. All we have to do is train it, and the brain will work to do whatever it takes to please us.

(2) Follow Jack's process for visualizing your future.
We must see our goals as if they are already complete. Remember, they must be written down and reviewed two to three times daily. If we work through our visualization exercises immediately after meditating, Jack tells us that we'll achieve our goals even faster.

In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord says, For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. If God knows the plan for our lives, and we meditate on his ability to make it happen; it stands to reason that speaking our affirmations aloud immediately after meditating will bring about quicker results. We can hope and dream for all kinds of things in our lives without God, but I am certain that our odds of achieving success are much better with God.

(3) Fuel your images with emotion.
As survivors of abuse, we can all probably say that there are certain events that we will never forget. The ugly scenes of our lives play repeatedly in our heads, as vividly as if they occurred an hour ago. This is because whenever an image or a scene is accompanied by an intense emotion, the event can be locked into our memory forever.

The challenge for us is to set aside the ugly scenes and replace them with beautiful ones. To lock new memories into our brains, we should add to our affirmations:

-inspiring music,
-pleasant smells,
-deeply felt passion, and
-spoken affirmations exaggerated with positive emotions.

Adding these emotional components to our affirmations causes the brain to work even harder to help us achieve our goals. So, if I envision myself walking onto the set of Good Morning America to be interviewed about my New York Times Bestseller, I'd better be fueling my affirmation with emotion.

I can imagine lively music playing as I enter. The scene can be enhanced with the sound of the audience clapping, the scent of hairspray that the stylist has just blasted over my head, and the thrill of finally arriving at my dream destination. If I repeat this affirmation loudly and with strong emotions, I will probably achieve this dream more quickly than I can imagine.

(4) Understand that visualization works.
Jack gives several examples of successful people who have used visualization and achieved outstanding results. I think it works far more quickly than most people believe. I once achieved results after visualizing a goal for just a few hours.

I decided one day that I wanted to attract a green canoe to give to Joe. I didn't want to pay anything for it. I picked up the mail just before we got into the car to take a drive in the country to pick strawberries.

Along the way, I kept expecting to see a green canoe. Nothing materialized on the way to the strawberry patch. On the way back, I opened the mail and discovered a $250 stimulus check, which I tucked into my wallet.

We drove on, and I stopped thinking about that green canoe. Then, out of nowhere, I spied a green canoe sitting on the side of the road with a FOR SALE sign on it. I couldn't believe it! It was exactly as I had imagined it. And guess how much the seller was asking for it? You guessed it: $250.

(5) Don't worry if you don't see anything when you visualize.
Some people see their affirmations as clearly as a photograph or a video. Others claim that they can't see a thing. Either experience is perfectly okay. If you can't see anything, just think about what you want. Your brain can still do the work.

(6) Use printed pictures to help you visualize.
Magazine pictures, photographs, or drawings can all enhance our affirmations. We can ask someone to take our picture while we sit behind the wheel of the new car that we want or stand in front of the house we hope to buy. If that's not possible, we can cut out pictures from magazines and super-impose our photographed head or image into the scene. For example, we can't exactly stop by the Eiffel Tower to get a photograph. But we can cut out a picture of the Eiffel Tower and then cut out a photograph of ourselves to paste to that picture. I'm going to get an actual New York Times Bestseller list and add my name to the #1 position.

(7) A vision board or a Goals Book can work well for you.
We talked earlier about creating a Goals Book with images and affirmations in it. If you prefer, you can create a vision board on the front of your fridge or on a bulletin board. We tried this initially last year, but we didn't feel comfortable with house guests looking at our boards and asking questions. It's not that we had anything to hide; it's just that it felt like an invasion of privacy to allow others into our innermost thoughts.

Jack gives more examples of people succeeding as a result of vision boards and Goals Books. I love it when a dream from my Goals Book finally becomes reality. It's an exciting moment when you realize that the process works.

Last year, I had cut out a picture of two women, sitting on a dock with their feet in the water. I imagined my friend and I doing that. Shortly after we bought our house at the lake, that friend came to visit, and we dangled our feet in the water. The next day, I saw that image in my Goals Book and realized what had happened. By visualizing something, I had made it become a reality. That was powerful for me.

If I can visualize small things, such as a free green canoe or dangling my feet in the water at the lake; how much more can I achieve if I expand my goals?

(8) Start today.
If you haven't gotten started on your affirmations, index cards, and Goals Book, don't put it off. Psychologists estimate that one hour of visualization is equivalent to seven hours of physical effort. We can make our lives easier by simply visualizing what we want.

Jack writes about Azim Jamal, an inspirational speaker in Canada, who uses what he calls his "Hour of Power." He spends 20 minutes every morning visualizing his goals, 20 minutes exercising, and then 20 minutes reading inspirational books. This sounds like an excellent formula for success.

Today's Challenge
Sit down with a stack of old magazines and cut out pictures of things that you would like to have or do. Cut up photos of yourself and add them to the magazine scenes. Add these to your Goals Book. Write down effective affirmations for each goal in your book. Repeat them aloud with strong emotion two or three times throughout the day. Expect results!