Did you know everything that takes place in our lives happens twice? First, we think about it. Then we act on it.

When we think about it, we are actually thinking in pictures. Our mind works in pictures, everything we want, we see as a picture in the brain. When thinking of your favorite dessert, what image just comes up for you? Mine is chocolate mousse… a really big bowl of dark chocolate, all creamy, light, and yummy. It stimulates my taste buds and I feel the satisfaction of filling up my senses with its smell; it excites my vision. Oh, that’s why it’s a rare treat because, like that bag of chips, I can’t stop consuming! 

But that power of visualization also gets used on things that ignite my passion and fire up my heart to the point where I need to act.

The reason visualization techniques work so well is because, quite simply, what we focus our minds on, we tend to create in our lives, and therefore experience. 

When we want to bring something into our lives, we get a picture of it. We look at cars, think of the idea house, scan for things that start to activate our imagination. 

When we are using visualization and picturing something in our “mind’s eye”, we activate the same neural pathways in the brain as if we were actually experiencing whatever it is that we’re visualizing in real life. Then there is another thing that happens; you are programming the subconscious mind to believe that you can and will live out these moments from your future life. Each time you visualize things like seeing yourself living out an exciting moment from your future, or seeing yourself successfully achieving a goal, you are programming the mind.

I love to pretend and see things I want. It wasn’t until I studied hypnotherapy that I understood the power of what I was doing and how to really take control of my mind and use visualization to achieve my goals. 

The power behind visualizing is that we can choose what we think. We can choose to use our intentions and brainpower to draw to us anything we set our minds to.

In the book – Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend, she talks about our mind. She puts it as an affirmation:

“My mind is the center of divine operations and as the center of divine operation things are getting better and better.”

The point is, our mind is an amazing resource but so few of us really know its power. We can use the power of the mind to connect to a higher source through manifesting. Visualization is incredibly powerful. If practiced daily, it can help in all aspects of your life, from accomplishing your goals, being more productive, growing positively as a person, reducing stress, and much more. As I would say about most things I teach, it’s a practice and a discipline. You really can’t go wrong by using visualization to create a life worth living.

The power of visualization is how everything that exists came into being.

Imagine what you can do knowing that your vision for life is possible through you and for you. 

I’ve been talking a lot about Visualization and how setting intentions can impact your life. Great, but how do I do this, you ask! I hear you!

There are a few steps that help establish your techniques and, when practiced, can be so much fun. They will complement your creative process and will help you to set and reach your goals. 

1. Choose to not overthink things – The more you can stay playful and light-hearted, the easier visualization can be. Not everyone feels comfortable with visualizing so use some props like pictures that reflect what you want in your mind. The key to perfecting your visualization techniques is actually to put little or no mental effort into the process. The more you can simply let any images, experiences, or feelings come to you (rather than trying to seek them out) the more beneficial the exercise will be for you. 

 2. Use all your senses – Visualization is not just about mental imagery. You will experience the best results if you use all your senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. 

Using all your senses and noticing as many details about the scene that you are picturing, can help give you a much more vivid experience. When you’re visualizing, as well as picturing the scene, see if you can add the sounds, smells, tastes, or feelings of touch you imagine. The more detailed the scene, the greater the effect the visualization will have on both the mind and the body. In fact, if images don’t come easily to your mind, using your other senses can actually help you have a more complete experience. It adds so much fun to the process. 

3. Monkey mind happens – Remember the practice and discipline part of this, no self-judgment. You are learning a new way and wiring new neural pathways. That shopping list or project you are working on will want to pop into your thoughts. That’s fine; notice what you’re noticing and go back to visualizing. It gets easier (ha) with accepting that this is what the controlled mind looks like on the road to adapting visualizing techniques. 

4. Chill baby chill – The more you can relax, the better it gets. When you’re in a relaxed and open state, the imagery and feelings you’re trying to cultivate will come more naturally and you will have a better experience. Having trouble getting relaxed? Many do. I recommend you simply focus on the breath; using the breath to release tension from the body is one of the best ways to do this. Slowing the breath down and lengthening each inhale and exhale will naturally help you to relax and unwind both in body and mind.

If you are interested in knowing more about conscious breathing, go to my website and download my FREE e-book, Breathwork Breakthrough.  www.brendarbryan.com

5. Consistency and practice win the prize – What prize, you say? The achieving of a life you love! Choosing to take 10 minutes a day to practice visualization is a life-changing, creative discipline. Essentially, where we are at in our lives is an accumulation of what we do each day, day in and day out, and when we spend time improving the quality of each of our days, we are improving our lives as a whole. 

6. Connect to the emotions of your vision – Did you know that the mind knows no difference between an image from the past or the future? So, as we energize our vision, it brings our vision to life in the present moment. The more your amp up the emotions, getting into all the senses, the greater your magnetic attraction is.

Each time you visualize, let whatever feelings and emotions arise, come naturally to you. Don’t force anything. Don’t judge anything. Just let the feelings and emotions come, and when they do, relax, enjoy them, and allow them to grow and expand within you.  Once you’re done with the visualization, take a moment to see how your state has shifted. Notice what you’re noticing. Enjoy the experience of relaxing into your full potential.

7. As you visualize tap into your knowing – Make the visual real in your mind. To get the most out of visualization, we need to have a sense of expectation that what we are seeing when we visualize, can, and will happen in our lives. It can and will happen because you have been using all of your mind and senses to know what you want.

The more we see and experience these moments from our future, the more the subconscious will believe that they can and will happen. 

This is the power of visualization.  Imagine knowing that your vision for life is possible, you just need to visualize it.

Everything you want, wants you. What are you dreaming up for yourself?