If you can see it . . . You can be it.

The human mind is an amazing thing. Those in the know say we only tap about 10% of its potential. Imagine if we trained our brains to give us the things we want! They could be every bit as magical as Aladin's lamp. It's really not that hard to do ~ like any skill it just requires time, focus and persistence.

You've heard of visioning . . . That's where you create a picture in your mind of how you would like something to be. Say, for example, you want to lose weight. You imagine how you will look when you reach your desired weight. In order to be effective, your picture must be very detailed . . . What clothes are you wearing, how do they feel? What do you see yourself doing in this picture? Are you dancing? Talking with friends? Walking along the beach? What are you thinking? How do you feel in your thinner body? How has your self image changed? Can you see yourself stepping on the scale and watching the numbers gradually decrease until they reach your goal weight? Can you imagine leaning over to tie your shoes comfortably AFTER you've buttoned and zipped your jeans? There are any number of things you can add to your vision ~ but I'm sure you get the idea.

Does visioning work? Yes! It isn't anything new. Athletes use it all the time. Let's say you want to perfect your free throw shots in basketball. You imagine yourself standing at the line. You feel the crowd around you. You picture how your arm and hand move, how your muscles feel as they follow through with the shot. Then you see the ball dropping through the net. In other words, you envision every step it takes to make a perfect shot, see yourself doing it and feel the muscles in your body as they carry it out. You play this movie in your head several times a day and really concentrate on the feelings it involves. You'll eventually see it happen on the court in real life.

Affirmations are the best friends of visioning. These are positive statements you repeat as if you had already reached your goal. "I weigh 125 pounds and my clothes feel wonderful." "My body is fit and slender." "I'm energized and confident. I can do anything I set my mind to." "I love exercising my new body." "I feel vibrant and beautiful." "I love eating healthy foods that keep my body looking trim." "My free throw average is 100%." "I'm the best free-thrower on the team." "I love the sound of my ball swishing through the net." "I'm calm and focused when I make my shot." "I'm confident my shot will go through the hoop."

Like visioning, you must repeat these statements over and over and over again. Eventually your mind accepts them as true and that's when they become the reality! All you're doing is reprogramming your mind to give you what you want. You can apply this to any goal you want to achieve.

Neither of these methods can be used haphazardly. In order to be effective, they must be practiced over and over again until they become a part of you. When that happens you'll achieve the goal you set for yourself. What was once a vision will become your reality. What you repeated to yourself is now true.

You have the power to change your life if you use these methods faithfully. Nothing is beyond your reach if you can see and feel yourself doing it. Try it and see what happens!