“Words are not enough… The power of mental picturing will help you burst through the self-imposed obstacles that are blocking your dreams.” – page 451 – The Essential Psycho-Cybernetics
A young girl was studying to take her ACT.
Her goal was to get a perfect score and get accepted to Harvard.
She was so stressed about the test that she couldn’t relax. She tossed and turned in the evenings instead of getting a good rest.
During the day, she ate compulsively to curb the feelings of panic she felt inside.
One evening, as she was frantically studying, her father noticed a journal she had by her side. It was open, so he took a look. He saw that she had written a list of positive affirmations in the personal, positive and present tense, the way that is commonly taught in self-development.
He noted her statements such as,
“I have a perfect score on my ACT,” and
“I am now a student at Harvard.”
“That’s not the way you do it,” he said.
“Do what?” his daughter answered.
“You don’t speak or write affirmations that you’re trying to force upon reality. You report the truth to yourself, then you picture what you want. The words aren’t going to get the job done, but mental imagery helps more than you can count.”
The father then helped his daughter come up with goals that didn’t terrify her; goals that would move her toward success instead of away from it.
“You might think that this big goal is the way to go, but you’re far better off studying with a calmer mind so you can actually remember what you’re studying. You’re stressing yourself out so much that there’s no way your mind can function at its peak.”
The father then guided his daughter through the Theatre of the Mind process he learned from me in one of my trainings. When they finished, the daughter had an unmistakeable glow about her. It was the glow of confidence. She looked happy for the first time in weeks.
The daughter continued to practice mental imagery each day leading up to the ACT. She was happy every day as she studied, instead of stressed. And when she took the exam it felt easier than it should have been.
Some weeks later, she got accepted to all the colleges she had an interest in, including Harvard. She decided to go to a university closer to home, so she could see her father more often.
Here endeth the lesson!
Matt Furey
P.S. The Goal Getting™ Intensive we had the other night was a smashing success. I promised two hours. It went closer to four. One lady, Nancy, said it was the quickest 3.5 hours of her life. I felt that way, too. So did everyone else. Time flies when you’re living in the moment, in the NOW. Next month I’ll be having a Theatre of the Mind Intensive. Interested? Email me: goals@psycho-cybernetics.com.
