It is said (author unknown) that a neurotic person builds castle in the air, psychotic moves into it and psychiatric collects rent. But before you dismiss this idiom as an old adage, think of this other expression: be careful what you wish for because it may come true. Also, think about what the Holy Scriptures says…as man thinks in his heart, so is (s)he (Prov 23:7a, par).
There are so many idioms, phrases, expressions and sayings about what we ‘think’ vs what we eventually become, do and have in life. For instance it is said if you think you can, you can, if you think you can’t you are right…emphasis on what you think and not in your ability or lack thereof…why is this? It is because there is a strong connection between what occupies your mind-thoughts (obsession, passionate dreams) and your destiny!
Yet we hear of wishful thinking which will take us nowhere and how we are admonished to abandon daydreaming and go to work. So what type/kind of thinking produces results? For instance, if I think daily I have lost weight, will my 100lbs disappear while I sleep?
Images not Letters:
When we talk of thinking, thoughts that produces results we are talking of ‘an image’ that you predominantly hold in your mind. Emphasis on ‘predominantly hold’, furthermore this image you hold must be held with ‘passion, emotions’ until you become one with the image. The more the passion-emotionally charged visualization, the faster the translation.
But what really happens to bring about your thoughts into existence? This is what happens, say you want to loose that 100lbs, take a photo of a person who looks like the weight you want to achieve…stick that on your bathroom mirror, fridge, above your TV, car windscreen and on your computer screen, make sure you see this image constantly throughout the day, before you go to sleep and first thing when you wake up.
Comfort Zone:
God has created us to make both conscious and more importantly sub-conscious decisions to keep ourselves in our comfort zone-place of familiarity, comfort and safety. So when we move away from our comfort zone, we begin to make decisions (consciously and sub-consciously) to move ourselves back to our comfort zone.
This is why, you can take a person (with poverty mentality) from poverty environment put him in rich environment and given time they will transform the rich environment into poverty environment. This explains why most lottery winners end up back in poverty, and some in worse financial situations than before the ‘big win’…the comfort zone!
Back to our example, as you look and intently hold the image of the weight you want to achieve; slowly but surely YOU SHIFT your comfort zone from where you are to where you want to be. Given time and persistence of holding the image, you completely move your comfort zone and begin to be ‘uncomfortable’ in your status quo.
Soon you begin to make decisions compelled from within to change your status quo; you start eating responsibly and exercise for you are not comfortable with where you are. Loosing weight to become healthy begins in your mind not in the kitchen or gym.
This is why television commercials are so effective and sponsors are willing to pay a fortune for prime time telecast for they know it works. They show you a grocery product being held by someone you are familiar with, have warm emotion with…daily, over and over again.
The image of product plus emotion of your favourite sportsperson holding it eventually moves you to be comfortable with the product regardless of price. Next time you visit the supermarket, your mind is convinced that this is the product you should have “…because you are worth it” says one commercial.
Resources and Opportunities:
Once your comfort zone has completely shifted, you not only begin to get ideas and start working towards restoring yourself into the ‘new’ comfort zone but you also become aware (start seeing) of resources and opportunities around you that you need to do just that.
For instance, have you ever decided the next type of car that you want to purchase and immediately you begin to notice/see them all over town? Where have they been all this time? The reason is simple but profound, once your sub-conscious mind is informed of what is important to you, it informs your conscious mind the next time your paths crosses with what is important to you to enable you to shift to your comfort zone.
Once you have convinced your sub-conscious mind of the fact that you are not in your comfort zone and HAVE SHOWN your sub-conscious mind what/where is your ‘new’ comfort zone; then your mind goes to work for you showing you the path back to the comfort zone-resources and opportunities necessary to do just that.
So if you don’t see your path clearly-resources and opportunities to move-perhaps your new comfort zone is not clear (clear mental picture) and that you have not fully convinced yourself that you are currently not in your comfort zone.
Do you see now how it works? Now replace that image of the weight you want to achieve with life you want to have-car, house, family, business, job, ministry, health, wealth, happiness, holidays. If you persistently and stubbornly hold the image (what you think, idealize) you will soon translate your image into reality through shifting your comfort zone.
Napoleon Hill, upon studying hundreds of self made millionaires, wrote an entire book titled ‘Think and Grow Rich’, get hold of this book and read it with an open mind. James Allen wrote a timeless classic titled, ‘As a man thinketh’ and before I forget, read ‘Acres of Diamond’ by Russell Conwell.
I love what Dr Murdock says ( http://www.mikemurdock.com ), pick a wall in your home and remove all the photos (images) of the past and replace them with the photos (images) of the future…magazine clips of the car you want to drive, the house you want to live in, the family you desire to have, size of the ministry you want to head, the business you want to have.
God tells Joshua, leader of Israel, that if you want to ‘make yourself’ a success you must meditate on whom you want to be ‘DAY and NIGHT’ (Joshua 1:8). Again Bob Proctor speaks of writing what you want to achieve in little cards and read/meditate on these throughout the day and watch your sub-conscious mind working with you to go get them.
This is why Ryan Higgins and Natalie Ledwell of Mind movies ( http://www.mindmovies.com ) have done; they have gone beyond still images to create moving images which are more powerful into shifting your comfort zone and hence work with your sub-conscious mind and spirit into identifying and making critical decisions to create the future you want.
Start right now to build your castle in the air, convince yourself and believe passionately (mind and heart) that this is where you belong-where your comfort zone is-and watch yourself as you begin to build foundations for your castles.