VISUALIZATION.

Hey, You gotta start somewhere and the head is the perfect place to begin.

Visualization over the years has been the beginning point for so many of my dreams/goals coming true. Yes, they might not turn out as exactly as I imagined. But, they often show up in ways that surprise me.

Now how does visualization work for me? It’s a formula I’ve definitely tweaked over the years. I always first begin with a goal in mind and work on any resistance to that change in my head first before even beginning. For example, my Health Journey.

Back when I was first diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I had to make some serious changes for my health ASAP. I was 100+ pounds overweight and my Dr. initially recommended me to have a invasive weight loss surgery. I remembered going to the informational meeting and after leaving I sat in my Car crying. The surgery terrified me and I knew that it was Not a option for me.

In the past I had successfully lost weight and knew I could do it again. For about a month despite the urgency, I sat with everything in my head and on paper. Allowing myself the time to digest the diagnosis and come up with a plan and work through all the resistance to changing my current habits into positive ones.

I also began to allow myself to imagine and visualize a new wellness life for myself that would stick. I gave myself permission to dream. I remember watching this YouTube Video daily to help sink it in further.

I finally became comfortable with Starting, little by little like a walk around the block or feeding my body with good foods again. Reminding myself this health journey wasn’t a sprint, but a marathon. Visualization also helped me work through some other challenges that came my way like my emotional eating.

Eventually I lost the 100 pounds and also “gained” way much more like realizing my Imaginations can be the Birthplace of change. Then last year I’ve discovered their is also some pretty exciting big science behind Visualization.

VISUALIZATION 101

Last January I came across the No-Nonsense Motivational Speaker and the 5 Second Rule Founder Mel Robbin’s Mindset Reset 35-Day Free Training Program Series. On Day 6’s video Why Visualization is the Secret to Success. I was blown away. Realizing that all these years without knowing the science behind Visualization that I actually had been practicing it pretty spot on.

Below I’m sharing a little breakdown and cheat sheet per say. Let’s get started:)

RAS

Ok 🤓 Nerd Alert. Mel broke down something I had Never heard of before in her Talk called RAS. It’s some pretty power brain stuff.

The Reticular Activating System is our Brain’s information filter and it’s physically located at the base of the brain where it connects with our spinal cord and works like this…

First our Brain as we all know is a Information keeper and if we did let everything in we would go into overload Loco, Cray Cray:) Explode with Info and That’s where RAS helps us filter out the mass amount of unnecessary information we're exposed too every moment of our lives.

But, it also keeps us in a little cocoon of familiar ideas that our past has programmed. Making us stick to what is comfortable in thought and that’s why change can be so darn hard. But, Not impossible.

Training your Brain.

When your consistently and Intentionally Visualizing a Goal or Dream your resetting your RAS filter (subconscious). Another Fun Fact: The Brain doesn’t know the difference between what has happened or is imagined. The more you train your Brain with a goal scenerio it actually encodes as a “real” Memory in your subconscious. So, that’s where that Manifesting magic might be happening. It’s brain science baby:)

1-2-3 ACTIVATE

Mel also outlined a few simple steps to get real results from Visualization and I’ve added few of my techniques and insights in the mix as well.

1. Close your eyes. 😜. I know it sounds simple. But, you gotta get in a comfortable space. I do most of my visualization at night before falling asleep. Then I create a specific picture In my head and rehearse it over and over until I doze off into dreamland. I also revisit this same story night after night until it feels good and no resistance pops up. That feel good feeling is like a Alarm clock to work on a new scenario towards my goal.
   

2. Activate. This is the Biggie. I remember as a kid watching SUPERFRIENDS and two of my fave super heroes were the Wonder Twins. I loved how they would Exclaim, “Wonder Twins, ACTIVATE.” Then would transform into either something to do with water or animal. It was exciting! Hey I was 4 after all 😜.

   But, Activating your visualization with Positive emotions and Feeling might not turn you into a bucket of water or a eagle 😂. You are Activating your Subconscious to a new Memory. Remember your Brain doesn’t know if it is real or not:)
   

3. Writing It Down. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but according to Marie Forleo’s recent Marie TV episode- How to Achieve Your Goals: 3 Science Backed Strategy’s That Work. She shares a pretty hefty statistic that if you write your goals down your 42% more likely to achieve them.

   I know over the years repetively writing things down has been a form of Visualization for me. A kind of Affirmation of sorts that gets deeper then a fleeting intention. Even writing this post helps remind me of the techniques I want to start doing again to go after some new and old goals revisited.

OK it’s time for me to sign off. Please join the story below and share your thoughts on Visualization. I wanna know and I promise I will keep you updated on my progress.

Love, Cynthia @storyboardc.

EVERYTHING IS FIGUROUTABLE.

I do think things are FIGUROUTABLE and now the EVERYTHING deal is sealed after finally getting my hands on Marie Forleo’s New York Times Bestselling Book, Everthing is Figuroutable.

I first discovered Marie via her Oprah Super Soul Sunday talk of the same name. I will be honest around that time I had immersed myself in all kind of Self-Helpery. As I was going through some challenging times, I was looking for Any Kind of Outside insight to pull my bootstraps up. Listening to Podcasts were my number 1 jam and still is… Yes, I came across some amazing podcasts and some also not so great. I felt like a kid on Halloween with all these candy choices laid in front of me. A Free for all Eating fest of every Sweet advice I could pop in my mouth. Then the sugar rush hit and soon it followed with that ‘I’m gonna throw the eff up’ Sugar overload 🤢.

Self-Help is no different in my book than that spooky Childhood day of the year when you can stuff your face with any kind of candy, even those gross black and orange peanut butter chews:)

Bombarding oneself with so many different choices that you inevitably need some Pepto to settle that stomach of treats (self-development) down.

Marie was and is my Pink Pepto Bismol. A better tasting one too 😊. She doesn’t throw sweet advice around unless there is rock hard insight and research attached. She’s the real deal in a Halloween bag full of self-helpery fluff that anyone these days can wrap up in a nice fun-size serving.

When I first picked up her book, I will be honest. I was a little leery after all the crap I digested lately in other books. But, once I began to read I knew I was in the legit zone.

I took her advice, grabbed a special notebook in ‘Forleo Orange’ 🍊 to do each chapters Insight to Action Challenges and went to work.

Before I share my BIG 3 Take-aways with you. I wanna do a little disclaimer- I’m sharing some sneak peeks into the book. If you plan on reading it, which you should and will 👍. Maybe skip and come back:)

My 3 everything is Figuroutable take-Aways:

1. Define your dreams.

   All the Chapters had me going a-ha in so some way or another. But, Chapter 6- Define Your Dreams was a surprising doozy.

   I always considered myself a dreamer:) What I mean by that… being clear and concise to what they are. But, always still feeling way overwhelmed at how am I gonna pull off that mega bucket list of dreams. For the first-time ever this chapter created a doable action plan for me to focus on just ONE Dream at a time. I had heard this advice a few times before, but surprisingly it finally stuck.

   And to also uncover that ONE dream that means the most. The ONE Dream I needed to Go for NOW and how it could possibly create a ripple effect in accomplishing all the other Dreams on my list.

   I had began reading this book with One dream in mind and finished this chapter discovering that another One had my heart still on fire.

   Which I’m doing right Now- Writing this post and three others this past week. It has been a long-time coming. I haven’t consistently blogged like this since 2012. This chapter was such a huge kick in the ass to getting clear on my passion and reminding me of the 2nd BIG take-away.

2. Start Before your ready.

   Chapter 7 was catalyst to my new Blog mojo. I grabbed my planner and notebook -then set myself into ACTION for the first in along time. I shoved my usual Procrastination to the way side with the reminder that it’s better to dive in then wait to be ready. Because what Marie finally brought home to me is I’ll never be ready and to Stop Over thinking- just Start Doing.

   Yes, it’s a scary move to make. Especially for me, the perfect planning freak. But, doing now what I’m doing. Writing these blog posts consistently. I’m seeing my rust fall off and growth happening again in my creativity. Small imperfect steps that are leading me to a new Done is Fun movement😊.

3. Progress Not perfection.

   Chapter 8- Progress Not Perfection made me cry a lot while reading it. I didn’t realize how much of a perfectionist I have become over the years. I’ve always consider myself pretty self-aware. But, how Marie uniquely brakes down the perfection myth. I was blown away at how I had become so trapped in perfection while attempting to pursue my creative passions over the years. Holding myself back in ways I was so unaware. This recent epiphany allows me to show up,not sweat the small stuff as much and actually embrace imperfection in a whole new light.

   Realizing our Our Imperfections often can be the perfect formula for the learning progress:) ♥️.

Everything is Figuroutable.

As I said above a gazillion times, this Book is full of so much honest, tried and true info on figuring it out. I’ve actually re-read it twice and have no plans on putting it on my book shelf anytime soon.

It’s definitely a new kind of straight talking guide book to dreams and action. But, also a big ol’love letter from Marie…as she perfectly sums up every time she ends every episode of Marie TV with,

“Because the world really does need that special gift that only you have.”

Seriously Get the book and Do the work.

I’d love for you to join the Story here and share your thoughts if you have read it in the comments.

Cynthia of StoryboardC.