"Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own."
- Robert Collier
In my experience, a key component to achieving goals is through visualization. Specifically, 'creative visualization' or some times called 'sports visualization' is the process of creating a positive mental image or intention of what you want to happen or feel. I put this process to the test over the past two days preparing for a skydive on Oahu's Northern Shore in Hawaii. I am not a fan of heights and have never considered myself a person who would jump out of a plane. A friend suggested the idea and I was open to the opportunity. I used visualization as a tool prior to the jump. I felt the wind on my face, the arch in my back, the rush of taking in a view of the Hawaiian islands from 10,000 feet. It took a little work at first, to really create this mental image. I stretched my arms out, would open and close my eyes and practice. Then I would shake it out and land back into reality where work was waiting and so was the surf.
This morning came jump time. What I experienced was that the visualization exercises provided me with the space to feel calm, despite the nervous energy of those around me. I felt as though I had experienced the jump already, hundreds of times over in my mind. So off we went. I took in the view, noticed the orange bobble on my belt with curiosity, soaked in the black and metal straps of my harness and jumped fair weather from roughly 10,000 - 14,000 feet. I was in awe at the gratitude I felt for landing safely to the ground. Life is amazing. We each have the power to create it, just as we envision it.
Donna Carrigan and Instructor Chad Sanders
As we prepare to summit Kilimanjaro this visualization can take shape in many ways. Creating a mental image of the climbing route, horizon from the summit, the cold on ones cheeks, a feeling of accomplishment rush through the body. This is up to each individual to determine the most authentic way.
The power of one’s thoughts can be extremely significant, so why don’t more people take advantage of this knowledge? It's hard to prove just how far our thoughts can shape our future, although many authors have encouraged us to consider its importance, including Roald Dahl a children's author who writes in his book, The Twits ,"If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face." Don't just take my word for it, I encourage you to do some self research and speak to a high performance athletes or business individuals that you admire and hear their experiences with visualization as a foundation for realizing success. I encourage you to read about visualization and see how this tool can best serve you on your journey!
Visualization as per Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
12 steps to Visualization eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_
Visualization for Rock Climbing: http://www.rock-climbing-for-
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Loving the blog, the stories and the expectation of Kilimanjaro, Donna!
ReplyDeleter.