We don't always get what we want (for instance, I never made it as an NFL quarterback), nor do we always get what we deserve (I haven't been struck down by lightening yet), but we do generally get what we expect.
This thinking becomes critical to success. Our actions tend to line up with the picture we have of ourselves in our mind's eye. People who expect the worst tend to bring it on themselves. People who expect the best seem to make great things happen.
None of this is black and white, but I am sure all of us can think of times when we wanted something so badly we could picture what it would be like. We could feel it, see it, and sense it in every way. Then, one day it comes true, and we think back to when we had pictured it so clearly.
This is why envisioning successful outcomes is so important. Dennis Waitley calls it "Pre-Programming." We can envision an outcome so often and so clearly that our actions automatically line up to bring it to fruition. We will head in the direction of our most dominant thoughts. Most of us have seen Olympic slalom skiers preparing before a run, sitting with their eyes closed and moving their hands in the air to mimic the route of the course: rehearsing every turn and rise and picturing a perfect performance. Football coaches have learned not to say "don't fumble" because the picture of a fumble immediately pops into a player's head, and often, he complies by going out and fumbling!
Famously, when Disney Land was completed after Walt Disney's death, someone commented how they thought Disney would love to have lived to have seen it all. A relative of Disney
's replied that he already had seen it in his mind's eye, and that was how it came to be! When Seinfeld was asked if he expected to meet with the success he had in television comedy, he simply replied "yes." Napoleon would plan complex battle maneuvers for his army for days. When the conflict actually occurred, forces would advance here, problems would erupt there, and everything seemed to be confused and chaotic; nevertheless, more often than not, the final defeat of the enemy would occur exactly where he had predicted it!
So, what are you picturing in your mind's eye? Are you rehearsing success or failure? Do you parade a bunch of junk before your mind, or do you continually focus upon a victorious picture? Are you envisioning success or failure? Are you setting yourself up for a beautiful picture, or more of the same?
It's a tough lesson to learn, but very true: we only get what we picture! So envision it, picture it, imagine it, rehearse it, whatever you want to call it, but work your mind to create your future. Then work like crazy to make it come true, refreshing it regularly to keep it real. And one day, it is likely you will wake up inside the picture you once imagined. It's not magic, and there's no heaven on earth, but you can lead yourself in the most positive direction by the force of your will and imagination.
Remember, success is not an accident. If it occurs accidentally it will not last and it's not a true victory. REAL victory comes through preparation and rehearsal. So succeed – on purpose!
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