Moving Toward Success Birgit Wolz, Ph.D.

Visualization is a powerful tool to create what we want in our life. Many of us already use visualization and are not aware of it. Sometimes we use our imagination in positive, success-oriented ways, sometimes in limiting ways. Because of deep-seated negative concepts about ourselves, we often automatically and subconsciously expect and imagine limitations and problems. The process of change and growth does not occur on superficial levels, like through mere "positive thinking." It involves exploring, discovering, and changing our deepest, most basic attitudes toward life. Because most of the following process is done in a relaxed, trance-like state of consciousness, your level of awareness on a focal point is much higher than in your normal waking state of consciousness. During this heightened focus and awareness, intentions and suggestions appear to go directly into the subconscious mind, and you can transform areas of yourself that are normally out of reach of your conscious mind. Once your subconscious mind holds success-oriented beliefs, you automatically think and act in a way that makes you succeed, therefore manifesting your goals. You will notice that your creative energy flows more freely. When this happens, you attract success into your life. You can either memorize the following visualizations, have someone read them to you, or record them on tape in your own voice. I. Accessing Inner Wisdom First, close your eyes and relax by taking three deep, slow breaths, quietly saying "I am relaxing" as you breath in and "I am letting go" as you breathe out. Let your thoughts move through your mind like clouds trough the sky without paying attention to them. Visualize a safe, comfortable, and quiet place. Look around at your safe place, listen to the sounds around you, smell the air and bring your attention to your feelings and body sensations. Find an especially nice spot at your safe place to make yourself very comfortable, and relax even more. Now "invite" to your safe place a wise, intuitive, loving and compassionate being. This is your Inner

Advisor, who will guide you to success. Your Inner Advisor knows you very deeply, even though you may or may not know each other in real life. This process connects you with your inner wisdom and intuition. Ask your Inner Advisor for support in the following process and wait until he/she agrees to support you. The response may come in words or in other ways. Just be open to receive the answer. If several advisors appear, choose the one who seems most helpful right now. If you cant perceive an Inner Advisor, keep visualizing your safe place once a day for one week and try again, or imagine a wise and compassionate person you know. II. Examining Limiting Beliefs Limiting beliefs are: "I dont deserve success", "I am afraid of the power I might gain through my success", "there is not enough to go around", "others will envy and not like me any more if I am successful", or "it is selfish to want plenty". Start working with your limiting beliefs in the following way. Draw four columns on a plain sheet of paper. Write your limiting beliefs in the first column. In the second column, write how true each belief really is today. In the third column, write how each limiting belief serves you (i.e. protection, maintain certain self-image, keep things the same). In the fourth column, write how each belief inhibits your creative fulfillment. If any part of this is unclear, close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and consult with your Inner Advisor. Take the first response you get. III. Setting Goals 1. Choose an area in which you would like to be (more) successful, such as work/career, money, relationships, creative self-expression, health, etc.

2. Keeping in mind your present life situation, write down what you would like to improve in this area. Dont think too hard about it. Simply write down any ideas that come to mind.

3. Write, "If I could be, do, and have everything I want, this would be my ideal future life in the area of". Describe your ideal situation beyond your present limits. Let your imagination go wild.

4. With your eyes closed, create a mental picture for yourself in this ideal scene. Look around, listen to sounds around you, smell the air, and bring your attention to your feelings and body sensations in this new world. Capture this new aspect of your life fully and enjoy it.

5. Based on what seems most meaningful from the ideal scene, write a list of the three to five most important goals which you will have achieved once you are there. You can always revise this list.

6. Choose the goals you would like to achieve within the next five years. Write them down in the form of affirmations, in present tense (i.e. "I support myself easily and abundantly through achieving..."). Put this list at a place where it will catch your eyes frequently.

7. Repeat this process with your goals for one year, six months, one month, and one week from now. Be realistic about how much you can accomplish in the shorter-range goals and check to see that they are in alignment with your longer-range goals.

8. If you get stuck at any point during this process close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and consult with your Inner Advisor. Hold your goals lightly.

IV. Visualizing Success 1. Sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes, and breathe deeply, slowly, and naturally. Gradually relax deeper and deeper.

2. Imagine your Inner Advisor and ask for support as described in step I.

3. Imagine that you bathe in the water of a refreshing river with a comfortable temperature. Picture in your minds eye that this water washes away all your limiting beliefs, self images, and doubts. When none are left, you imagine that you leave the water and return to your safe place.

4. Now you can either tell yourself or let your Inner Advisor tell you the following phrases (you dont need to believe them yet but stay open to receive the messages):

I am grateful for what I have already achieved (take some time to remember your achievements). I enjoy the learning process that it takes to achieve my goals. I spend adequate time to ensure success of my goals and take sufficient rest pauses to remain alert and efficient. I treat failures as merely pointers to a new path to success. I have increasing belief in my abilities and know that I will succeed. As my belief in my own abilities increases, I see my potential as unlimited. As my creative energy flows freely, success flows into my life.

Now choose one of your goals. Imagine yourself at a future time. By then you will have already realized your goal. Picture this situation clearly in your minds eye. Let all your senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling) capture this scene. Enjoy this experience as long as you like. If doubts arise, allow and acknowledge them and gently come back to the image. Step out of the picture. Imagine that a pink bubble surrounds your future vision. Let go of the bubble and imagine it floating off into the sky, still containing your vision. V. Flashing Success Bring the success image (as in step IV) to mind, just long enough for it to seem real. Dont apply any particular effort, but give full reliance to belief and imagination. It is best to close your eyes as you flash your success. Each time you "flash" your success, you speed up the realization of your goal using known principles of learning and receptivity of the mind at stages of "natural trance". Recommended times are:

First thing in the morning on awakening, as you ease from natural sleep into wakefulness.

Last thing at night as you drift into natural sleep from normal wakefulness.

Before each meal, pausing before taking the first mouthful to "flash" the success image into your mind for a few seconds. The strong positive "reinforcer" food follows the conscious evocation of the success image at the mental level and therefore strengthens the adoption of the image.

As many times as possible during the day, especially in moments of boredom, inactivity, or negative feeling states.

VI. Maintaining Success Keep adjusting your goals and continue to go through steps IV and V frequently. Enjoy the process!