Willpower is Mind Rehearsal

"Brittany comes to game mentally prepared to win the game. That's the highest compliment I can give her. She's more focused on winning the game... Every shift, every game... And our team can feed off that." - Bob Reid.

In my book, "The Magic of Willpower", I highlight the fact that it's important to rehearse in your mind and prepare yourself mentally before you start a new project or embark on a new journey. Never underestimate the power of your imagination to help you achieve your goal.

A top athlete won't envision going to a competition and performing badly. She won't picture herself slipping, stumbling, falling over, pulling a muscle or breaking a bone... She will see herself achieving what she sets out to do and even more: improving her time, breaking a record, and reaching breathtaking heights of success. Doubting herself or worrying that anything could go wrong doesn't even enter her mind. She won't allow anything but sheer perfection to be part of her inner world. The outer world becomes a direct reflection of what's taking place inside, the excitement, the triumph, the glory...

Why not adopt this positive attitude in every day life? Why not decide to imitate the athlete and picture every situation in your mind as being absolutely in harmony with your wishes? Before you go somewhere or begin a new task, imagine yourself making all the right choices, doing all the right moves, meeting all the right people. You can visualise clement circumstances, helpful co-workers,
pleasant surroundings, and everything flowing easily. You can choose to do this, rather than worrying that things may go wrong and that a disaster may be imminent.

Practice makes perfect and what you rehearse mentally is likely to become your new reality. If you focus on accident, disease, crisis and disaster, you'll invite these events into your life. But if you concentrate on beneficial outcomes, you'll make room for these. You can write the script for your life, every hour, every minute, every second... If you attribute what happens to good or bad luck, you end up feeling powerless. It's time to turn around your destiny, by visualising what you want to achieve, with the power of your imagination.

Paint a bright picture ahead of every situation, instead of a grim one. Concentrate on the advantages of your present situation. Tell a good story about your life, even if it doesn't seem that way to you at the moment. For instance, instead of saying: "My child is very naughty and never listens to me", you could say: "My child might be boisterous at times, but she's a good kid and I can channel her energy in the right direction." You can picture yourself giving her the guidance she needs to function happily in this world.

You're not lying to yourself when you describe your reality in favourable terms. You're just looking at it from a different perspective, and this will help you develop a more constructive approach to the difficulties you encounter. Mind rehearsal is all about being prepared, in a positive way. You have a beautiful scenario in your mind, and this is how you'll help yourself in the best possible way to achieve your goal.

With all my love,

Bella

Painting: "Trunk of Burgeoning Oak" by Isaac Levitan, 1882, Russian Federation