See Yourself Becoming… A Believer in Your Dreams

I have been re-reading the book Psycho-Cybernetics that I stumbled upon years ago as a teenager, and realized just how much it shaped my life going forward. Looking back I now understand how this book was the foundation of a lot of my motivation and direction.

The author, Maxwell Maltz, focuses on the power of beliefs and points out that someone with a poor self image has established the belief that things will always be bad for them because they are not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, or just not worthy. To counter that point of view Maltz outlines that each of us has what he calls a “creative success mechanism” which is our subconscious mind, and details how it continually works to provide what we desire. But it can only work based on our beliefs and is put into action only when we act on conviction.

I found it significant that he declares changing our self image cannot be accomplished by will power or simply deciding. To change we have to change our beliefs by establishing some foundation that supports the new outlook. In short, we have to allow ourselves to feel the truth that there are parts of ourselves that, while not perfect, are worth supporting and building our dreams on. Find something that gives weight to what you have decided to believe, be it big or small, and use that as the foundation for the thought house you are now erecting. How you think is the primary difference in developing a new belief. For example, if you have a problem with weight, when you look in the mirror don’t ask yourself if you look thin but do you look good!

And now comes the most important part: we have to think of this dream or goal as already in existence and that your creative success mechanism will either steer you toward it or help you discover it. I have mentioned before that when we were children anything was possible but as we get older somehow this feeling of possibility is beaten out of us. Reclaim it! And, accept that for right now the thing you want is simply not visible. I say that because so often we get hung up on the how to the point that we literally talk ourselves out of our dreams and find ourselves settling for what seems possible. Rather than trying to figure out how to make it work, develop the quiet assurance of letting it work… Begin to prepare just as if an unknown date has been set for it to arrive and you want your thought house clean and ready to receive this very welcome guest.

In any endeavor there is a period of learning so don’t be concerned if the pieces of the puzzle do not instantly fall into place. It is there, you just can’t see it yet! Start by taking a step and then following the learning curve. For the moment you are opening doors and sooner or later your creative mechanism is going to point you in the direction of the right door. Don’t expect to wait until you have proof, but assure yourself “it is there I just can’t see it yet…” Then, be patient. It generally takes at least 21 days for a new habit to establish itself. Just keep confidently reassuring yourself and allow your mechanism to work.

I realized today just how effective this approach can be. After a period of learning, I have recently been put in contact with someone who is working on a project for me that can have major consequences for a direction I want to take. I knew what I wanted but it always seemed just out of reach. For two years I have been saying “What I need is out there… I just have not found it yet.” And then today, as I spoke with this very gifted woman, she outlined how she could accomplish exactly what I had imagined. She thought it was an off hand remark when I said “I knew you were out there… I just had not found you yet.”