“Our bodies are our gardens… our wills are gardeners”
William Shakespeare
I am a big believer in the concept that the body cannot go where the mind has not already been. Ask any high level, successful athlete and they will tell you of the power of visualization.
During his championship bodybuilding years, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about his use of visualization and guided imagery to help him sculpt the world’s most magnificent frame. He combined a visual goal with intense concentration and a lot of sweat, obviously a winning formula. Back then, there really was no name for what he was doing, and many thought he was crazy especially when he said that he could use the power of his mind to channel blood flow to certain muscles like his biceps, to “pump them up”. But now, sports psychologists and other researchers have confirmed the body’s ability to respond both positively and negatively to the signals sent from the mainframe, your brain.
Olympic and pro athletes routinely use these techniques to enhance their training and reach their true physical potential. Arnold has also used the very same visualization techniques to succeed in the entertainment, business and now political worlds. Obviously this is a weapon we all should learn to hone.
So how does one do this? It starts with sitting down in a quiet place and visualizing a realistic goal of where you want to be at some point in the future. Focus on the specifics of that future success and see yourself in that new light. It might be how your body looks in a swimsuit, or how much more muscular you are, or how you just completed a marathon or triathlon or won your first tennis tournament. Really the sky is the limit- Arnold has taught us that, over and over. Once that goal is clearly visualized, the path becomes easier to find. As Arnold suggests, “See it. Believe it. And never stop working to make it happen”.
FitTip
Create a mental picture of where you want to be this time next year. Plant that seed now and watch it take shape.
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