Shadow Boxing – Your Way to Success!

TAKE the TEST! True OR False?

Is it TRUE that the mind can’t tell the difference between REAL experiences and IMAGINED experiences? Does it react the same way to both Real & Imaginary events?

YES! It’s true.

You can use this principle to your advantage. The theory has been tested in the past. The power of imagining was tested by pitting 3 different groups of students against each other, shooting Basketball Hoops.

A large number of students were tested for their skill at shooting baskets, while standing at the free throw line. From a large group of students, 3 smaller groups of kids, equal size and similar skills were formed. ALL 3 groups shot roughly the same percentage of baskets at the start of the test.

The first group was the Control Group, so for the next few weeks they did NOT practice at all. They were NOT allowed to go into the gym. Group Number 2, entered the gym and practiced doing free throws for 20 minutes EACH day.

The third Group also practiced for 20 minutes everyday, but they NEVER touched a basketball! Each student was told to practice only “in their heads”. They had to IMAGINE shooting free throws for 20 minutes. They NEVER touched a basketball!

At the end of the TESTING period, the First Group, which had NOT practiced, showed NO improvement. When re-tested their scores were the same as their earlier ones.

The Second Group, that had practiced WITH basketballs, shooting REAL free throws, tested 20% HIGHER than their earlier scores.

CHECK THIS OUT!

The Big Shock was Group number 3, which tested 19% BETTER! They NEVER touched a basketball. This proved that we can actually learn a skill by practicing it in our heads.

Is there something that you’re not good at, but you would like to Improve?

If your answer is YES, then just play it over and over again in your mind. IMAGINE and SEE yourself doing this NEW activity, successfully. It works.

BOXERS are very successful using this technique.They IMAGINE fighting their opponents over and over for hours before all important Boxing matches. This has been called “Shadow Boxing.”

Salesmen and Athletes DO IT! This can be a way to build familiarity with any New situation. It builds up confidence.

Mental Imaginary WORKS!

If it’s good enough to help SET Olympic World Records AND BUILD fortunes… what could it possibly do for you?

TRY Shadow Boxing with yourself……

Is there something that you’ve felt too INADEQUATE to attempt? Need a raise? Want to start a New Business? Have desires to write an eBook?

Just IMAGINE yourself doing this thing. Maybe it’s telling your wife that your bother-in-law can’t come to your house this weekend. Maybe it could be going to see your bank about a loan. Whatever it is, IMAGINE it mentally OVER and OVER, again.

ALWAYS remember – your MIND cannot really tell the difference between something you “imagine” and something “real”. YOUR objective is to REPEAT the situation so MANY times that it’s comfortable by the time you actually DO the thing for real. Once you practice enough, it’s nothing new to you.

Add this important new skill to your Emotional Toolbox. Do one repetition at a time and SHADOW BOX your way TO THE TOP!

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Tired of going back to the word GO? Bill Vannot teaches the rules for a Winning Game Plan. Visit Bill today for your business strategy at  http://www.BillVannot.com

Visualization technique

The brain often thinks in pictures.

The human eye captures an incredible amount of information with just one glance and relays it all to the brain that then translates that information into a form we ‘see’.

It would be more accurate to say we see with our brains than with our eyes.

The success technique to which I am referring is visualization. I guarantee, that
“visualizing your results is the key to realizing your results”.

Visualizing is one of the most important techniques you will ever learn and one that is utilized by all high performers.

One of the reasons goal setting doesn’t work for people is because they don’t understand or utilize the power of this one critical factor. Often times, you may set a goal, write it down, you may even read it aloud every day, but if you can’t see yourself in possession of your goal, you will never realize it long term.

Visualizing is your key to success for two reasons:

1. Your mind thinks in pictures and images;

2. Your subconscious mind drives your behavior.

When something is hammered into your mind in clear detail, it becomes part of your reality.

Your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between something that is real and something vividly imagined. Whatever picture (goal) you consistently think about will drive your actions to create that exact picture.

When you continually see yourself in possession of your goal, your subconscious mind will move you into actions that align with the mental image you hold.

How to Turn Nothing Into Something

(Excerpted from the Jim Rohn Weekend Seminar-Excelling in the New Millennium)

Have you ever wondered how to turn nothing into something?

First, in order to turn nothing into something, you’ve got to start with some ideas and imagination.

Now, it might be hard to call ideas and imagination nothing; but how tangible are those ideas? That is a bit of a mystery. I don’t believe that ideas that can be turned into a hotel, ideas that can be turned into an enterprise, ideas that can be turned into a new vaccine or ideas that can be turned into some miracle product, should be called nothing. But tangibly, you have nothing.

Interesting! Think of it, ideas that become so powerful in your mind and in your consciousness that they seem real to you even before they become tangible. Imagination that is so strong, you can actually see it.

When I built my first home for my family in Idaho all those years ago, before I started construction, I would take my friends and associates out to the vacant property and give them a tour of the house. Is that possible? Is it possible to take someone on a tour through an imaginary house? And the answer is, “Yes, of course.” “Here is the 3 car garage,” I used to say, and my friends would look and say, “Yes, this garage will hold 3 cars.” I could really make it “live”. I would take them on a tour throughout the house… “Here is the fireplace, and look, this side is brick and the other side is stone.” I could make it so real… “Follow me through the rest of the house. Take a look through the picture window here in the kitchen, isn’t the view great?” One day, I made the house so real that one of my friends bumped his elbow on the fireplace. I mean, it was that real.

So, the first step of turning nothing into something is to imagine the possibilities. Imagine All of the possibilities. One of the reasons for seminars, sermons, lyrics from songs and testimonials of others is to give us an idea of the possibilities; to help us imagine and to see the potential.

Now here is the second step for turning nothing into something, you must Believe that what you imagine Is possible for you. Testimonials like, “If I can do it, you can do it.” often become a support to our belief. And we start believing. First we imagine it’s possible. Second, we start to believe that what’s possible is possible for us.

We might also believe because of our own testimonial. Here is what your testimonial might say, “If I did it once, I can do it again. If it happened for me before, it could very well happen again.” So we believe not only the testimonials of others who say, “If I can do it, you can do it. If I can change, you can change. If I can start with nothing, you can start with nothing. If I can turn it all around, you can turn it all around.” Then we also have the support of our own testimonial, if we’ve accomplished something before. “If we did it once, we can do it again. If we did it last year, we can do it this year.” So those two things together are very powerful. Now, we do not have actual substance yet, although it is very close.

Again, step one is to imagine the possibilities. Step two is to imagine that what is possible is possible for you. Here is what we call step two – faith to believe. In fact, one writer said this, “Faith is substance.” An interesting word, “substance”, the powerful ability to believe in the possibilities that are possible for you. If you have faith to believe… that faith is substance, substance meaning “a piece of the real.” Now it’s not “the real”, it’s not this podium, but it is so powerful that it is very close to being real and so the writer said, “The faith is a piece of, the substance of”. He then goes on to call it evidence, substance and evidence. It is difficult to call substance and evidence “nothing”. It is nothing in the sense that it cannot be seen except with the inner eye. You can’t get a hold of it because it isn’t Yet tangible. But it is possible to turn nothing, especially ideas and imaginations, into something if you believe that it is now possible for you. That substance and evidence becomes so powerful that it can now be turned into reality.

So the first step is to imagine what is possible, the second is to have the faith to believe that what is possible is possible for you. And now the third step is to that you go to work to make it real. You go to work to make it a hotel. You go to work to make it an enterprise. You go to work and make it good health. You go to work and make it an association. You go to work and make it a good marriage. You go to work and make it a movement; you make it tangible. You make it viable. You breathe life into it and then you construct it. That is such a unique and powerful ability for all of us human beings. Put this to work and start the miracle process today!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

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Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine. Copyright 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide. To subscribe to Jim Rohn’s Weekly E-zine, go to http://Jim-Rohn.InspiresYOU.com

Visualization Exercise

Seeing is receiving. If you can see what you want to happen in your “mind’s eye,” then you’re more likely to receive it. The brain is an incredible mechanism. It registers everything that happens to us, stores that information in our memory cells, and retrieves that information when it’s called upon — consciously and subconsciously. It doesn’t ascertain if what it sees is real or vividly imagined.

Approximately 80 percent of our learning and how we experience life comes in through our visual channel. Thus, there is incredible power in the visualization process if we’ll use it to our benefit. Professional athletes use visualization all of the time — to picture themselves scoring a goal or hitting a home run. Sales people visualize making a successful presentation and closing the deal.

The process of visualization is particularly helpful for people who are choosing to restructure their lives, such as eliminating addictive behaviors or coming to grips with abusive behaviors. Everyone can use this technique to make changes in their lives.

Here’s the basic visualization process. You’ll want to make whatever adjustments necessary to maximize the effectiveness of this technique. It will get easier each time you do it.

First, find a quiet place away from distractions. Get into a comfortable position and relax your body. Take a number of slow, deep breaths. Release tension, concerns, and anxieties as you exhale. (They’ll be waiting for you when you’ve completed the exercise — if you still want them.) Clear the screen of your mind’s eye. See the number one (or any other non-emotive symbol) on your mind’s screen. Focus your attention on the number one. Allow other thoughts and feelings to dissipate.

Next, allow the number one to fade out as you begin to visually create what it is you want to accomplish with this exercise. [The point-of-view you'll use will depend on the purpose of your visualization. We'll explore the specifics later in this article.]

Visually create each figure, the scenery, the setting, filling your picture with the minutest details. Add vivid colors to your picture. Make the colors bright and dramatic.

Once your picture is in technicolor, add the sounds that are associated with your picture. You might hear yourself saying words, others talking, birds singing, waves crashing, or balls bouncing.

Once the volume is turned up, fill your picture with the aromas and tastes that are associated with it, such as the fragrance of flowers, salt in the ocean air.

Add the sensation of touch. What does the picture feel like in the sense of textures and temperature? Is the hand you’re shaking warm and soft or rough and calloused? Now, enjoy the full picture you’ve created.

Add the critical element to your visualization — your emotions. It’s the emotional element that expertly transfers your picture into your brain’s memory cells. With your picture in full array, add to it the emotions you want to feel when you find yourself in this situation. Whatever the emotions — pride, confidence, patience, gratitude, love — feel them fully. Allow your body to actually respond to the feelings associated with your picture. Smile, beam, gesture, whatever way you express your emotions. Hold your feelings in concert with your picture. Fully be in the picture you’ve created for yourself.

Once you’ve held your picture strongly on your mind’s screen for a few minutes, let it fade gradually until you return to your focus symbol — the number one. Then commend yourself for using this tool for affecting change in your life.

The use of visualization can serve many purposes: enhance your performance and level of skill development, practice a new behavior, get rid of obstacles and fears, induce relaxation, improve your self-talk, reach goals, as well as affect the healing process. Let’s examine some specific purposes that promote positive changes in your life and how you can adapt the basic visualization process to address those purposes.

1. Reframe old situations. Whether you were abusive to yourself or others or were abused by someone else, you likely have many horrid memories stored in your mind’s film library. Re-watching those movies brings up feelings of anger, remorse, and heartache. To release the emotional hold these movies have on you, re-shoot the scenes with you behaving in a way that demonstrates your power over the situation.

For example, if you were physically abused, picture yourself taking up for yourself and fighting back against your attacker. Move yourself out of the victim’s role even if you were indeed helpless at that point in time. If you were abusive to someone else, portray yourself as loving and caring. See yourself behaving as you now wish you had behaved. See yourself demonstrating respect for others and yourself. This suggestion is not made to eliminate the reality of what happened. It serves as a way to release the past so you can move forward with your life.

2. Change old habits. You are fully aware that old habits are difficult to change even when you know they act as roadblocks to achieving your best self. Beginning with one habit, picture yourself behaving in the desired manner on your mind’s screen. So, if your goal is to stop drinking alcohol, create pictures of yourself in triggering situations where you’re not drinking — smiling, carrying on pleasant conversation, feeling positive about yourself and others, receiving positive reactions from others. The more you visualize yourself practicing your new habit, the easier it will be in reality. This technique is not a panacea. Change in any habit requires persistent effort and ardent desire on your part.

3. Eliminate fears. Fears act as a deterrent to making the changes you want to make in your life. They tend to immobilize you. Yet, fear is your own creation. It’s a False Expectation Appearing Real. Whether you’re afraid of failing, succeeding, the unknown, or rejection, fixating on the fear is nonproductive. So what if your humanness shows as you make a mistake? In the big scheme of things, what difference will it truly make? To eliminate the obstacle of fear, make a visual representation of the fear, such as a handcuff. Now, picture it as big as you possibly can make it on your mind’s screen. Next, minimize it, making it as small as the point of a pin. Mentally erase the pinpoint. Repeating this exercise often will help to emotionally release the fear.

4. Boost self esteem. When you’re making changes in your behavior and way of thinking, how you feel about yourself tends to fluctuate. Going through the recovery process often takes its toll on your feelings of adequacy and self worth. Using this visualization tool can be an effective method of enhancing your positive feelings. Picture your best self on your mind’s screen. See yourself smiling, peaceful, glowing, and exuding self confidence. Make affirming and validating statements to yourself. Be sure to feel the uplifting emotions that come from being the best you can be.

Some of those statements might include, “I make positive choices for myself.” “I do a good job of taking care of me.” “I have the power to overcome any obstacle that gets in the way of being my best.” Even if you don’t truly feel this way about yourself, continue with this exercise regularly. Remember you’re re-creating your internal script.

5. Inducing Relaxation. When you can’t physically get away to the place where you feel peaceful and “at one” with yourself, you can create it on your mind’s screen. You can create the beach, a garden, the mountains, the woods, or any location that you desire. Make sure you create your peaceful location in full technicolor. Fill you senses with the wonder of nature. Taking a few minutes to escape — to break away from the constant stimulation that comes from our day-to-day living — will revitalize you and help you to keep your circumstances in perspective. Give yourself the gift of relaxation on a regular basis.

Visualization, in conjunction with the other techniques you’re using as you move through the recovery process, is effective in supporting the changes you want to make in your life. Watch yourself evolve right before your very own eyes.

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Susan Pilgrim, Ph.D. specializes in engaging the spirit of individuals, teams, and organizations.
spilgrim@mindspring.com