Human beings are very visual animals. Sure, on a relationship basis, men are more visual than women. Women are actually auditory, they would rather hear “I love you” rather than see “I love you”. Men tend to be more visual, they will believe it when they see it, they call what they see. This is why pornography is such a big problem with men, because they are triggered more by graphical stimulation. Women, on the other hand, respond better to auditory stimulation.
A man’s looks does not matter as much as the kind of words that he can say to a woman, and more importantly, the kind of emotions he can evoke through his words in a woman’s heart. With that said, you need to use the power of visualization for you to achieve your weight loss goals. You are having a tough time making good on your weight loss plans because really you are failing to use the power of visualization. Visualization is actually one of the most powerful sales, marketing and persuasive techniques in the world. It is also a very powerful behavioral modification tool. When you use the power of visualization, you use it on yourself. This is all internal.
You Are Already Visualizing
Make no mistake about it. You are already visualizing. You are already using visualization in your daily activities. You might be rolling your eyes and saying to yourself “…yeah, right. I do not fall for that pop psychology stuff. I do not do that Hindu new age crap…”, think again. Next time you close your eyes and you listen to the radio or you listen to an mp3, pay careful attention to the mental images that come to mind. These mental images are almost automatic. These happen by habit. When this happens, you are visualizing. Nine times out of ten you are doing it wrong. Most people who visualize let it happen to them. Instead of making visualization happen, they just let it happen to them. This is precisely the problem.
People Live Their Lives Based On A Subconscious Script
The reason why most people’s version of visualization is wrong, is because they do it unconsciously. They are not mindful of the mental pictures that come to mind, also, they are very unconscious as to the emotional responses that their bodies have to these mental pictures. Finally, they are also completely clueless as to how these emotional triggers impact their actual behavior. People say all sorts of stuff and do all sorts of stuff because of emotional triggers. These emotional triggers do not come out of nowhere, these emotional triggers come from mental pictures. These mental pictures can actually be described by a wide range of words and terms. They are attitudes, frameworks, assumptions, concepts, whatever you want to call it, it is true. It is a reality. The sooner you wrap your mind around this concept, the sooner you will control it.
Visualize What You Want
The main reason why people feel unhappy, is because they do not have any control over their lives. If you are an unhappy person, it is because you are unmindful. In other words, you just let yourself feel what you feel by habit. Somebody says something, a mental picture comes up and an emotional trigger happens and then you start blurting out words or you start acting a certain way. It is as if somebody pulled strings and then you started to dance. You are not a puppet. Unfortunately, you let your emotions and your mental processes work you, and operate you like a puppet. Is it not time that you start living your life based on a conscious script, instead of a subconscious script? Is it not time that you start using visualization to benefit you? Is it not time that you start using visualization to lose weight, to feel better, to make better friends, to become a better partner, to make more money, to be happier with your life? Regardless of your goal, regardless of your deepest needs, visualization can help you do it. The key is to chose it properly. Visualizing what you want is the crucial first step. You have to chose the pictures that come to your mind, because those pictures are not neutral.
Take Control Over The Script That You Are Already Automatically Following
As I keep mentioning again and again, there is a tight linkage between the mental pictures that come to your mind based on external stimuli, the emotional response you have to that picture and the physical or verbal actions that are triggered by those emotional responses. These are all interlinked. There is like an iron chain linking them together. If you are not getting the weight loss results that you want, if you feel fat, if you feel bloated, if you feel unhappy, if you feel ugly, if you feel unappealing, whatever negative feeling you have in your life, you can make progress by breaking this chain. When you take control over the script that you are already automatically following, you take control over your life. It all begins with a mental picture. Why? Keep reading below.
Images Are Not Emotionally Neutral
To take a step back, you have to understand that your body is a data collection device. That is all there is to it. It is a hardware construction that picks up signals from the outside world. You see, you smell, you taste, you listen, so on and so forth. However, this information really is neutral. This is data. It is your mind that paints a picture based on this data and then places emotional meaning on it. Images are not emotionally neutral. The good news is that you can chose the emotional meaning. This is a choice. Have you ever noticed in the past, when you thought about a certain person, the image of that person in your mind made you happy? As you matured and you changed, when the picture of that person comes to mind, you may be chuckle or you may even think positive thoughts. The person did not change. What changed? You. You stopped giving the same emotional reading to that same picture. Make no mistake about it. Images are not emotionally neutral. You can chose the emotions you associate with certain mental images.
Chose The Emotional Payoffs That Lead To Where You Need To Go
If you are trying to lose weight, if you are trying to make money, if you are trying to feel better about yourself, if you are trying to get along with others better, if you are trying to live a more fulfilled life, you have to chose the right emotional associations. It really is that simple. You have to change the emotional payoffs that certain mental pictures bring to mind. Otherwise, you will continue to live your life in this instinctive manner that leads to more shame, more guilt, more sadness, so on and so forth. Is it not time to get off that train and board a train that is headed where you need to go? The choice is yours.
I never considered how a simple day dream can effect your daily life. I spend a few hours a week listening to music and just thinking. I am in control of these thoughts but the motives behind them are to make myself feel better by making others jealous. I am not sure if that makes sense or not but this post really made me think! Thanks!
This article really pieces it all together for me. That last paragraph “Chose the emotional payoffs..” hits the nail right on the head and really made it click! I look at the emotional associations I make towards, for example my job and right now it is not that good, so what I need to do is change it.
After reading this article I did a test this morning and changed my emotional association I had for my job and it really did feel a lot easier to come and get to work! It really is that simple. This is awesome and it really did make me think. Love it!
i’ve often heard how powerful visualization is. a lot have been said about it, including as a tool to weight loss. while i agree with the claim that it is really an effective tool in reaching your goals (be it weight loss, financial freedom, etc.), i’ve never actually done it myself. that changed when i got sick and was urged by my doc to lose weight. however, instead of picturing myself getting thinner, i visualized on engaging in healthy habits such as watching the food i ate and doing some exercises. i thought about them hard enough, that i actually made myself do the things i visualized. i successfully managed to lose weight following said visualizations. unfortunately, when i felt better – i went back to my old habits. nevertheless, i believe in this tool to weight loss. you should try it as in once did.
The article is very good and intelligently written. First and second paragraph are the best. It is true that men are visual types. I know that because I am a man also, and I like beautiful girls. The article very well describes the way of thinking of women and men. But I know that women also like handsome men. So it is not hard 30 minutes of exercise a day. If we do that, we would be more beautiful, healthier and stronger.
This is a wonderful article!!! You are a wonderful writer and I love reading your material!!! I am going to share this with others, because it relates to so many areas of our lives and not just for the sake of weight loss. I could totally take this article and apply it to my children that I teach at school! We are all indeed creatures that are driven by our perceptions of what we believe and think. The world would be such a better place if all people would have positive daily visualization of how their lives and day could be. Thank you for your insight!
I liked reading this article. It was really intelligently written, and I found it interesting and informative. I find it especially useful as I seem to gain more weight as I work out. I feel fat, but when I look in the mirror I actually feel like I don’t look too bad. I feel like I look healthier, but the numbers don’t lie. It’s really important to visualize what you want, but also to have realistic expectations.
This article is okay except for the first part. To say that a man’s looks don’t matter, or that women prefer to hear rather than read a statement of someone’s love… well, it just seems very presumptuous to me. A woman will like what she likes, because not all women are the same. Men are not exempt from beauty standards simply for being in possession of “the other genitalia”. Honestly, you kind of lost me after those comments. Stop generalizing the sexes, because I’m sure you subconsciously do it on a daily basis in your own life- it will make life a lot more enjoyable.
I agree that visualization can really help. Forming a concrete picture of what you want to achieve really helps you to move towards the end goal. It’s like a positive reinforcement of your efforts.
I don’t agree that the writer is saying that a man’s looks do not matter at all. I took her remarks to mean that you could be dating the most handsome guy in the world but he’s be no good if he didn’t say the right things. Just my thoughts…
I have used visualization as a tool for positive outcomes, and you are right, we really do train our bodies with our minds. We can either visualize what we want to be, and become it, or visualize ourselves stuck, and stay in place. I’ve never used positive visualization for weight loss, but I used it when my dad had cancer, and he is now cancer free!
I have heard people talk about how positive visualization goes against God, but when you are praying, you are basically envisioning who you want to be, and what you want to happen, which is the same thing. I think it is a very positive exercise.
You could not be more right in saying that our brains are our puppets. We can let them work with us, or against us!
The one thing that is true for weight is that if you cannot see yourself the way you want to look when the weight is off, you are likely to take much longer to achieve your goals or not achieve them at all. By visualising you constantly are motivating yourself on a subconscious level to be consistent. Its important that visualisation be done regularly at least a couple of times throughout the day and be done with passion.
This is so true. I think what makes visualization effective is the emotions or states that you get when you imagine that mental picture and I love how you explained that images are not emotionally neutral. In my experience, not only did I have success in my fitness goals by visualizing the end result, I also imagined the process that would get me there. Actually I kinda obsessed about it, thinking every night and getting excited about my next work out and training session.
I think that this is helpful however it take lots of hard work along with visualization. I recently started exercising and I look in the mirror all the time this is because I like the way I look but I also know that I could look better