How to use Creative Visualization Techniques to Attract Abundance into Your Life - Stage One

Personal development, i.e. seeking to improve ourselves is something we should all strive for and creative visualisation techniques are a way to help you achieve this and to attract abundance in any area of your life you choose. Abundance in this case is a catch all term for the things you want in life, be that tangible things such as money, love and material possessions or more intangible things such as increased self confidence or motivation.

However, as with many things, practice makes perfect and creative visualization techniques must be learnt and practiced to reap the best rewards.

Think of it like this, if you wake up one morning and decide you want to run a marathon you will (unless you are already super fit and regularly run long distances) need to set a training schedule and stick to it. The first time you run you many only manage a few hundred yards, but the next time it will be a little more and so on and so on until eventually you can complete the 26 miles.

The same applies to creative visualisation, take it slow, take it steady, practice and the results will come.

A good way to think of creative visualization is focused day-dreaming. It's a method of imagining what you want to achieve, to the point that you can achieve it ~ and if that sounds a bit airy fairy for you then bare with me for a moment ~ the theory is built on pretty sturdy science.

Next time you see an athlete prepare for a race watch them closely. The chances are the shortly before they line up at the start you'll see them standing in what looks like quiet contemplation. What they're actually doing is visualizing the race. Going over it in their mind.

Studies have shown that the brain cannot tell the difference between something happening in your mind and happening in reality, so if you can imagine something happening, if you can visualise it in glorious 3D techni-colour, feel it, taste it, smell it ~ then your brain is convinced it's happened, and that opens up huge possibilities for each and every one of us.

Think of it as as cross between the ultimate self help and being your own life coach.

Once you're experienced in using creative visualisation to attract good things into your life you'll be able to do it anywhere, but at the start it helps to find somewhere quiet where you can relax.

There isn't a one size fits all for this, it's where you feel comfortable. It may be sitting in the garden, lying on the bed or just a quiet corner of the house. For some you might need complete silence, for some gentle music might be better ~ the important thing is to find a space you feel comfortable in and you can relax in.

To start with just lie back, close your eyes and let your mind wander ~ even this can take a bit of practice in todays fast paced world but you're just trying to get used to the sensation of relaxing and not thinking of anything in particular, just take a few deep breaths and relax, try and forget about the shopping, the bills, work and all other irriations and enjoy just being there.

Visualisation is about using your imagination to its fullest, and if you imagine that your imagination is a muscle then it needs to be worked before it reaches its full potential ~ so the best thing is to start with something simple - visualising being happy and attracting good things into your life.

You don't have to start with this, but the chances are that if you've reached the stage where you want to try visualisation it's because you want to attract good things into your life which you feel would make you happier.

Think of somewhere that makes you happy and imagine yourself there. It can be anywhere, either real or imagined, but needs to be somewhere you feel safe, relaxed and happy. Once you've identified your place imagine yourself there ~ really there. Reach out and touch whats around you, see the sights and hear the sounds. One of my favourite places to imagine is a gently sloping field above cliffs which look out over the sea. I can feel the grass soft under my fingers and can see the sunlight reflecting off the sea, peppering the waves with glitter.

Concentrate on the feeling being in your place brings, as well as general happiness you may be feeling peaceful, content, rested and relaxed. Stay in that place as long as you want to, as long as you're able to hold on to it. When you emerge from your visualisation those feelings will stay with you ~ possibly only for a short time initially but with each visualisation the effect should be quicker to achieve, be stronger and remain with you longer.

Now you've reached the point that you can easily visualise yourself in a happy state of mind you're now ready to go to Stage 2 and look at to use visualisation as a personal development tool.