Dreams may seem unimportant in your quest for success. And it's true that ordinary dreams are often a mix of what happened during your day --plus some "wild" random associations.
But there's more than one kind of dream.
For example: Many ultra successful people use a process of "waking dreaming" to fuel their visionary powers.
What is a "waking dream?"
A waking dream often starts out as a daydream. But each time the dream is remembered, the brain cell networks associated with it are physically strengthened.
And if the dream is repeated enough, what started out as a daydream becomes a dominant vision.
The key word here is DOMINANT.
** Overcoming Personal Doubt and Fear
You can bet that all successful people started out with their own collection of personal fears, doubts, and perceived limitations.
But as their dream was encoded into their brain cells through repetition, it gradually became more dominant than their fears and doubts.
Soon the neural network holding their dream was stable enough to totally override those old fears and doubts. This is NOT a "made-up" scenario. It's solidly based on modern neuroscience.
Scientists now use fMRI technology to actually watch the brain create new neural connections while someone is focused on solving a problem or learning something new.
Think about that for a moment.
I saw these same results years ago during my computerized EEG brainwave and biofeedback research and clinical practice.
This is a powerful key to success. And it's been used by the world's ultra successful people since the beginning of time.
(((Repeated focus builds physical brain power.)))
Why does this work so effectively?
Because at some point in time, your repeated vision of your dream becomes a BRAIN-BASED INTENTION.
That's when the doors begin to open, the opportunities seem to drop into your lap, and your dream begins to take shape as a reality.
** Enter Visionary Power
We are each endowed with visionary powers. When you take a few minutes to think about what you are going to do over the weekend, you're actually visualizing.
Here's the process: First, you consciously picture your possibilities using your imagination. Second, you make a choice of one possible option from among the many. Then all that remains is to take steps to create your choice in reality.
But most ultra successful people are *highly achieved* visionaries, and take this process a bit further.
To me, a "highly achieved visionary" is one who: ? Encourages waking dreams.
? Purposefully uses their imagination to create possible scenarios from their waking dreams.
? Selects a scenario that fires up passionate desire.
? Strengthens their vision by constantly "dreaming" about it on a conscious waking level.
? Takes focused, committed action to bring their dream, or vision, into reality.
** Creating Visionary Success
The success achieved by ultra successful people often brings outrageous rewards and plentiful financial returns.
You may or not be motivated to become a millionaire. That's not really the issue. Many people can live the life of their dreams without being wealthy. You may be one of them.
Or perhaps your vision has nothing to do with money at all. It could focus on creativity, or simply a less stressful lifestyle.
The real issue is: what kind of life do you want to create for yourself?
** How to Get Started
Here's a great bit of advice by the famous American writer, Mark Twain: "The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
Try this approach to get yourself started:
1. First, give yourself the luxury of some relaxing time alone. Then just imagine how you would like to spend the rest of your life. It's often especially good to get out in nature.
2. Second, allow yourself to "daydream" about what your ideal life would look like. Be sure NOT to place limits on the size of your dreams.
3. Third, as you do your visionary waking dreams, watch for one vision that seems especially inviting or exciting to YOU. The greatest power in manifesting a vision is PASSION.
4. Now memorize (or write down, if that's your style) the essence of that vision. And make a commitment to yourself to "re-visualize" it several times a day.
Open your awareness to steps you can take to bring your vision into reality. Just begin to take action. Even 10 minutes a day adds up quickly.
Pay no attention to negative fears or feelings of inadequacy. The process itself will handle them. This is NOT a race -- it's about the rest of your life.
If you can't get your visionary process moving, try going for a walk or run. Or go swimming, biking, hiking, or even weight-lifting. **How to Keep it Going
Ultra successful people are that way because they've learned how to light up their own passion -- and keep it hot.
If you're out there by yourself, this can be a challenge at first. You may even feel a bit overwhelmed.
This is a common experience for most of us when doing something new -- especially if that "something" involves expanding our own self. Remember not to make the visionary process unnecessarily difficult. Enjoy yourself.
Make each step of the way as enjoyable and playful as possible. This IS your life, after all.
Just persist in revisiting your ideal vision. Your amazing brain will build stronger and neural networks to help your vision manifest. That's a proven scientific fact.
www.quantum-self.com © 2004 All Rights Reserved
The author, Dr Jill Ammon-Wexler, is a doctor of psychology, pioneer brain/mind researcher, and former advisor to the Pentagon, a Presidential Commission, and numerous top executives and executive teams.
The author of several books and hundreds of articles, she is also the co-founder of quantum-self.com, and the Creative Director of the Self Discovery Community. She can be reached at: drjill@quantum-self.com
Come visit the exciting Self Discovery Community. Discover the most interesting, unusual, stimulating and creative methods of self discovery on the web today! Free sizzling weekly ezine, and the web's first Brain Gym ezone. http://www.quantum-self.com