“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” Philippians 4:8 NIV.
“Energy grows where your focus goes,” the adage says. Both scientific and psychological studies have proven repeatedly that top athletes' performances improve dramatically as they visualize making the basket, sticking the landing, or scoring the goal. Can visualization work for the rest of us?
Whether we recognize it or not, visualization is already working either for us or against us. God programed our brains with something called imagination that never shuts down. It’s an active process, a force, that is constantly working to project upcoming circumstances, situations, opportunities, and outcomes. Based in the subconscious realm for the most part, its output is a result of what is fed on the conscious level.
If we’re constantly feeding on negativity and fear, our subconscious mind feeds it right back to us with unwelcome results. If we neglect nourishing our souls with prayer, meditation, and hearty messages, this inner mechanism designed for our well-being functions poorly. It would be like pouring water into your gas tank. The human imagination isn’t built to run on garbage.
Another familiar adage goes, “You get what you pay for.” Intentionally shifting our focus from pessimism and fear is a small price to pay for a better life. Our subconscious minds aren’t autonomous. They respond to what we feed them and work to bring to life what we imagine. We’ve been given a lot more human power than we give God credit for. Live into the flow of His design. Think better thoughts. Live a better life. Simple, though not always easy.
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