One of the surest ways to change your life is to change your mental movies about yourself. Unwittingly and usually unconsciously, we get into the habit of running these movies again and again. That’s great if the star of the show (that would be you) is upbeat, radiant, and confident.
However, this is not always the case. Too often, a frustrating situation sparks a memory of a limiting episode in life. We turn this memory into a mental movie. This mental “instant replay” generates negative feelings. In turn, these feelings spark another limiting episode which sparks another limiting movie and the process repeats too many times.
When the mind gets into the habit of seeing certain images in a certain way, the mind retains these images and they have staying power. Without conscious intervention, we play the same movies and react to the same images with effortless precision and, too often, predictable and limiting results.
Consider this anecdotal evidence from the Harry Potter phenomenon. Many fans report that they cannot read the books without visualizing the actors and settings from the movies. They even hear the actors’ voices as they read the dialog in the book. Apparently, this is true for old and new fans alike. Even the fans that read all the available books before Warner Bros. released the first movie and then re-read the books now visualize the cinematic version of Harry, his friends, and Hogwarts.
Why? Besides the obvious reason that the movies present many compelling images, the real reason is the emotional experience of watching the movie. The emotions we feel at the time the sights and sounds register in our minds etch these sights and sounds in our minds.
When this happens, all you have to do is mention “Harry Potter” and images from the movie pop up in the mind’s eye.
This interplay of images and emotion suggests a way to change the limiting movies we play unconsciously.
Here’s how to do this. Take a deep breath. Elevate your gaze as if looking at a point just above a distant horizon.
Call to mind a limiting mental movie. This movie is most likely based on an experience you’d just as soon forget. This is just the kind of movie that you will probably play when something sparks a fear, a surge of anxiety, or a moment of worry. Let the scenes from this debacle of the past play on the movie screen of your mind.
Now get up and dance! Hop around! Wave your arms! Act crazy! Hoot and holler! (You may want to do this when you have a few minutes alone.)
Yes. I know this seems silly. However, that’s the idea. Do this “crazy dance” a time or two.
This replaces the emotion of this “bummer” experience with exuberance even if it is forced and very silly. In effect, you will generate a new emotional atmosphere. This disrupts the negative vibes of the mental movie.
Now finish the job by letting your imagination alter the sights and sounds of the movie. An easy way to begin is to see your favorite color as a frame around the imaginary movie screen.
Then trust your imagination to alter the sights and sounds of the movie itself. For example, treat the “villains” to a pie in the face or new set of donkey ears. Add a sound track of canned laughter, the sounds of your “crazy dance” or anything else that makes you laugh.
This neutralizes the negative feelings of a mental movie that once made you cringe. It will never be the same again.
It’s not magic. It just seems that way.
© 2007 Tony Papajohn
Tony Papajohn coaches excellence and specializes in money. If you are a real estate investor, financial trader, entrepreneur, or want money to treat you like its new best friend, check out Tony’s free e-courses at http://www.WelcomeMoreMoney.com .
