In one of our earlier articles, we shared the 3-step creative process (Ask-Believe-Receive) outlined in Rhonda Byrne’s international best-seller, The Secret. We also separately zoomed in on some of the tips she shared on how to fast-track the manifestation process.
If you’ve tried the tips in the book, but failed to achieve results, well, it could be because there are at least 3 key tips which Byrne didn’t quite include in her book. These 3 tips are, in our view, crucial to completing your understanding on the creative visualization process, though nothing beats putting the steps into motion through actual practice and refinement.
So, what are these additional insights? Let’s zoom in on them right away.
1. Blind Faith and Optimism are not enough
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply ask, believe and receive everything that we wanted in life, go with the flow and enjoy the entire process with no challenges, pain, nor struggle? Well, the truth is, true success comes when we become larger than our problems.
Hence, while it’s not wise to go against Universal flow, it’s also not practical to expect phenomenal success without its fair share of mis-takes and challenges. The key lies in our attitude towards these challenges.
In Good to Great, Jim Collins shared the results from years of research on the factors that helped certain companies to achieve and sustain “greatness” (where their competitors could not). The findings, in many ways, can also be applied to personal success. One of the factors identified is the “Stockdale Paradox”.
The “Stockdale Paradox” is named after Admiral Jim Stockdale, who was a United States military officer held captive for 8 years during the Vietnam War. Stockdale was tortured more than 20 times while in captivity, and his conditions were so bleak there was no reason to believe he would survive or ever leave the prison camp. Yet, Stockdale never lost faith.
“I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade,” he said.
What’s more important is this – Stockdale didn’t get out because of blind optimism. He accepted the reality of his situation, and did everything he could and should to survive and get out of prison. He created a tapping code so the inmates could communicate with each other, he developed a system to help them cope with torture, and he sent intelligence to his wife, hidden in the seemingly-innocent letters he wrote.
In fact, some of his most optimistic prison-mates failed to make it out alive. Ironically, because of their optimism, they simply hoped (with blind faith) that the difficulties would go away by themselves. But, when Christmas came, then Easter, then Thanksgiving, then the next Christmas, they find their hopes dwindling and eventually they “died of a broken heart”.
The critical lesson is this – it’s as important to hold on to your dreams and lofty goals, as it is to honestly face up to your current realities and to take concrete actions to address them. Don’t just ask-believe-receive. Also take concrete steps to address your current realities, knowing (and feeling) confidently that you will be guided to fulfill your dreams and goals.
2. The 3 steps need to be backed by many more elements
If you are thinking “darn, I was hoping I could just visualize my way to success”, well, there’s more. Napolean Hill, in his success classic, Think and Grow Rich, outlines thirteen (yes, 13, not 3….) principles that must be concurrently practiced and gradually mastered to attract massive wealth and success:
As you can see, ask-believe-receive (involving desire, faith, auto-suggestion and sub-conscious mind, brain) are only a few of the elements. As you gradually master the art of creative visualization and take inspired action while addressing your current realities, you will concurrently apply and develop the other principles as well (such as specialized knowledge, decision, persistence). Download a free copy of the book summary and graphic here, to read more about all 13 principles.
3. You may need to reset your internal financial thermostat
In Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker shares that all of us have a “money blueprint” that works like an internal thermostat or default financial setting that we tend to fall back to. This comes from programming from young (including verbal programming, modelling and specific incidents), much of which we may not even be conscious of.
This concept actually applies to many areas of our lives.
Hence, merely visualizing the future isn’t enough – we need to become aware of and to release old programming and beliefs that may be holding us back. In fact, Louis Hay suggests (in You Can Heal Your Life) that in most cases, the most fundamental issue to be addressed is the belief that “I’m not Good Enough”.
In sum, the Ask-Believe-Receive Creative Process is a great overview of the creative visualization process. However, to get the most from it, you need to deepen your understanding of the process and apply it with 3 additional insights above.
As with so many other success tips, results don’t happen overnight. So, be patient, keep plugging in and reviewing your progress, and we’re with you every step of the way!
