"What we focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny." Robin S. Sharma.
Earlier this year, my mom and I took a trip to Arizona and New Mexico. We looked forward to the trip and did a lot of pre-planning. Mom had a list of "must-see" things, two of which were a javelina and a haboob (it's worth the google). Mine was a roadrunner and tumbleweed. We would laugh together at the prospect of scoring, and we shared our list with anyone who would listen. One thing to know about my mom: she is like a kid in a candy store when we are on a trip: all fun and googly eyes. Needless to say, we had a great time.
The first day in Arizona was spent visiting Mt. Lemmon. As we were coming down the mountain and the road flattened out, there was a flash on the road. I tracked the shadow as it crossed in front of the car and right before our eyes was a roadrunner. No joke. First day. We almost wrecked the car. One item on the must-see list checked! As we moved through the trip, we saw a javelina (statuary in Sedona), a haboob (on TV with Uncle Moe), and a pseudo tumbleweed that mom graciously agreed to approve as authentic.
That roadrunner taught me a lesson. I was able to see the roadrunner because I trained my brain in advance to be on the lookout. When we saw it, mom and I were yapping about all kinds of things, distracted from the details of the scenery. But because I set the intention and kept repeating it, my subconscious noticed the goal when it came.
The point is this: we focused our awareness on what we wanted and were successful. We set our sights on a goal and kept it top of mind. By sharing it with friends, talking about it, and visualizing the outcome, we made it happen. We didn't get caught up in the "how" or "when", just the goal. We may not have checked off all of the goals in the traditional sense, but because we were flexible, we found creative ways to get the job done.
If you want something specific or want a situation to change (say a job, relationship, or habit such as smoking, drinking, etc.), focus on the outcome. Keep your mind focused on where you want to be, not your current state. When your mind is aware of the outcome you want, it will make sure to notice the things in your world that support your desire. Let go of the "how" or "when" and let it flow to you.
Sometimes it is hard to shift your thoughts from your current situation to the future you desire. If this is the case, you can use hypnosis as a tool. Hypnosis relaxes the conscious mind which is stuck in the now and guards the status quo. The hypnotic trance takes us straight to the subconscious mind. This area is creative and receptive to new ideas when not guarded by the conscious mind. When we enlist the subconscious mind, change happens faster and easier than trying to use willpower alone.
The change you are looking for will come if you focus on the outcome you want, not your current state.
What is your roadrunner?
image: © 2014 Lazarus. Licensed under CC-BY.