Over the last few weeks, the term visualization technique has been coming up a little too often while browsing the net. For those needing a bit of simple explanation, it essentially says that one can achieve goals, success etc in the ‘real’ world by visualizing it over and over and believing in it. Now I can’t quite swallow the idea that just visualising myself getting fitter would do one bit towards making me fitter if I don’t put in the effort needed. I need to consistently exercise in the right way, eat right, and not give in to laziness and temptation too often. Just imagining myself as this lean toned lady isn’t going to help.
Honestly, I’m slightly ashamed to tell you that I did just this when I was preparing for my engineering entrance exams the first time round. I’d waste time daydreaming/imagining how amazing it’d be to go to class with intelligent, curious people, be taught by seriously awesome professors, live in a hostel (ok childish I know but I was not even 17 then!) and learn different new skills, . It didn’t work out like that and I essentially tanked my examinations. I wouldn’t say the daydreaming was the only factor, but the dismal results really opened my eyes to reality. Wishing for a thing doesn’t make it happen all by itself. You need to put in the sweat, blood and tears that it needs. You need that focus, that energy and that attitude a lot more than you need prayers and positive imagery.
I wouldn’t say that prayers and positive visualization don’t have their place. They really help with reducing nervousness and increasing confidence. They also probably serve as motivation to many people. What I don’t believe is that you just need to believe something will happen and it will. That’s too simplistic and all discussions on this topic should make that clear đ
Now that the caveats are out of the way, I still think visualization is a pretty nifty trick. Pretty much everyone is running after success. Trying to visualise that would actually force them to think about what success means to them. What do they see their life as like once they’ve achieved that mythical success? Do they see themselves giving celebrity interviews to Times magazine? Their restaurant consistently in the best restaurants lists of the country? Holidaying in the Alps with their family? What?
The popular culture is sceptical of introspection, but I sincerely believe you need to build a genuine model of yourself over time. That’s the basis for everything. You are unique in this world and who you are, what makes you feel happy or excited, what your fears are, what fascinates you, what values drive you, which professions and lifestyles inspire you, all of it will affect your life. It’ll affect others in your life, your partner, your friends, your family, your colleagues… It’ll affect how you approach goals, how you measure success, and what makes you happy.
Visualization, to me, is like a trick forcing me to distill some aspects of myself into words, images, and conscious thoughts. And every time I do it, I may discover a new piece of knowledge about myself. All this focus on ‘self’ probably sounds very selfish (haha), but it isn’t truly. I sincerely believe that the better you know yourself, the better you can empathise. You have a better idea of the kind of motivations that drive people. How even someone basically good can experience destructive emotions. Being self-aware makes you more forgiving of people, and more willing to give them the benefit of doubt.
And it really helps you see the bigger picture in terms of your life, and how it interconnects with so many other peoples. How various factors sometimes make it turn in surprising way. It lets you see the hand of your parents and mentors in your values, behaviours and personality.
Ok this is going off track. I had intended writing about visualization, not singing praises in the cause of being self aware đ Better stop before this post ends up somewhere even weirder.