On the rolling hills of Alberta, Canada stands a large house, with over 5 bedrooms and 3 floors. It belongs to friends of my friend. The owners own multiple houses, love their lives, live richly, and give generously.
Their success is a result of two things: Visualization and kindness.
Visualize the outcome; visualize the process
Deepak Chopra defines luck as “opportunity meeting preparedness.”
In other words, we are constantly swimming in a world of possibilities. Yet, we can only see and harness these possibilities if we are ready for them.
Visualization works because your brain doesn’t always distinguish between reality and imagination.
A psychology study based in Australia split a basketball team into three groups. One was told only to visualize scoring for 20 minutes a day. Another was told to practice scoring for 20 minutes a day. The third did neither.
The players who visualized and those who practiced all improved by similar degrees. Their brains didn’t distinguish between the physical act of practicing and the mental act of having a ‘scoring mindset’.
1. Visualize your goals
What do you want to achieve? What does that look, feel, and taste like?
Make your subconscious aware of your desires. Images are easier to remember than words, because they create a single pathway in our brain. Cut out or draw pictures of what you want. Then paste them onto a “visualization board” that becomes a compass for your journey.
With your visualization board in mind, you will be more open to the opportunities you seek. The images will forge an invisible path for you so that you just seem “lucky”.
2. Visualize your process
You may not know what your goals look like. So, visualize the process.
What do you need to do next? What direction should you head in?
Visualizing the process means understanding what you need to do in the near future. Maybe you have to research something. Perhaps you will attend a networking event.
• Once you’ve identified an activity, close your eyes. Visualize your success in that task. At your networking luncheon, you are dressed very well. You see yourself speaking candidly and professionally with like-minded, helpful people and getting a good collaborative group going.
• Visualize deeper. What do you say to those people? What is it that you want them to offer you? What are you going to offer them?
Understanding and playing out your success in your mind makes it easier in reality. Give it a try.
Kindness is what built Jay-Z an Empire
The first part of receiving is giving. And giving is easy if you have a passion to share.
The best way to meet people, to understand balance, and to foster open-mindedness is to be kind.
Why does kindness work?
Kindness teaches you what you are passionate about and what you can do for others.
It is also a big part of trust and openness. Being closed to other people’s ideas, talents, and gifts closes off your mind to innovation and wealth as well. Kindness is a type of collaboration in which you welcome ability, like-mindedness, and change into your process. Be kind to people who appreciate and respect it.
In business, high-level executives such as Jonathan Fields, Conan O’Brien and Andy Lansing have built their success on being kind to others.
However, one of the best stories I know is Jay-Z’s rise to multimillionaire.
After releasing his “Black Album” and supposedly retiring from making music, Jay-Z was not retired by any means. Along with owning multiple clubs and restaurants, Jay-Z started his own recording company, Rockafella Records, to discover new talent.
Now he makes his money by spreading kindness. Jay-Z has a keen ear for talented performers. He helps them succeed by teaching them what he’s learned from over 15 years in the music industry.
Jay-Z’s passion for music translates into kindness because he deeply wants to share his expertise. In the process, he has changed the music industry for good.
How do you visualize your success unfolding? Sign up for Branding from Within to be a role model for yourself. Discover your values and live by them.
