You
were born with Creative Power.
It's the Energy, Enthusiasm and Drive to visualize exactly what it is that you want to see accomplished. It’s the ability to work toward your goal, all the while holding a vision of the finished product in your mind until it’s complete. The story of Major James Nesmith illustrates this beautifully.
Nesmith developed a unique method of achieving the goal of improving his golf game. Until he devised this method however, he was just your average weekend golfer, shooting in the mid to low nineties.
Then, for seven years, he completely quit the game, never touched a club, never set foot on a fairway.
Ironically, it was during this seven-year break from the game that Major Nesmeth came up with his amazingly effective technique for improving his score - a technique we could all learn from.
In fact, the first time he set foot on a golf course after his hiatus, he shot an astonishing 74! That’s right, he had cut 20 strokes off his average without having swung a golf club in seven years! Unbelievable? Well…not only that, but his physical condition had actually deteriorated during those seven years.
What was his secret? Visualization. You see, Major James Nesmeth had spent those seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. During that time he was imprisoned in a cage no bigger than 4 1/2’ high by 5’ long.
Almost the entire seven years, he saw no one, talked to no one and experienced no physical activity. During the first few months he said, “I did virtually nothing but hope and pray for my release. Then I realized I had to find some way to occupy my mind or I would lose my sanity and probably my life.” A technique we could all learn from.
And that's when he learned to visualize. In his mind, he selected his favorite golf course and started playing golf. Every day, he played a full 18 holes at the country course of his dreams. He experienced everything to the last detail. He saw himself dressed in his golfing attire. He smelled the fragrance of the trees and the freshly trimmed grass.
He experienced different weather conditions. He could feel windy spring days, see overcast winter skies, as well as, sunny summer mornings. In his imagination, every detail of the tee, the individual blades of grass, the trees - he could see it all. He heard the chirping of the birds and the sound of scampering squirrels. Even the lay of the course became totally real in his mind.
Then he stepped up to the tee, took a swing and heard the swish as he felt his club connect with the ball…and watched as it arced down the exact center of the fairway, bounce a couple of times and roll to the very spot he had selected all in his mind.
You see in his world he was in no hurry. He had no place to go. So in his mind he took every step on his way to the ball, just as if he were physically on the course. It took him just as long in imaginary time to play 18 holes as it would have taken in real time not a detail was omitted.
Not once did he ever miss a shot, never a hook or a slice, never a missed putt. Seven days a week. Four hours a day. Eighteen holes. Seven years. Twenty strokes off. Shot a 74.
That’s an amazing story yet, everything Nesmith did during those seven years revolved around his purpose didn’t it? His purpose was simple - to maintain his sanity.
Visualization is one of the greatest gifts you and I have been given. As an inherent part of our Creative Power, imagination, foresight, planning and creating are all vital to being able to improve our own lives as well as our environment. It’s what sets us apart from all other species.
Thoreau said, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
You may have heard the saying, “Thoughts become things.” However, I’ve found it’s our thoughts, coupled with working toward our goal, that will eventually show up as the things we’ve visualized. A formula for this would be: Thoughts + Work = Things. Just trying to visualize or pray for a result alone will produce nothing. You’ve got to put effort to your imagination.
This week as you connect to your life's purpose...
visualize exactly the life you want to create for yourself. Who are the friends you’d like to have? How would you like to be able to help other people? What specific character qualities would you want to show up in your life? What kind of career do you imagine for yourself? What kind of house will you live in? What car will you drive?
It’s when we remember that our Creative Power is not only rooted in our ability to improve ourselves but to add value to others as well, that's when we truly give back to the universe and it’s Grand Overall Designer - the Origin of our Creative Power. That’s when we truly live from Purpose.
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