Who has not experienced sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and a quivery voice before a performance of some kind? Whenever we have to perform in some way, it can bring on all those things and more.
As a singer I’ve experienced this many times. When I had a full time voice studio I witnessed it many times in my singers. For you, perhaps it’s an interview or work presentation.
Whatever it is, it’s possible for anyone to use the ability of the mind to envision and create the desired outcome.
Think About It!
“What the mind of man (sic) can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill
Here is a step by step process for mentally and emotionally preparing for any kind of presentation or performance.
Step 1: Know Your Reason
Have a clear picture in mind about the ‘why’ and develop this picture at least a month before the event.
Step 2: Write a List of your Achievements
Start as far back in your past as you like. Write down that you were valedictorian when you were in grade 8; that you were chosen to sing a solo for your church; that you wrote an award winning story; that you have a talent for making people laugh. Put down anything and everything that comes to your mind and spend a few minutes a day for two or three days adding to the list.
Step 3: Find the Feeling
Once you have your list, sit quietly for a few minutes and review it. Do this several times. How do you feel? Does it feel pretty good? Excellent! You are going to use that feeling for the next step.
Step 4: Picture the End Result
Decide how you want to feel after your presentation or performance. How does it feel to visualize yourself receiving congratulations or smiling and thanking people for the compliments? How about just having that feeling inside that you did well?
Step 5: Write Your Vision
Now write a vision for your performance and describe everything. What do you see in the venue? What are the sights and sounds you will experience? Do a script and make sure it’s in first person and present tense. EG, “I am calm and focused. I see people applauding and appreciating my performance. I bring the house down!”
Step 6: Run Your Movie
Once you have your vision run it like a movie several times a day. Start your visualization by doing some focused breathing or listening to some relaxing music. Then when you have become centered, run the mental movie. You may not actually see the movie, only impressions of feelings. You may want to speak it out loud, tape it or just think about it. It doesn’t matter, just do it whichever way works for you.
Step 7: Turn Negative Into Positive
Each time you have a negative thought, turn the thought around. “Who’s going to want to hear me?” becomes “MY performance is going to touch at least one person and I don’t have to know what or who.” Turn all those thoughts around.
Step 8: Breathe
As you’re waiting for your cue, breathe. Stressed people breathe shallowly. Breathe slowly and deeply as you wait to go on.
Step 9: Celebrate
Enjoy it when your vision of the event becomes reality and people ask you for your autograph!
A couple of weeks ago I had to go to the library to return a book. It was a very hot day and as I approached the library my usual parking spots right across from the library (and right in the direct noon day sun!) were not available because of some street maintenance.
So turning the corner I pulled into a parking spot that was completely shaded by a beautiful tree. Wow, that worked out well.
Walking back to the corner to cross to the library the light turned green my way just as I reached the curb.
Crossing the street, I spoke these words spontaneously and out loud. “Everything always works out for me.” And I smiled to myself and thought, “That’s the truth.”
It certainly wasn’t always so. At times I’ve struggled with the idea of creating intentions and affirmations. I’d say them but there would be a kind of disconnected feeling, like they didn’t hit me where I lived.
This experience was very different. The words and the feeling matched. And ironically I said them a few days later when I was driving somewhere in a hurry and hit a red light. As I sat in my car waiting for the light to turn, the words popped out and I realized that once again they were true. I’d been rushing, my breath was shallow, and sitting waiting for the light to turn green brought me back to the present moment, allowed me to take a few deep breaths and proceed feeling more aligned with myself.
So for today’s thought, it’s really more of an affirmation slash intention. It can work for both.
Everything always works out for me.
This week’s Friday intention is a very simple Truth. It is a way of walking in the world, colouring your experience, and knowing that Spirit is expressing in you, as you, and through you in every moment.
Last night I attended a visioning event. The visioning process we used, one of many possible processes, was developed by Michael Beckwith, new thought leader, author, and director of Agape International.
Many of us are familiar with visualization which is accessing deep meditative states and then visualizing what we want: a new partner, a successful business, a new home.
Visioning is different.
Using this process we open ourselves to a Divine idea for our life. It is a process of allowing that which is unlimited in all of us to come into view. We respond by becoming the vision as it expresses in us, through us, as us.
As a group we went into meditation and then the facilitator asked us to focus through a series of very simple questions. First we answered the questions for ourselves and then we did the same for the others in the group.
The Questions
What is the highest vision for my life?
What must I become to empower the vision?
What must be released?
What must be embraced?
Is there any other information I need to know?
Information came in many forms; images, sounds, words or a feeling tone. Often more than one person had the same idea or image for someone. Often the ideas only made sense to the person for whom it was intended. Or perhaps the idea will make sense in some future aha! moment.
Personally I came out of the session with valuable information and a sense of calm. Today I know just a little more than I did yesterday. And while the power of a group is very palpable, I know I have the ability to do this on my own.
So this week’s intention is:
I open my heart to receiving the highest vision for my life, and I release all attitudes, beliefs and actions which keep me from being an expression of that vision.
I'm celebrating!
Wednesday I finished editing a book I wrote, now let me see, it must be 15 years ago. It’s a story about the adventures of a thirteen year old boy named Joey.
I wrote the first draft of the book during the time I was in a long-ago writing group. It was an UNFINISHED CREATIVE PROJECT. (Shudder!)
Well, now it’s done. Yesterday I sent it to a copy shop via email. (Love how they do that.) And today I’m picking it up, printed and bound.
Since I finished another book back in March, that makes two books I’ve completed.
Yesterday I worked for a couple of hours on a third book that was – ahem – another UNFINISHED CREATIVE PROJECT. I’d written 14 chapters and now it’s going to get done too. That will make a total of three completed books.
But here is what is so great about this whole process. Finishing, clearing, completing, whatever you want to call it, feels wonderful! There’s a lightness and freedom each time I finish something that was very important to me. it feels like completion has created a space for me to breathe more deeply.
Yes, there is another choice for things that aren’t finished. And that choice is to let it go because it’s not important enough to put energy into. But this project was important to me and so now I’m going to be able to sit and look at two (and soon, three!) completed books and say I DID THAT.
What happens to those three books after that is another story.
So my intention for this week?
Sometimes being in the creative process is enough. It is always my choice where I go from there.
