Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.
Robin Sharma
Many cultures around the world see the real world as nothing but the mirror image of our thoughts; they regard reality as nothing but an extension of our psyche. As ironical as it might sound to some people, this is actually not a far-fetched, and definitely not a ludicrous, assessment. A careful look at everything great and cherished around us testifies to this: from our iPhone to our laptop, from our car to the airplane we use for our trips to exotic lands, from the house we live in to the architectural marvels we love to visit. None of it would have come to fruition without their creators having a clear idea of what they were up to. After all, how do we get somewhere if we do not even know where we wish to go?
It is for this reason that visualization is extremely important. Many well-known psychologists have attested to this. Whatever good or bad happens to us is but a reflection of our own thoughts, even if those thoughts had been simmering in the dark recesses of our mind unbeknownst to us. Your thoughts can both bound and free you; they can be both your greatest limitation and your most powerful wings. They can take you high in the sky of success, or pull you down into the abyss of despair. That is why positive thinking, mindfulness and meditation have become the buzzwords of the twenty-first century.
But how do we start harnessing the power of our minds to fulfill our dreams? Well, it is quite straightforward, actually. Just take a moment to appreciate all the wonderful things around you. Think and imagine just how hard someone must have worked, say, half a century ago for them to be possible today. There is no reason why someone from a couple of decades later may not appreciate and marvel at your contribution to the world. Remember, the day you decide to take control of your destiny is the day you take the first real step toward becoming the person you can be.
Robin Sharma is a Canadian motivational speaker. The author of the critically acclaimed, life-changing The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari series, he is especially renowned for his following quote: “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.”