Adults, with eyes to see, can learn so much about success in life from children.
When a baby is born, it has instinctively in it everything needed to succeed in life. A child is like a fresh piece of canvas, ready to become a unique contribution to the world. A child has had less exposure to adult conditioning with regards to behaviour and expectations. Every child has the seeds of success for life within them. By observing children being children, adults can re-learn principles of success that have been buried by their adult world.
As I was driving home last week, I noticed a little boy and his mother by the side of the road. They had stopped walking and the mother was adjusting a toy crossbow to fit more comfortably over the boy's shoulder. I realized that at that moment in the heart and mind of that small boy, he was not on a sidewalk by a busy road. Perhaps he was hunting in a forest, or was an intrepid explorer of the unknown, ready to pull out his bow and arrows at the slightest hint of danger. In his imagination he was a hero, confident, skilled, and brave. He was alert, prepared, with the expectation of overcoming danger or threat with his skill and swift reflexes.
For a child involved in imaginative play, there is very little distinction between fantasy and reality. Children live and play out their dreams totally in the moment.
There are many principles of success that can be learned by looking through the eyes of a child. Children's eyes see with clarity and perception and reflect the reality of who they are. Children are uncluttered by training, brainwashing, and by living according to the unwritten rules and etiquette that have assailed the adult mind. For a child life has limitless possibilities that have not been squashed by logic, common sense, or limiting expectations that become part of the adult mind.
What principle of success can be drawn from the little boy with his bow and arrow?
One of the most powerful and yet unused principles of success is the process of visualization. Visualization is the act of creating compelling and vivid pictures in your mind. This is just what the little boy was doing. He was "that hero"; he acted like him, dressed like him, and could picture himself in another time and another place. For him, it seemed like reality. This is a spontaneous, natural process for a child.
Researchers have found that visualization accelerates achievement in powerful ways. It has been proved by research that when performing any task in life the brain uses the same identical processes that it would if you were only vividly visualizing that activity. The brain sees no difference at all between visualizing something and actually doing it.
This principle also is applicable when a person is learning something new. Visualization makes the brain achieve more. In a study by researchers at Harvard University, it was found that students who visualized in advance were able to perform tasks with nearly 100 percent accuracy. Students who performed tasks without using visualization only achieved 55 percent accuracy.
Visualization is frequently used by Olympic and professional athletes to improve performance. Jack Nicklaus, a legend in the golfing world, once described how he uses visualization. "I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a color movie. First I "see" where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I "see" the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there's a sort of fade out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality." The results of the power of visualization for Jack Nicklaus are convincing: he has won over 100 tournaments earning over 5.7 million in the process.
For a child a high proportion of time is spent in visualization. Adults may say, "He's only playing" and not see the potential power for success that the child is practicing. Visualization is a process that is naturally strong in the learning and formative years of the child. Research now confirms that visualization activates the creative powers of the subconscious mind. It focuses the brain by programming its reticular activating system (RAS) to notice available resources that were always there but previously unnoticed. Visualization, incredibly, also magnetizes and attracts you to the people, resources, and opportunities you need to achieve your goal.
Next time you see children playing, pause to watch visualization in its purest form. What can you learn and apply to your own life to accelerate and achieve greater success using the principle of visualization?
Barbara White has over twenty years experience in educational leadership and teaching, as well as being a parent of three teenagers. Barbara is now President of Beyond Better Development, which specializes in motivation and training in interpersonal skills.For more articles about success visit her website http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com and her Blog at http://www.accesssuccess.blogspot.com
* Perfectionism is a time waster.Strive for excellence on important... Read More
1. Clearly define what you want and what is most... Read More
Last month Along The Purpose Path was about how to... Read More
The scene from "Biloxi Blues" where Matthew Broderick's character kept... Read More
One of the common elements you see in almost all... Read More
Becoming successful requires a lifestyle change. It requires that you... Read More
Do you know how much time do you spend listening?... Read More
So you want to be successful (whatever that means to... Read More
McDonald's does it, why shouldn't you? Life is filled with... Read More
Revolution:a sudden, radical, or complete change a fundamental change in... Read More
It happened again in class. While sharing my insights on... Read More
Here are 3 powerful steps you can take to free... Read More
If you want to be successful in life, business, or... Read More
Self-esteem is very important. It is the way we view... Read More
Plants of all kinds (including trees), herbs and roots have... Read More
I love the idea of synchronicity.Perhaps it's just part of... Read More
Everything you will ever have and accomplish in life will... Read More
If you are wishy-washy and undecided about you want and... Read More
Anytime you are making ground and moving toward success, there... Read More
"Write checks on a regular basis to those who you... Read More
I want to relate to you a story, READ it... Read More
Language constitutes our belief system. What we believe is true... Read More
"The secret of success is to make what you are... Read More
Temp your way to the top Want to take the... Read More
It's not new news. It's not some ethereal theory. It's... Read More
Does your life feel less than fulfilling? Are you waiting... Read More
"When you talk to yourself, you listen. No matter what... Read More
I once heard a speaker use the statement, "I have... Read More
Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to... Read More
Succinctly said, success is harmony. When the result is congruent... Read More
Lesson 1. Category Well Being Plan to do this.Stop blaming... Read More
Life is not a competition.Not at all. Life itself is... Read More
Our lives and the circumstances we live in are largely... Read More
The Winner's Walk is a key strategy in the sport... Read More
It's simple and powerful.The philosophy of successful people is often... Read More
Your personal image: It's the most important YOU asset you... Read More
What Makes the Difference?On a warm spring afternoon, fifteen years... Read More
Step 1 ? Learn a powerful key to increase financial... Read More
The entrepreneur game is filled with an amazing variety of... Read More
Do you know how much time do you spend listening?... Read More
Success isn't all that it's cracked up to be... I'm... Read More
Signs of DiscontentYou don't need a degree in psychology to... Read More
"What a week!" you say at the end of a... Read More
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in... Read More
The approach of a new year usually causes us to... Read More
I thought this was unbelievable, but it's true.On average, security... Read More
Ray Winstone, the London East End barrow boy, who became... Read More
Evaluations are a tremendous resource to help us know where... Read More
Do you want to achieve your most important goals in... Read More
The start of a new year is a good time... Read More
To realize that you determine the outcome of your own... Read More
Your mind is the only tool that can create success... Read More
What are your fears? Fear of failure? Fear of success?What... Read More
Find a higher reason to reach your goal than just... Read More
Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More
Your Head, think about what you want and move towards... Read More
There have been a lot of really good movies made... Read More
I see it happen all too often on the internet... Read More
Every single one of us is trying to reach success.... Read More
Here are seven essential keys to success. Use these ideas... Read More
Don't expect results over night - what??If you were to... Read More
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More
One of the first things most of us remember hearing... Read More
(Excerpted From The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan - Pillar... Read More
Have you ever heard this? "It isn't whether you win... Read More
Last Thursday evening, I was the guest of a group... Read More
Success |