097: Focused Imagination – Control your Mind and Thoughts to Take Control of Your Life

Your mind knows no difference between Focused Imagination and reality. I can prove it right now. Join me!When I was in the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed to Sinai Egypt for the Multination Forces and Observers (MFO) mission, I was one of four team captains from the 3-504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd ABN DIV, of this annual competition call the Force Skills Competition (FSC).FSC was a 3 day event that ranged from written exams to driving skills, shooting skills and a very intense obstacle course with equipment.For the last 14 years, Fiji Battalion won the competition hands down. This year, Colonel David Petraeus, our Brigade Commander at the time, was dead set on the 82nd ABD DIV winning this competition this year for the USA. So he ensure our teams had plenty of time to practice and study. But he didn't stop there.COL Petraeus and our Battalion Commander, knew the power of visualization. They new the mind knew no difference between focused imagination and reality. This has been proven in many with olympians and other parts of our daily lives.So, our command team brought in a visualization expert. And thinking back to that week in 1996, I would like to say that man was Anthony "Tony" Robins, but I can't be sure. I do know Tony specializes in visualization technics.Anyway, this man walked us through a visualization program that put our minds in the event for the following day, or later that day.For instance, if we were going to be on the firing range after an eight mile run, he would walk us through the process from beginning to end. It would sound something like this.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="257"] Soldier firing weapon.[/caption]See yourself approaching the firing line with your weapon. You're breathing hard from the run and sweat is dripping in your eyes as you prepare yourself for the next event. You lay your pack down next to you and get into the prone position with your weapon. You see your target. Your goal is to get 6 shots into the center of the target. As you lay in the dirt and gravel, you feel the rocks pressing into your elbows as you ready your weapon.You wipe the sweat from your face just before you take aim through the sites of your weapon. As you take aim you focus on your breathing, trigger finger, and the target. Nothing else matters at this point.You see the front site of your rifle move up and down over the target with ever breath you take as you steady your aim. You feel the tip of your finger on the trigger. Just before you're ready to take the shot you stop breathing for just a second and squeeze the trigger until KAPLOW. You hear and feel the first shot leave the weapon and you see the first round has pierced the target exactly where you wanted it.You re-FOCUS for the next shot. All you're thinking about and paying attention to right now is your breathing, your trigger finger and your target. Take a few breaths to steady your breathing. Just 5 more shot's just like that...Wow, as I'm typing this out, my palms are sweating, my heart rate went up and my hands are shaking just slightly.I have to take a short beach break. BRB.Ah, that's better. I'm back, and I think you get the point.So what does all of this mean to you?Well, as I said in the video, you control parts of your daily activities and even your entire life with visualization rather you believe in it or not.When you wake up in the morning, you control your mood and thus your day. If you wake up in a bad mood, chances are it's because of events from the day prior or...