“When the imagination and will power are in conflict, are antagonistic, it is always the imagination which wins, without any exception.” Emile Coue
Who has not experienced starting a new diet for the new year only to self-sabotage? Or starting a diet on a Monday only to be ordering out by Wednesday? Could it possibly be because you did not have your imagination on board?
I took a hypnosis course over the holidays, and the teachers brought up the above quote. It made me stop in my tracks. This quote is so significant to me, because it has been my own experience.
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It’s easy to apply this to diet/lifestyle change attempts. Have you ever decluttered your house only to see it cluttered back up within a month? Have you ever decided that you will not react a certain way to someone who is triggering you only to continue to react in the exact same way over and over? Have you ever decided you are going to stop spending money a certain way only to continue in the same pattern? It’s so frustrating!
It reminds me of Alcoholics Anonymous’s definition of insanity, to continue doing the same thing over and over and continue to expect different results. It doesn’t work. Sheer will power just doesn’t cut it. We need something more.
And that something more is imagination.
My husband and I laugh, because sometimes my husband has “staff meetings”. He is the only one on his staff, so this is him problem solving using his imagination. He imagines a “staff meeting”. And great ideas always come out of those meetings.
It’s time we really give credit to the benefit of immobilizing our imagination. There are many ways to do this.
We can have imaginary meetings in our minds with great leaders or spiritual teachers present or past. Also, if there is something you really want to create in this world, start to see yourself as the creator of that thing. For example, if you want to be an author, use your imagination to see yourself as an author. You can use this for whatever you want to be/do.
We can visualize how a future event will feel bringing it into the magical present moment.
We can imagine how our body will feel in order to get our mind/body connection on board for weight loss or gain (while loving our present body). Personally, I’m over the weight loss obsession. If this is you too then start to use your imagination to see yourself as someone who loves her body and lives in it fully. Begin to see yourself as someone who is supported by food. Imagine what it would be like to have a healthy relationship with food.
If you find yourself saying you want something for yourself, but right away you feel yourself imagining the opposite, that is where the work is.
Here are some steps that can help:
- Just notice and observe (without attachment) when you are saying something you want for yourself, but right away imagining (or feeling) the opposite. It’s totally fine and part of the process of change. If you can say you want something, you have already proven that you can imagine it. Just stay with it.
- Stay with the feeling, slow down and breathe in for four and out for four.
- You could do some EFT Tapping or you can say to yourself “Even though I notice imagining and feeling the opposite of what I want right now, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. I am safe. There is nothing to fear in this moment.”
- Take a moment and let yourself go to a time where you felt really good. Feel it with all of your senses. It could be a real or imaginary time. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you hear?
- Say to yourself, “Since I love and accept myself, I will allow myself to have this thing that I want. I will allow myself to really imagine and feel it.” Then allow yourself to feel good.
It feels funny to say “allow yourself to feel good” but I am realizing with the more clients I see that many of us need to stretch our tolerance for feeling good. It’s okay to feel good without wondering “when the other shoe will drop”. Maybe the other shoe doesn’t have to drop. Maybe it already did drop, and all your shoes are currently where they are supposed to be, on the ground.
Congratulations. You’re free.
Then just stay at it. It might work right away, or you may need to stay with it a while. Don’t judge your imagination (or yourself) for taking you in the wrong direction sometimes. It’s there to help you. It’s not there to punish you for the rest of your life. Notice when you were using it to your disadvantage and start using it as it wants to be used, to your advantage.
Don’t be afraid to take the above steps and make them your own. I have suggestions, but this is really about finding what works for you.
And remember the next time you start to rely on sheer will power, to get what you want out of life, that you have everything you need right there in your imagination. Give yourself the time, space, and grace to use it. Life is just waiting to express itself through you via your imagination.
So say it out loud with me: “I am now a……..” and become it.
All My Lovin’ to You and Your Imagination.
Your Fab Life Coach,
Elizabeth