For better or worse, everything we do begins in our mind. Or, more specifically, in the mind’s eye.
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Adults spend thousands of dollars every year on books and seminars and coaching to learn to do something that most kids do pretty naturally. Visualize. Picture. Imagine. “Fire up your goals with a vivid picture, complete with the emotions you’ll feel when you reach your goal.” Sound familiar?
[Tweet “Visualize. Picture. Imagine.”]
I wonder what would happen if we took steps to reinforce the ability to visualize during childhood while it’s still easy and natural? And why would you want to?
1) It works. The first thing that springs to mind is that favorite old W. Clement Stone quote, “What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” Being able to preview the end result is an important step in motivation and action.
Visualization is the skill that motivates some of us to get on the treadmill or to help our kids with their math homework. Let’s face it, sometimes it’s the picture of fitting into favorite jeans (or “seeing” her get into veterinary school) is what it takes to motivate us to actually show up and complete a less desirable task at hand.
2) Constructive imagination can enhance emotional intelligence and help build empathy. And, it is fairly easy to practice emotional intelligence skills with our children. (This sort of practice can lead to some great conversations.) In the course of a day, what do you and your children notice together? Sports scores? News? People bumping into one another? Helping someone out? Protesting? Volunteering?
Just about any situation that you observe with your kids can provide a natural opening, one that allows you to ask: “I wonder how that person feels right now?” Practice prepares your child for situations they haven’t personally encountered, perhaps even how to respond should they feel an urge to bully someone.
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3) It could save you money. The best way to learn something is to teach it. Practicing visualization skills with your kids could help improve the mental rehearsal skills needed to reach important goals in your own life. And what better teacher for your chid than a parent who is walking the talk?
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9 Comments
Suzie Cheel
Love the parent walking the talk- the power of this is wonderful. xx
Sheila Callaham
I LOVE this post, Andrea. I’m such a huge believer in visualization and I agree it is the perfect gift to nurture in our children! Great post!
Andrea
I’m with you… especially since they start off so GOOD at it! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Tae
I love visualization & reaching back to childhood when it was effortless. Perhaps it would actually be the child teaching the parent to get back to basics!
Debra Reble
As parents, we must walk our talk. I have taught my daughter how to visualize as a young child and she still uses this technique today in med school to deal with her stress and to relax. Inspiring article Andrea and the world needs this information. <3
Andrea
“What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying!”
Pamela
Great post Andrea. Learning to nurture our imagination and visualize the outcomes we desire is an essential life skill. What a gift to give our children.
Sue Kearney (@MagnoliasWest)
I’m very taken with the concept of teaching something to really ground it inside yourself. My tai chi teacher said there are three stages to embodied learning: learn it, practice it, teach it.
xoxox
Sue
Andrea
A long-ago mentor told me “we teach what we most need to learn.”