142: Manifesting through creative visualisation

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Hello everyone, and thanks so much for joining me again for another episode of the pod. As you know by now, my name is Mart Tweedy. I am your host, and this week I've been using visualization as my main tool for success. Yes, I thought, what better subject to cover this week than one with a real-life story of how it's physically had an impact on me this week. So earlier this week, I was planning for Manifest, my huge event next year. And I had a meeting with my dream venue to talk numbers. Now before I go any further, I just want to say that, you know, I want to keep ticket prices as low as possible for a start because I want people to enjoy themselves and have fun and not have to worry about the cost of the event. So I was sat there number crunching before me meeting, and I'd had a friend call me and she said something along the lines of, "Oh, don't get your hopes up because they're really expensive. I've been to a—" to an event there before, and I think you'll be looking at £100,000 just to hire the place for the day because of its location and the building itself and how big it is. And she went on and on and on. So I just went into panic mode thinking, oh my God, I bet I'm not going to be able to afford this venue, and then we'll have to do it in a random farmer's field somewhere in teepees and wigwams. Honestly, I think I went through every what-if scenario in my head. So anyway, looking at my numbers, I thought, what is the top limit for a budget for a venue? And spoiler alert, it was just a little under half of what my friend had told me. Which, don't get me wrong, is still freaking expensive. But in the grand scheme of things, I was thinking about the event that I ran with Fran and how we spent £25,000 just on the venue, just for 2 hours in central London. This is a whole day. This is going to be a 10-hour gig. So I thought, you know, surely it must be 'Cheaper in Newcastle. Surely it must be cheaper through the day. Surely it must be cheaper.' Like, and I've just kept on thinking about how Fern Cotton, how she only charges maybe like £40 to £70 per ticket. And then I thought to myself, well, actually it's probably because the people that show up there for workshops and talks and stuff like that, everything that's going on, they don't actually get paid that much. And I mean, just to be honest and open with you, me and Fran are getting paid £150 between us, not each, £150 for appearing at Happy Place festival on 2 dates. So that's how little things like that pay you. But I want to— I want to bring you the best speakers. I want to pay for the best speakers, you know. I want the likes of, you know, Fearne Cotton, Kirstie Gallagher, Vex King, you know, all these people. I probably shouldn't have said them names because we do want some surprises, don't we? But I just thought, you know, surely it must be cheaper in Newcastle anyway. So I wrote at the top of my page the value that I had in my head that I would be happy with spending, which was a very specific amount, by the way. I didn't just put like £50,000, I put a very specific number. And I thought 10 minutes before this meeting, let's whack on a subliminal, what harm's it gonna do? Pop those headphones in, visualise this lady that I'd never met before in my life telling me that the hire of my gorgeous venue was that exact price. So I lay back in me chair, I close me eyes, I visualise this blonde lady coming on the screen. No idea why, because I had no idea what her hair colour would be. I just thought it would be helpful to kind of personalize it a little bit and to visualize her actual face. And then I felt those emotions that I would feel of relief, joy, happiness, almost getting onto the same wavelength as excitement once she told me the price. So I was visualizing like almost jumping for joy after the call, telling all my friends and family that I'd done it, I'd booked the venue that I've always wanted. And to throw in a bit of an extra energetic boost, I whack me moldavite on me forehead. I just lay there absorbing that energy, absorbing the subliminal, and a huge smile suddenly came across my face as I thought, you know, wouldn't it be unreal if they had a payment plan and I didn't have to fork out this ginormous cost all in one go? Because when me and Fran did our event in London, we had to pay that £25,000 upfront before we even sold tickets because that was the only way that we could secure the venue. So yeah, I was just hoping for like a payment plan. I was hoping that it was going to be within budget, all that jazz. And within 1 minute to go until the meeting, my alarm pinged. It brought me back down to reality, but I just felt so supercharged with happiness knowing that I had this meeting in the bag and that I was going to get my outcome. And guess what? She was blonde. And guess what? She offered me the entire building. Not just one room that I wanted, I wanted the entire building. So it means that I can have little workshops at lunch in the other beautiful rooms, like you know, crystal ball healing, yoga. And guess what? The price she quoted me— this is the weirdest part— the price that she quoted me was £100, £100 under the price that I had written down on my paper. Now, I wrote a very specific amount down. This was £100 out. Now, we're talking thousands here, but I was £100 out. I couldn't believe it. Honestly, she must have been thinking, why is this guy so hyper and high on life? But I just couldn't hide it. I was like, "Yes! This price is perfect. How do I pay?" And then guess what? She turned around and said, "Well, actually, if you want to secure the venue and secure this date, all you have to do is pay 25% as a deposit, and then the remainder will just be due a month before the event." Now, I'm not being funny, but it felt like every wish that I had ever wanted in life came true in that moment. I got specific, I told the universe what I wanted, I visualised, I held the faith, and it happened exactly as I wanted it to. So I thought, you know, we need to talk more about visualization this week and why it's so important when it comes to manifesting what we want. So I get so many messages from people telling me they don't know how to visualize, or they find it extremely hard to visualize. So I want you to consider this episode as your visualization how-to guide. So I'm going to take you all right through creative visualization and how it can actually help us. So when I say creative visualization, this is basically what we're doing, because it's a mental technique that involves using the power of your imagination to create a visual image of what you want to achieve or experience. And it's that process that harnesses the mental and emotional power of visualization to manifest your goals and desires into reality. So at its core, creative visualization is about forming that vivid mental picture of your desired outcome. And when we repeatedly imagine that scenario with great detail and emotion, you then align your subconscious mind with all of your goals, and it's that alignment that is going to help you to notice your opportunities to take necessary actions and to ultimately make those decisions that lead you towards your desired outcome. So there are a few, shall we say, key concepts of creative visualization. The first is mental imagery. So creative visualization involves creating a detailed and vivid mental image of your desired goal. So this could be anything from achieving career success to improving personal relationships, enhancing physical health, whatever it is that you want to achieve. The second is emotional involvement. So as I mentioned, talking about all those emotions that I felt in my visualisation, that really helped me because emotions play a critical role in visualisation. So feeling the joy, the excitement, and the satisfaction of achieving your goal as if it's already happened that's going to enhance the effectiveness of the visualisation itself. The third thing on my list is repetition and consistency. So regular practice is crucial. Yes, I only visualised about my outcome once, but as with anything, the more consistently you visualise your goals, the stronger the impression you create in your subconscious mind. And then the fourth thing on my list is positive affirmations. So combine your positive affirmations with visualisation because that's gonna further reinforce the belief in the possibility of achieving your goals. Positive affirmations help reinforce beliefs needed to achieve those goals. So when we combine them with visualization, that's going to create a powerful tool for manifesting desires by aligning all our thoughts and our emotions with our goals. So you could write affirmations that are positive, you know, in the present tense, specific to your goals. For example, you could write, I am confident and successful in my career, and then repeat that. But repeat these affirmations while visualizing, that's going to help embed those positive beliefs into your subconscious mind. And as you say your affirmations, don't just say them out loud— believe in them wholeheartedly. You know, feel the truth of those statements as you visualize. So effective visualization requires focus and concentration, and it is essential to create a bit of a quiet and distraction-free environment to practice. Now for me, that is being in my office, you know, not disturbed by anyone just some light subliminal music in the background. I don't have my partner talking on the phone in the background. I don't have my dog barking. I don't have my baby crying or anything like that, you know. It's very, very important for you to have that distraction-free zone. Now, about 100 years ago, there was a guy called Napoleon Hill. I'm sure he died about 50 years ago, maybe in the 1970s. Anyway, you might recognize the name. Anyway, he's best known for his book Think and Grow Rich, which some of you have probably read, but his work heavily emphasized the power of visualization and belief in achieving success. So he studied successful people and he found that they all had used visualization as a key part of their strategy to achieve their goals. So you see, it's not just woo-woo. It's a key part of achieving what we want in life. So recent scientific research has shown that the brain actually has the ability to change and reorganize itself by forming all these new neural connections which you may have heard me talk about on other podcast episodes known as neuroplasticity. So visualisation is believed to help in rewiring the brain, kind of like a mental rehearsal, because this can strengthen the same neural pathways as physical practice. For example, you know, athletes have long used visualisation to improve performance, and studies have shown that mental practice can enhance those physical skills. So for example, there's basketball players who visualise making free throws and they perform better than those who don't use the visualization techniques. So to apply all of this to your life, there are a few steps, and the first is to get clear on what it is that you want to achieve or manifest, because setting clear and specific goals is the first and most crucial step in effective visualization. Without that clear vision, your mind won't be able to focus accurately on what you want to achieve. So, you know, if you had vague or ambitious goals, they're just going to lead to inconsistent results because your subconscious mind doesn't know precisely what you want to work towards. So, you know, instead of saying, "I want to be successful," define what success means to you. For example, you might say, "I want to earn £100,000 per year in my online business by December 31st." That's getting very specific. It's a lot more specific than, "I want to be successful." Success means something different to each one of us. Okay, so make sure that your goal can be measured as well because that allows you to track your progress. And how to make those necessary adjustments. But set yourself realistic goals that are within your capabilities and resources as well, because, you know, I'm not saying don't aim high, but the goals should be realistically attainable. And don't forget that your goals should align with your broader life objectives and values as well. You don't want anything going in contradiction with what you want. Does that make sense? And set yourself a deadline for your goal because that creates a sense of urgency and it helps in planning the steps needed to achieve it as well. But you could write down your goal in detail. You You could break it down into smaller manageable steps. You could create a timeline for achieving each step. And then what you're going to want to do is create yourself a detailed mental image. So the more detailed and vivid that your mental image is, the more powerful your visualization will be. So it's that specificness that is going to help you in creating a clear blueprint for your subconscious mind to follow. So there are a few techniques for this. So I'll list me favourite 3 anyway because these are the 3 that I do. So the first is to close your eyes and relax, okay. So just find a quiet place, sit comfortably, take deep breaths to relax your body and mind. The second is I like to create myself a movie in my mind. So I visualise a scene where, you know, I'm actively achieving my goal. So I see myself performing the actions, experiencing the results, going through the emotions, going through the feelings. And then the third thing is to focus on the detail. So pay attention to small details because the more finer the details are, the more powerful that visualisation will be. So if you can notice what someone else is wearing, or you can notice how someone is smelling even, or what their voice sounds like, or what's actually going on around us, that kind of thing. Do you know, every little detail is going to make that visualisation so much more powerful. So if your goal is to own a new car, You could visualize the car's color, the feeling of the steering wheel, the sound of the engine, the new car smell. You know, get very specific and remember to engage all senses. And when I say all, I mean all, okay? Engaging all these senses is going to make the visualization more immersive, more realistic, and that's going to strengthen that mental image and make it more effective. The brain won't know if it's a made-up wish or if it's a memory. Okay, so to engage all your senses, when it comes to sight, for example, you could visualize colors, shapes, surroundings. Make that image as vivid and clear as possible. For sound, just imagine the sounds associated with your goal. It could be the sound of applause, it could be a conversation, any relevant noises. When it comes to touch, feel textures and sensations. For example, if you're visualizing holding an award, feel its weight, feel its temperature, feel its texture. If it's taste, if it's applicable, you know, incorporate taste. For instance, if you're visualizing a successful dinner event, imagine the taste of that food. And smell, include any relevant smells. So it could be the smell of fresh paint in your new home, the smell of your new car, the scent of flowers in your dream garden. Yeah, so that's using senses. But what we can also do is we can use our emotions as well, because emotions are going to amplify the power of visualization. And they're going to add energy to those visualizations. So the stronger the emotional connection, the more powerful the visualization is going to become, because emotions help embed that visualization deep into your subconscious mind, and that is going to make it more likely to manifest in your life. So feel the emotions. So as you visualize, you know, feel that joy, feel that excitement, that gratitude, and that pride associated with achieving your goal. And amplify your positive emotions. So focus on, you know, all the positive feelings within you. Imagine the relief of overcoming challenges, the satisfaction of success, the happiness of celebrating your achievement. And then just remember to stay positive as well, because, you know, we want to avoid any negative emotions or doubts during visualization. So stay positive and confident in that visualization. So just consciously amplify positive emotions. Like, imagine sharing your success with loved ones like friends and family and all those emotional reactions that they will have. Okay, so the next thing on my list is to mention that consistency is key. So make visualization a daily practice. You know, dedicate just a few minutes each day just to mentally rehearse your goals. It doesn't need to be hours. It need only be like 2 to 3 minutes a day. But just whenever you get a free minute or two. It could be on waking on a morning, it could be last thing at night in bed, it could be whilst sat on the toilet, you know, it could be on your lunch break, it could just be whilst you're waiting for the kettle to boil. Whenever it is, just make 2 to 3 minutes, that's all it needs to be. Sometimes I like to even combine visualisation with those positive affirmations like I was mentioning before, just to reinforce my belief of achieving me goals. So I'll say something along the lines of, you know, I'm being divinely guided towards the best possible result that I could ever achieve, because that just really helps me to retrain my brain in its way of thinking. But the most important thing when you're visualizing though is to create that quiet and distraction-free environment like I mentioned before, you know, just help yourself focus whatever way you can. It could be through deep breathing, relaxation techniques, taking yourself off to a little private room, because you won't be able to focus if you're trying to visualize whilst you're being used as a climbing frame by little children, small animals, or whilst your parents are having an argument in the background. It's going to kill your vibe and your mind's going to be elsewhere. You need to be fully focused for visualization to take set in your mind. So as I mentioned earlier at the start of the episode, I get lots of messages where people will say you know, I find it really hard to visualize, or they just don't know where to start. So if you're one of them, there are a few practical exercises that you can do to help yourself. So the first is that you could maybe create yourself a vision board and, you know, start with that. Start with images and words that represent your goals and just place it where you can see it daily to reinforce your visualizations, because if you open your eyes, you're going to see it. Does that make sense? So you could also listen to a guided visualization because then you're taking the onus away from yourself of having to think of what to visualize. So these are just simply recordings that lead you through the process of imagining your goals in detail. And something else that I find really beneficial is scripting. So rather than visualizing, you could write yourself a detailed script of your desired outcome as if it's already happened, you know, read it aloud to yourself regularly just to reinforce that visualization. It's like if you were reading a book. I remember years ago when I first got into Harry Potter and stuff like that, I would read the book and I would imagine every last detail in that book. It's kind of like that. So if you wrote yourself a script and then you read it back, you would be able to visualise every single last detail as well. And then something else that you could do is you could even create yourself a little movie. So you could create yourself a short video or even just a slideshow of images that, you know, represent your goals, and you could watch it regularly just to reinforce your visualisations. So then when you actually come to visualize what you want, you've gotten specific and you're either being guided by another voice or you're going off what you've scripted. But whatever way works best for you, just stick with that. If you're really struggling, I've got some free ones on my Canny Crystals YouTube channel. Just go to YouTube, type in Canny Crystals, and I've also got some on the website cannycrystals.co.uk for just £3 as well if you wanted to download and keep forever. But the more that you practice visualization, the more it will start to affect your brain and body. And there are a few ways that it can do this as well. So I'll start with the neural activations. This is the science behind it. So because visualization activates the same neural pathways in the brain as actual physical performance, when you visualize an action, your brain generates an impulse that tells your neurons to perform that movement. And that's known as like a mental rehearsal. And visualization can enhance neuroplasticity by strengthening the neural pathways associated with the visualized actions. For instance, you know, like when a musician mentally rehearses a piece of music, those neural circuits involved in playing the instrument are reinforced. That's going to make it easier to perform the piece in reality, and that process is going to be crucial for learning new skills and improving existing ones as well. And visualization has positive effects on mental health and well-being as well. So I specifically remember when I was sat in a spirituality event in the NHS, the guy, Horsten, had asked everyone to close their eyes and, you know, visualize what their best ever day would look like. And the service users at the event suddenly went all silent, and for the first time, some of the people in my group that I was with said that they had felt so calm and peaceful after that little visualization. Now obviously back then I didn't really get its benefits fully because I wasn't in this line of work, but I do remember the guy saying that research examined the impact of positive visualization on our mood and our emotional resilience, and that people who regularly visualize positive future events reported increased levels of happiness and, you know, reduced stress, greater resilience to life's challenges. And that to me suggests that visualization can be a powerful tool for enhancing psychological well-being as well as our own manifestation power. And I will bang on about this until the cows come home, but consistency is key, okay? Regular practice reinforces that mental image, and it's going to strengthen those neural pathways associated with your goals. So set yourself a schedule, you know, dedicate specific time each day for visualization. Morning and evening are ideal, but if you can't do it morning or evening, you know, I know some, some of you have kids and stuff like that. Like, I know how hard it is on a morning, how hard it is last thing at night to do. But even if when your head just hits the pillow, it just needs to be 2 minutes there just before you go to sleep. But create yourself a routine, you know, incorporate visualization into that daily routine. Combine it with meditation or relaxation exercises and just stay committed. So just treat visualization as a non-negotiable part of your day. Even if it is just for a few minutes, just ensure that you practice it daily. Okay, so there are some common mistakes when it comes to visualization though. Um, so the first thing I would like to mention is about a lack of clarity. So when goals are vague, the mind struggles to create a precise and actionable mental image, and it's that lack of specificness that can lead to confusion and inconsistent results. So you want to define clear, specific, measurable goals. Okay, the second is inconsistency. So, you know, inconsistent practice leads to weak mental imagery because the more you do something, the stronger you're going to get it. Okay, so it's going to be less effective for your visualization if you're inconsistent. You know, if you just did something sporadically, it's going to disrupt the momentum needed for manifestation. The third thing is negative thinking. So sometimes negative thoughts and self-doubt can undermine the effectiveness of visualization. So when you focus on what could go wrong, you reinforce those negative outcomes. So just try and cultivate a bit of a positive mindset as you do it as well. So some tips for staying focused is just to set yourself some realistic expectations, you know, understand that manifestation takes time and effort. Create yourself a supportive environment, you know, surround yourself with reminders of your goals, use your vision boards, use your affirmations, use supportive friends or communities to keep you motivated. And, you know, track your progress. Keep a journal of your visualization practice if you really want to, and the progress that you make towards your goals. See if it's working for you. You know, practice mindfulness to improve your focus. Meditation and breathing exercises can help you to stay centered and reduce distractions. So really, by avoiding those common mistakes, by integrating visualization with other practices, and, you know, tailoring techniques to specific goals, you can enhance the effectiveness of your visualization practice and you can achieve a holistic approach to your own personal development and manifestation. So I hope that that was all really helpful for you. I know visualization's a subject, you know, that I speak about in pretty much every episode, I'll be honest, but I just felt like I needed to go into a bit more detail in this episode. So I really hope it helps you to get to grips with that powerful action and I hope it ignited a spark somewhere deep inside of you today whilst listening to this, to just spend a couple of minutes when you get the opportunity to, just to visualize your dream life and everything that you want to achieve. Because trust me, it does get easier, and trust me, it does work. So I hope this episode inspired you in some way today. If it did, please tell a friend about it, you know, share the episode link in your WhatsApp group chats take a screenshot, pop it in your story. Podcasting is totally free, so the more people that I get my message out to honestly helps me be seen by so many more. It pushes me up the charts and it helps me out like you wouldn't believe. Don't forget to leave a rating or review on the pod if you've enjoyed as well, wherever you're listening from. And just one last thing before I go, I restocked on Moldavite this week in all forms. So I've got Moldavite pieces, Moldavite rings, Moldavite chunk pendants, Moldavite and quartz necklaces, Moldavite earrings, Moldavite studs. Honestly, I'm all Moldavited out. Don't forget, you can get 10% off everything though by using your exclusive discount code, which is the word PODCAST at checkout. And I'll see you all next Friday for another episode. Thanks so much for listening, everyone. Bye!

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