Page 38 - Faith-Based Workbook 8-27-18

TOPUCU Adult Faith-Based Workbook
LESSON 5: PART 2
FINISH BEFORE YOU START
Visualization can be defined as, “the
practice of seeking to affect the outer
world by changing one’s inner thoughts
and expectations. It’s the basic technique
underlying positive thinking which is
frequently used to enhance performance.”
In other words, visualization is a
powerful tool when it comes to creating
transformation in your life. The amount of
positive change that can take place is literally
affected by the scope of your imagination.
Whatever you can see in your mind, that is
basically realistic, you can achieve. If you’re
a big thinker then you can reach big goals.
If you’re a small thinker then your chances
of staying in your current situation greatly
increase. Have you ever heard someone
say, “Let your imagination run wild?" It’s an
idea we associate with children when they
play “make believe.” But at the very core of
imagination is the principle of visualization
and successful people are very aware of
this. Seeing that thing you want over and
over again; creating a detailed vision of it;
allowing yourself to experience all the senses
associated with that accomplishment – the
sight of it, the feel of it, the sound of it,
the smell of it! It’s like a golfer visualizing
the perfect stroke over and over again to
mentally train muscle memory.
In Lesson 4 we discussed how we must
surround ourselves with opportunities to
intake positivity and subsequently use E
to the Seventh Power to internalize those
thoughts, verbalize those thoughts and act
on them. As we turn to our Bible we can find
numerous instances of positive images and
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forward thinking that we, as God’s people,
can internalize and, in turn, use to help us
visualize transformation in whatever aspect
of our life we are desiring to change.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans
I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for
welfare and not for evil, to give you a future
and a hope.” (ESV)
Acts 18:9 says, “And the Lord said to Paul
one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but
go on speaking and do not be silent…” (ESV)
2 Chronicles 15:7 says, “But as for you, be
strong and do not give up, for your work
will be rewarded.” (NIV)
You must finish before you start. Each of
these scriptures – and there are several
more – encourage the reader to envision
the future result as a way of staying on task
and pushing forward in the present. God
gave Noah very clear specifications for the
measurements of the ark, which made it
easier for him to imagine this extraordinary
vessel. Joseph saw himself as a top official
in Egypt, which made it easier for him
to endure the hardships of slavery and
imprisonment. These people saw the finish
line before they ever started the race.
Now it’s your turn! We’re going to take some
time to teach you a technique you can use to
visualize the results you’re trying to obtain.
It’s this simple. Write it down! This isn’t the
first time we’ve presented this idea to you.
Did you ever write that note to yourself
about the habit or circumstance in your life
you’re trying to change? If not, this is a great
time to do it. Have you ever heard the Jim
Carrey story of how he wrote a 10-million
dollar check to himself before he ever starred
in a movie? He did it in 1987 and dated the
check for “Thanksgiving 1995.” Is was in
1994 that he received his salary for the film
Dumb and Dumber in the sum of 10 million
dollars. The amount of money and his chosen
profession is not the focus of that story. It’s
the fact that he wrote it down so every day
he had a visual representation of what he
was reaching for. It reminded him. It helped
him to stay motivated. It pushed him to
work hard and not give up. You’re saying to
yourself, “But I’m not trying to achieve fame
and fortune in 10 years – I just want to lose
10 pounds in 60 days.” Well, write it down!
"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your
work will be rewarded." — 2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)
Simply grab a piece of paper and write, “I
will lose 10 pounds in the next 60 days.” If
you want to graduate with honors, maybe
the key is printing out a picture of a diploma
and hanging it up in a place you’ll see it or
putting it in your notebook or taping it to
your laptop. You want to do better at your
job or get a promotion? Maybe you find a
picture that represents where you’d like to
end up in your career. The idea here is that
this picture or written note will represent the
cover of the puzzle box we discussed in part
1. As you’re working harder and believing,
more pieces to the puzzle will begin to fall
in to place. You continue adding pieces and
eventually the opportunity to become the
image you’re creating in your mind could
become reality!
Now you might be saying, “I’m only five-
foot-two, but I can play in the NBA if I
just visualize it?” Not exactly. In fact,
unreasonable goals are a surefire way to
tip the motivational scales in the wrong
Lesson 5: Part 2
direction. What we are saying is that
everyone has the potential to achieve
positive transformation in his or her life.
And every one of you has greatness on the
inside. Can you see it? Maybe you’re not
meant to be a basketball player. Maybe you
are meant to be a soccer player. Can you
see it? Maybe you’re not meant to be the
owner of a multi-million dollar computer
company. Maybe you are meant to be the
owner of the best computer shop in town.
Can you see it? Maybe you’re not meant to
be the pastor of a mega-church? Maybe
you are meant to head up a team of faithful
volunteers that makes a huge impact for
God’s kingdom on a local level. Maybe you’re
not meant to be a famous celebrity. Maybe
you are meant to be a carpenter; a teacher; a
caregiver; a healthier person; a better parent,
a better friend; a better you! Can you see it?
You can never stop visualizing the positive
transformation that can happen in your life.
You can never stop working for it.
We’ve all heard of Thomas Alva Edison. If
you don’t know who he is, all you have to
do is look around and you’ll see his work in
every light bulb, headlight and street lamp.
Today we take the light bulb for granted, but
it wasn’t always like that. The electric light
bulb had been around for about 80 years
but it was a flawed and inefficient device
because it would burn out very quickly.
People would still use candles because light
bulbs just weren’t reliable. Then, in 1879 after
thousands of failed experiments, Thomas
Edison figured out a way to produce a light
bulb that would last and eventually one
that would glow for over 1500 hours. Why
did it take almost 80 years before anyone
discovered this improvement? What was
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