Can you really visualize your best life into physical world existence? For me, I have to work backwards, which is to say that I’ve been great at visualizing my worst life into existence, so the reverse must be true, yes?

I’ve been playing with creative visualization a lot lately. So much so, I was hoping it would write this blog for me. I thought long and hard, but apparently, I’m not at the Super Hero level Marvel would have me believe is possible. And then there’s my own gender bending over identification with Wonder Woman, but I’ll have to save that for another time. It ends up I wasn’t able to manifest this piece of writing out of thin air. Apparently, creating requires some level of physical work, like in this case putting actual pen to paper. I know, it’s terribly old fashion, but it still works.

The area I visualize the most these days is in paper, the kind with dead Presidents on it.  The green. The bills. Cash.  Seems I’m consistently in need of this stuff to eat and such.  Again, I haven’t figured out how to manifest food out of thin air. I blame that failure on Barbara Eden from “I Dream of Jeannie.” Well, her and Elizabeth Montgomery in “Bewitched.” It ends up that no amount of head bouncing, or nose twitching can create anything close to a fully prepared four course meal on the dinning table in mere seconds.  Imagine the scaring that occurred to this pre-adolescent boy with that discovery. I had to start therapy very early because of this particular crisis of faith and trust in the television universe. It wouldn’t be the last time, and it explains a lot.

But the value in all this, points directly to the belief in possibility. From an early age I just had the sense that I, and we, could create whatever we wanted to create. And this faith in possibility was so pure.

Life being life, would test the strength of my faith and win on any number of occasions, which might look like failure to most onlookers. And yes, when I discovered I would not become an Olympic gold medalist figure skater at sixteen, my heart was crushed. When Broadway wouldn’t give me the time of day, being a dyslexic dancer and all, I was crushed again. But the one thing that kept rearing its beautiful head, was my belief that anything was possible, and I rose like a phoenix from my own proverbial ash, and have many times over the course of my now rather longish life. But how?

I’ve spent a large portion of my adult life exploring this “how.” How do we humanoids function? How do we behave? How do our brains work? How do our belief systems serve us? How do we connect? How do we live in our worlds more productively and in ways that uplift us? And how do we create lives that have purpose, and bring us alive?

I’ve just kept following my childlike curiosity, and in doing so, its led me on the most magical journey. Us humans are fascinating, and much more powerful and creative than we usually realize, or give our selves credit for, especially when it comes to creating the lives we want to live, the lives we sense deep in our hearts we’re meant to experience.

We are much more powerful and creative than we usually realize, or give our selves credit for, especially when it comes to creating the lives we want to live. @barryaldenclark (Click to Tweet!)

Here’s what’s funny to me. We do visualize our lives into existence everyday whether we’re conscious of it or not.

That’s the interesting rub, if you will, because so often we don’t even know we’re doing it. I guess, in some twisted way, the cosmic jokes on us. And I’ve been learning and getting smart to this little piece. I like to say we’re always writing our own narrative, our personal story of life, and it’s how we go about it that can make all the difference in the world.

So what is visualization and how do I do it, you ask? Well, I like to spend some time every day consciously focused on seeing myself doing what it is I’m wanting to create and manifest in my life. And in doing so, I’ve discovered a few things. These are not new things, as others before me have also discovered them. I believe they fall under the category of “universal truths.” And we all get to try these on for size, should we choose.

Okay, here’s the first little universal secret – you are not doing this alone.  Seriously, you’re not. There are forces in this Universe that work with each of us. I like to think of them as my angels and guides. You get to define this piece for yourself, but one thing I know is that when I vision something, I step into a field of universal possibility, a co-creative process with all that is.

Second secret – whatever it is I’m visualizing will ultimately end up coming into physical world manifestation largely through other people. Perhaps that’s why connectivity was hard wired – literally – into our brains. We need one another, a lot.  Like in a major way. Like super big time. So come out and play. Ends up its via interacting that our lives unfold. And again, we can participate through such things as visualizing and intention setting, or not, but I guarantee you, we are creating and co-creating our lives at all times. We can consciously write our narrative or have someone or some other set of beliefs write it for us.

Now no conversation about creating what we want would be complete without addressing negative thoughts. These lovely mental forms do become the narrative we’re writing, and the outer world we’re creating. Take if from me, positive as I can be, there’s a negative side as well. Mine is rather cunning, in that it has a seeming sense of humor. But there’s nothing really funny about it when the result is not even in the ballpark of where I was aiming to hit the ball, or idea rather. And if I’m using a sports metaphor, you know we’re in seriously troubled territory.

Bottom line here is that my thoughts are creating my reality, and visualization is actually my Betty Ford intervention with myself.

Because trust me, there are some dark cloudy thoughts that move into my head like a bad neighbor who has too many loud parties, doesn’t mow the lawn, and lets the paint peel. Inevitably, neighborhood house values plummet – and that’s exactly what happens for me on the mental level. I start believing these negative thoughts like, “I’m all alone,” or “Why has God abandon me?” and in short order my finances – this seems to be where I often get to learn – dry up. Never for long, but just enough to pinch me, and make me scream a little. It’s like the older brother I never had, where we fight, and Mom steps in and says, “Knock it off.”  The role of parent here is played by my wiser self who intervenes – maybe this is really God – to straighten me out. Oh, I probably shouldn’t use that phrase, as it might come off as internalized homophobia. But you get the picture, yes?

I replace the negative thoughts with positive. I read transformational books like “Creating Affluence” by Deepak Chopra, M.D., which re-aligns me with universal truths. I meditate – third secret – to connect in with all there is, the larger universe which runs just fine without any of us. This is the part that seals my faith in God/Great Spirit/Universe/Jesus/Allah, you put in your name for this force here. Also, the meditation helps calm my overactive mind. And that is always a welcome relief.

And I visualize. Lately its Lake Cuomo, Italy that’s caught my fancy. Probably because of the severe LA traffic, but don’t even get me stated on that one. I visualize myself there.  Watch a Rick Steve’s YouTube video on which towns on the lake to stay in. I peruse various flights on Kayak – LA to Milan, and have a new “favorites” list on Airbnb, and you start to see my visualization process becomes very active.

My new self-imposed challenge is around generating more financial abundance. This is, again, my big area of learning and now, like earning my bachelor’s degree, I’m studying everything I can get my hands on and testing it all out.

Visualization is a big piece here, but not without all the other things I’ve shared.

1. Recognizing this is a co-creative process with the universe.
2. It definitely involves other people.
3. I have to flood my mind with every imaginable form of positivity.
4. Meditate to clear my mind and connect to my source.
5. Vision – see myself actually doing what it is I’m wanting to create.
6. Be active about it – research, talk to friends about it.  And finally,
7. Have fun in the process and release attachment to outcome because I assure you, you don’t have a clue how any of this stuff you’re visualizing is gonna manifest.

That my friends, is the sweet mystery of life. It’s basically an ice cream cone in spiritual form – lick, enjoy, repeat.

The best and most recent example I can give is around a workshop I’ve been creating called “Writing Your New Narrative.” I’d been writing it for a couple of months, when out of the blue, a potential new client Facebook private messaged me for help in writing her autobiography. I kid you not, I had no idea this was going to happen, and you won’t either. So let the universe do its part of the job, and when it does, open up your little hands and receive, while thanking the heaven’s above, because guess what, you’ve just won the universal lottery – an unlimited resource available to all.

What will you create? What will you manifest? What will you allow yourself to receive? 

I’m finally realizing that this whole process can actually be fun, creative, and exciting. And when the dark storm clouds roll in, and they do, I’ll pull up some video of Lake Cuomo on my laptop, smile, and realize there are plenty of other places in the world and places in my thinking that I can go. Might as well pick a place and thought that inspires – the result is so much more delicious. Now get to work and start visualizing the life you want for yourself. You’re bound to land somewhere in the vicinity of heaven and earth, and when you get there, wherever there is, you’ll most likely discover it’s better than what you ever imagined. But start with an ice cream cone first, it’s just better that way.

Barry Alden Clark has coached thousands of individuals in connecting more deeply with their hearts, their life purpose, and helped create a pathway for these folks to move forward in a direction more aligned with who they truly are. He & his creative partner Eliza Swords are currently delivering uplifting content on social media every Wednesday via “Best Day Ever with Barry and Eliza”, a Facebook and You-Tube phenomenon reaching thousands of people around the world. They are also inspiring love and joy through creating heartfelt and entertaining content via their production company Pure Honey Ink. Currently they have projects in development for social media, film, television and publishing. You can reach Barry at www.barryaldenclark.com.

Image courtesy of Leah Kelley.