Vision is more than sight

"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible" Jonathan Swift author "Gulliver's Travels"

The more I read about how our brains work, how we really learn and develop, the more convinced I am that visualization is key to accomplishment.

I was watching a Doctor talk about how he helped a man relieve severe pain in his phantom arm. Yes that's right phantom arm. We have heard about people who have had arms or legs amputated, and the person still has feelings in that limb. they still experience the limb as present. These people are not delusional, they are fully functional adults, however, their body gives them sensations of the limbs being there.

Well, one man, who lost his arm in a motorcycle accident, was experiencing severe pains in the lost arm. He said he could still feel his hand clutching the motorcycle bar, and he could not let go. His 'hand' would go into spasms.

Now this was quite depressing for the man, as he knew he had no arm there. So how do you treat pain relief for something that isn't there? The nerves get in a loop and keep firing the pain signal, like a broken record, it doesn't stop.

This doctor got an idea. He placed a mirror in a box and had the man put his hand in the box so he could look into the box and see the mirror image of his real hand, giving his brain the image of his 'lost hand'. He told the man to move his hand and unclench his fist. He did and the man experienced the release of his pain.

The man was so grateful. He actually had no pain for three days, but the pain came back. He called the doctor and asked for the box with the mirror to have at home. He now uses it whenever he feels the pain in the lost arm.

So what does this say? Vision is critical. My vision of my success, my contribution to my family, community, and our world is more important than my IQ, degrees, awards, and all that mumbo-jumbo.

Vision is a personal journey. No one can do it for you, although much of the media wants to program us to want what they tell us to want.

Each morning as I wake up and evening as I go to sleep I visualize myself in my perfect career, smiling at my desk, feeling the feelings of accomplishment. Vision is critical!