Free The Serenity Solution: How to Use Quiet Contemplation to Solve Life's Problems by Keith Park

keys to evoking resourceful states. As we discussed throughout this book, the first one is a calm focus. We must be totally relaxed and undisturbed; the greater the relaxation, the greater the ability to focus inward. The other key factors are presented below. We should keep these in mind when constructing the mental picture of our desired states.
    Focus on a Positive Outcome
    First, we must focus on what we want, not on what we don’t want. To do this, we create pictures in our minds of what we want to see happen in a problem situation and not what we don’t want happening. We see it in a positive way. If, for example, the problem is a lack of assertiveness we imagine acting and talking confident. We don’t tell ourselves, “I will not be fearful.” It focuses on the notion that we lack assertiveness. We say instead: “I am confident in this situation.”
    Focus on a Present Outcome
    We also don’t wish the outcome will happen in the future. We imagine it as though it is occurring at the moment; this sends the message to our inner minds and bodies that we are experiencing the outcome now.
    Focus on a Believable Outcome
    We also make sure we believe the outcome. If the conscious part of us doesn’t buy it, it won’t pass its mental filter to our inner mind and we will lack the motivation to achieve it. If, for instance, our goal seems distant, such as being happy after years of sadness, and we can’t see it happening in the present, it might be best to divide the goal into intermediate sub-goals.
    Concentrating Awareness (Up-Close Immersed Mode) 67
    Then, we can imagine obtaining each smaller goal one step at a time. To affirm each step along the way, we say to ourselves: “I am becoming happier each and every day and this is my first step to getting there.”
    Focus on a Specific Outcome
    Being specific is also important. We imagine the exact details of what we want. Recall that detail is vital to immersion effects simply because the body reacts similarly to a vivid mental picture as it does to the actual event. As long as our conscious minds believe it our bodies will accept it.
    We spend a few minutes bringing our imaginary senses into the scene and building up the mental picture. We start with the visual; then add the auditory and kinesthetic; and if we want, we can add the taste and olfac-tory senses as well. The more detail we can add the more real the outcome will seem to our inner minds and bodies and the easier it will be to carry it out. For example, if we want to be assertive, we imagine standing confident, speaking steady, and feeling strong in our bodies.
    Focus on the Feeling
    The most important sensory detail to focus on is the kinesthetic sense or the feel of the outcome. We let our bodies know how they are to perform.
    We imagine as if we actually are doing the outcome and let our bodies experience what it feels like to have obtained it.
    By imagining the body perform the action, we stimulate neuromuscu-
    lar responses that imprint on the nervous system. When the mental action is detailed enough, it is nearly like being there doing the activity and our bodies will believe it is happening.
    We also include emotion. Strong emotion easily slips pass the con-
    scious mind to the inner mind. An example is when we hear a compliment. It instantly perks us up. Therefore, if our desired outcome is to be assertive, for example, we should imagine the feel of our bodies standing strong and tall and the emotion of being proud that we are able to do so.
    68 Five
    Focus Repeatedly on the Outcome
    The next important factor to consider when evoking solution states is repetition. Each time we mentally practice our desired performance neuro-pathways are strengthened and the closer our simulated performance approaches actual performance. The result is an imprinted template of the desired performance that is more likely to be activated automatically when it is needed in the real setting.
    We see this process happening