Think back to a moment when you exceeded your expectations. Was it a game winning hit, an A on a test, an unexpected relationship, a raise or job promotion, or any accomplishment in life you value? How did it feel?
I’m sure it felt great! This is what we call that “winning feeling.”
A winning feeling is not reserved to celebrities, athletes, and billionaires. Anyone can experience it and most people have. But, wouldn’t it be nice to feel that more often?
Your body cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. The mind is what dictates reality. These are very important insights.
Biofeedback studies with athletes show us that they cannot differentiate a real game from an imagined one. When they visualize a movement, the same nerves fire as if it were real.
We all have experienced things that felt so real, but were in reality false. Some people fear failing a test, but end up getting A’s. Others think no one likes them, but everyone does. This is a horrible existence.
Regardless of outcome, the key is the “feeling.” Why do we strive for things? Answer: to feel good!
The amazing thing is that if you evoke the feeling of success or that “winning feeling,” not only will you feel good, but you will start to attract people and circumstances to match that feeling. This is not mysticism, it is basic social interaction–people like to be around other people with good energy.
So, how do we get more of that winning feeling? Here is how.
The Six Steps to Creating That Winning Feeling are:
1. Recall prior experiences where you felt that winning feeling and play it back
Think back to the moments in your life when you had that feeling of success. It could be the birth of your child, a sports game, an academic achievement, or an accomplishment at work. Feel it. Picture it clearly to capture the feeling.
2. Apply that feeling to the present moment or some future activity
Picture yourself succeeding NOW! Visualize an activity, no matter how small, and see yourself succeeding. It feels good!
3. Suppose it WILL happen.
Many people assume good things will not happen to them. They prepare for the worst. It does not have to be so. Expect the outcome to be perfect. “Suppose” it will happen. Even if you are wrong, you felt good! Those feelings of goodness will help you make the wrong outcome into a positive outcome or you will just feel good about something else. You can’t lose!
4. Use negative emotions as a challenge & substitute negative with positive
Often, we get taken over by fear and negativity. If this is possible, then it is possible to train ourselves to do the reverse. As Pavlov used a bell to make the dog salivate, we can associate a “winning feeling” with negative emotions. In essence, we are substituting a negative response with a positive one. Remember, our mind is like a computer. If you provide it a new program, it will execute a different routine.
5. Do so gradually
Creating a consistent “winning feeling” will not necessary be easy. Slowly and gradually create that feeling more and more frequently. “Substitute” and “suppose” a little at a time. Eventually, you will be trained to do so automatically.
6. Witness the cause and effect
Be aware of the relationship between your mental imagery and the results that follow. You will be able to pin point successes arising from your new attitude.
Reference: Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-Cybernetics. Pocket Books (1960).
