Pictures are clearer when they are in focus. When they are out of focus, they are blurry, indistinct.

How many times have you been disappointed by the picture when the focus was off?

Faces or objects are blurred, maybe even unrecognizable. Sometimes the picures in our life may be unrecognizable. It's not the life we really want to be living in.  

The experiences that show up in your life are also largely due to your ability focus

To be able to see the life you want to live you have to see it. To manifest your ideal life, your vision must first be clearly and distinctly created in your imagination. It must be ‘in focus’; that is, the components must be defined, clearly seen, envisioned. 

Secondly, you have to commit to go about ‘doing’ the necessary actions and developing the right behaviors that align with this picture. In a world where we are bombarded with distractions you have to choose what you give your attention to.  

Simple really, but it always amazes me how unfocused people are. Ask someone to describe their heart’s desire and 90% of the time, you can’t get a clear description from them. It is blurry and hazy. It’s filled with generalities but no specifics. Or it’s a description of the picture by what’s not in it.

"I want health, wealth and happiness"

"So, what does health mean to you?"

"Well, you know, to not be sick."

"So, what does wealth mean to you?"

"Well, you know, to not be lacking."

"So, what does happiness mean to you?"

"To not be sad, dissatisfied."

"I want peace."

"What’s that?"

"Well, you know no more war."

This is what trips us up. We focus on what we don’t want versus what we do want. We focus on the ideal life by what is not in it, instead of that is in it. The trouble with focusing on ‘no more war’ is that you are still focusing on war. The trouble with focusing on not being unwell is that you are still focusing on un-wellness, not wellness. The focus is on lack and limitation and not on abundance and potentiality.

As Mark Twain once said, "I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want."

So instead of being that person that is always focusing and talking about what you don’t want, start to focus your attentions and intentions on those ideals that you want, desire, long for. Make that focus clear and distinct. "Prosperity is the abundance of all things held ideal in mind and dear in heart." How clear and exact are your ideals? How much desire, longing, passion is attached to them? How focused is the image in your mind? How focused is your desire to have that ideal be out-pictured in your life?

The complex thing about life is that it is wonderfully full of distractions

Here you are, focused on some purpose or goal and then this incredibly intrusive thing occurs. Living life in focus in a world that demands our attention takes a strong commitment to your vision and ideal life. All things are created twice. Thoughts create things. You can learn to master your ability to focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want and watch how quickly your vision becomes your reality.

The 12 steps to focused-power is intended to build your ability to focus your attention on your intentions. If you are new to the power of focus and envisioning then this 12 step process will help you ease into it. 

Step One: Choose a quiet place, which is free from all distraction, interruption or disturbance. The idea is to be able to concentrate in any environment that you find is suitable. The ideal time, however, I have found to be is, early in the morning or before going to bed. The ideal place however, may be anywhere as long as you can concentrate.

Step Two: Feel comfortable. Wear loose clothes or else loosen your belt and tie.

Step Three: Be comfortable. Keep your spine straight. Loosen your hands. Relax! This eases your body tension and helps your blood circulate efficiently.

Step Four: Close your eyes. That way your physical world does not interrupt you and you can concentrate on your mental world. But avoid quenching your eyes. Close them gently. In fact, once you focus on your images, you may find your eyes closing naturally.

Step Five: Breathe normally. Let your body roll with the rhythm of your breathing. Listen to that rhythm.

Step Six: Now begin the process of visualization. Create the key images of the subject you have chosen. Form the shape. Add color. Build the sound. Sense them! Focus on them. See them as sharply and clearly as you can with your mind’s eye.

Step Seven: Put yourself in the images you have created. You must be inside the picture so as to let your subconscious mind know that the image you see that leads to your goal is actually meant for you, and not for anyone else.

Step Eight: Feel the image you have created. Now that you are inside the picture imagine yourself to be leading the time you see. Feel the environment. Watch how different it feels to lead a life that you had desired. Bring your images alive.

Step Nine: Experience the images with all your emotions. See! Hear! Smell! Feel how it feels to have achieved your goals. Let the excitement and happiness of success flow through you. Let the thrill of success build in you. Feel your success.

Step Ten: Once you have experienced your images with emotion, let your mind go blank. If you hold on to your images for too long, the images might disappear due to overexposure. So, let go of it.

Step Eleven: Create a space in your mind to receive what you desire. Say to yourself that what you desire - like, “I deserve to be healthy”, “I deserve to have a loving relationship” By doing this, you not only let your subconscious mind support the picture, you literally pull it towards you. 

Step Twelve: Be specific in what you are seeing and feeling. The more the images meet your specific needs, the more effective they will be.

Remember, it is better to visualize 2-3 times a day for a shorter duration than to visualize for a long stretch during the day. Doing this, the quality of visuals remain fresh instead of becoming stale and plaid and draining all energy out of you.

Steps one to ten might take you anything between 5-10 minutes. It is better if you do not prolong it. Instead, repeat it at another time of the day.

When you release the image after this brief exercise, your mind will become free of the mind-power you had activated. But your subconscious mind keeps on supporting the image you had seen. The key is to lock the images into our subconscious mind. This is where the magic happens. 

The twelve steps to focused mind power that I have explained above is the most powerful tool in this world. When you switch on your mind power and extend it to creative visualization for turning your dreams into reality - then, that is exactly what will happen. Your dreams will become reality.