After the Tears: Getting Past Bad News by Visualizing a Better Tomorrow

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Toronto - When Jim Clemmer was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer, he went through what he describes as "therapeutic wallowing."

A young man in his 40s, Clemmer had spent most of his career, as a writer, speaker and consultant, helping others deal with constant change. And now he was faced with the greatest change challenge of his life.

However, between his initial diagnosis and the follow up CT scan a few weeks later, he embarked on a series of visualization exercises. The result is either entirely coincidental or an extreme case of the mind curing the body.

At the follow-up exam, where Jim was expecting a grim prognosis, the doctor told him not to cancel any speaking engagements. What was a 90% probability of cancer was actually just a cyst.

While he'll never know whether he actually eliminated the cancer, he realized how powerful it could be for others to use visualization and imagery to channel anxiety and stress toward positive action.

From this experience Clemmer compiled a list of Visualization Tips and Techniques to help others dealing with catastrophic life changes, move beyond wallowing by focusing on what they want the future to be.

  • Use photos, drawings, or symbols to paint the pictures of your preferred future. Assemble a collage of these from magazines, websites, sketches, clip art that represent what you want to attain, the kind of person you want to be, your ideal role or position, your preferred family or social life, the kind of community you want to help build, your physical well being, and so on. Keep your collage in a prominent place to keep you focused on where you're going.
  • If you have an illness or physical condition, research and apply the ongoing advances in the emerging fields of Mind-Body Medicine and Psychoneuroimmunology.
  • Counteract the stress and anxiety feeding your mind a steady stream of negative, fear-filled images with a continual stream of positive images of your preferred outcomes. Use visualization or imagery to picture yourself brilliantly giving a presentation, confronting an issue, reaching an agreement, or mastering whatever you might be anxious about doing
    For the complete list visit www.clemmergroup.com/chapter-three-wallow-follow-lead.php

Jim Clemmer, whose books have sold over 400,000 copies, is a popular professional public speaker (over 2,500 presentations) who brings energy and insights to the never-ending nature of change. He has given hundreds of interviews in the past three decades. Your audience would enjoy his humour and refreshing take on how they can take control and live happily with the changes that are invariably and inevitably confronting them – today, tomorrow, and as long as they live.

Visualization Tips and Techniques

  • At least once a year, describe what your ideal life would look like if things were going extremely well three to five years from now. Outline your perfect job. Envision your ideal family life. See yourself helping to build whatever communities you're now part of. Visualize a strong and secure financial situation. Imagine your preferred social circle. Feel an even stronger connection to your philosophical or spiritual beliefs. See your optimum health or physical condition. Include your spouse or "significant other" as a joint exercise; two visualizations are probably better than one.
  • Use photos, drawings, or symbols to paint the pictures of your preferred future. Assemble a collage of these from magazines, websites, sketches, clip art that represent what you want to attain, the kind of person you want to be, your ideal role or position, your preferred family or social life, the kind of community you want to help build, your physical well being, and so on. Keep your collage in a prominent place to keep you focused on where you're going.
  • If you have an illness or physical condition, research and apply the ongoing advances in the emerging fields of Mind-Body Medicine and Psychoneuroimmunology.
  • Begin with the end in mind. As you undertake a big task, bring about a major personal change, or embark on a long project, continually visualize your success. Surround yourself with images, symbols, pictures, positive reinforcement, encouraging people and uplifting messages.
  • Counteract the stress and anxiety feeding your mind a steady stream of negative, fear-filled images with a continual stream of positive images of your preferred outcomes. Use visualization or imagery to picture yourself brilliantly giving a presentation, confronting an issue, reaching an agreement, or mastering whatever you might be anxious about doing.
  • Develop a "dream list" to help find the core of your deepest and truest inner desires and visions. Brainstorm every dream, desire, or goal that pops into your mind. Once the list is fairly complete, you can sift through it to look for patterns or clusters. This doesn't have to happen overnight; you might want to keep a running list for a while.