Success Through The Eyes Of A Child

Adults, with eyes to see, can learn so much about success in life from children.

When a baby is born, it has instinctively in it everything needed to succeed in life. A child is like a fresh piece of canvas, ready to become a unique contribution to the world. A child has had less exposure to adult conditioning with regards to behaviour and expectations. Every child has the seeds of success for life within them. By observing children being children, adults can re-learn principles of success that have been buried by their adult world.

As I was driving home last week, I noticed a little boy and his mother by the side of the road. They had stopped walking and the mother was adjusting a toy crossbow to fit more comfortably over the boy's shoulder. I realized that at that moment in the heart and mind of that small boy, he was not on a sidewalk by a busy road. Perhaps he was hunting in a forest, or was an intrepid explorer of the unknown, ready to pull out his bow and arrows at the slightest hint of danger. In his imagination he was a hero, confident, skilled, and brave. He was alert, prepared, with the expectation of overcoming danger or threat with his skill and swift reflexes.

For a child involved in imaginative play, there is very little distinction between fantasy and reality. Children live and play out their dreams totally in the moment.

There are many principles of success that can be learned by looking through the eyes of a child. Children's eyes see with clarity and perception and reflect the reality of who they are. Children are uncluttered by training, brainwashing, and by living according to the unwritten rules and etiquette that have assailed the adult mind. For a child life has limitless possibilities that have not been squashed by logic, common sense, or limiting expectations that become part of the adult mind.

What principle of success can be drawn from the little boy with his bow and arrow?

One of the most powerful and yet unused principles of success is the process of visualization. Visualization is the act of creating compelling and vivid pictures in your mind. This is just what the little boy was doing. He was "that hero"; he acted like him, dressed like him, and could picture himself in another time and another place. For him, it seemed like reality. This is a spontaneous, natural process for a child.

Researchers have found that visualization accelerates achievement in powerful ways. It has been proved by research that when performing any task in life the brain uses the same identical processes that it would if you were only vividly visualizing that activity. The brain sees no difference at all between visualizing something and actually doing it.

This principle also is applicable when a person is learning something new. Visualization makes the brain achieve more. In a study by researchers at Harvard University, it was found that students who visualized in advance were able to perform tasks with nearly 100 percent accuracy. Students who performed tasks without using visualization only achieved 55 percent accuracy.

Visualization is frequently used by Olympic and professional athletes to improve performance. Jack Nicklaus, a legend in the golfing world, once described how he uses visualization. "I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a color movie. First I "see" where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I "see" the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there's a sort of fade out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality." The results of the power of visualization for Jack Nicklaus are convincing: he has won over 100 tournaments earning over 5.7 million in the process.

For a child a high proportion of time is spent in visualization. Adults may say, "He's only playing" and not see the potential power for success that the child is practicing. Visualization is a process that is naturally strong in the learning and formative years of the child. Research now confirms that visualization activates the creative powers of the subconscious mind. It focuses the brain by programming its reticular activating system (RAS) to notice available resources that were always there but previously unnoticed. Visualization, incredibly, also magnetizes and attracts you to the people, resources, and opportunities you need to achieve your goal.

Next time you see children playing, pause to watch visualization in its purest form. What can you learn and apply to your own life to accelerate and achieve greater success using the principle of visualization?

Barbara White has over twenty years experience in educational leadership and teaching, as well as being a parent of three teenagers. Barbara is now President of Beyond Better Development, which specializes in motivation and training in interpersonal skills.For more articles about success visit her website http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com and her Blog at http://www.accesssuccess.blogspot.com

---

A Pyramid of Success

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a... Read More

Choice and Change - The Two Constants

OK, so here we are. We've switched the calendars out... Read More

What Does YOUR Success Look Like?

What does success look like to you? Our culture often... Read More

Overnight Success - the Truth is Revealed

Overnight success seems to be happening to a lot of... Read More

Run Towards Fear: A Prescription For Success

Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More

Top 10 Secrets to Success

Much has been researched, written and taught about success. One... Read More

Winning: Defining It - Achieving It

If you ask most people whether they would like to... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Get Your Act Together

Get your act together Make sure that you have all... Read More

Success -- A Secret and A Formula

Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for... Read More

The #1 Secret of Success

Today I am going to tell you the #1 secret... Read More

Practice

Very few of us can pick up a complex task... Read More

You Are What You Believe

The most important quality you can ever develop is having... Read More

I am my Fathers Daughter-An Optimists Viewpoint

One of the greatest compliments I ever received in my... Read More

5 Master Qualities of Extraordinary Achievers

You can be a master achiever by developing the same... Read More

Super Success ?- Reach Out and Take It

This is a little primer on how to start, survive... Read More

The Seven Cs of Success

Get ready to sail the Seven C's - the Seven... Read More

Personal Excellence: Whats Your Motivation? (Part 2 of 3)

The scene from "Biloxi Blues" where Matthew Broderick's character kept... Read More

Busy, Busy, Busy

Being busy has become a way of life for many... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Clown Around

Clown around Among the Plains Indians, heyoka, or sacred clowns,... Read More

What is Success and How Do We Achieve It?

To be clear about what success is must be the... Read More

Choice: Privilege, Opportunity and Responsibility

One of my absolute favorite quotes is from Dwight D.... Read More

Paying Attention

Being a spiritual teacher has continually frightened me. Not because... Read More

Reach Your Goals - Have A Pitch Party

Have a "Pitch Party" Invite friends and work together to... Read More

4 Steps to Set Your Mind for Success

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our... Read More

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

"The reason man may become the master of his own... Read More

Own Your Success

Are you getting frustrated because the work you continue to... Read More

How to Achieve Massive Success Before Graduating

How do you land your dream job, win... Read More

Evaluating Your Associations (Part One)

If you were to evaluate the major influences in your... Read More

Raise Your Bar: The Power of Yes

Every one of us lives with a ceiling, a belief... Read More

Personal Excellence: Whats Your Motivation? (Part 1 of 3)

I was in the gym, pushing my adolescent muscles to... Read More

Discovery In A Million Dollar Mistake

I have noticed that though my clients often have created... Read More

Marching To A New Beat

For our family, the Fall is filled with Friday Night... Read More

Success Through Discipline - The Rewards Of Discipline

Many of the problems we have with discipline are caused... Read More