“As you imagine, so shall it become true.”
– Author Unknown
In the fall of 1974, our small high school played host to a mesmerizing guest. Today, Romane is recognized as Canada’s stop smoking and weight loss guru, but back in the day, he was a young stage hypnotist performing the high school, college and university circuit. At the time, I didn’t know anything about Romane or hypnosis other than what I had seen on television or in movies. Stare at the swinging pocket watch as your eyelids grow heavy – that sort of thing.
Romane was a one-man show and thus required help on stage with lights, music, props, and chairs. Our drama teacher, Mr Beechy, had graciously volunteered the services of our class. We were to be at the school an before the show to meet Romane and learn about our various duties.
I had expected a bearded Svengali but instead was greeting by a pleasant young man with a natural gift for putting people at ease. Soon we were rehearsing the evening’s program. The more he spoke, the more intrigued I became with the conscious/subconscious mind concept.
I was amazed at how many people in our community were interested in seeing and participating in a hypnotic stage show. Romane had disappeared into the changing room, and when he re-emerged, he was wearing a sequined suit that made him look bold, powerful, and all-knowing.
I could go on about how hilarious the show was (and it was) but what I want to share here is a simple exercise Romane lead the audience through shortly after walking on stage.
He asked the audience to hold both arms out in front of them, close their eyes and imagine he had placed a heavy red brick in their right hand. He told them to “feel” the brick growing heavier and heavier. He then told the audience to keep the brick in mind while also imagining that he had tied a bouquet of helium balloons to their left wrist. He described the balloons as becoming lighter and lighter. Within a minute or so many audience members found their right arm dropping down from the imagined weight while the left arm floated effortlessly upward. When audience members opened their eyes, there were many gasps and wails of laughter.
I like the brick and the balloon exercises because it demonstrates a powerful principle at work. Your life will be a reflection of whatever thoughts you hold persistently in mind. It has been my experience that holding “heavy” thoughts in mind, such as fear, failure, regret, anger, scarcity, or victimization, tends to bring these experiences into expression. Holding “light” thoughts such as love, joy, happiness, success, and abundance in mind must therefore attract corresponding experiences. It’s a simple fact: What is expected tends to be realized.
Of course, the world throws a variety of experiences our way. There will be times when even the “lightest” thinker we feel regret, fear, anger, failure, and that is as it should be. It is when “heavy” thoughts and corresponding feelings permeated our minds that it becomes an issue. Through awareness, we can learn to strike a balance and live life in a positive and purposeful yet grounded manner. So the question becomes, “What are you expecting from life?”
The late American radio and television personality, Earl Nightingale once wrote, “We become what we think about.” It was the theme of his legendary self-help message, The World’s Strangest Secret. (www.earlnightingale.com) Nightingale went on to declare that, “The mind moves in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.”
As for Romane, I have maintained my association with him, and he continues to be an inspiration to me. He now tours the country, helping people improve their lives by engaging the power of their minds. Here is my challenge to you: To imagine for yourself an amazing, joy-filled and successful life and to then to focus upon letting it become true for you. What do you think?