There are four steps when it comes to visualizing your ideal future. For creating the movie in your mind. And they are:

1) Choose your goal.
2) Visualize it clearly.
3) Set a specific deadline.
4) Commit it to God. Partner with Him.

1) Choose your goal.

Be specific. The subconscious mind is like a toddler. It needs direction, and you have to be specific. So choose your goal and make it CLEAR that that’s your goal Write it down. Say it aloud. Whatever it takes to remind yourself, constantly: “Hey. That’s our goal. Go for it.”

2) Visualize it clearly.

Once you’ve chosen your goal, round it out. Fill in all the details. What’s going to happen when. What will success look like? What will it feel like? What will you be feeling the moment you’ve reached your goal? And then work back. You’ve pictured the final moment. Now take a step back and picture the moment JUST before that one. And work your way back to where you are now, today.

For those of you who are often frozen with fear at making the next step, this is a huge help. Suddenly you’ll be able to see it in bite-sized chunks. No, you don’t have to do it all TODAY. And you can’t. You’re human. But you CAN do the next step. It’s not a huge step. It might not feel like progress, but it’s a start. And at this point? Any movement at all is progress (whether your feelings agree or not).

3) Set a specific deadline.

Don’t let your goal pass you by because you didn’t nail it down. Goals are often like Jell-O: they’re hard to nail down if you don’t solidify them. So get your goal frozen in your mind as soon as possible, and capture it on paper somewhere. Write it down. Talk to someone about when you’re going to achieve it. You might NOT hit the deadline, but this keeps you from putting that goal in the “someday” bin, where it’s been all its life. Time to take it out, dust it off, and get started. Set a deadline today.

4) Commit it to God. Partner with Him.

This last step it crucial. Without God partnering with us, whatever frustrations or disappointments or setbacks you encounter will be lonely. You read that right: I said lonely. And that’s the worst feeling in the world. God made us to partner with other people, to rely on others to help us achieve our goals. He also made us to rely on Him and His power to sustain us. He keeps our hearts beating day in and day out. He regulates our breathing. Our brains? He’s the one who makes the messages shoot through the neurons. So commit your way to Him and allow Him to lead you. He knows the roads you’re going to face along the way, and with Him as a partner you’re better equipped to navigate ‘em.

Faith in God removes tension, fear, worry and all the negative forces that hold us back from succeeding. If the most powerful force in the universe is on your side and supporting your goals, why would you fear any failure? He is in control. Even if you “fail” according to our definition of failure, He can (and often WILL) use that failure as a springboard for your future success. This might sound like some kind of a twisted riddle some of you, but until you’ve been through it you won’t understand. (This is where having faith in the midst of failure comes in.)

It isn’t magic. But it works. What we think affects every facet of our lives. So change your stinkin’ thinkin’ and start living the life God intended for you to live. It’s time to begin again. To change your life. Today.

Kevin

Recommended Teaching:

Charles Stanley’s “Reaching Your Full Potential” – A Clear Mind.
(Audio Archives. November 2008.)

The mental movies that we play in our minds has a direct impact on what plays out in our lives in the future.

Take my life as an example. Starting a company from scratch can be a daunting experience. Instead of looping the message that I’m overwhelmed with all the stuff I have to learn, that I don’t have the time or the resources to make it happen, how there’s so much to do and see and know, etc., I make a point to constantly switch the soundtrack.

I tell myself that I’m gaining new wisdom and understanding on a daily basis. I tell my mind that God is revealing new mysteries to it every single day. That He’s providing me with the answers. Guiding my every step. I picture a future based on faith, rather than on my fears. And then I slowly etch over that picture on a daily basis, carefully carving that image into my mental canvas so that when an alternate message tries to stick, it simply can’t. Because it won’t fit with the grooves on my mind.

I want to emphasize that it’s important that the image we hold, the goal we’re striving for, is in line with God’s Word or, better yet, specifically given by God. This is the case with Mills Creative Minds and the book I’m currently writing. One day back in May I was praying, asking God how I could generate more money to support some missionaries overseas. A few hours later He literally woke me up in the middle of the night and gave me the ideas. The message.

Create & pursue Mills Creative Minds and write the book.

Just like that. It was as if someone rang a bell or a musical triangle. The message was clear, and it resonated within me. So my current God-given goal is absolutely crystal in my mind. There is no question what I’m striving for, aiming to achieve.

Don’t think I’m unique in this ability to hear from Him, by the way. I believe God will guide each and every one one of us if we’ll only pursue Him more than our own goals. If we’ll put Him in His rightful position in our lives, He WILL reward that kind of faith and obedience.

So how do we go about switching out the film? Turning off the movies of failure and fear for one of faith and hope? Start by imagining yourself succeeding in the area where you strongly desire success. Imagine a screen on the wall in front of you. And on that screen, see yourself doing the very thing you long to do. Then loop this movie over and over and over again in your mind. Play it and replay it and memorize it. The dialogue, the motions, the emotions – take it all in.

Since I work from home and spend a lot of time here in my office, I’ve modified this method just a bit. When I spend time with God, I sit in a glider rocking chair across the room, facing the desk. So sometimes I pick up an empty photo frame – just the naked frame itself, with no backing or anything – and I hold it up in front of me, “framing” the desk. And then I begin making my movie.

I picture myself sitting at the desk, working. Coming up with new ideas. Exploring them, doing the research, designing them on the computer. I envision myself making the sell sheets to send to manufacturers, calling them and talking to prospective partners. I watch as I negotiate a contract, collect royalties, and I see myself thanking God as His plan falls into place. And finally, I picture myself giving money away. Writing Ray & Laura Pittman and telling them that they’ll never have to buy plane tickets again. That from this point on, I’ve got it covered.

It’s quite a movie. And I loop it again and again and again and again, so that as I make my way through the process I have a groove of success already carved out for me. And any distractions and complications I run into will either adapt to that permanent groove, or slide away. It might sound strange. It might sound hokey, but it works.

Those who are knocking this idea aside in your heads? Have you achieved what you hoped to achieve up to this point? Done what you set out to do years ago? If so, then keep doing what you’re doing. But if not? Why not give this a try? (Really, what have you got to lose?)

Kevin

 These are some of the notes & thoughts inspired by Charles Stanley’s message, “A Balanced Schedule.” (November 6, 2008)

Ephesians 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.“

Your time is your life. Your life is your time. To become the person God wants you to be, it’s vitally important to spend your time wisely, where He wants you to invest it. Take advantage of every opportunity that God has given you. A balanced schedule is essential to living out God’s calling in your life.

We’re driven by the clock, living in a pressurized society. If we don’t manage our time wisely, we can become easily derailed and sidetracked from what God has in store for us.

If you’re going to become the person God wants you to be, you’re going to need to spend consistent time with the Lord. There are not shortcuts, no loopholes. We all face the same pressures and challenges in life, but if we don’t make it a priority, it simply won’t happen. And that’s what it all boils down to, you know: Priorities.

Look at your life. You go to work because you prioritize being able to have an income, being able to eat. You spend time with your family because you value and appreciate them (or should, at least). In your free time, you watch movies or read a book or listen to music or browse the internet or (fill in the blank).

These are all choices we make in our lives, and we’re lying when we say we simply don’t have time for God. The truth is we’re not MAKING time for God. Whether we verbalize it or not, we believe He’s not a high enough priority to invest our precious, limited time with Him. It’s too valuable to waste, we think. We have to much to DO. We can’t waste our time to just BE. To sit quietly and listen. To allow Him to have greater access to our hearts and our minds.

We really can be idiots, can’t we? Seriously. Who do we think we are? All that time we have? That we don’t want to surrender to Him? Where do we think it came from? This life we live? Who gave that to us? Who provided us with everything we see in our myopic little fishbowl of a world? Everything we enjoy and love?

God did. So why, oh WHY do we not give Him the time He so rightfully deserves? Because we’re human. And selfish. And afraid. We’re afraid of what He might say, or ask us to do, or think of us. We’re filled with guilt and shame and fear and anger or resentment, and we completely miss what God is all about. We miss the essense of His character.

Love. God loves us. And because He loves us so much, everything He might say to us or askus to do is based on love. Lemme tell ya, He’s asked me to do some pretty wild things the past few months, some of which I’ll write about later on. A typical person would shake their head and try to drown out that still, small voice inside them. I choose not to. I choose to listen to what He says to me, to accept the fact that He IS speaking, and then obey. (Don’t worry, it’s harder than it sounds.)

Spending time with God is when we get direction, encouragement, and peace. Who wouldn’t want that? Who wouldn‘t want to prioritize this stuff? We’re tempted to value all the fleeting things in life, the window dressing, if you will. We waste our time munching on the limp lettuce of life while He’s prepared a full course dinner for us back in the kitchen. And yet we think we’re living the “good life,” that “it just can’t any better than this!” Pfft. Try again.

Your time is a gift. A daily, limited gift that God’s given you. Make a choice today to use it differently, to change your life. Carve out the time to spend with Him. Five, ten, fifteen minutes… start small, if you have to. God doesn’t have a set requirement. But be consistent. Make a commitment to giving Him a regular portion of your time back, and then watch as He blesses your life in ways you never imagined.

You will be amazed.

Kevin

Our words create images inside of us. What we say paints a mental picture, whether or not we realize it. And just like everything else we do in this world, we’re given a choice. We can be positive or we can be negative. We can either speak positive words about the future, or we can reinforce the establishing of a negative one.

It’s easy for us to get so wrapped up in what we SEE in this world. We miss the fact that God is UNSEEN, and true to His nature He often works BEHIND the scenes. He created everything, absolutely everything – out of nothing. He spoke, and creation came into being. His words established reality.

In the same way we should watch what comes out of our mouths, it’s also important for us to know how to practice the lost art of Shutting Up. Instead of talking negatively about ourseves, our children, or our family and friends, it would be better to say nothing. I think one of the most applicable sermon series I’ve ever heard on this subject was LifeChurch’s Zip It messages about two years ago. (Excellent messages.I can’t recommend them enough.)

Watching our words requires us to watch our attitudes. The Bible says “from out of overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) If you genuinely want to watch what you say, it’s going to require your taking a good, hard look at what you’re THINKING from moment to moment.

You’ll have to look at your core belief system, and pinpoint exactly WHY you’ve given into thinking so negatively. There’s a reason for everything we think, say and do. Rooting out the self-destructive seeds that are buried down deep is where it starts.

“Those who say they can and those that say they can’t are both right.”

Our words are virtual seeds. We plant them in our minds and the minds of others when we speak. So take some time to examine what it is you’re planting, at what you’re saying. Ask God to reveal any areas in your life that you need to turn over to Him, to allow Him to weed out for your good. Ask yourself: do you REALLY want the picture you’re painting to sprout up out day? To become reality? And when it does, what’s going to be on those branches? Fruit? Or thorns?

Believe that everything you say – absolutely everything – will come to pass.

When we speak, we’re speaking a form of faith. We’re either speaking faith in a positive future, or we’re speaking faith in a negative one. Either way, one some level we’re believing in what we say, or else we wouldn’t bother saying it. So think about that. Let it sink in a little deeper and sting a bit. And then? The next time you want to complain or moan about this or that? Keep a lid on it.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  – Proverbs 18:21

“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;keep watch over the door of my lips.”   – Psalms 141:3

What we think determines what we believe, and what we believe determines what we say, and what we say determines what we do. Note the genesis of the entire process: it all starts in the mind.

In the same way, if we make a point to first speak words of wisdom, faith, healing, etc., then our words will affect our thoughts and, conversely, our actions. They’re all entwined; a complex, indivisible system.

Change your words? You change your thoughts.

Change your thoughts? You change your actions.

Change your actions? You’ll change your life.

Homemade pizza tonight.

Shortly after my hand surgery, I found I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the fact that I had only one hand. This made the formerly simple acts of dressing myself, relieving myself, cooking for myself… a whole slew of activities… insanely difficult.

In one of my audio posts, I referred to my hand as “stupid.” (Probably more than one, now that I think about it…) A friend of mine picked up on that, and sent me a short message that basically pointed out I wasn’t doing myself any favors by talking so negatively.

His comment ticked me off. I mean, who did he think he was? Telling me how to talk? I’m Mr. Positive Thinker, here! And HIS hand wasn’t debilitated! HE didn’t know the frustration of struggling to keep the stream straight in the bathroom! But after I cooled off, I realized he was right. (Turns out Proverbs 27:6 is dead on: Wounds from a friend CAN be trusted.)

So I took a hard look and examined myself. Negative speech? Check. Negative attitude? Check. Negative outlook on life? Check. Huh. He really was right. I had a pretty serious case of negativity flowing in and out of my life.

I had read “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale a few months before, but apparently had forgotten the nuggety goodness within the pages. This time around, however, I decided to tackle the issue from a different angle. My words.

“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  – Luke 6:45

As the Bible makes clear, our words are just symptoms of what’s going on in our hearts, in our heads. So in an effort to focus on changing my speech habits from positive to negative, I browsed Amazon.com and found a few titles that would help out. And they were:

Charles Capps – The Tongue – A Creative Force

Charles Capps – Changing the Seen & Shaping the Unseen

I’d never heard of Charles Capps before, didn’t know a thing about him, but it seemed he had a good idea of the power our words can hold. Positive or negative, our words have a profound effect on our lives and, quite simply, our future. What we say permeates every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it’s true or not.

So stay tuned for the next entry, when I’ll summarize some of the principles I’ve learned about what to say, when to say it and when we should just Shut Up.

-Kevin

Sittin’ in my office, gettin’ a back massage from my spiffy Homedics Shiatsu Massager Thingy.