| Imagery - The Key to Unlocking Your
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| | caused your body to respond in a very
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| Performance Potential (Part 1)
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| | real way? It is important that you
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| 11th May 2007
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| | realize that the set of images and the
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| Author: Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D.
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| | beliefs that you create in your mind are
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| ""Imagination is more powerful than
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| | the reality that truly exists for you.
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| knowledge." -Albert Einstein
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| | This 'reality' in fact, serves as the
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| Did you know that as children, we enjoyed
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| | mental computer program that directs you
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| a significant mental advantage over the
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| | to perform in a manner that is consistent
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| adult population…an advantage that the
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| | with the images in your mind and the
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| majority of us let slip away as we grew
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| | feelings that are associated with those
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| into adulthood? Because of a lack of
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| | images. I can illustrate this point with
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| consistent practice, we gradually lost
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| | a specific example.
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| the ability to use an effective mental
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| | Imagine that I placed a wooden board flat
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| skill that most children seem to possess
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| | on the floor in front of you. The board
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| naturally - the skill of mental Imagery.
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| | is six inches wide, perfectly stiff, and
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| Imagery, the Language of the Mind
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| | 20 feet long. If I asked you to walk the
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| Because humans think in pictures, there
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| | length of the board without touching the
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| isn't a single thought that we create in
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| | floor, do you think that you would you be
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| our mind that is not somehow associated
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| | able to do it? It is likely that, not
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| with a mental image (and often, with
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| | only would most of you be able to do it,
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| feelings) of some sort. We frequently
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| | but you could probably do it with your
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| talk about seeing with our 'mind's
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| | eyes closed or even do it backwards if
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| eye'…this simply means that when we
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| | you put your mind to it! We have now
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| imagine something in our mind, we
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| | established that is it likely that you
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| generally see a picture of what we are
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| | could easily walk the full length of this
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| thinking about, just as if we were
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| | 20-foot board when it is placed on the
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| looking at it through a camera lens or
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| | floor in front of you.
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| through our own eyes. Some people refer
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| | Imagine that I placed a wooden board flat
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| to this process as "visualization", but I
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| | on the floor in front of you. The board
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| prefer the term "imagery" because it is
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| | is six inches wide, perfectly stiff, and
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| broader and more easily incorporates the
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| | 20 feet long. If I asked you to walk the
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| other senses beyond vision. In effect, it
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| | length of the board without touching the
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| would indeed be accurate to describe
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| | floor, do you think that you would you be
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| imagery as the language of the mind. You
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| | able to do it? It is likely that, not
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| can confirm the truth of this statement
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| | only would most of you be able to do it,
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| for yourself with the following simple
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| | but you could probably do it with your
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| exercise.
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| | eyes closed or even do it backwards if
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| Take a few moments to think about your
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| | you put your mind to it! We have now
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| mother - before you read any further…
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| | established that is it likely that you
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| Now as you did this, you probably 'saw'
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| | could easily walk the full length of this
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| (with your 'mind's eye') an image of what
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| | 20-foot board when it is placed on the
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| your mother looks like, what color her
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| | floor in front of you.
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| hair is, how tall she is, what she looks
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| | Imagine if I now took that same 20-foot
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| like sitting at the dining room table or
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| | board (that is six inches wide, perfectly
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| in front of the TV, or wearing a favorite
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| | stiff, and that you know you could
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| outfit. You might have pictured her from
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| | traverse with ease when placed on the
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| the front or from the side, in profile.
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| | floor) and suspended it between two
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| You may even have 'seen' your mother
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| | buildings, 100 feet in the air! Even
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| working in the garden or in a favorite
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| | assuming there was no wind whatsoever and
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| room, etc. Whatever you 'saw', it is
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| | that I could make it perfectly stiff - as
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| likely that you created a set of images
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| | it was on the floor - do you believe that
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| or mental pictures in your mind (and
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| | you could still walk the length of the
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| perhaps even an associated emotional
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| | board between the buildings… with ease?
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| response) that reflects how you see your
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| | Likely not and yet, it is the same board
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| mother, standing there by herself as if
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| | with the same physical dimensions and
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| in a portrait or how she might look in a
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| | features. Something in the mind of most
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| variety of different situations. Consider
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| | individuals would stop them from even
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| this: How would it be possible to think
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| | attempting to walk the length of that
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| of your mother if you couldn't 'see' her
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| | 20-foot board and if they chose to try to
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| in your mind's eye?
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| | do it, the tension level (and fear) that
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| Now, take a few moments to think about
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| | they would feel would be much greater.
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| your home…
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| | Many of us would 'freeze up' and not be
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| Again, it is likely that you 'saw' (in
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| | able to move at all. But what has
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| your mind's eye) some image of what your
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| | changed?
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| house or apartment looks like, perhaps
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| | The only thing that has truly changed in
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| from the outside, what your front lawn or
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| | this new situation is your perspective
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| driveway might look like, or what one or
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| | regarding the physical challenge or
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| more of the rooms might look like. You
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| | danger that you face. Because the
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| may even have seen an image of your
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| | consequences of falling off the board
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| spouse or children watching television in
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| | when it is placed directly on the floor
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| the den or of all your family members
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| | in front of you are non-existent compared
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| sitting down to a meal around the kitchen
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| | to the consequences of falling off the
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| table. Again, you created in your mind a
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| | board when it is 100 feet off the ground,
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| set of images and feelings that reflected
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| | you think nothing of walking the plank
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| your perception of 'home' and what it is
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| | while on the floor and indeed, can
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| like when the important people in your
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| | execute the stunt with ease! As soon as
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| life occupy it. It should be clear to you
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| | your perspective regarding the challenge
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| from this simple little exercise that we
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| | that you face changes (you imagine all
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| do indeed 'think' in pictures, no matter
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| | the nasty things that could happen and
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| what we are thinking about. In fact, try
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| | may even 'see' yourself falling to the
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| thinking of something without "seeing it"
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| | ground in your mind's eye), your ability
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| in your mind's eye… your car, your desk
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| | to perform the task changes as well. This
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| at work, your favorite hat, etc!
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| | is a really important point to keep in
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| The Impact of Imagery on Our Emotions
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| | mind…
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| Images that you put into your mind
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| | The Bad News is that we create our own
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| directly influence how you feel. These
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| | set of mental images, and these images
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| feelings in turn affect your behavior and
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| | directly influence our feelings,
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| this set of behaviors influences your
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| | behaviors, and our ability to perform.
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| personal performance in anything that you
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| | The Good News is that we create our own
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| do.
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| | set of mental images and these images
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| Think back to a situation where you were
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| | directly influence our feelings,
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| watching a particularly sad, scary, or
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| | behaviors, and our ability to perform.
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| exciting movie? Your body responded
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| | It depends completely on the kind of
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| directly to the images and feelings that
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| | mental images that you put into your mind
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| were developed on the TV or movie screen,
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| | since the images you process there become
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| as you watched the show. Sometimes you
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| | the dominant thoughts that control how
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| felt tension or even fear in anticipation
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| | you feel, how you behave and ultimately,
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| of the next scene (when the villain or
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| | how you perform. We'll explore this
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| the creature jumps out of the shadows),
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| | process of imagery further in the next
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| or relief when the hero who was hanging
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| | installment of the Performance File.
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| by his fingertips from the ledge of the
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| | Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D is the principal
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| tall building manages to swing back up
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| | consultant of Performance Prime. Dr.
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| onto the roof to safety. When watching a
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| | Dallaire has extensive experience gained
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| particularly sad movie, you may even have
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| | over the past 32 years working with more
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| begun to cry. Yet, intellectually you
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| | than 1000 high-performance athletes and
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| knew that these situations were not real,
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| | business professionals. More information
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| they were roles played out by actors
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| | about our revolutionary business and
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| following established scripts that simply
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| | group performance seminars, mental skills
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| became part of your imagination.
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| | products, and free access to Dr.
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| How is it that these "imagined pictures"
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