How Visualization Shapes Your Reality

Did you know that your mind doesn’t differentiate between what you physically see and what you imagine in vivid detail?

Fascinating, right?

This little-known truth can profoundly shape your life, especially when you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and what you attract into your life.

The Universe Responds to Focus

We live in an including universe.

That means you can’t exclude something simply by not wanting it.

If I tell you, “Don’t think of a pink elephant,” chances are you immediately imagine one! Your mind and the universe don’t process the “don’t” part, they only focus on the image or idea.

This becomes problematic when people focus on what they don’t want.

For example, if you ask someone what they’d like to be or have in a year, they’ll often list all the things they don’t want instead. But in an attractive universe, focusing on negatives only brings more of what you want to avoid.

Mother Teresa explained this beautifully: “I will never walk in an anti-war protest. Organize a pro-peace protest, and I will walk up front.”

The difference between “anti-war” and “pro-peace” might seem subtle, but to the universe, they’re opposites. The former focuses on conflict, while the latter attracts harmony.

Your Thoughts Shape Your Reality

Henry Ford said it best: “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re right. It is the thinking that makes it so”

The power of belief—and where you place your focus, creates your reality.

Here’s an example that blew my mind: In a study, two basketball teams were tasked with preparing for a game. One team practiced physically, while the other only visualized themselves playing and winning.

Astonishingly, the team that visualized won the game.

This experiment proves that what we vividly imagine can have tangible effects.

Why You Should Keep It Open

Many experts advise visualizing your goals in precise detail.

While this works for some, I’ve learned that leaving space for the unexpected is even more powerful.

Mike Dooley explains this idea with a metaphor: Imagine looking through the periscope of a submarine. You only see a tiny part of what’s out there, while the universe sees everything.

By visualizing too specifically, you might miss opportunities you didn’t even know existed.

As Herman Sanders said, “If you want a red Ferrari and someone offers you a yellow Lamborghini for free, would you say no?”

Keeping your visualization focused on the feelings you want, rather than the specific form, allows the universe to bring you something even better than you imagined.

Focus on Feelings, Not Details

Whatever you wish for—whether it’s a car, a house, or a new career, is ultimately about how you want to feel.

A Ferrari might represent excitement or acknowledgment. Winning the lottery might represent freedom or adventure.

By focusing on the desired feeling instead of the specific thing, you leave room for the universe to deliver.

Mike Dooley shared a personal story that illustrates this perfectly: He hated his job and couldn’t visualize himself excelling in it, no matter how hard he tried. Instead, he imagined walking into his workplace, greeted warmly by his colleagues and even the CEO would shake his hand.

Over time, this visualization led to a transfer to a department he could never have thought of himself, where he thrived.

He was suddenly great at his job, loved it, and enjoyed the respect and recognition he had dreamed of.

How I Use Visualization

Inspired by these ideas, I’ve incorporated visualization into my own life. Here are a few personal examples that demonstrate its power:

Visualizing My Dream House

At one point, I was unhappy with every room in my house. I didn’t know how to fix it, so I started visualizing instead.

Each night, I’d imagine walking through the house, feeling happy and grateful in every room. I didn’t picture specific changes, just the emotions.

A year later, life circumstances led us to remodel the house because I was pregnant.

When the renovations were complete, I walked through the house and realized it matched the feelings from my visualization perfectly.

The Perfect Car

My favorite car used to be an Opel Corsa, so when I was driving another kind of car I would wish for a Corsa. When I finally got it, I realized it no longer suited my family’s needs.

I had kids and a big dog, and the car was impractical. So when it was time to get a new car, I left the specifics open. I simply imagined my hands on the steering wheel and feeling immense happiness.

My husband bought me a Chevrolet Tahoe, a car I’d never even heard of before.

It turned out to be the perfect fit for our family, better than anything I could have imagined on my own.

The Unexpected Power of a Mood Board

I’ve never been drawn to mood boards. I’ve always felt that if you truly want something, you don’t need reminders of it.

However, since they seem to work for so many people, I decided to give it a go. I created one based on colors I’d love to have in my living room and placed it where I could see it regularly.

When I was clearing out my house to move to Bali, I found the board in the attic and was stunned.

It had several pictures of Bali on it. Without realizing it, I’d visualized my future home in a way that became a reality.

A Final Thought

Visualization isn’t about controlling every detail, it’s about aligning your emotions with the outcome you desire.

By focusing on how you want to feel, rather than the specifics of what you want, you open yourself to possibilities you couldn’t have anticipated.

So, the next time you visualize, ask yourself:

What feeling am I really after?

And trust that the universe knows the best way to deliver it.

This is my mood board.

The location where I realized that I would live in Bali was at Paradise Bungalows Bali.

The word Paradise is on the side of the mood board.

Coincidence?

I don’t think so.