Vision Boards – Tapping True Spiritual Magic

Greets Friends, and Happy New Year.

It’s 8:30 am on New Years morning 2010. I am happy to say that I had a delightful night last night at home, popping in tablature in my computer for a new guitar project. I feel wonderful now, while many are dragging home after a night of partying.

I have had a story in the can for some time, and been wondering if I should put it on my blog, so here goes.

I know that the “religion / spirituality du jour” is the Law of Attraction stuff. It is a pity that so much of it on the net is bastardized to be packaged up and sold as a money making trick – “learn how to be spiritual and you’ll get rich!”.

That’s a pretty shabby and shallow way to look at a binding law of the universe and how we as humans function. I happen to enjoy the more heartfelt teachers of these principles – like Esther and Jerry HIcks. Check them out!

This “Law of Attraction” and visualizations becoming materially real is a law on this plane, just like gravity. You and I use it always, constantly throughout our lives. Allow me to illustrate.

– You want a cup of coffee, and envision it. In minutes you have it.

– You pull up the Google homepage and do a search. You find what you are looking for, and call up a webpage that matches the picture previously in your mind’s eye.

– You see an article of clothing, maybe on someone else that you like. Soon you have a similar article of clothing, but prior to that it was only an image.

– You have an idea to exercise, and find yourself exercising.

The same holds true for big items, and even unwanted items. As Lester Levenson said, the mind is an oven. Put a shoe in the mind, you get a shoe. Put a million dollars in the mind and you get a million dollars.

I have a story for you.

After being inspired by John Assaraf in the hit movie “The Secret”, I started to work on a vision board. At the time, I had just discovered the great guitarist Tommy Emmanuel and been very inspired by his playing. It was a dream of mine to share the stage with Tommy one day.

I went to go see him perform at a venue called “Highline Ballroom” in New York City on June 8, 2008. When I came home, I had the ticket stub in my pocket from the evening.

I had bought the ticket online so along the edge of the ticket, my name was printed on the ticket with the same font.

I then had a silly idea. What if I cut out my name and carefully pasted it over the opening act’s name, so it would read “Tommy Emmanuel and Special Guest Adam Rafferty”. So I got my scissors and tape and got to work. In about 5 minutes I had my new ticket stub.

This felt like the silliest thing I had ever done. After years of playing professionally, making CD’s, and touring – to reduce a huge goal career move to some voodoo just felt crazy and dumb. I dared not tell anyone.

I then tacked it up to my vision board and glance at it every day. (Cork boards at Staples cost about $10)

Little did I know that feeling silly is a great symptom, in this case. It sets up what’s called “cognitive dissonance”. The concious and subconcious mind start to disagree and the subconscious mind then works 24/7/365 – even while sleeping – to resolve the dissonance between “what we think it should be” and “what is”.

Plus the mind responds to images – not words. To see my name on the ticket with his was something that sank deep into the mind, more than saying “I’d like to play a concert with him”.

About a month later a friend urged me to go to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society yearly gathering in Nashville TN. I had no plans or intention to go and on a whim followed his advice and bought a ticket for a weekend in Nashville.

I knew no one there when I arrived, but was quickly greeted by the world of friendly guitar players. They knew me from Youtube. Then one guy approached me and requested that I play him my version of “Chameleon” with human beatbox, so I did.

After a friendly pow wow with him he told me that he had organized concerts for Tommy Emmanuel in Finland and that he’d like to help me by getting me on the gig as a special guest.

The excitement of all of this was wonderful, and the last thing on my mind was a vision board. I thought “No, this was happening because of youtube, my wonderful personality and playing skills and my perseverance.” The vision board was not even a consideration!

As a result of this meeting, I got to perform with Tommy the first time in Helsinki in April 2009. As I was there I had to pinch myself. “Am I living reality or is it all a dream?” I thought. I then went on to do some concerts and touring as a soloist after that.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIbdHYJoF2I]

Upon arriving home in New York City, my eyes glanced at the vision board. I saw the ticket hanging up there. “Oh my God, the vision turned real!” I thought. I started weeping at the awesome power that was demonstrated. This was an awakening.

Every decision along the way started with planting the seed in my mind of that ticket on the vision board. From flying to Nashville right on through to being on stage with the man himself, the cognitive dissonance HAD to get resolved.

This is much deeper than “willpower”. Seeds don’t sprout from willpower.

To know that this is law is powerful, exhilarating and frightening at the same time. I know now that without a doubt I create my reality. Now the question is “what do I want?” because I know that without a doubt, it will all manifest exactly as I envision it.

We are all unbelievable glorious creators that do this constantly, every day, all day. Just like a dog or cat is unaware of gravity, many of us are unaware that every idea, thought and word propels us into what we call “reality”.

Don’t try this because you’ll “get what you want”. Do this and behold the delectable sweetness, magic and majesty of the Creator.

Happy 2010!