| You have probably heard the expression "we often | | | | information. In this case the answer was "no". |
| overlook what's right under our noses". Psychologist Dr | | | | However I promised to keep my ears and ears open. |
| Richard Wiseman carried out the following experiment | | | | The client looked pleased with himself when he |
| proving this point. He gave a group of people a | | | | attended his next session. He had not only found the |
| newspaper and asked them to count the number of | | | | information he desired. He had also made a phone call |
| photographs it contained. Most people found this task | | | | and arranged a meeting to further his goal of |
| easy and completed it in about two minutes. Some | | | | becoming a songwriter. |
| people took a little longer as they went through the | | | | How does this apply to you? If you have a goal that |
| newspaper a second time to check that they had | | | | you want to make progress towards visualise or |
| counted correctly. In fact they could have answered | | | | mentally picture yourself attaining it. You can apply this |
| the question correctly within seconds without bothering | | | | technique to any goal such as finding an obscure item |
| to count. Why? Because the second page of the | | | | of antique furniture, making a career change or |
| newspaper contained a message, which said, "Stop | | | | travelling to some far-flung corner of the world. Picture |
| counting-there are 43 photographs in this newspaper. | | | | yourself with the goal already accomplished. In other |
| This message took up half of the page and was | | | | words see yourself sitting on your antique chair or |
| written in letters one and a half inches high, yet the | | | | flying to your exotic destination. |
| people taking part in the experiment failed to see it. | | | | How does this work by the principle of "like attracts |
| Why, because they were focused on counting | | | | like". Ever met someone with an unusual name and |
| photographs. You may be thinking "what has this got | | | | then found that name leap out at you from |
| to do with everyday life"? A great deal, which is | | | | newspapers, televisions, billboards. Suddenly you find |
| perhaps already apparent to some of you. The vast | | | | yourself encountering the name again and again. Why |
| majority of people only look for opportunities in obvious | | | | does this happen? Because, you have mentally tuned |
| places. More importantly they fail to see and miss out | | | | into it. |
| on opportunities that arrive unexpectedly. | | | | The world is full of the things, people and opportunities |
| A while ago a young man came to see me who | | | | that we are seeking. Because we use our attention |
| wanted to enter the music business. He wanted me to | | | | selectively we don't perceive all of them all of the time. |
| help in increasing his self confidence. I often see young | | | | It's a bit like tuning a radio, you can hear jazz, classical |
| men who want to become singers, members of boy | | | | music, rock and roll, talk radio and many other |
| bands in my role as psychologist/therapist. However | | | | programmes just not all at once. |
| this was unusual. This young man wanted to write and | | | | If you are wondering how my client found his route into |
| produce music rather than play it. | | | | the music business it was via the local newspaper. He |
| There was no difficulty in helping him to increase his | | | | saw an advertisement placed by an organisation |
| self confidence. However he asked something else | | | | looking for budding songwriters. When he rang he was |
| which I could not immediately see a way of helping him | | | | told that the advertisement had been running for about |
| with. It was this, "did I know a way that he could get | | | | a year yet he had never previously noticed it. Deciding |
| into writing and producing music"? I had to admit that I | | | | to follow a particular course of action and then |
| didn't. Because I speak to a wide range of people I am | | | | picturing the desired outcome as already achieved can |
| sometimes able to pass on this kind of specialised | | | | bring results which seem like magic. |