The Power of Focus by Mark Victor Hansen

IF YOU WANT something enough, and you keep your mind focused on it, you will eventually achieve it.This was brought home to me at a relatively early age by my father. My dad came to the United States from Denmark in 1921 at the age of 17. My father was impressed by the United States as a land of opportunity. Here you could want something, work for it and get it. He worked hard and while we were never rich, we also were never poor. When I was nine years old, just old enough to ride a bike well, I gota job delivering newspapers. From my newspaper route I earned enough money to buy a bicycle magazine. My goal was to get a bicycle. I had an ideal bike in mind. I wanted this bike with my whole heart, mind, body, and spirit. I cut out a picture of the bike, and kept it next to my bed. Nightly, I went to sleep dreaming about it. I could see that bike. I could feel it. I believed it. But when I went to my father and asked for the bike, he didn't understand my desire. After some discussion, he said, "You can have it when you're 16 years old." I said, "Can I have the bike now if I earn the money myself?" I'm sure he never dreamed that a nine-year-old could earn the equivalent of $725-so he had little to lose, and he agreed. I wanted that bike so badly that in my mind I owned it already. I had engaged my mind power. Inside every mind are abilities that go beyond the normal. These abilities are tapped when we have a white-hot desire. We then figure out how to get whatever we really want to get. A Will and a Way. I saw an ad in Boy's Life magazine promoting the sale of Christmas cards. Instantly I believed that I could sell the cards. I immediately went to my mother, who was a phenomenal saleswoman. She had charisma, beauty, a radiant smile, a sincere interest in people, and she was amaster story teller. I asked her if I could sell. She said, "Not only can you sell, but I'll teach you how! It's important to have a smiling face, see a lot of people and ask everyone to buy your greeting cards. But it's most important to use the 'alternate choice' close. Ask your potential buyers, 'Would you prefer one or two boxes of Christmas cards?" So I began. I approached my neighbors in the winter of 1957 with deep snow on the ground. I went door to door every day, and when a mom answered the door, I would wipe my nose on a mitten and ask her if she'd like to buy some cards. How could she refuse a cute little kid with a runny nose? Generally she'd say, "Young man, come in here. Wecan't let you stand out in the cold." Once I got inside, I knew the sale was made. I would explain that Iwas earning money for my own bicycle. Then I'd ask, "Mrs. Shaw, would you prefer one box or two?"I was a great salesman. But I didn't want to sell 376 boxes ofChristmas cards. I had no desire to be the number-one salesman forAmerican Greeting Cards. I didn't enjoy going door to door in the cold. I was only interested in getting my bike. Focusing Produces Results. From this experience I learned the importance of working hard to get what I want. And I learned how to handle money. I learned that if I wanted something and focused my energy on it, I could tap into my mindpower. My mind power would show me the way and instruct me in what to do, so that I could have exactly what I wanted. I learned that focusing my energy works. First we visualize what we want, then we achieve it. Visualization is seeing with your mind. It is one of the most powerful principles available for creating your future.