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The problem was this was costing me a lot of money because I was usually having losing
trades on the volatile openings in the S&P 500 futures. It would also put me in a negative frame
of mind because many times my first trade of the day was a losing trade. So I made up this
visualization technique to help me avoid trading until there was a clear opportunity:
1) Get in a relaxed state with the relaxation technique  Calm Body, Calm Mind.
2) Watch yourself in the theater of your mind. You want to see yourself sitting at your
computer screen right after the market opens. See yourself with as much detail as
possible watching the market. See the clock right after the open. What does the
computer screen look like? How does the computer mouse feel in your hand? How do
the keys on the keyboard feel?
3) I would see myself watching the market for the first half hour of the day. I would see
myself being tempted to put on a trade. But then, in my visualizing, I would see myself
resisting putting on the trade because of how much money I was losing just to be in the
market instead of waiting for a clear trading signal.
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4) I would see myself clearly waiting until at least 30 minutes after the open before putting
on my first trade of the day. (I would actually watch the clock in the theater of my mind
and avoid trading until 9:00 CST.)
5) I would then see myself perceiving a clear trading signal and, in my mind, I would take
that signal. I would then see that signal working out because I was patient and didn t
trade just to trade. I would then clearly see myself having a profitable day because I got
off to a good start instead of the old habit I had of constantly having to dig myself out of a
hole each morning.
6) Does this mean I didn t ever have losing trades in the morning anymore? Of course not!
But what it did do is get me out of the habit of feeling like I had to be in the market as
soon as it opened. And you know what, after watching this little movie in my mind, my
trading really improved over the next several months.
Are You Having Trouble Visualizing?
This is really more of a way to do visualization exercises than it is actually an exercise. A
friend of mine once told me about this when I was first learning about visualization techniques.
It s really for people who are having trouble seeing themselves in their visualizations. Here s an
idea that may make it a little easier:
Some people have a hard time seeing themselves in their mind s eye. This is a big
problem because it s important to see yourself acting the way you want in your mind s eye first.
Then, after that, your behavior will start to change.
So I would suggest instead of seeing yourself in your mind s eye, try and see someone you
admire. Do the visualization exercises, but imagine how the person you admire would handle
the situation.
The reason this works is unfortunately because we hold such a poor image of ourselves.
Usually, the reason a person has trouble with visualization techniques is because they don t
really believe they can change, even though they probably could change. So using somebody you
admire can make the visualizing a little easier. Just remember, as it gets easier to see the
pictures in your mind s eye, switch the person in your movie from the person you admire to
yourself (who you should also admire!).
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Chapter 34
MORE RELAXATION EXERCISES
The following relaxation exercises can be used instead of the  calm body, calm mind
exercise. (Taken from Psycho-Cybernetics):
1) In your mind s eye, see yourself lying stretched out upon the bed. Form a picture of your
legs as they would look if made of concrete. See yourself lying there with two heavy
concrete legs. See these very heavy concrete legs sinking far down into the mattress from
their sheer weight. Now picture your arms and hands as made of concrete. They also are
very heavy and are sinking down into the bed and exerting tremendous pressure against
the bed. In your mind s eye, see a friend come into the room and attempt to lift your
heavy concrete legs. He takes hold of your feet and attempts to lift them, but they are too
heavy for him. He cannot do it. Repeat with arms, neck, etc.
2) Your body is a big marionette doll. Your hands are tied loosely to your wrists by strings.
Your forearm is connected loosely by a string to your upper arm. Your upper arm is
connected very loosely by a string to your shoulder. Your feet, calves, and thighs are also
connected together with a single string. The strings which control your jaw and hold your
lips together have slackened and stretched to such an extent that your chin has dropped
down loosely against your chest. All the various strings which connect the various parts
of your body are loose and limp and your body is just sprawled loosely across the bed.
Many people will find this the most relaxing of all. Just go back in memory to some
relaxing and pleasant scene from your past. There is always some time in everyone s life when
they felt relaxed, at ease, and at peace with the world. Pick out your own relaxing picture from
your past and call up detailed memory images. Yours may be a peaceful scene at a mountain
lake where you went fishing. If so, pay particular attention to the little incidental things in the
environment. Remember the quiet ripples on the water. What sounds were present? Did you
hear the quiet rustling of the leaves? Maybe you remember sitting perfectly relaxed and
somewhat drowsy in front of a burning fireplace long ago. Did the logs crackle and spark? What
other sights and sounds were present? Maybe you choose to remember relaxing in the sun on a
beach. How did the sand feel against your body? Could you feel the warm relaxing sun touching
your body, almost as a physical thing? Was there a breeze blowing? Were there gulls on the
beach? The more of these incidental details you can remember and picture to yourself, the more
successful you will be.
Daily practice will bring these mental pictures or memories clearer and clearer. The
effect of learning will also be cumulative. Practice will strengthen the tie-in between mental
image and physical sensation. You will become more and more proficient in relaxation and this
itself will be  remembered in future practice sessions.
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Chapter 35
WHY VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES WORKS!
The question often comes up of why visualization techniques work so well and why so
many people use them on a daily basis. It s really very simple. Everyone has a self-image or, in
other words, a picture of the way they see themselves. This picture may not necessarily be true,
but nevertheless, that picture will influence your behavior in extreme ways.
For instance, let s say you think of yourself as a person who lacks coordination. That
alone will cause you to drop things easily, possibly slip and fall, as well as other things that go
along with a lack of coordination. Your self-image (picture you have of yourself) will always
control your behavior. So, on the other hand, if you see yourself as a very coordinated person,
that will go along way to helping you be sure-footed. The power your self-image has over you is
remarkable.
So the key to acting the way you want is to first change your self-image. Once you
change your self-image, your behavior will change quickly and almost automatically.
A good example that we mentioned before was a person trying to lose weight. A person
will never be able to stick to a good diet and exercise unless they first see themselves as a thinner
person. Once they see themselves (in their mind s eye) as a different person, it s easy to change [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]