visualization – Briana Hansen

Fake it to Make it

December 4, 2014November 29, 2014 Briana Hansen1 Comment

I’ve learned something this past year. It’s been a difficult lesson, but I’ve learned it daggumit.

It’s simply this: Sometimes you need to pretend that you already are what you want to become in order to convince yourself and others that you are what you believe you can become.

In other words- fake it til you make it.

Yes, it’s simple. Yes, tons of people have already written about it and talked about it. No, I’m not a revolutionary for coming up with it. But if you have any shred of midwestern humility in you, you know how difficult this can actually be.

Because you don’t want to become full of yourself. You don’t want to be ego-centric. You don’t want to lose sight of your foundation and your friends and your groundings and the reality of the situation around you.

But you do want to allow yourself to own and be proud of what you are and what you believe you can accomplish. And that, sometimes, require becoming a person you are not comfortable admitting you are.

It’s scary to push yourself beyond what you believed to be your limits. It’s scary to admit that you’re putting yourself out on the line. It’s scary to throw yourself in front of people and say “This is me! I believe in me!” People will try and tear you down. All the people on the sidelines who are too scared to become themselves will shift their attention from their own fears and put them onto you and try and tell you you’re not good enough or you can’t do what you believe you can.

But they’re wrong. You can do anything you believe you can do. And if you pretend you are something or someone and do everything in your power to convince yourself that you truly are that person, you will become it. It may take a while and will require some intense change and growing pains, but you’ll do it.

So visualize what you want to become and believe that you are that person. Live it. Breathe it. And then strap in because you’re in for a bumpy and wonderful ride.

Put It Out There

September 17, 2014September 2, 2014 Briana HansenLeave a comment

I’m a firm believer in putting out your energy into the universe.

I mean, take a quick peek at the amount of content I create for this website- both writings and other avenues. It’s a lot. I like to put myself out there. It’s the only way I feel like you can really learn.

I’ve talked about this type of stuff before.

Right now, I need a few specific people to enter into my world and help. Don’t get me wrong- I’m very luck and have some very wonderful people with wonderful assets and incredible collaborators I’m doing spectacular projects with.

I’m just recognizing there’s a specific need that I would like to be met. So instead of sitting around wondering what I can do about it, I’m starting to make some waves. I’m going to meetings that I wouldn’t normally go to. I’m making sure I’m in locations I don’t normally hang in. And I’m not doing it because I expect every meeting to end with me getting exactly what I want or every event to have the person I need there.

I’m doing it because I know that there’s a reward to putting energy out into the universe. I know that if I say, “Hey- I need this. And I’m willing to work for it. See? See me working? Please send it soon. Thanks!” that I’ll get a response. Something. It won’t always be what I expected, but it will always fulfill the need I’m asking for help with.

So if you want something, admit that you want it. Then look around your world and see what opportunities are around you to possibly get it. Then start taking steps without expectation of anything. Just know that in taking the steps towards what you want, you’re doing it right. You’ll get something. And that’ll rock.

Sorry for the vague-ness. Just not in a detail-oriented mood today. Hope it still helps!

Flexible Goals

July 24, 2014July 22, 2014 Briana Hansen2 Comments

I love goals. I write about and talk about them a lot.

One thing I’ve never included in the goal conversation, however, is the fact that I’ve learned to be flexible about my goals. Probably because I’ve only recently learned the value in maintaining that flexibility.

While I think it’s beneficial to really visualize what you want most in the world so that you can do everything you can to achieve it, I think it’s fair to recognize that you can’t force the world to bend to your every whim. You can create whatever reality you want, but it won’t always look exactly like what you expected.

I’ve got a thousand stories about this type of stuff. For example, I had created a goal for myself to essentially do more voiceover work. I didn’t know how I’d go about it. Within about two months after creating the goal, I found myself not only submitting my voiceover work to agents for critiquing weekly through VoiceRegistry.net, but also had landed my first animation gig on a short project. When I first pictured the goal, I saw myself standing in front of a mic with headphones on getting constant feedback from booth directors. And a little while later, that’s what I had.

It’s not exactly what I thought, but it was exactly what I asked for. So I enjoyed it, was grateful for the opportunities provided and went back to the drawing board to clarify the next thing I wanted.

I think a key to happiness is allowing yourself to see the good and not being blinded by only seeing one fixed outcome. So you want the love of your life to show up and sweep you off your feet? Awesome. That’ll likely happen. And it’ll likely come along with some conditions you didn’t see coming. So do you say, “Screw you, Universe! That’s not what I meant!” and throw away a perfectly wonderful opportunity. Or do you say, “Sweet. Let’s see what the heck happens in this…” and figure it out as you go along.

If you’re so obsessed with the outcome looking exactly like you expected, you’re setting yourself up for perpetual disappointment. Maybe the outcome you’re obsessed with isn’t what will actually serve you best. Maybe by missing out on that one opportunity, the universe is leaving you open and available to the life-changing one around the corner. But ending that relationship, it’s making room for the more amazing one that’s waiting behind the corner. By having you “fail” in one area, it’s lighting a fire under you that will fuel your motivation to do even more. And in that motivation, you end up creating three projects that will launch your career. Maybe by hitting that red light you don’t get side-swiped by the person who’s going to run the red two lights down from now.

I don’t know about you, but I know when I set a goal or have any specific outcome I desire, I allow myself to visualize it as best I can and let the universe fill in the rest. And as long as I’m listening to my gut and living in perpetual gratitude for the good and the bad shiz thrown my way, I think I’m doing alright. Or as they’d say in the hood, “aiiite.”