It’s a beautiful spring day, birds are chirping and the sun is warmer than it’s felt in months. You’re out for a ride on your favorite Foxtrotter and nothing could be better. You move down the trail at a brisk flatfoot walk, your horse in perfect stride and a joy to ride.

As you round a bend in the trail, you see a scattering of deadfall littering the trail. Mother Nature and strong spring winds have cleaned up the old trees and created a natural obstacle course for you and your horse. You think to yourself (and maybe even say out loud), “Don’t trip. Don’t break stride. Don’t trip.”

Which, of course, is exactly what happens.

Why? Therapists and “life coaches” always say to envision the positive, and lately scientists have started agreeing with them – and backing them up with scientific fact! It’s now recognized that painting a mental picture of the desired state (not what you fear will happen) can actually influence what DOES happen.

Here’s how: The brain is complex, made up of separate and interconnected “brains.” The R-Complex is the oldest, most primitive part of the brain. It regulates the systems necessary for survival – like heart rate, body temperature, balance, aggression and reproduction. The language of the R-Complex is visual: imagery and pictures.

The language of the “thinking” parts of the brain is verbal – ideas expressed as words. Thought from these higher brain centers must pass through the R-Complex on its way to the spinal cord, where thought is translated into action. If the words are not understood by the R-Complex, it does its own thinking … and that’s when the trouble starts!

The R-Complex also doesn’t understand negative instructions. Focusing on what you don’t want, “Don’t trip on the log” gets translated by the R-Complex into “Trip on the log.”

Instead, scientists now agree that to get where you want to go, use words and mental images that paint a picture of your desired destination.

The next time you’re on the trail, look beyond the logs! Envision riding far down the trail with those untouched logs well behind you. And if you talk to your horse (I often do), say it out loud in words your R-Complex can understand. “Step gracefully over the logs. Maintain stride. Smile!”

(Article written by Alyssa Yogerst with resource data from 2009 article, “Don’t Say Don’t” by Hava Kohl-Riggs.)