Do you know how to develop new thinking strategies?

Think about a problem you've been having. Where do your eyes go? To the upper left as you visualize it? And after that, maybe they go straight to your left as you use your imagination to talk about it? And after that, maybe they go to your lower right to see how you feel about it? Or, they could go a whole different direction.

Whatever it is, maybe it isn't working for you, or at least it isn't working as you want.

Why not take charge of your eye pattern and get a different feeling altogether? Maybe a more successful one, maybe not, but this is how you'll find out. It's a great experiment.

Here's what you do: Put your focus on your upper left, then, go clockwise around your face in the shape of a square. Go from your upper left, to your upper right, to straight right, to lower right, to lower left, to straight left, then back up to upper left. Do it slowly. Repeat it a couple of times to see how it feels and get a sense of how it affects your thinking as you contemplate your problem. Is it easy, comfortable to do, or not? Now, do the same thing, only this time go counter-clockwise.

Pause between each exercise.

Now, for a change, move your eyes slowly in a clockwise circle -- not square. Again, do this a few times to get the feel of it, to see what effects it has on you. Now, go in a counter-clockwise circle.

Now, try moving your eyes in the shape of a triangle. Now, move the triangle's base to the side and let your eyes go to those points. Continue the triangle shape until you've practiced with the base on all four sides.

Now, do it in a rectangle. Change the rectangle's shape so that it's elongated the opposite of what it was before.

Now, just close your eyes and rest for a moment. Which way of using your eyes helped you come up with a solution quickly and easily? Go back to the way you initially thought out a problem and see the difference. How does the way you are thinking about the problem change as a result of trying something new?

This new way allowed you to see, hear, and/or feel differently so that, in one of those processes, the solution came through faster, didn't it? Breaking the old pattern and stepping out of the mode brought a new way to see things! Keep experimenting, keep learning.

Watch as your life changes for the better, because you took a chance and decided to learn something new.

[Author's Note: If you would read an article on how to use your eyes for creativity, email me at eye-exercises@tameyourbrain.com and I'll be happy to send it.]