It’s time to prepare your goals for the New Year. One of the best tools to use is a journal, to write with a pen in your hand, not typing. This is because writing causes thinking. It actually goes even further than that. Writing causes thinking. Thinking causes feelings. Feelings cause actions and actions cause the results we see in our life. Writing causes thinking Writing is in some ways like opening a portal. Once you start writing and you put down on paper thoughts that you already have, you can then let go of those ideas and you are opening the door to receive more ideas. Often, once the writing begins, it grows and expands, and ideas become clearer and more defined. Writing down one idea leads to another, then another and so on. That is the process that will help you get clear on a dream or a goal, or any idea you are working toward that needs to be thought through more. For example, if your goal is to move into a new home this coming year, that alone is not clear enough. Through writing, paint a picture of exactly what it looks like. Where is it, in the city or is it rural? How big, how many rooms, what sort of flooring, what kind of roof, one story or two? What color is the outside, inside, does it have a nice yard, is it fenced or open? Describe in great detail so that if anyone else were to read it, they could also see your vision. Use the same process for any goal you set. If it’s for a certain type of work, what are you doing, who do you interact with, what do you wear? Again, get very detailed in every aspect. This image you are creating on paper is first visualized in your mind. Van Gogh said, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.” This is exactly the process to manifest your goals. Thinking causes feelings The idea you’ve just written about and described, when coming from your heart, will have a lot of emotions attached to it. Think about why this is important to you. Why do you want it and how does it make you feel? How will it affect your life and the lives of others? This should arouse deep feelings for you. If it doesn’t then you probably don’t have the right kind of goal, it’s not big enough or meaningful enough. Your big goal should scare you and excite you at the same time. It’s something you’ve never done before and don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you want it. It’s a dream and it comes from inside. These types of goals are often revealed when we start writing. Feelings cause actions When you are so emotionally connected to an idea, you can’t help but take action. You cannot do nothing. Those emotionally charged feelings will have you wanting to get busy to make it happen, thus putting you into action. You will be so excited about it that you are looking forward to doing whatever it takes. Those strong feelings will force you into action because you want to do it. You are looking forward to what those actions are creating in your life. Always keep the end goal in mind and it will keep you moving towards it. It’s important to remember to not let anyone steal your dreams. Only share your idea with those who will support you. Don’t subject your ideas to nay-sayers. You don’t want that negative energy. Protect your idea as necessary. Actions cause results Action is a necessary component to reaching your goal. You can’t just have wishful thinking or positive thinking. You must take action. When you take action on an idea, continually focus on it and focus on what the completion of that idea looks like, you will manifest it into your life. It’s the Law of Attraction in action. Even if you don’t know what steps to take to get you there, just start. The steps will be revealed when you need to know them. The resources will show up when you need them. As long as you are taking action and moving toward the goal, you will figure the rest of it out. And when you have achieved one goal, you start the process all over again with a bigger goal. What are the dreams and goals that you want to accomplish in 2020? Find a time and place where you can be alone with your thoughts and start writing. Give yourself time to reflect on what you want. Clarify it as you write. It will come to you if you don’t already know what it is. Fall in love with your idea. If you can dream it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.
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Watch a short film on Gratitude by Louis Schwarzberg presented at a Tedx Talk. Click here to watch on YouTube. The following is a transcript of the main content on gratitude from the video.
You think this is just another day in your life. It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you. Today. It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now. And the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response…through the great gift that this unique day is… If you learn to respond as if it were the first day in your life and the very last day, Then you will have spent this day very well. Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open. That incredible array of colors that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment. Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment of clouds coming and going. We just think of the weather. And even of the weather we don’t think of all the many nuances of weather. We just think of good weather and bad weather. This day right now, this unique weather. Maybe a kind that will never exactly in that form come again. That formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same that is right now. Open your eyes, look at that. Look at the faces of people whom you meet. Each one has an incredible story behind their face. A story that you could never fully fathom. Not only their own story, but the story of their ancestors. We all go back so far. And in this present moment, on this day, All the people you meet All that life from generations and from so many places all over the world Flows together and meets you here like a life-giving water, If you only open your heart and drink. Open your heart to the incredible gifts that civilization gives to us. You flip a switch and there is electric light, You turn a faucet and there is warm water and cold water and drinkable water. It’s a gift that millions and millions in the world will never experience So these are just a few of an enormous number of gifts to which we can open your heart. And so I wish you that you would open your heart to all these blessings And let them flow through you. That everyone whom you will meet on this day will be blessed by you Just by your eyes… by your smile… by your touch… just by your presence… Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you. And then, it will really be a good day. Are you coasting through life, or are you creating the journey you want to be on? The difference is that you have a choice. Coasting through life means being subject to what happens, being subject to the thinking and opinions of others, thinking things are out of your control, and letting outside circumstances determine your direction. When you coast you are comfortable with life, even though it may not be exactly what you’d like, but life is OK. You’re like a passenger in the car and not the driver. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Life is a journey. You are the driver, whether you realize it or not. You are choosing the path. Even if you’re coasting, that’s your choice, the path you’ve chosen. Maybe you didn’t realize it was a choice. You absolutely are in control of the direction you’re going. The actions or inaction you take all determine the journey you are on. How do you FEEL about your direction? Are you happy? Do you love life, love living and doing things? Our feelings indicate whether or not we’re on the right path. Listen to your gut. That’s your intuition guiding you. It’s more accurate than your heart. We can love something (coming from the heart) and yet deep down (gut or intuition) know it’s not the right way to go. So how do you create the journey you want? First you have to decide what you want. Not what someone else thinks you should do. What is it that you want, deep down? What would make you happy? What are your dreams? The most important thing is for you to be happy, and that’s not selfish. When you’re happy everything else will be better. You don’t have to stay in a job you don’t like, or be in a relationship that isn’t good, just because you don’t see another option, or because it meets an immediate need. You’re closing the door to the good that is waiting for you when don’t initiate an improvement. When you free yourself from what sometimes seems logical, you are open to receiving what can be incredible. Thinking and limiting beliefs are what keeps a person from moving forward, keeps them stuck where they are. When you’re in the stuck mode with limited thinking it’s difficult to see what can be incredible. That’s where trust comes in. When you decide what you want, take the action to move toward it. Have faith and trust that you will get there. Things will begin to happen that will start you down a new path, creating the journey you want to be on. Know what you want. Know how you want your life to be. Get clear in your mind about what that looks like and FEELS like. Visualize yourself living that way. When you have a clear picture of what that looks like for you, the Law of Attraction is going to help you create that life, that journey that you want. Whatever your thought is focused on, is what you will attract. So, make it what you want. Have no doubt, no fear and get crystal clear about what that journey looks like for you. Your journey, no one else’s. Life’s journey can be so enjoyable. It really is all about growing. On the journey of your creation you will discover potential that will amaze you, strength you didn’t know you had, and pleasures beyond what you imagined. It truly is so possible to live the life you want and to be on an incredible journey to grow into the amazing individual you are. We all have more inside us than we know. You don’t have to coast anymore. And if you are creating the journey you want, it can be even better when you apply the principles of the Law of Attraction and understand the power of your thought. I believe the reason we are on this earth is to evolve and grow. My love for learning and growing led me into coaching. I find it exciting to discover more about myself, my potential and my purpose. I am eager to learn more and share that with others. I’ve discovered I can create the journey I want to be on. You can too and I can help you do that. Let’s get started now! Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash Improving my morning routine is something that I continually work on because it’s what helps me continue to grow. Establishing a morning routine that becomes habit sets the tone for the whole day. It creates a more focused, productive day. Starting your day in the right way is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Begin every day knowing that it is a new day, an opportunity for a restart. It’s been proven that our attitude is set in the first eight minutes of the day. Enjoy each day. Happiness is a choice. Make a decision that you’re going to enjoy everything you do. You can think yourself into creating a great day, making a positive day. Smile when you wake up. You can’t be angry or sad when you have a real smile on your face. The following habits are some of the best for creating a successful day for you. If you will implement one or two of these ideas your life will improve. The point is to make these actions a habit, so that you do them no matter what. You will look forward to doing these habits because of the difference they will make in your life. THE NIGHT BEFORE Your morning routine starts the night before. Before going to bed, create your list of action items that must be done the next day. This list of “important things” should be prioritized, putting the most difficult things first. It shouldn’t be a long list, maybe three to six items of non-negotiable must be done. These are things that move your life forward, NOT “to do” items like picking up your dry cleaning. Decide what time you want to get up every day. Yes, everyday. Your body clock will reset, and you should eventually be able to get up without an alarm. What time you decide to wake up will determine what time you will go to bed. It is important to get the proper amount of sleep that you need in order to be productive, have energy and clarity throughout your day. MEDITATION First thing after you awake, is the perfect time to meditate. Meditation should be taken seriously. It truly is a powerful exercise that will improve your life and well-being. There are many ways to have an effective meditation. Some are to clear your mind; others are to focus. You can listen to guided meditation, meditation music, or even sounds like waves or thunder. An effective meditation can be done in ten or fifteen minutes. However, twenty minutes is a great time to aim for. If you are just getting started, try for just five minutes and work your way up. Just start. The more you meditate, the more you’ll discover what technique and time works best for you. You can find a lot on YouTube about meditation. Brendon Burchard has a great video that is really helpful, especially if you’re new to meditation. Watch him show you his release meditation technique here: https://youtu.be/v2mY36Ho1Sk. GRATITUDE Be grateful! Have an attitude of gratitude. Find things to be grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal. Everyday write down what you’re grateful for. FEEL what it is your grateful for. It can be big, or it can be small. We all have so much we can be grateful for. Even when we’re struggling, there is something to be grateful for. “I’m grateful for my eyes that let me see. I’m grateful for the sun that is warm on my face. I’m grateful for the oxygen I breath that gives me life.” Start with simple things like these if you need to. Your awareness will grow the more you do it. Gratitude is so powerful. You must be grateful for what you already have, for what is in your life, in order to make room to receive more. EXERCISE Every good morning routine will include some sort of exercise, workout or body movement. Again, even 10 minutes of stretching, if nothing else, is a great place to start. You don’t need any special equipment. There are lots of simple exercises you can do to get your body moving. Don’t feel like you have to get a gym membership and work out for an hour. There is so much you can do from home, without any machines or tools, and in a shorter time than it would take to go to a gym. If you have time for a longer workout, great. But don’t feel you have to have a long workout to start your day right. Work into if you need to. You want to create a habit that is lasting. Dr. Oz has a 7-minute workout that you can see here: https://youtu.be/RCdrgruVNdg. When starting an exercise routine, just do the best you can. Don’t overdo it if you’re not used to doing exercises and your body doesn’t easily move or bend into those positions. There are other videos for quick workouts of all sorts on YouTube. Find some that you like and what you’re comfortable with. Working out your body is good for cognitive efficiency and adds to your productivity. MIRROR WORK Start to connect with yourself in the mirror. Say, “I love you”. Appreciate yourself. Forgive yourself in the mirror. Talk to yourself. Every morning and every evening, look yourself in the eye and love yourself. Love your qualities, your attributes, your physical attributes. Love you. Always remain positive when doing this exercise. Never entertain any negative thoughts or words. Look into your eyes and say, “I love you; I really love you and I accept you exactly as you are.” Keep with it and soon this affirmation will be true for you. It will get easier the more you do it. IMPORTANT THINGS LIST After getting your mind and body prepared for the day, then start on your “important things” list. With a focused mind, complete the tasks on this list before anything else. These are tasks that have to be done today, tasks that move you forward in your life. NO DISTRACTIONS All of the above activities are to be completed before ever touching your phone or computer. Do not look at your phone, do not text, do not email, and do not phone anyone during your morning routine. This is your time. Do not let the outside world in until you have completed these important habits that will set the foundation for your productive day. After these are done, then you may let the outside world in. Although you will want to drink water first thing in the morning, at this point, it is time to eat a healthy breakfast. JOURNALING Another habit that can have a positive impact on your life is journaling. Once you start writing, ideas will begin to flow to you. It can be free writing, just start writing about anything in your life. Or you can write about how you want your life to be, the detailed description of the visualization of your life. You can write out what challenges you’re having. Often putting it down on paper will lead to solutions, a realization or a deeper understanding of something. You can sort out a lot from writing. Writing causes thinking. Thinking causes feelings and feelings cause actions. If you feel like your morning routine is full, journal at another time during the day, if that works better for you. SUMMARY Most of these activities can be done in a short amount of time, depending upon what is on your “important things” list. If you need more time to complete your morning routine, then adjust your sleep schedule to be able to fit in each of the habits that you want to incorporate into your life. Your morning routine should be sacred time that you protect. You want it to be an established habit. Once you have experienced how these habits contribute to making your day successful and productive, you will realize why you want to protect this time. If you want to ease into a morning routine start with the meditation. Make that a habit that you look forward to and when it’s firmly in place, then add the exercise. Don’t overwhelm yourself and make a complete change by adding all the above at once unless you are certain you will do it and have a solid commitment with an accountability partner to help you. In general, changing only one or two habits at a time is recommended. Add another habit after a new habit is established, at least 30 to 60 days. The most important point to start your day with is to leave the outside world alone and don’t let anyone else control your day until you have your foundation in place. Then you may let them in, when you say it’s time. You be in control of your day. Give your dreams at least five minutes of your thought and energy before you let anything else into your day each morning. These are habits that the most successful people employ everyday. They do them because they know from experience that it improves their day and their life. Now you can too. Have you ever had an experience where someone did or said something to you and it really hurt your feelings? Or maybe it made you angry that they would even say something like that, or possibly you felt both anger and hurt? What did you do? Did you react by being mean and saying hurtful things back? Or were you able to stop and think a minute before saying or doing anything that would make the situation worse so that you could respond appropriately? There definitely is a difference between responding and reacting. Reacting is when your subconscious is in control. It requires no thought on your part. It is instinctual and natural to defend yourself in reaction. It also suggests force and negativity. However, reaction does not take into consideration the effects of what you do or say. Response, on the other hand, is when you take a minute to stop and think. Then choose what to say or do in the situation, maintaining control and being fully aware of your actions. You decide how to respond with respect and thoughtfulness from a positive standpoint, even if you feel justified in your feelings of hurt. Choosing to respond rather than react, is being in power of the situation. You may still feel hurt or anger, but you are looking for a way to make it better rather than making it worse with a reaction you will regret later. When you react, you give away your power and the outcome is not going to be what you want. Taking a second to think before you react, in any situation, is when you keep your composure, don’t fly off the handle, and decide what is the best response for me and this situation at this time. When a situation causes you to feel defensive, hurt, frustration or any other negative emotion, stop and think first. Take even just a few seconds to choose how to respond. By choosing to respond, you leave your mind open to receive ideas that can improve or resolve the situation. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Just don’t get so far down into your emotions that you can’t see anything else. This is a situation where you want your conscious thinking mind to be engaged. And when it is, you have more control of the outcome, more control of the end results of an emotionally charged situation. There are many different circumstances which can cause an emotion that will tempt you to react. Realize that often it has nothing to do with you. It may be something going on with the other person and they aren’t thinking clearly, or they are reacting without thinking. Other situations are completely out of your control. It’s a waste of energy when you react with such intensity to something you can’t do anything about. To help you create the habit of responding rather than reacting, consider doing the following:
If we’re truly thinking, we always have a choice on how we respond to something. When we’re not thinking, we react. Next time something happens to create an emotional trigger, remember to stop and make a conscious choice. Respond or react. Which one will you choose? Photo by Icons8 team on Unsplash Are you committed to something until it gets difficult or until your attention is drawn to something else? Are you conveniently committed, all in as long as it fits your schedule? Or, are you so committed that no matter what comes up, no matter how busy your day is, no matter who calls and wants your help, that your commitment is a priority and it will get your attention above all else or in spite of all else? Inconvenience will expose your commitment. When doing the work or setting aside the time becomes inconvenient and your commitment to the goal has not wavered, that’s when you know you are truly committed and are all in. Having a deep conviction, being totally invested in the goal and you KNOW that nothing is going to stop you from achieving what you’re going after NO MATTER WHAT, is when you truly have commitment. Having commitment doesn’t mean you always know how to get it done. It doesn’t always mean you have the resources you need right now, or that it doesn’t scare you. It does mean you have the grit, the perseverance and determination to see it through. It means you will figure it out and that you are taking the committed action to move toward what you want. Commitment requires action. When no action is taken, there is no commitment. When you take the action, it creates momentum. Once you have momentum, things start to happen, resources will show up, ideas come to you, and what you need shows up when you need it. Commitment shows up in various ways. It can be manifesting your big goal, serving on a committee, completing a project or coaching your child’s little league team. Whatever the commitment may be, someone else is counting on you. Sometimes the person counting on you will be YOU. It always feels bad to let someone down, even yourself. There’s a tendency to mentally beat yourself up. That serves no purpose. Don’t do it. Never talk to or think bad about yourself. Take the lesson and move on. Get back in the game with a deeper level of commitment. If you find it difficult to stay committed, look for an accountability partner, someone who will hold your feet to the fire and not let you off the hook. This is someone who is a cheerleader for you and will also hold you accountable and make the tough calls when needed. An accountability partner is a valuable asset. I have had one for several years and can honestly say it has played a significant role in getting me to where I am today. An accountability partner should be someone who supports what you do, supports your dreams, is willing to take the time to do it and will be honest and tough with you as needed. You will in turn reciprocate and do the same for them. It’s a win-win for both parties. What are you committed to? What would you like to commit to? A commitment from the heart is so much easier to follow through with, so make it something meaningful for you. When you are emotionally invested you will find that doing what you commit to is so much more enjoyable and the reward is so much bigger. Get in the game. Find your accountability partner and make the commitment to achieve something great in your life. Photo by Jeremy Dorrough on Unsplash “If you want prosperity and success but do not strive to change in any way, how can you expect things to be any different?” This quote is taken from Raymond Holliwell’s book, Working with the Law, in the chapter, Law of Compensation. In order to get different results in your life, to achieve success on any level, and to create the prosperity you want, something must change. The only way to change your conditions and to receive whatever it is you want in life, is to change habits that keep you where you are. That requires you to make a decision, change your mind, which will change your behavior and then you can attract what you want. You must cease looking at what you don’t want so that you will stop attracting it into your life. It begins with a change in your thinking. Adjusting your thought is the key to successful living. It’s the Law of Attraction in action that attracts to you what your thought is focused on. If you want to attract something different, think of what you want to have in your life. Do not look at what’s wrong or what you don’t want. Keep your thought focused in the other direction, moving forward, to where you want to go. In the same chapter on Compensation Holliwell explains, if you are working for success, order is the first law, and must be the first application. He gives the example of looking at the home and says lack of money is no excuse for a disorderly home. Even if your furniture is boxes, it can be neat and clean. When you want a better home, better things, a better life in any way, it takes altering your mind first. He says, “It’s useless to pray for a new home if you cannot take care of your present one.” If you want a better life, open your mind to a better way of thinking. Look at your habits that are keeping you where you are. What small change could you make that would make a significant difference in your habitual behavior. Just one habit at a time. Refer to my blog from August 26th titled, “Want More In Your Life? Let’s Look At Change”, where I go into more detail about changing habits. Compensation means equal returns for that which is given. It means a balance of the quality or service that is extended to another. It’s according to the Law of Compensation that a person who performs to the very best of their ability, becomes better, will attract better and will be given greater things to do. When you outgrow your present place, you will attract better because you will have grown. It’s law that you must earn what you receive, or you cannot keep it. If someone appears to do so, it won’t continue. It will level out. Holliwell gives three common points that can cause someone to fail to use the Law correctly. 1. Do you expect something for nothing? It’s a violation of the Law to get something without paying for it and feel good about it. You must always be willing to pay your way. People that aren’t honest, who hang back to let others pay, may think they’re getting away without paying but their thinking is repelling the good and money they could be attracting. A cheat will end up paying much more for his violations of the Law. 2. Do you hunt for cheap things? Cheap thoughts bring cheap returns. There are no bargains in life. Cheap thoughts lower your vibration. Dishonesty, cheating, and bargaining violate the Law. It comes from a place of lack or fear. In reality, abundance is all around, but your mind is not open to it when entertaining this type of thinking. 3. Do you begrudge spending money? If you hate paying your bills, you are stopping the flow of money to you. Every time you pay a bill, express gratitude for the service or items. Happily release the money, even when it’s your last dollar. To comply with the Law, decide what your need is. If it is greater than the dollar in your wallet, then spend the dollar cheerfully. When you hold back it limits the supply you receive. You will find the success and prosperity you seek when following the Law of Compensation. It will take a shift in your thinking as well as creating new habits to make the change that will allow you to manifest what you want. When working with the Laws, you will enjoy and experience more happiness, health, and abundance. When you see the power of the laws in your life, you’ll wish you had known them and applied them sooner. Image by klimkin from Pixabay “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.” I recently heard Brendon Burchard talking about this quote in a coaching session. He said that Oprah Winfrey has it visibly posted in her company. Here, in Oprah’s words, is the interesting story of how she received this quote: “Nobody but you is responsible for your life. It doesn’t matter what your mama did; it doesn’t matter what your daddy didn’t do. You are responsible for your life. You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you’re responsible for the energy that you bring to others. One of the best examples of this was Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor who was on the show talking about the book, My Stroke of Insight. She was a 37-year-old, Harvard-educated brain scientist who suffered a massive stroke in the left part of her brain. She couldn’t speak or remember her own mother, but when doctors and nurses walked into her room, she knew from the right brain who was on her side. She could feel their energy. Dr. Taylor sent me a sign that I have hanging in my makeup room. It says, ‘Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.’ And I ask the same thing in my home and at my companies. Thank you, Dr. Taylor, for that simple but powerful lesson. All life is energy and we are transmitting it at every moment. We are all little beaming little signals like radio frequencies, and the world is responding in kind.” This quote is loaded with wisdom that I could talk about, but I want to home in on the message on the sign. Ever since I heard this story related by Brendon, I’ve been more conscious of the energy I bring into a room or a situation. I recently had a situation that I knew would need a great deal of positive energy. The situation had the potential to be extremely difficult, with an unhappy outcome. I talked to some of the other people that where going to be there and shared the importance of taking positive energy into the room with us. I went in with no judgements, expecting a good outcome, with positive energy and love for everyone there. I am happy to say that the outcome was good, and I am so grateful for the way the situation went and the results that came from it. Interestingly enough, one person there had a different perception. He did not think the outcome was as good as it could have been. It’s quite interesting that when a group of people are in the same situation, they see, hear and know everything that went on yet, they view the outcome totally different. I can tell you that in this instance, even though we talked about taking positive energy in with us, this one person had been saying for weeks, that the outcome would be bad. He was fearing the worst and wasn’t expecting a good result. He perceived the outcome would be very negative. He in essence, got the outcome he was expecting, even though I viewed the outcome just the opposite. One lesson we can learn from this is that taking responsibility for the energy you take into any space definitely influences the energy there. We all have the power to affect the energy in a room, good or bad. You can feel the energy in a room before anyone says anything. Use your energy for the good. Take control of it. Keep it positive and elevated. The other lesson I observed is that you get what you expect. It goes back to the Law of Attraction; you attract what you focus on. When you continually declare a negative result, and fear what the result may be, you can be sure to receive it. Our thought is a powerful attractive force. It is so important to guard it. Be aware of what your thought is at all times. The more aware you become, the more you can control it. The same is true of your energy. Notice how you feel. Your feelings will tell you if your energy is positive or negative about something. The more aware you are of your feelings and in turn your energy, the more you will be able to adjust it when necessary. Having a positive energy and outlook always makes life better. Do your part to take responsibility and contribute to the energy you want to have in any situation, in your life and in your experience. Photo by Esther Tuttle on Unsplash We all have a story. Our life’s history is a story. But did you know you have another story you are living? It’s the story you tell yourself that dictates your life. It’s the story that holds you back or propels you to success. You may not even be aware of this story. It is stored deep in the recesses of your mind and it controls the results and outcomes you experience. Essentially it is your programming. I’m going to call it a story here because you replay it and live it, most of the time totally unaware of what you’re doing. This story is played over and over in your mind. It says, “I’m not good enough”, “I’m so stupid”, “I’m too ugly”, “I’m not worthy”, “I don’t deserve it”, “I’m not likeable.” This story is based on lies and an erroneous perception stemming from someone else’s limiting beliefs and erroneous story. In reality, the story you were fed had nothing to do with you. These beliefs are false, they are not true about you, or anyone. The truth is, you have unlimited potential, you are God’s highest form of creation, and you can do anything you decide to do and believe you can do. If your life is not what you want it to be, it’s because your story and your beliefs are not permitting you to live bigger. When you think of yourself as defeated, you are. If you think of yourself as a loser, you’ve lost. If you think of yourself as sickly, you are. There is immense power in your thought. Pay attention to your thoughts and what you say, to yourself and out loud. Guard your thought as if your life depends on it, because it truly does. A person’s story can affect their life in a multitude of ways, including health. You’ve probably heard of miraculous healings, people beating the odds. They were able to do that because of the story they told themselves and the beliefs they held. On the other hand, when you accept and believe anything negative related to your health, you are halfway to the results you don’t want to see manifested. You cannot accept any idea into your thought that you don’t want manifested in your life. This is true even though it’s not what most people believe. It’s okay for you not to follow what the masses believe. Stand strong in your belief, in what you know is true for you, no matter what. A positive mindset is critical to overcoming any challenge, put positive thinking alone will not create the change. A greater understanding of belief and how to change it is necessary. It’s that old programming that controls the outcomes we experience without any conscious thought. To change that programming, that story, takes repetition or reprogramming. To change your beliefs, you must rewrite your story. Give yourself permission to dream about how you would like your life to be. What do you want to be, do, or have more of in your life that you haven’t been able to achieve? Start writing, with pen and paper. Writing causes thinking and thinking causes feelings and through the process you will find what you want, if you don’t already know it. Writing can also have a reasoning affect. As you write, you will get into your feelings. Let your writing take you where it will. You can discover the real truth about you, that you are good enough, smart enough, you are beautiful, worthy, likeable and you deserve all the good you desire. You are re-writing your story the way you want it to be. Reason away the false beliefs you’ve been holding on to. Mentally create and visualize your life, your new story and you living it. Write your new story. Create it with a positive tone, without any “not” or “no” words in it. Make it all very positive. You will use this new written story to override your limiting beliefs. You are also going to use this new story to reprogram your habitual negative thinking or self-talk. You do this by reading it every day, several times if possible. Record it and listen to yourself saying it, do this while you’re driving or exercising. Repetition is the tool to change your story, to rewrite and improve your beliefs so you can live a better, fuller, happier life. The life you wish you could have. Stay with the repetition until you feel a new confidence and unwavering certainty about your new beliefs and your new story. Write your new story the way you really want to live. As you accept your new story, your beliefs and your world will change. You will begin to see more of what you want in your life. You will be enjoying life on your terms, happy, healthy, and vibrant. Image by Fathromi Ramdlon from Pixabay How well you do anything is directly related to your self-image. You will always perform as well as you believe you are capable of performing. Another way of saying this is, you can never outperform your self-image. If you want to do better, you must first change your concept of yourself. Whenever you are doing well and feeling good about yourself, you are exhibiting a positive self-image. The reverse is also true. Whenever you feel inferior, or do poorly, you are demonstrating your negative beliefs about yourself. Whatever is believed on the inside, is expressed on the outside and shows in your outer world. The negative beliefs you have about yourself are not based on fact. They are self-limiting beliefs and doubts based on suggestions that you have accepted as true. They are lies. They are false information. When you begin to understand that these beliefs are limiting you, you can reject them and they will lose their power over you. To realize your true, unlimited potential, you must deliberately change your self-image. Recognize that you are important, you are valued, and you have a contribution to make. The only place to correct the misconceptions you have of yourself are in your thinking. You don’t have to convince anyone other than you. Create a new dialogue about your image to negate the limiting beliefs running around in your mind. For example, “I am kind, I am intelligent, and I am loveable. I am able to do anything. I love myself and I deserve and accept love in my life.” Mirror work is a great tool to change your self-image. Stand in front of the mirror and compliment yourself. Tell you that you love you. Put feeling into it. You may find it awkward at first but continue. It will eventually become more comfortable. Say things like, “I love my eyes because they allow me to see the beauty of nature. I love my feet because they take me where I want to go.” Come up with your own, new ones each day. Do this for a few minutes every day, looking at yourself in the mirror. Look yourself in the eye. Feel the love. Keep at it, it will get easier. Another great tool is a Win Journal. Keep track of the good things you do, for yourself, your accomplishments, and things you’ve done for others. We tend to undervalue what we do. If I asked you, “name one thing you’ve accomplished this week”, how quickly can you respond with something? I’ve been asked that, and I’ve had to think about it, and then after a few minutes I’ll remember something great. A Win Journal keeps you aware of the good that you do. It helps build confidence by keeping your thought tuned into the good acts, reminding yourself, “Oh yes, I did that well, and I did this, etc.” A Win Journal helps you to recognize your value and contribution. Where do our limiting beliefs come from? Most of them we learned growing up. Our parents taught them to us. They were doing the best they knew how, based on their own awareness and their own limiting beliefs. When we understand they weren’t purposefully hurting us, and most likely thought they were protecting or educating us, it helps to let that belief go. Tell yourself, “It was their belief, not mine, and I refuse to accept it in my life any longer!” Make this your decision. Then you can enjoy a new sense of freedom and control. Improving your self-image can transform your world. You will have the confidence and belief in yourself to reach for your dreams, set lofty goals, and feel the freedom of living without worrying about other people’s opinions of you or anything you do. Believe in yourself. If you find that difficult, hang on to someone else’s belief in you. Find a mentor or friend who will support you and lift you up. I believe in you. Do the exercises and create the new self-image you want to have of yourself. It’s who you’re meant to be. Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash |