I’ve heard some people assert that affirmations don’t work for them, or that they don’t believe in them. Unfortunately, this attitude comes from a misunderstanding about what affirmations are, what they do and how to use them.

Affirmations aren’t a magic wand that will make things change in the blink of an eye. They’re simply a deliberate, constructive use of a process that you’re already using. You talk to yourself all the time, either giving yourself positive feedback or putting yourself down. It’s called self-talk. Affirmations are a way of reprogramming your self-talk.

These statements to yourself are also considered to be autosuggestions. You’re giving yourself hypnotic directives all the time by your self-talk. Napoleon Hill wrote about this concept in his book, “Think And Grow Rich.”

No matter what you call your inner statements, you’re instructing your subconscious mind on what you want. You either do it consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or habitually. The only way to change those directives, and their results, is to change what you say to yourself.

That’s why using affirmations in a specific and regular way makes changes in your life. But you have to use them consistently because that’s the only way to change the way you’ve been thinking.

If you were on a freeway, you wouldn’t expect to go in the opposite direction without braking, stopping, crossing to the opposite lanes, and then accelerating to merge with traffic. Any other action could be disastrous.

You’ve built up momentum going in one direction. And you have to slow down before you can change course. Committing to your decision is vital. If you make a sharp turn on the freeway, while driving at 75 mph, you’re inviting an accident.

It’s the same with autosuggestion. You have to work to slow your old thinking down (braking), and then turn it around to believe something different. As with driving, you move in the direction of your attention.

No matter whether you call it affirmation, positive self-talk, or autosuggestion, the process of changing the quality of your attention is the same. Consistently focus your mind on what you want. That will change your life.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

affirmation · autosuggestion · change · empowerment · goals · intention · positive thinking · self-talk

by Linda Ann Stewart

Here are some tips on how to cut old ties, and start a new tomorrow.

1. Let go of the past. Discard negative associations and reminders that might drag you down. They’ve served their purpose and aren’t of value anymore. They belong to old decisions and experiences that you’ve already learned from. Take what you’ve learned that’s constructive and let the rest go.

2. Be open to change. You may have to let go of ideas, beliefs or situations that you value if you want to have a different future. Being a couch potato isn’t compatible with a goal of hiking in the Grand Canyon. You’d have to reduce your television viewing and commit to walking and training for that objective. Old attitudes and behaviors may not be able to exist in the same space as your goal. Something has to give. Ask yourself, “How badly do I want a brighter future?”

3. Create new thought habits. Your past was created by thoughts that you had when you were younger. They built up, like building blocks, one on top of another, until they formed a habitual way of thinking and acting. If you attend to your thoughts in the present, you will create a different future. Simply change the way you think and create new positive habits. Each moment is a new beginning that brings you this opportunity.

4. Focus on what you want. When you keep looking backwards, you go in the direction of your vision. It pulls at you, and you can’t imagine anything different. You’ll keep recreating it. Instead of focusing on what’s already happened, concentrate on what you want to create. Even if you don’t know how your goal could come about, place your attention on moving towards it. As you fill your vision with what you want, take action toward it and synchronicities will begin to happen. The Universe will support you by bringing you what you need.

5. Don’t limit how your desire could become real. It’s all too human to try to figure out how things could happen, but your only reference is your past. By using that as your guide, you risk muddying the waters of your subconscious mind and restricting what it can do. The Infinite is always pouring Its energy into the subconscious. Because of that, your subconscious can draw on many more resources than your conscious mind can even contemplate. So let your inner mind do its job, which is to figure out how to create the reality you want. So remind yourself, “I don’t know how it can happen, but the Universe and my subconscious knows how.”

Your past performance does not need to foretell your future. Life is in a constant state of flux. The past is over, the future is yet to be. In each present moment, you can make a new decision that steers you in a different direction. Take the lessons of the past and use them to build a better life.

Affirmation
My past does not need to affect my future. Each moment, by paying attention to my thoughts, I can create a new tomorrow. I release old ideas that no longer serve me. I learn the lessons from the past and move forward. The Universe completely supports my vision, bringing me everything I need for the fulfillment of my goal. Although I might not know how it can appear, the Infinite and my subconscious mind know exactly what to do.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · beliefs · change · focus · personal growth · self-improvement · subconscious

by Linda-Ann Stewart

I’m sure that somewhere you’ve read a financial disclosure statement which says, “Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.” It’s used by financial institutions, for investment products, etc. The statement makes sure that investors don’t assume their money is going to increase tomorrow as it has in the past. Also, this disclosure protects the financial institution if the investor loses money.

The same statement could be said about your life. Your past performance doesn’t necessarily indicate how your future is going to be. If a basketball player doesn’t practice, and suddenly plays a game, they’ll probably miss more baskets than they’re used to. Their skill has gotten rusty. A realtor who used to successfully close sales quickly may experience a longer time frame between writing contracts due to the economy.

On the other hand, if you’ve had trouble being successful, your past doesn’t have to foreshadow your future. You don’t have to be tied to what you’ve already experienced. The Universe gives you constant chance to improve. All it takes is a different decision and a change of belief. Your new attitude will create better opportunities.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · beliefs · change · personal growth

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When you listen to the critical things that you say to yourself, you can begin to deal with them. As with everything in the subconscious, they once had a reason and a purpose to protect you. Although they’ve been trying to help you, they’ve been doing it in a way that you have outgrown. Those messages were patterned on the authority figures in your childhood so that you could fit into the conditions at that time. But they are no longer necessary, and won’t realize it until you tell them so. Believe it or not, they’re waiting for you to assert your power over them and reclaim your authority.

If the old ideas are telling you that you don’t deserve good, or that you’re not worthy, realize that the Universe has much more authority than the people who implanted those beliefs in you. And the Infinite knows that you deserve all the good that Life has to offer. Spirit is stronger than any outdated attitude. A Divine truth is that the Universe wants you to accept and express the wholeness of your being.

You have the right to re-examine the standards by which you have lived your life. Those condemning internal messages have been trying to keep you living within the bounds of someone else’s values. With all the knowledge you now have, you can change the attitudes that no longer serve you. Using affirmations and Divine guidance, you can transform the outdated values into ones that are in alignment with love, harmony, joy, abundance, and all the good there is.

Affirmations I used during this period were, “I am the authority in my life” and “I own my authority.” I had to review all the standards I’d grown up with, reassess them and release the ones that no longer served me. When I began to do this, it was scary. The first few times that I stood up for myself, I felt the sky might fall. It didn’t. Instead, the Universe rushed in to support me and my world expanded. The same will be true for you.

Affirmation:

I know that the Universe supports me in the good that I desire. The only one that keeps my good from me is my own thoughts about it. I now release any old concepts that might have restricted my acceptance of all the good I desire. As I place my desire in my mind, knowing that I deserve it, then the All of the Universe rushes in to fulfill it in a perfect way.

Copyright 2000, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

affirmation · attitude · beliefs · change · empowerment · personal growth · self-esteem · self-worth

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Years ago, I discovered that the critical people in my life, who loved to pick at me and tear me down, were just echoing the condemning voices in my head. I’d spent so much time distracted, defending myself against those outer critics, that I hadn’t addressed the real issue, how I felt about myself. I’d given the past, and the people in it, authority over me.

Most of us have disapproving judgements about ourselves that tell us that we’re not good enough. Maybe you have an inner critic that tells you that you can’t do anything right, that you “should” be perfect, or that making a mistake is worse than death. I know of people who can’t take a day off because they’d feel guilty. And others who refused to hire someone to paint their house because they felt they “ought” to do it. Your internal judge pounds you with its condemnations, both from within, using guilt, and outwardly by reflecting your inner feelings in how the people in your life treat you.

Many people who have rebelled against authority figures in the past tend to have problems now with bosses, police, the IRS, etc. They defy internalized critical messages from their childhood environment, and don’t accept responsibility for their actions. Therefore, the energy that they have resisted and disowned increases and echoes back to them from the world.

Whatever you feel victimized by will mirror in your life. Just as my environment had been reflecting back to me what was already in my consciousness. I had to change my attitude from defending myself to addressing the internal messages from a position of strength. As I took responsibility for my own well being, the critics began to fade out of my life. I’m not saying it was easy. It wasn’t. But once I convinced myself that no one had the right to put me down, including my internal critic, my life began to improve.

Copyright 2000, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · beliefs · change · empowerment · personal growth · self-esteem · self-worth

When you judge that a situation or condition is “bad,” you’re doing so because it’s not living up to your expectations. It’s not going the way you want it to. You want a certain result from it, and something has happened to turn it in a different direction.

Sometimes, this happens because you need to let go of something that’s not serving you anymore. You could have outgrown a relationship, position, or place. And you’re being shoved out of your nest, and into a bigger, wider world.

It may feel like your world is caving in around you, and life is more limited. But this is a temporary condition. In actuality, this condition precedes a greater expansion for you, if you work with it.

Resisting what has happened will simply make the distressing situation last longer. All your energy is going into resistance, instead of letting go of an unraveling rope. Learn what you need to release, and discover how you can move forward.

The Chinese characters for “challenge” and “opportunity” are the same. In every difficulty, there’s a gift for you. Start looking for the opportunities that come with situations that upset you.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

attitude · change · expectation · personal growth

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
~ Shakespeare

You are the writer, actor, director and producer of the play of your life. You often react automatically to the situations in your play. These responses are habits that were often formed during childhood. But you ultimately decide whether you’re going to continue in this rut or choose a new path.

Many times, because of your reaction to a situation, other people apply labels to you that you agree with and maintain. Whenever you retain a label that others’ have plastered you with, you let them define who you are and how you’ll act. You give them the power to assign a role for you to play. One that doesn’t reflect the authentic you.

It only takes a single powerful event at a key moment to make an impression that lasts a lifetime. A gifted, young pianist hits a wrong key during a recital, and her father berates her with, “You’re a failure as a musician.” From that moment on, her fingers fumble on the keys when she plays. She accepts the criticism and it becomes her identity.

A label makes sure that you know your lines and your part when the situation calls for it. You know what’s expected of you, and you do what’s expected, whether it’s good for you or not. If you’re really attached to the label, your subconscious will reject any opinion that conflicts with what you believe about yourself.

For instance, a person could believe that they’re not an artist because “I can’t draw a straight line.” But they have a great eye for design and composition. They won’t believe anyone who recognizes their talent because it goes against their long-held belief. They’ll continue to play the role of frustrated artist until they eliminate their label.

What roles have you accepted that are no longer valid or serving you? They may be so engrained, you aren’t even be aware of them. Consider where you feel frustrated, bad about yourself, or when you belittle yourself. These are great areas to start to peel off your labels and rewrite your roles. Decide how you want your play to change and begin producing a new one.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

attitude · beliefs · empowerment · expectation · mindset · personal growth · self-esteem · self-help · self-talk · self-worth

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Ned identified with being “obnoxious.” He hid a sensitive nature under a brash and aggressive act. Even when he could see the advantages of being calmer, he refused to change his ways because he was tied to his label. It provided him with a sense of power, belonging and security. And, because of it, he offended and alienated people he liked.

There’s usually a lot of emotional energy applied when you label yourself. Shame, anger, sadness, fear, insecurity and frustration can all play a role.

If you call yourself a “nervous” person, then whenever your heart jumps will feed into that belief. You might avoid any exciting experiences for fear of the repercussions. Your world will become smaller and you’ll have less opportunity to grow. Instead, to begin to open up to a greater potential, you could simply recognize your increased heart rate as a normal response to an unexpected event.

Labels come from beliefs, attitudes or actions that have been performed over and over until they have become habits. The good news is that those same beliefs, attitudes and behaviors can be changed. Start by recognizing the labels you’ve given yourself. Notice how you feel about them and about changing them.

If you’re really uncomfortable about letting them go, it indicates how invested you are in them. They may have become excuses so you’re not expected to excel or change. You may feel they keep you safe. Reappraise your labels to discern if they’re serving you now, or preventing you from expressing more of who you are.

This is where categorizing can help because you can use it to decide what to do to change. Identify what beliefs, attitudes, actions and behaviors need to be adjusted to eliminate the label. Start with one small change that you can commit to doing. When you get that one accomplished and stable, choose another change and work on it.

By releasing the labels you limit yourself with, you’ll be opening up the possibility for growth and expansion for yourself. Your horizons will be wider, and you’ll feel better about yourself. All you need to do is believe in yourself and your potential.

Affirmation

I know that I’m more than the labels I’ve given myself. They’re only beliefs that I’ve allowed to become habits. The Universe believes so much more about me, and wants to give me greater good than I’ve accepted. I now assess the labels attached to me, and open my mind to understand why they got established. Divine Guidance directs me to the steps I need to change, and helps me to commit to living up to my potential.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · authentic · beliefs · habit · personal development · personal growth · self-esteem · self-worth · subconscious

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Labeling things in your life allows you to distinguish between them. You can tell an apple from an orange, Joe from Mary, a tree from a flower. You categorize the details of your life to put them into perspective. When you want a blue car, you don’t choose a yellow bike.

It’s especially helpful for being able to identify what you might be feeling. Emotions are signals that let you know if you’re on the right track, or if something is wrong. An abused spouse feels confused between what she perceives in her relationship and what her partner tells her is happening. This is a red flag she needs to heed.

Being able to identify anger or sadness allows you to deal with its cause. It might be that someone violated your boundaries, you might have lost someone close to you, or it’s time to leave that job before you explode and get fired. Being able to categorize what you’re feeling is valuable and appropriate, and allows you to seek ways to take care of your well being.

However, there’s a darker side to this. If you begin to label yourself, especially in a negative way, you put yourself in a box and make yourself smaller. Everything outside of that box is then out of your reach. For instance, someone who procrastinates would view themselves through that filter and would live according to all that label implies.

They won’t be able to get things done in a timely fashion, because that would conflict with what they believe about themselves. They might pass up opportunities, because they’re not confident they’ll get things done on time. Or they might fail to get a project done by the deadline, and lose out on a promotion.

Labeling yourself means that you’ve carved out a certain way of acting and responding. It may have started out to help you handle a difficult situation. But those reactions may not serve you now, but you find yourself still using them. The subconscious will use your label to restrict your actions and make sure that you don’t do anything that would contradict it.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · authentic · beliefs · personal development · personal growth · self-esteem · self-worth · subconscious

by Linda-Ann Stewart

I once heard someone say, “If you’re not successful, then you’re really working hard at not being successful.” Success, health, happiness, harmonious relationships, creativity are natural states. The Universe always pours all that you need for good into your life.

If you’re not experiencing what you desire, your mind is actively restricting it. The way you feel towards your life, the beliefs based on those feelings, flow forth in statements that limit the expression of your natural resource of good.

“I am a failure,” “I’m sick,” “I can’t do it,” “I don’t belong here.” These are feelings that you have based on past experiences. However, when you identify with these statements, you’re telling the Universe that this is what you continue to want. Whatever you identify with becomes your self-image. Your experience of life has to be consistent with your image of yourself.

A person who wants to be a success, but feels that they can’t do anything right, will sabotage achieving their desires. When you want something better in your life, and it conflicts with your self-image, you undermine your ability to have it.

Whatever you focus on, that’s what you’re telling your Mind that you want. Watch your words. You are literally instructing the Universe what to give you. The silent messages you say to yourself about yourself, the things you say to others, these reinforce the outdated picture you have of yourself.

As a child, you may have been told that you wouldn’t amount to anything. That was a lie. You are an expression of the Universe, and the Universe has all the power within It to create galaxies. The lie was to keep you from remembering that you have the power within you.

One of my clients was a beautiful woman, inside and out. When she was young, her mother convinced her that she was ugly and no one would ever love her. My client changed her self-image when she realized the untruth of that statement, and she began to attract people who valued and appreciated her.

Many times people will fight to hold onto their old self-concept, even when they want something better. Jerry was an artist whose sculptures were critically acclaimed. However, he wasn’t making much money from them, and wanted to be more prosperous. He identified with being a “starving artist,” and was disdainful of those artists who were financially successful.

Because he refused to release his anger at other creatives, and continued to visualize himself as poor, he never realized the wealth that the Universe was urging on him. You can’t have more good without opening the floodgates within, and discharging self-limitations.

What are you identifying with? How do you see yourself? Do you believe that you’re a person who deserves good? What ideas are you acting on that counter what you desire? Notice the “I am” statements you make. They will show you what your self-image is. You can change those declarations by simply stating the opposite every time you catch yourself thinking something negative.

Eventually, the feelings behind the old ideas will transform, because you’re telling them the truth about yourself. Imagine that you have achieved what you want. Now imagine how you’d act, what you’d say to yourself, how you’d dress, what kind of people you’d associate with. What else would be changed in your life?

By aligning your words and ideas with that of a successful person, you can then begin to identify with the good the Universe has been pouring into your life. The floodgates will open, and your life will be overflowing with the goodness that is your natural state.

Copyright 2000, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

attitude · beliefs · intention · mindset · motivation · personal development · self-talk · spiritual