Question: If I say affirmation for positive thoughts 10 times in the morning and at night, will I see results within a week?

Answer: If you say affirmations to be more positive 10 times in the morning and evening for a week, you might see an improvement in a week. However, it would also depend if you’re also monitoring your thoughts during the day.

Affirmations or any such reprogramming techniques work when you’re also addressing the issue during the periods that
you’re not saying the, for example: the rest of the day. They’re not magical incantations.

Any reprogramming technique needs the conscious mind to support it and work with it. During the day, when you find yourself in a negative frame of mind, find a way to turn it around to think more positively about the situation, and then say the affirmation to yourself. This reinforces and strengthens the intention of the affirmation.

If you say the affirmation 10 times morning and evening, and during the day consciously choose to think about things
differently, as well as using your affirmation at those times, you’ll probably begin to see a slight improvement within a
week. If you keep doing it, that improvement will be progressive.

And when you find yourself more positive, you should keep monitoring your thoughts and saying your affirmation occasionally during the day to remind yourself to keep moving in the proper direction.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: Will I see results within a week if I look in the mirror and loudly say affirmations about confidence?

Answer: Looking in the mirror and loudly stating an affirmation about confidence will begin to reprogram your subconscious mind. Using your voice, with a lot of emotion behind it, is very effective to impress your subconscious. The more you can say it, just like when you learned to read, the more it re-conditions the subconscious. To make your subconscious accept it quicker, you’ll need to use the affirmation any time during the day that you feel your confidence sagging.

I don’t know if you would see a significant result within a week, but I imagine that you’d notice a subtle improvement in that time. This is an issue you’ve had for a while, and it won’t change overnight. You’ll have to keep at it for permanent progress.

To determine what affirmation to use, you’d need to discover where and under what circumstances you feel a lack of confidence. Is it in social situations, at work, or with specific people? And then you’d need to create an affirmation that would address that issue. To develop them, you could read books or go to websites devoted to confidence building.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: When I begin using an affirmation, I feel positive and optimistic. But after a few days, I begin to feel discouraged and just want to give up. Why do I feel like this, and what should I do about it when it happens?

Answer: When you begin affirming, it’s natural to feel enthusiastic and full of faith. But when the manifestation doesn’t appear immediately, doubts begin to arise. There are a couple of reasons that you feel discouraged.

#1 is that it generally takes more than a day or so to change your prevailing thought about the subject. Remember, an affirmation is only changing your mind, not the Mind of God. You’ve had an opinion or attitude about the subject of the affirmation for awhile, and it has been what has manifested. Now you’re changing your mind, and it takes a few days or weeks, or in some cases, months to fully change it to accept the reality of the affirmation.

#2 is that the old attitude may be fighting with the new choice. That’s why you feel like you want to run away. The affirmation is beginning to stir up old ideas and issues related to the subject, and it can become uncomfortable as they have to be released. The protective instinct of those attitudes then is to make you discouraged and hopefully give up, so it doesn’t have to change.

The solution? Keep on with the affirmation. If necessary, change it to include resolving old issues having to do with the subject of the affirmation.

Copyright 2002, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: If I say an affirmation for three weeks, will I see results and think only positive thoughts by then?

Answer: If you begin saying a positive affirmation, and say it consistently every day for three weeks, you’ll notice an improvement in your attitude. However, you’ll need to catch each negative thought and idea and change it to a positive for the results to be most effective.

And you won’t have a permanent change in your thoughts after just three weeks. You’ll need to keep up with the affirmation, and transforming your negative thoughts even after that. But the negative thoughts will be fewer and you’ll be more positive overall.

This isn’t something you can do for a few days, weeks or months and then stop doing. It’s a focused change of thinking that must continue. You won’t have to be as diligent later on, because you’ll be more aware of your negative thoughts and automatically change them to positives. Affirmations aren’t magic. You have to use them consistently for them to work.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: What’s the difference between an affirmation and a hypnotic suggestion?

Answer: Affirmations and suggestions are essentially the same thing. Only the terminology is different. Both suggestions and affirmations are statements that are designed to change old mental ideas in your subconscious mind.

Generally, affirmations are used while you are awake and alert, and during other activities. But they can also be used in meditation to help to elevate your consciousness.

In that case, they then become a suggestion. A suggestion is a statement designed to change a belief, attitude, habit, or effect a change on the body.

Both re-program your mind to release old thought patterns and condition it with the new ones that you choose.

Copyright 2002, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: Would you please define the differences between the subconscious and unconscious minds?

Answer: The difference between the terms “subconscious” and “unconscious” is simply a difference of terminology. It’s essentially the same name for a part of our consciousness. It’s been called the unconscious, subconscious and subjective mind, but a rose is still a rose, whatever you call it.

I just prefer the term subconscious (or even subjective), because that part of the mind is beneath or subject to the conscious, rational mind. In other words, it takes direction from the conscious and must do so.

Even though the conscious mind is only about 10% of our consciousness, it is the authority or driver. Think of an iceberg, 10% is above the surface, and 90% is below the surface.

I don’t like the term “unconscious” referring to our consciousness, because it insinuates that that part of our consciousness isn’t aware. It’s always aware and processing information.

The only time I usually use “unconscious,” is when I’m referring to an action, because our subconscious often prompts us to act out without awareness of our actions. That’s where habits come from. We unconsciously follow our programming, whether it’s a physical, mental or emotional habit.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: If a person is daily using several affirmations, which one will manifest first?

Answer: I always suggest that a person restrict themselves to affirming in one area of their life at a time. You can affirm one area, and when you see improvement in that area, you can move onto another area of your life.

The reason for this is that when the subconscious mind gets too many instructions at one time, it tends to rebel. Think about how you’d feel if someone dumped a lot of tasks on you, and expected them to be immediately completed. The
subconscious gets overwhelmed.

If you use several affirmations at a time, the affirmation the subconscious will manifest, if it manifests any of them, is the one with the least conflict and that you feel most confident of.

In other words, the affirmation that will manifest first is the one that has the least resistance or fear around the issue, or that you’ve had the most success with in the past.

Copyright 2001, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question:  I have been in a relationship for about a year now and have put a lot of energy into it without any expectations of anything in return. Why has it not manifested any further?

Answer:  Although you say that you’ve been in this relationship with no expectations, you have had an expectation, that the relationship would progress. I’m sure you thought it would happen on its own. That’s what we’re told. But by trying not to have any expectations, you’ve actually manifested what you were expecting. No expectations, no progression.

We’ve been told over and over to let go of any expectations in our relationships, when what it actually means is to not have any expectations of our partner. The idea of no expectation really means that we shouldn’t expect our partner to change to suit us or to our ideas of how they should be.

However, there are some expectations we should have in any relationship. To be treated well, to have open communication, to have respect, to be treated equally.

When we put so much energy into a relationship, and don’t get anything back, it’s time to reassess the relationship. The person you’re with may not be able to give you what you obviously want.

You need to set some boundaries of what you expect from the relationship. Only that way can the Universe and the other
person know what you need. You deserve to do that. You deserve to value yourself, and to expect to be valued by the other person.

By stating what you need and want, you allow the other person to decide whether they can give it to you or not. If they choose not to, then you need to let go and move on. By doing so, you give the Universe the opportunity to bring someone else into your life who can fill your needs.

Copyright 2001, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: Why do I have to focus on what I want? Doesn’t my subconscious mind already know?

Answer: Your subconscious mind can only absorb what your conscious mind sends its way. So if you want more prosperity, but you constantly focus on not having enough money, that’s what the subconscious mind accepts and manifests more of – lack. Your subconscious only knows what it’s been told. So if you want to be an artist, but believe you have little talent, and constantly bemoan that idea, your subconscious will make sure that you don’t fulfill your potential.

I’ve known so many people who say they want one thing, but they focus on the opposite (me included). Or they want something, but they don’t want to have to change anything to manifest it. A smoker may want to quit smoking without
giving up cigarettes. That would be the same as wanting more prosperity without letting go of old attitudes about struggle and lack. Whatever you focus on is what your subconscious mind thinks you want. And it will deliver it to the level that you truly accept.

Copyright 2001, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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Question: If I affirm that I receive a specific amount of money by a certain date, will I be successful?

Answer: I’ve known many people who have successfully affirmed that they’d receive a certain amount of money by a certain date. The way it happens is by your belief that it will happen. If there’s any doubt or uncertainty, then that will dilute or defuse the results.

Instead, I would recommend that that you affirm that you’re guided to the right channel through which that amount will manifest, and/or be inspired to discover a way to manifest it, and/or that all that the way is provided for it to manifest.

Your belief is the energy that powers your ability to manifest. When you have the certain belief, then it’s very likely that you’ll manifest what you want.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
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