Make 2011 The Year Your Dreams Come True

Make 2011 The Year Your Dreams Come True

It’s the New Year, time for change and resolutions. The slate is clean and new intentions are ready to be written to improve your life.

* Have you had problems moving forward?
* When you try to make a change, do you hit a brick wall?
* Do you know why you can’t make the changes you want?

Linda-Ann Stewart, hypnotherapist, life coach and speaker is presenting a free teleclass to get you back on track to your goals. The teleclass will address reasons why you may have trouble breaking through and achieving your dreams. Drawing on her decades of experience, Ms. Stewart will cover some of those self-sabotaging beliefs that are holding you back and strategies to overcome them.

You’ll learn techniques to help you overcome your internal obstacles and achieve your goals. In this teleclass, you’ll discover how to use affirmations to make positive changes in your life.

“I appreciate the power of affirmations,” Ms. Stewart says. “They’ve been instrumental in allowing me to accomplish goals I would never have achieved otherwise.” You’ll also discover a secret and tools to successfully empower the Law of Attraction for you.

Join Ms. Stewart on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 5:30pm PST (that’s 6:30pm MST, 7:30pm CST, 8:30pm EST) for the one-hour teleclass, “Break Through To Your Dreams.” Space is limited. To learn more and to register, visit Break Through Teleclass.

“Don’t Wait To Feel Worthy To Succeed”

“Don’t Wait To Feel Worthy To Succeed”

by Linda-Ann Stewart

A while back, I read an article that talked about your readiness to accept abundance. The author mentioned that you sometimes don’t receive the good you desire because you don’t feel worthy. His advice was to get over it. Though your feelings of worthiness tend to contribute to the good you can accept, or the lack thereof, it isn’t the whole picture. I’m sure you know successful people who don’t feel worthy. Why else would there be an epidemic of addictions in the towers of success? Alcoholism, workaholism, addiction to prescription and non-prescription drugs just to make it through life.

Successful people have opened themselves up to succeed in business. They’ve accepted all that goes into it. They’ve removed their beliefs in failure, they’ve changed their attitude about their business, their financial situation, and their lives to create the right atmosphere for their success. They may have been motivated by feelings of unworthiness, a need to prove themselves to someone, a need to fill the empty place within them with success, or some other motivation. They have achieved abundance, and they’ve worked hard for it, but they still don’t feel worthy of their own success.

On the other hand, I’ve known many good, talented, hardworking people who struggled all of their lives, but never achieve success in business. They deserved to succeed, just as much as anybody else, but they didn’t. And they probably felt just as worthy, or unworthy, as the successful person. They blamed bad luck, or the economy, or something else for not succeeding when in reality it is their own belief systems that held them back.

When you feel bad about yourself, you might bounce checks as a way of verifying your bad opinion of yourself. Or you might turn down opportunities because you don’t feel you’ve suffered enough. That was one of my patterns. I was told by people who’d worked hard and ended up with nothing but an empty pinata that I didn’t deserve what good I’d manifested. For a long time, I believed them. I couldn’t allow myself to be successful until I’d struggled as much as the talented people who’d never achieved their potential.

The article I read reminded me that you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you expect, and what you’ve identified with. The Universe rewards your consciousness. If you have a consciousness of failure, that’s what you get. If you have a consciousness of health, that’s what you receive. Whatever your consciousness, that is what you get to experience.

Do you identify with life flowing smoothly, and everything working out, no matter what the appearance? Then so be it. Do you identify with a statement like, “I can’t do anything about my job or my finances?” If so, then you get to wallow in that. Your consciousness attracts conditions in the outer world to fulfill your inner beliefs. The conditions of your life are a direct reflection of your consciousness.

Instead of waiting until you feel worthy of abundance, health, or good relationships, why don’t you begin to identify with it now? Rather than reaching outwardly for your goal, begin to pray for the consciousness of it. Raising your consciousness to accept what you desire will adjust any old, restrictive attitudes. When you have the consciousness of your desire and have identified with your good, then your goal will show up in your life. Whether you feel you deserve it or not.

Copyright 1999, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

, , , ,

Positive Thinking Doesn’t Ignore Negatives, It Just Doesn’t Focus On Them

Positive Thinking Doesn’t Ignore Negatives, It Just Doesn’t Focus On Them

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Some people belittle positive thinking, claiming that it means you look through rose-colored glasses and ignore any potential potholes. That’s not the case. Just because a positive thinker focuses on the best possible outcome doesn’t mean they’re not aware of the challenges that might face them. They just don’t concentrate on them.

If a positive thinker walked around with blinders on, they’d only be able to view what was right in front of them. In that case, they could be blindsided by something coming at them from another direction. It would seem to come out of the blue, when it’s simply appeared from their blind spot.

It’s like driving a car. When you focus down the road, where you’re going, you tend to steer in that direction. You’re aware of the traffic around you, the traffic light, parking lot exits, the box rolling towards your lane. With each of these, you make decisions and act to avoid the dangers. But you don’t focus on any one of them. They’re just part of your travel and issues to deal with in a casual way.

Unless they significantly impact you, you don’t give them much thought. If you weren’t aware of them (as the belittlers assert), you could run a light, not avoid the car that suddenly pulls into your lane, or ram the box. When you’re driving, you know they’re there, and take actions to avoid or address them so they don’t become a problem. The same is true with positive thinking.

With this type of attitude, you don’t have to give possible negatives any power. You can notice they’re there, and take the necessary precautions to handle them. And just keep your attention focused on your goal.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

“Why do more blocks begin to surface as I begin to change?”

“Why do more blocks begin to surface as I begin to change?”

Question: Why is it that, as I begin to change, more blocks begin to surface?

Answer: It’s not unusual that more stuff (blocks) rise to the surface as you begin to change. You’re loosening up the stuff that’s been stuck for a long time. There are a couple of reasons why that could be happening.

First, your subconscious could be uncomfortable with your changes and may be trying to get you back into your old patterns. It may feel unsafe with what you’re doing. In this case, persistence and reassurance are called for. Persistence in the direction you’re going, and reassurance to your subconscious that it’s safe for you to do so.

Secondly, your changes could simply be stirring up old stuff that’s been dormant deep within. It’s called ‘chemicalization.’ My teacher explained it as “Imagine a glass half-filled with water (all that is good and positive) with a layer of mud (negativity) on the bottom of the glass.

When you pour in more good (positive), it stirs up the mud (negative) so that the clear water is now mixed with the mud. Eventually, when you pour enough clear water in, the mud settles back down, and you have a greater proportion of clear water than mud.” Again, persistence is the key. Things will begin to settle down. Eventually.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

“Intensify Your Intention”

“Intensify Your Intention”

Change isn’t easy. If you don’t find a strong motivation and reason to make the effort to improve, then you’ll fall back into old patterns. Here are some tips of what you can do to empower and intensify your motivation to follow-through on your intention.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

“How can one know when an affirmation has taken root and growing?”

“How can one know when an affirmation has taken root and growing?”

Question: How can one know that an affirmation has taken root and what outward signs show that the seed is growing?

Answer: It’s hard to know when the seed has begun to sprout. When you forget about the concern, and have a solid faith that it’s being taken care of, you know that it’s begun to germinate.

Sometimes, you’ll get some mis-messages or dead ends as the affirmation is beginning to manifest. It’s as if your creative mind is trying out different situations as it works to manifest what you want.

Other times, it’ll manifest all at once with no warning. The main thing is not to dig up the seed to see if it’s sprouted. When you do this, you’re not letting it germinate, any more than if you dig up a seed to see if it’s sprouted when you’re gardening.

You have to have as much faith that your word is taking root as you have that a seed knows how to germinate and sprout in your garden. As long as you release the concern, knowing that God and your creative mind are working on the means, it
will come to you in Divine Time.

Copyright 2002, 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A Positive Mindset Linked To Longer Cell Life

A Positive Mindset Linked To Longer Cell Life

For years, we’ve known that stress ages people and may even shorten life. Now there’s a study of how to combat and reverse those effects. A study has found that meditation and a positive mindset are linked to longer cell life. This means that you’ll look, feel and actually be younger than your years.

When you take time to deep breathe, relax, or meditate, it activates an enzyme in your body that actually lengthens and improves a part of your DNA. Anything that leads to a positive mindset causes the production of the enzyme. That includes being able to reframe your response to a possible upsetting situation into a more constructive belief about it.

So here we have another benefit for looking at life from an optimistic, positive frame of mind. Not only does it help you to be more successful, be happier, it also can allow you to stay younger. I’d say that would be a good reason to cultivate looking at life through a positive lens.

The source for this article can be found at Meditation linked to longer cell life.

,

“If I say affirmation for positive thoughts, will I see results within a week?”

“If I say affirmation for positive thoughts, will I see results within a week?”

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
All Rights Reserved

“Setting An Intention: The Key To Your Success”

“Setting An Intention: The Key To Your Success”

by Linda-Ann Stewart

I’ve heard many people say, “I intend to … stop smoking, lose weight, exercise more, eat more vegetables,” when they actually mean, “I’ll try to …” In this sense, “intend” simply means, “If it’s convenient and easy for me, then I’ll do it.” That’s not a strong commitment to a goal. It’s more of an empty wish. It communicates a weak desire to the subconscious, and your inner mind won’t act on that level of strength.

Setting an intention means you have to be intensely focused on your objective. You bring all your power, strength and clarity to that one point. To have a laser-like focus, it’s like putting blinders on and eliminating any distractions. You have to be dedicated to that goal and follow through on any actions or behaviors that are necessary to bring it into reality.

To develop this level of intention, you have several stages of investigation and clarification to address.

1. Decide on your goal. Figure out what you want. It could be just a general improvement in your life, to be less judgmental, eat healthier or open a business. Or it could be as detailed as, “I want to lose five pounds in the next ninety days.” Consider and describe what it would look and feel like to have it in your life.

2. What are your motivations for this change? This step gives you the power and energy to do what’s necessary. For instance, why do you want better health? What would that do for you? Answer the “why” question and make sure it’s a powerful incentive. This is probably the most important piece. If you don’t find one or more strong reasons to make the effort to change, you won’t follow through on it.

3. Make the importance of your new goal more desirable than your old pattern. You have to change your attitude towards your current position. It’s been familiar and comfortable. For permanent success in creating a new model, you have to alter your attitude towards your present situation and make it objectionable, unfavorable and detrimental. To do this, you could imagine where you’ll be in five years without altering your path. You could be 50 pounds heavier, have greater illness, or be more discontented.

4. What beliefs and/or behaviors need to change and how? What do you need to believe about your ability to meet your goal? You may need to know that you have the skills, and the assurance, that you can accomplish it. A new behavior that you might need to eat healthier is to choose fruits over chocolate cake for dessert.

5. What steps do you need to take to bring this new goal to pass? List each stage, step, activity, idea, and thing you need for your objective. Break it down into smaller and smaller chunks to make it easier to work with. Set small, attainable goals.

6. What obstacles might you encounter and how can you overcome them? This includes blocks in your environment and ones in your own beliefs. For instance, how will you deal with procrastination?

7. Focus on your objective. Before you can set your intention, you need to commit to putting your attention on your goal. Have a clear idea of what your objective is. Then you can decide what other resources, internally and environmentally, you need to bring it about.

The tension between your motive to change, and what could happen if you don’t, increases the incentive for your commitment. It also helps develop the quality and intensity of your intention.

Whenever you think of your goal, switch to focusing on your new intention and beliefs about it. You can change. To do so, you need to be consistent and persistent. It may take some time, but you’ll reach your goal. You, and the rewards, are worth it.

Affirmation

I now focus my resources and set an intention to improve my life. My motivation for change is stronger than what is familiar. My beliefs and/or behaviors now come into alignment with my goal. I overcome all obstacles, keeping my intention in the forefront of my mind. The Universe completely supports my intention and brings me anything I need to achieve it.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

, , , ,

“Tip: Record an audio of your visualization”

“Tip: Record an audio of your visualization”

by John Assaraf

As you already know (and have posted comments about), making a recording of yourself talking about your new belief, then listening to that audio twice or more a day can be extremely beneficial. This method of reprogramming is effective for all kinds of beliefs, ranging from health to wealth, from business success to charitable contribution, from relationships to spirituality, from productivity to creativity. Your main time investment will be up front in making the recording, which can be as simple (just your recorded voice) or as elaborate (including music, sound effects, and so on), as short (just five minutes) or as long (half an hour) as you like. After your recording is complete, you can listen to it while driving, as you go to sleep, as your “alarm” to wake you up in the morning. Be creative!

Creating a recording can help you reach your goals. To write the script…

1) Imagine what your life will be like as a result of achieving your goal, and
2) Describe it all in the present tense, as if it’s already happening.

A script to be used for the goal of running a half marathon might start like this:

I love how it feels to run because my body is in such great condition. I can feel my heart working, and my breath is strong and even. My quadriceps and calves are tested but don’t burn out. I am a healthy, vibrant person who respects the body as the amazing vessel it is: home to my soul. I am in the zone and running better than I ever have before. I am getting faster and stronger every day…

As you reprogram yourself and listen to your audio, you can also add other visualization techniques have learned. Top athletes visualize religiously, because they know it unlocks potential at a level that analysis and even physical practice don’t reach. By repeatedly visualizing the outcome you want, you create new cells of recognition in your subconscious. This way, your body gets used to that behavior and then expects it. To use your recording to help you visualize, instead of just listening passively to the recording, close your eyes and picture everything happening exactly as you hear yourself describe it. (Not a good idea while running or driving, but you can do this at other times.) It’s as if you’ve created a “movie” you can play over and over in your mind. Try it!

Copyright 2008 John Assaraf
All Rights Reserved

John Assaraf, aka The Street Kid, is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author, Trainer & Entrepreneur, certified life coach and world-renowned speaker. Thanks to a powerful belief system and positive affirmations, he was one of the experts featured in the hit film and book, The Secret, and helped launch it as a worldwide phenomenon.

, , , , ,