affirmation – Page 22 – Empowering Your Mind

How long does it take to release outdated beliefs?

November 5, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How long does it take for the subconscious mind to release outdated beliefs?

Answer: I could be facetious and honest if I said “It takes as long as it takes.” But that wouldn’t be very helpful. Actually, there are a lot of factors that go into how long it takes. How badly do you want to make the change? Do you keep your mind focused on the change, knowing that it’s possible? Do you flood your mind with affirmations and statements of the change? Do you take actions that ground the change?

For example, if it would be for smoking, do you cut down, change the places you smoke, etc? For self-esteem, do you treat yourself well, do things that build your feelings of self-worth?

The subconscious will only release its old patterns when it realizes that you don’t need or want them anymore. Your conscious mind must convince your subconscious through the conscious mind’s focus and commitment. And the length of time it takes is in direct proportion to the amount of energy you use for the change. It could be overnight, or it could take years of small changes in that direction.

However, in general, any idea, thought, or belief that your conscious mind stays completely focused on for a month becomes a part of you by becoming part of your subconscious belief patterns.

Guided Meditation to Discover Clarity

October 16, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

If you keep saying that you’re confused, you’re blocking any possibility of discovering your direction. When you imagine that you know what to do, you open to the wise part of you that knows. Here’s a guided meditation to engage your imagination to access that wise part to help you find your direction.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Can hypnosis help me believe that I will find my life partner?

September 28, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Can hypnosis help me believe that I will find my life partner, releasing the fear that it will never happen?

Answer: Hypnosis isn’t a magic wand, it works with the subconscious mind to help change attitudes, beliefs and both mental and physical habits quickly. Hypnosis can help to release fears, and help to believe in finding the perfect partner for you.

Settle on an affirmative statement about this, like “The person I’m looking for is looking for me, someone who harmonizes with me” and some of the characteristics you’re looking for. Write a statement that convinces you that it’s possible, then trust your subconscious to do its work.

As long as you doubt it, then your subconscious will be acting on your doubt.

What pronoun do you use with affirmations?

July 29, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Which is the best pronoun to use when saying an affirmation: I, you, or he/she?

Answer: You ask an excellent question. The answer, unfortunately, isn’t cut and dried. All three ways of phrasing affirmations have their uses. I most often use the first person (I), so that I identify with what I’m affirming. We tend to become what we identify with, and this is the way most affirmations are worded. This gives the subconscious guidance on what you want it to do.

However, when an affirmation is hard to accept, or our subconscious has some resistance to the affirmation, using a more objective pronoun is very helpful. Using “you” when stating the affirmation becomes a command to the subconscious. This pronoun is especially helpful when you want to directly order the subconscious on what to do. It forcefully breaks up any opposition to the affirmation. If you state and affirmation this way while looking at yourself in the mirror, it becomes very powerful.

When you’re too emotionally involved in the issue the affirmation is dealing with, the use of the third person pronoun “he/she/your name” is called for. Speaking of yourself in the third person helps when you need to deal with the issue a bit more objectively. It’s especially helpful when you need to improve your self-approval to accept the affirmation.

If you state an affirmation in each of these ways, you’ll notice a difference in the way you respond to it. Pick the way that seems to resonate with you the most at the time.

Why do negative thoughts arise when using affirmations?

May 20, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How come when I use affirmations, negative thoughts take over my mind?

Answer: One reason the negative ideas may be surfacing is that your positive statements are flushing them out of their hidey-hole. As you put more positive in, the negative rises to the surface to be acknowledged before it can be released. But if they’re sticking around, something else is probably going on.

Sometimes the old, negative thought patterns resist our changing them, and the more we affirm positive, the more they clamor. Generally, it’s because they feel like they need to be there for to protect you. You accepted them at a time when they were necessary (or so you thought), but they aren’t helpful any more.

Sometimes, I’ll use an affirmation such as “I have outgrown old, outdated negative thought patterns that were implanted when I was much younger. My subconscious now recognizes that I no longer need or want them in that form, and releases them.”

Whatever you use, you need to understand that they’ll be there until you realize that they aren’t necessary any more. Sometimes it can feel safe to stay in the old (uncomfortable) rut, because its familiar. Or feelings of anger, hurt, fear or guilt can hang onto them.

In that case, you need to address those feelings. Just don’t resist the negative words, that gives them more power. Acknowledge that you recognize that they’ve been there, but you don’t need them any more. You might be surprised what surfaces when you do this.

What is a mantra, how do you use an affirmation?

April 17, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: What is a mantra, how long is it used in meditation, and how many times do you say an affirmation?

Answer: A mantra is a word, phrase or sound that’s repeated during meditation to help a person focus their mind, and take their attention away from the outer world or their extraneous thoughts. How long you say it varies from spiritual system to system.

Some state you should say it for as long as you’re meditating, some state you repeat it until your mind is calm and serene, open to the Universe. If you’re using an affirmation as a mantra, I’d recommend that you repeat it to yourself until you feel it resonate with truth within you.

If you’re saying an affirmation out loud, it’s recommended that you repeat it for at least 15 minutes a day. But while doing so, concentrate on its meaning and on feeling its truth. The feeling connects it to the subconscious.

How do I create a treasure map for a relationship?

February 20, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How would I go about creating a treasure map to attract a loving relationship with a mate?

Answer: I’d suggest you write down the attributes and characteristics you want, such as: honesty, integrity, treats me well, values me, respects me, a sense of humor that harmonizes with mine, etc. Think of the things you’ll want to do together, have similar interests, etc.

Then, when you have this list, start looking for pictures that evoke those feelings in you, that remind you of what you want, such as a couple strolling together, having dinner together, etc. Choose whether you want it on a posterboard, construction paper, or in a notebook. For love, it’s been suggested that you use a rosy-pink color for the background. Paste or tape the pictures on the paper or board. Scatter the words and phrases that you’ve listed around these pictures.

Somewhere prominently on the page, write an affirmation, such as: “Infinite Intelligence knows who the perfect partner for me is. I now attract the Divine Right partner into my life, someone who harmonizes with me.” You might include something about Divine Timing. Or write a statement that, to you, describes the manifestation. Look at your treasure map several times a day, and know that your creative mind is working on it. Don’t worry about ‘how’ it will happen, just follow any leads or opportunities.

For more information on making a treasure map, read Creating A Treasure Map To Achieve Your Desires.

How To Make And Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions, Part 2

December 5, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

First, as you might do every year, write down all the things that you want to change in your life. But this time, prioritize them. Decide which are the most important, then select one of these to concentrate on. By focusing on one area at a time, you will be able to improve your chances of success.

Once you’ve chosen which area you want to concentrate on, write down all the steps you need to take to fulfill that goal. For instance, suppose Sam decides he wants to get healthy. To do so, he chooses to quit smoking, eliminate caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, to stop partying, get enough sleep every night, lose weight, start exercising, and eat right. He can’t do all of these at the same time, or his subconscious will rebel. Therefore, he decides which facet he wants to tackle first.

Break your goal down into reasonable steps. Don’t try to change the world in one week. As you accomplish one component, move onto the next one. It may actually take a couple of years to achieve your whole list, but in a couple of years you’ll be so much healthier than you are now.

Once you have your first element chosen, you can now decide on what physical actions to take every day. Taking physical action helps to convince the subconscious that you mean business, and shows commitment to the process.

Visualize yourself acting out your objective. As you imagine yourself living your goal, this gives your subconscious mind the direction it needs. It must follow your envisioning. Mentally rehearse each day, identifying with your new ideal, feeling how good it is to have accomplished your aim.

Write a short positive statement in the present tense that embodies your resolution. Use this affirmation in your visualization to reinforce it. Say the declaration aloud one hundred times a day. Print it on index cards and place them where you see them often. This keeps you focused on your goal and begins to impregnate your subconscious with what it is that you want. Trust that your subconscious is making deep level changes, and knows the best way to help you to transform.

By following these directions, you will be able to successfully make and keep your New Year’s resolutions. You have all the power within you to create a wonderful new life for yourself. Don’t be afraid to use it.

Make The Effort To Change, Part 1

October 10, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

by Linda-Ann Stewart

At a meeting, I was talking with a woman and mentioned Joseph Murphy and his best-selling book, “Power of the Subconscious Mind.” She asked, “In his book, did he explain why the subconscious doesn’t work for most people?”

That set me back. The subconscious mind is always working, and it responds according to the nature of your thoughts. But one thing can prevent the subconscious from making the changes a person wants. I responded, “Because they don’t work it.”

“Oh,” she replied. “I guess that’s true. Nothing changes if you aren’t willing to work on it.” I quietly sighed, thinking of all the people I knew who didn’t work on an issue, then complained when change didn’t happen.

Most people resist change and it takes effort to overcome that. Inertia can take over, causing you to drift and stalling your progress. It takes determination to pull out of it and move in a different direction. Change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen without applying shifts in thinking and behaving. Your old ways of doing things are simply habits, and can be changed. But it takes attention to alter your course and initiative to put it into action.

Posting affirmation signs around the house won’t help if you don’t repeat the statement frequently. They work by modifying the things you automatically say to yourself. Passively glancing at them without noticing them won’t make much of an impression on your subconscious. You have to be pro-active in impressing the concepts on your inner mind.

Wanting to be more positive won’t work unless you pay attention and change your attitude when you find your thoughts straying into negative territory. Just as you have to turn the car around when you realize you’re going to the gas station when you meant to go to the store, you have to re-focus your attention when your thoughts go in the wrong direction.

Tools For Change

October 2, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Reading self-help and personal development books, and listening to CD’s of them, is helpful to expand the awareness of the possibilities for yourself. It also can uplift you and put you in a more constructive mindset. But if you don’t start using some of the tools that you learn about, the improvements won’t last long. You need to create your own foundation so that you can build a strong structure that can withstand the winds of storms.

Here are a few techniques for you to begin with, if you need to start somewhere.

Meditation – Studies show that meditation actually changes the structure of the brain. It establishes a sense of well being, allows us to think more quickly and make better decisions, along with a whole host of other positive results.
Mindfulness – This type of meditation means that you just remain aware of the present moment. As with meditation, it changes brain structure, reducing fear, improving memory and productivity.
Self-hypnosis – This is a process of communication with the inner mind that can change ideas at level where they were programmed. It can reduce stress and anxiety, help change habits, grow self-confidence and improve all sorts of physical issues.
Cognitive techniques – This technique instructs you how to become conscious of negative ideas and change them. It’s effective for improving depression, anxiety, and negative self-talk.
Journaling – Studies have shown that when you write about your feelings, your situations, or your life, this can improve the way you feel physically and mentally. It helps the mind to reprocess the information at a deep level and builds inner resources.
Affirmations/self-talk – When you change the way you talk to yourself, you change the way you believe and behave. It helps increase optimism and is a key to stress management.

Choose one of these to begin practicing consistently and you’ll notice an improvement in your life in a very short time. It will give you the tool you need to hold onto when life gets a little bumpy. You’ll get through the challenges much more smoothly when you have been making time for your personal development.

Empowering Your Mind

Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

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