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What affirmations could I use to improve my self-image?

What affirmations could I use to improve my self-image?

Question: What affirmations could I use to improve my self-image?

Answer: You’d have to determine what you feel is lacking in your self-worth. Suggestions such as: “I am worthy of all the good there is,” “I deserve the best,” “I feel confident and self-assured,” “I accept my true worth” would be a good place to start. Some of my clients say that they “don’t feel like I’m enough.” I give them suggestions that “You are enough, good enough, worthy enough.”

Since the self-esteem issue is individual, you’d know best what kind of ideas you need to emphasize. A suggestion, by Emile Coue, a pioneer in mental programming, is a good, general one. “Every day, in every way, I’m really getting better and better.”

Copyright 2006, 2014 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Choose Your Thoughts and Focus On What You Want

Choose Your Thoughts and Focus On What You Want

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Carol’s budding romance fell apart when her boyfriend moved away. Soon after, he found someone else and Flagstaff Arboretummarried her. When Carol found out, she fell back into an old habit pattern of criticizing herself because things didn’t work out as she’d expected. But as soon as she realized she was beating herself up, she reminded herself that it was her choice how she felt about the situation.

She could either continue to make herself feel bad, by berating herself for not being important enough for him to stay. Or she could remind herself of some of the reasons why the relationship had problems, such as their different values and interests. By focusing on the relationship issues, she felt better about the breakup. She chose to focus on the real reason the relationship failed, and felt better about the situation.

You have the power to choose what to think about. And what you focus on determines how you feel. If you think about all your failures, then you’re going to feel dejected and disheartened. When you put yourself down, you feel incompetent. This will tell your subconscious to keep presenting you with situations that will make you feel this way.

Your feelings determine what actions you take. Negative and fear based feelings reduce your inner resources. And because you don’t have that extra energy, you pull back and don’t do what’s necessary to resolve the situation.

For instance, you could focus on the fact that you don’t have enough clients. Seeing only the lack will make you sink into fear and you’ll try to find a way to reduce your expenses. Or you could focus on attracting more clients by promoting your business. You then go out and contact more people, tell them about your business, and fulfill your expectation of success. Your focus creates your feelings which determines your actions.

You get more of whatever you focus on. Focus channels the Law of Attraction. If you’re thinking about lack of money, not achieving your goals, or how you’re ineffective, then you’ll get more of that to deal with. But if you focus on drawing abundance into your life, accomplishing your goals, and how you’re capable of success, then that instructs your subconscious to find more opportunities for you to experience these things. The Law of Attraction then draws these conditions to you.

Unless it’s to teach you a lesson, to cause you to deal with the reality of a situation, or to propel you into constructive action, there’s really no reason to dwell on negative thoughts. Once you’ve learned the lesson from a negative situation and become aware of what you need to do, set aside the disempowering thought. It’s no longer serving a purpose.

Your thoughts are like a wild horse. By corralling them and reining them in, you train them to follow your instructions and go where you want them to go. It takes persistent and gentle discipline to accomplish this. When you think something disempowering and negative, gently bring your attention back to something more empowering and constructive. Initially, the negative thought might surface several times a minute, because the old pattern is strong. But each time this happens, refocus your attention on what you choose and eventually these new desires will be the norm.

Whenever you notice yourself feeling sad, bad or upset, ask yourself what you’re thinking. Pay attention to what you’re saying to yourself. Then remind yourself that you have the choice of what to think. There are always different aspects of a situation you can address. Pick something that is empowering and causes you to move forward.

When you train your mind to focus on what you want, you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll be more successful. The Law of Attraction will be working for your best interests. You have the choice of what to think and focus on. Whether you exercise that power in a constructive or destructive way is up to you.

Affirmation:

What I focus on determines how I feel and whether I move forward or not. I have the power and choice about what I focus on in any situation. I choose to put my attention on constructive and empowering ideas. Gently and with persistence, I rein in my mind and direct my focus back onto what I want.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Brian Tracy – 7 Steps to a Positive Personality

Brian Tracy – 7 Steps to a Positive Personality

In this video, bestselling author and speaker Brian Tracy describes how to develop a positive attitude. A positive personality will have more effect on your success and happiness than anything else. Although the video text asserts it will help you double your sales, his instructions apply to success in every aspect of life. He describes the ways to build yourself up and fill yourself with constructive ideas. Following these steps will attract success and create happiness in your life.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Why do results diminish as I use an affirmation?

Why do results diminish as I use an affirmation?

Question: When I first begin using an affirmation, the results are great, but why do they  diminish as I continue using it?

Answer: There are several things that could be happening, and you’ll have to consider which one might be happening for you. It could be that as you first use the affirmation, you’re very conscious of it, you are dedicated in its use, you say it with feeling. Then, as you get results, and get used to the affirmation, you begin to say it by rote, without emotion, almost automatically. The solution is to stay aware when you say it, and say it with feeling, again.

Or you could simply be getting so used to the affirmation that it loses its punch, or you could be getting bored with it. In that case, change to another one that with the same idea for awhile. Switching back and forth between affirmations on the same topic is sometimes a good idea to keep them fresh.

Or there could be an inner resistance or conflict to the changes that are occurring. In this case, you’d need to create an affirmation that would address the outdated ideas. I have one on my affirmations page to deal with blocks – “Whatever has been blocking what I desire is an outdated thought form which now dissolves in the Light of Spirit.”

Or as things taper off for awhile, as the changes you’ve experienced begin to become more solid, you begin to “feel”  frustrated, lose faith in the affirmation, or feel desperate. The subconscious will respond to your feeling before it responds to your words, because feeling and imagery is the language of the subconscious. In the same vein, you could be holding an image/mental picture of the opposite of the affirmation.

These are some of the most common reasons an affirmation begins to flame out. It’s not the affirmation, it’s the attitude or belief of the person saying it. With everything, you have to be patient and persistent.

If it takes longer, you can have an attitude that the longer it takes, the better the results are going to be. The affirmation is working in the background, making changes that you may not be aware of yet.

Copyright 2005, 2014 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

As a speaker, personal and professional development coach and hypnotherapist, Linda-Ann Stewart empowers business and professional women who are stuck, immobilized or overwhelmed get focused, prioritize and break through so they generate more business and create consistent income. If you’d like some help to reach your goals, email her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com with “Complimentary Consultation” in the subject line.

Honor Yourself

Honor Yourself

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When I was young, I was given the message that I had to sacrifice those parts of me that made others uncomfortable. If I was talented, and it made another envious, I was supposed to hide my talent, otherwise I was accused of being “selfish.” At one point, I felt bad for making good grades because I somehow thought I was taking a good grade away from someone else. Many people are like me and have been told they were being selfish, when they were only being true to themselves.

In many cases, the definition of “selfish” has been perverted. If you say “no” to participating in an activity that would overextend you, you might be called “selfish” because it inconveniences the person who asks you. You can always consider your needs against what other people want from you, then decide the most appropriate action to take.

True selfishness is when you disregard the welfare of others. It doesn’t mean that you must ignore your own welfare to please someone else. But the term may have been twisted to become a club to manipulate you.

There is such a thing as healthy selfishness. That’s when you concern yourself with your well being. You’re not taking anything from anyone else, you’re just attending to your needs. Remember that everyone else has the same Universal power that you do to manifest what they want. They don’t need to take what is yours, whether it’s time or resources, to achieve their goal. Nor do you need anything of anyone else’s.

This isn’t a carte blanche to ignore the needs of others. But be aware that some people will have their own agenda when they put their desires ahead of your basic needs. You have a right to your needs and to express the Spirit within you. One of life’s lessons is to learn to honor yourself first.

Affirmation:

I honor myself. I recognize when someone tries to manipulate me, and take appropriate actions to take care of my well being. Everyone has the same connection to Universal power that I do, and can take care of their own needs. I have a right to be here. My welfare is as important as anyone else’s.

Success Begins With Your Mindset

Success Begins With Your Mindset

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Success is your natural state. You have the innate ability to accomplish anything you choose to do. As a child, you learned how to tie your shoes, use the alphabet and ride a bike. You learned how to reach your goal by moving toward it in small, incremental stages. When you missed your mark, you corrected your direction and tried again until you achieved it.

You didn’t question whether you’d accomplish it or not. You just kept working at it until you did. Only if you were told and believed that you couldn’t achieve it, would you fall short of your goal.

Whether you want to quit smoking, maintain an exercise program, make a sale, get ahead in life or fulfill your New Year’s Resolutions, your mindset will determine whether you succeed or fail. You have to believe that your goal is possible and achievable for you to be able to accomplish it.

If you don’t believe your goal is possible, then no matter how much effort you put into it you’re likely to be disappointed. Smokers who don’t believe they can quit will fail in their attempts. A salesperson who goes into a conversation with the idea they won’t make the sale will have his belief confirmed.

If you don’t believe that you can accomplish your goal, then you’re fighting an uphill battle against yourself. You want it, but you’ll unconsciously sabotage yourself to confirm your belief. When you serve a customer, they’ll sense your negative self-assessment and will say “No.” You’ll hold yourself back from committing your full drive, passion and determination to your desire.

It’s human nature to seek to be consistent with your beliefs. Do you dwell on your mistakes or difficulties and think it’ll never be different? If so, you’re setting yourself up to validate your idea. Even if you were handed success on a silver platter, if you haven’t conditioned your mind for it, success will seep away like sand through a sieve.

However, if you don’t succeed fully or immediately, it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. You only fail when you give up. People who succeed aren’t defeated by setbacks. In each attempt, you learn something that you use to climb further up the ladder of accomplishment.

Before you can have success in the outer world, you have to accept it in your inner self. It’s like water rising to its own level. You’ll only have as much success as you can believe you can have. Studies have shown that a positive attitude is more important for success than education or skills, when it comes to getting a job and moving ahead.

The Universe created you to be a success, and you are the Universe in action in your life. Any block to it is your fearful mind believing in a lie. You were convinced of the impossibility when you were a child or when you were discouraged as an adult. The Universe is always a success, therefore success is your true nature.

Three ways to begin conditioning your mind for success:

1. Change your self-image so you identify with accomplishing your goal. Your self-image affects how successful you’ll be. Do you feel like a success or failure? Until a smoker can relate to being an “ex-smoker,” they’ll nearly always fall back into the old habit. Someone who has lost a lot of weight will have a hard time keeping it off until their self-image agrees with their new reality. A clerk will never be able to rise through the ranks until they’re able to view themselves as someone who could handle more responsibility. Discover and develop the qualities you need to be a success at what you want.

2. Picture some success you’ve had, no matter how small. Remember how you felt. When beginning a new project, associate that feeling of success with the first step you could take. Imagine it so vividly that it’s easy to put the steps into practice. Evoke a feeling of satisfaction when you think of your goal. Then make sure you begin to take action.

3. Don’t try to conceive of your final result as being inevitable. That may be too much a stretch for you at the beginning. Just open your mind to the idea that it’s possible. Imagine what the best outcome could be. By not trying to force it, you allow your subconscious to consider how it can begin to bring your ideas into reality. Turning it over in your mind allows you to visualize success without the pressure of fighting against conflicting ideas about it.

When you have the feeling that you’ll achieve your goal, you’ll uncover the resources and creative ideas needed to overcome whatever obstacles arise. Your mind will be ready for success, and will find the way to do what’s necessary to make your goal an accomplished fact. Establishing a positive and success mindset will carry over into all of your desires.

Affirmation:

I was created to be successful at whatever goal I chose. The Universe sees me as a success and operates through me. Success is my natural state. I now condition my mind for success by accepting that my goal is possible and achievable for me. Although I may not know how to accomplish it, the Universe and my creative mind know what to do and how to do it. I take the actions that I know to take and the next step now appears.

How do I stay focused on my goal?

How do I stay focused on my goal?

Question: How do I keep my conscious mind from trying to control how a goal comes to pass, while staying focused on that goal?

Answer: Your question is one many people have. We’re taught to try to control the result. The answer takes a lot of discipline and trust. To keep the desired result in your mind, write it down on a card and read it several times a day. This helps to keep your subconscious focused on what it is you want. Then trust that your subconscious knows how to bring that goal into reality, and remind yourself that it’s working on it.

Take any action toward the goal that you know to take. Follow through on any ideas you may have for it. The more actions you take, the more you’re convincing your subconscious that you really want that goal. Keep affirming that “My creative/subconscious mind knows how to bring this to me, and is doing so now” whenever you think of the goal. That gives the subconscious the power and direction of what to do.

It is the subconscious’ role to figure out how things get done, not the conscious mind’s. The conscious mind’s role is to keep the mind focused on the goal, and follow through on any opportunities. It sounds simple, but it’s not easy for most people to do this.

Copyright 2005, 2014 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Mind Over Milkshake

Mind Over Milkshake

This is a video showing how your might be able to change your metabolism with your mind. It’s a description of the experiment that resulted in my previous post.



~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Mind Over Appetite

Mind Over Appetite

Your mind and beliefs can alter your life and your body. In a recent study, they can also change the body’s release of ghreline. This hormone, released by the gut, signals the brain that it’s time for food. In other words, you feel hungry. When you feel satiated and satisfied, the hormone level drops.

This new research indicates that if you believe you’ve had a high calorie meal, even if it’s a low calorie meal, the hormone level drops as if you’d actually had a high calorie meal. In other words, it’s mind over appetite. Your thoughts can help you change the way you respond to food.

Your mindset affects every part of your life. Now there’s even more evidence that they can affect your physiology. Be aware of what you’re thinking when you’re eating. It may show up on your hips (or not).

Inspired by: Mind Over Milkshake: How Your Thoughts Fool Your Stomach

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Adjust Your Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Adjust Your Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Is your mindset on board with your goal or desire for success and abundance? If not, you’ll have a much harder time achieving it. Once you adjust your beliefs to be in alignment with your goal, your actions will be much more successful. Learn 4 ways to get your attitudes to support you in your progress towards your goal.


If you want to get unstuck and break through your inner barriers to create a life of more success and abundance,  get Linda-Ann’s free MP3, “Keys to Recreating Your Life: Shatter Your Barriers to Success and Abundance.”