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Fulfilling A Goal By Working A Plan – Hiking The Grand Canyon Rim Trail

Fulfilling A Goal By Working A Plan – Hiking The Grand Canyon Rim Trail

Jeff and I visited the Grand Canyon again, recently. On this trip, we hiked the last three-mile section of the rim trail that we hadn’t done before. It took us four trips to complete the thirteen miles of trail. This accomplished a goal I set over twenty years ago.

Even though I’d wanted to hike that trail, until a little over a year ago, I hadn’t made any plans or taken any action. You can have a desire or a goal, but unless you decide to do it, nothing will happen. Your inner mind won’t consider that you really want it unless you start taking some steps in that direction.

Whenever we had an opportunity to visit the National Park, we arranged to go. It’s a day trip for us, including about six hours of driving, hours of walking and Jeff taking photographs. Because of that, we set aside two days. One day to spend on the trip and one to recover at home.

I could have just enjoyed the scenery on our first visit and not returned, but I had a goal. So we decided to take advantage of every chance we had to visit the Canyon. Because of this, I was able to achieve my goal in just over a year.

Before each trip, we planned which part of the trail we’d hike next. We also checked the weather, and made sure we carried enough water, snacks, and the right kinds of clothes (jackets and gloves for winter, neck coolers and hats for summer).

A goal is only as good as its plan. Then you have to work the plan. The opportunity for me to fulfill my goal came up unexpectedly. But once it did, I took advantage of it. I planned for it and worked the plan. You can accomplish your desires in the same way.

Grand Canyon Hike – A Metaphor For Success

Grand Canyon Hike – A Metaphor For Success

Jeff and Linda-Ann at Hermit's Rest, Grand CanyonJeff and I visited the Grand Canyon again. This time, we hiked five of the eight-mile long Rim Trail. We’d already hiked the other three miles of it last November.

In November, there were a few patches of snow on the trail in the shade. That doesn’t sound bad, until you realize that the path is on the edge of the cliff. We were nervous traversing the snow and ice because if we’d slipped it would have been a long way down.

Jeff taking a photo from the Rim Trail, Grand Canyon
In the distance on the Rim Trail, Jeff is using a tripod to take a photograph.

This time, as we hiked on this narrow trail on the edge of a steep drop, I realized it was a good metaphor for keeping your vision on where you want to go. It’s a good thing to be aware of the dangers, so that you can avoid them. But if you focus on them, you’re all too likely to walk right into them.

For instance, we couldn’t look at the beauty of the Canyon and walk at the same time. We had to stop when we wanted to appreciate the view. It was too treacherous to look at the Canyon and keep moving.

When we walked, we had to keep our eyes on the path so we wouldn’t begin to drift towards the drop off, trip on a root, roll our boot on a rock, or lose our balance and fall off the cliff.

The same thing can be said of success. Be aware of the pitfalls so you know what to do to avoid them. Stop and assess them. Plan what to do to deal with them. But when you’re moving, keep your eye on your goal. Focus on it alone. If you don’t, you just may walk right off the cliff.

Are You Ready For A Better Life?

Are You Ready For A Better Life?

When you have a difficult situation arise in your life, does it cause anxiety, fear or depression? That’s a normal reaction, but not one that allows you the creativity and resources you need to find a solution. But there is a solution that will help you deal with difficult situations and feel empowered.

Linda-Ann Stewart, life coach, hypnotherapist and speaker, is presenting a free teleclass to help deal with life’s challenges with a better attitude, which opens the door for greater opportunities of success.  The teleclass will address how you filter new situations through old experiences, which shuts down the possibility of discovering better outcomes. You’ll learn how your thinking can lead you to success or defeat you before you’ve begun.

“I’ll share one simple technique that could transform your life,” Ms. Stewart says. It’s one I’ve used for decades, and have shared with many people.” It’ll shift your attention from the worst case scenario to a more positive possibility. And she’ll explain why it works.

This teleclass will give you insights about transforming your attitude to be more constructive, giving your creative mind more energy to uncover hidden benefits from the challenge you’re facing.

Join Ms. Stewart for the one-hour teleclass, “Create Something Good Out Of Life’s Challenges” on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 5:30 PST. Space is limited. To learn more and to register, visit Linda-AnnStewart.com/creategoodteleclass.html.

“Will the subconcious mind accept negative or false suggestions during hypnosis?”

“Will the subconcious mind accept negative or false suggestions during hypnosis?”

Question: Will the subconscious mind accept negative or false suggestions during hypnosis?

Answer: Your subconscious will accept anything that you tell it and believe to be true. There are many documented cases in which a person with an allergy to a rose, for instance, is hypnotized and told that a plastic flower is a rose. They experience the same allergic symptoms to that plastic flower as they would to a real rose.

However, your subconscious won’t accept suggestions that go against a strong principle or belief for survival. For instance, if you have an imprinted belief that success will harm you in some way, your subconscious will reject any suggestions for success.

In hypnosis, you suggest ideas that currently aren’t so, to create a new reality for yourself. Your subconscious can’t distinguish between what is positive or negative, so be sure to phrase things positively and know what it is you really want.

Copyright 2011 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

“Secrets to Setting An Intention”

“Secrets to Setting An Intention”

by Linda-Ann Stewart

When you set an intention, you’re focusing your energy to create a new behavior, attitude, or experience in your world. You’re saying to yourself, and the Universe, “This is what I want.” The Universe always says, “Yes,” to your goal, for It supports all of your endeavors.

However, your subconscious mind needs to be convinced. It knows your intention, but it will always act on your prevailing thought. Which may not agree with your current desire. It will follow the idea with the most energy behind it, the strongest emotion, and the one that is habitual. To get its cooperation for your change of direction, you have to be completely committed to your desire.

Here are some strategies that can increase your success and make it easier to achieve your goal.

Make a plan and work the plan. You must be focused mentally on your goal, and take steps towards it. Break the goal down into stages, then smaller steps, and each day make one tiny advance in the direction of your dream.

Be specific about what you want. The Universe and your subconscious work best with a clear idea of what you want as your goal. If you want a new car, decide what make,  model, and what color. The Universe always pours good in the form of substance into your life. And your subconscious forms that substance into reality. Your subconscious creates a pattern of that idea, then seeks the way to bring it about.

Use affirmations to support your change of belief and attitude. In this way, you begin to empower your intention and increase its influence in your subconscious. You’re not changing the Universe’s mind with affirmations. Affirmations help to reprogram and expand your subconscious to accept more Universal good. Repeat affirmations for 15 minutes at least once a day that underscore your belief that your goal is possible, that you deserve it, and that doors are now opening for you. State that you now have this goal in your life. This gives your subconscious the model to follow.

Change your thinking and position towards the issue. You may have a deep seated belief that you can’t accomplish it, or that you don’t know what to do. The problem is that you’re entrenched in your old patterns, and can’t see any way out. If all you do is change your attitude to believing the change possible, that will alter the dynamics. You have to break the stalemate that has kept you mired down. Evaluate what you believe about the issue, and find a way to open up the door to a better way of  thinking about it.

Take some action. Any positive action. This shifts the energy and breaks the status quo. It gains the attention of the subconscious, which will then realize that you’re serious about changing. It could simply be exploring classes and sending for information in your interest zone. Or you could go out and start networking. Just create some channel for the good to start flowing to you.

Visualize the end result. You don’t have to figure out “how” it’s going to come to you. That would actually short-circuit the energy. This is different from being specific about what you want, and establishing the steps you’re going to follow. You don’t know how you’ll find the right car, even when you go out and start looking. Although you know what kind of job you want, you can’t know where it’s going to be. Just mentally rehearse how you’ll feel when you achieve and what you’ll be doing. Use all of your senses and imagine it as if it already has happened. And make sure you’re in the visualization, not an observer.

Ask the Universe to establish order. Since you may not know what to do or how to accomplish your goal, ask the Universe to create it in Divine Order. Sometimes, what is best for you isn’t what you think it is. Let go of the concern over the outcome. You don’t have to worry about it. You’ve done your job by focusing on what you want, opening your mind to a greater experience of it, visualizing and taking action. The rest is up to your subconscious and the Universe. The Law of Attraction will take over and do what’s necessary.

These strategies activate all levels of your being: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual, and focuses them on your goal. This increases the power of your intention because all aspects of you are now involved. Every hour, check in and quickly reinforce your commitment to your intention by thinking of the end result. When you successfully follow these steps when you’re setting and following through on an intention, you may be surprised at how quickly it will manifest.

Copyright 2011 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

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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

“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

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“When Self-Image Sabotages Positive Thinking”

“When Self-Image Sabotages Positive Thinking”

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Positive thinking, which powers the Law of Attraction, always works, as long as there isn’t anything that conflicts with it. Some of those sabotaging issues are ones you know about, such as focusing on what you don’t have (instead of what you want), verbally negating the positive, and old programming conflicts. But one of the main reasons it doesn’t fulfill expectations is due to having a self-image that contradicts your positive focus.

Self-image is a combination of self-worth, self-esteem and self-acceptance. If your self-image doesn’t agree with your conscious affirmative thinking, then your subconscious won’t allow it to manifest. Your subconscious makes sure that what you attract into your life is consistent with what you believe about yourself. If you try to change the outer experience before changing the inner attitudes, your subconscious will short-circuit your positive thinking efforts.

Here are three of the ways a negative self-image can undermine your constructive thinking:

1. Guilt.

There are a couple of ways this can express in your life. Both tie up energy and focus.

The first way guilt can affect you is if you’re acting or thinking in a way that violates your values. For instance, if you consider yourself to be diligently honest, but you cheat on your taxes, this could set up a niggling feeling of guilt. You’ve ignored your values, and your subconscious knows that. So you unconsciously punish yourself by not getting that raise you want. The solution for this is to find where you’re going against your values and change it.

The other way is outdated feelings of guilt that aren’t valid anymore. You could still be feeling bad for stepping on your classmate’s hand in kindergarten. If something happened a long time ago, and you’ve learned the lesson from it, then this type of guilt no longer serves you. It has fulfilled its purpose. Stop punishing yourself by forgiving yourself and move on.

2. Standards and values.

You may have standards and values that conflict with what you’re affirming. For instance, you consider yourself to be honest and generous, and believe the rich to be selfish and corrupt. If you want to be wealthy, that would mean that you’d have to become selfish and corrupt, which would be inconsistent with your values. Your subconscious won’t allow that kind of incongruity.

You could also have old standards that prevent your achieving more. For instance, you want to earn more money, but you feel you shouldn’t make more money than your father or your husband. Not only would this be putting an unrealistic limit on your goal, it could prevent you from achieving it at all. Assess your standards and decide if they’re appropriate for you and and your goals. Some of those values are holdovers from past generations and need to be adjusted.

3. False beliefs about yourself.

Do you believe that you’re unworthy, undeserving, or unlovable? That’s a false belief. Evaluate anywhere you feel bad about yourself, and track it back to where it began. Usually the feeling got rooted in childhood, and was never challenged. Challenge it now. Consider where you’ve been successful, complimented, or appreciated. Those times could be more recent and more objective than the original events. Instead of focusing on the past lies that tear you down, fill your mind with all the constructive opinions that build you up. Stand up to your own self-criticism and let your power unfold.

Although a negative self-image can short-circuit positive thinking, the good news is that your self-image can be changed. Affirmation, visualization, and action in a constructive direction will reap great rewards. When your self-image is consistent with your positive thinking, you’ll get the results you want.

Affirmation

I know that positive thinking works, because what thought has created, thought can change. My thoughts are now changing to be in alignment with my goals. I now release anything that sabotages the good that I consciously choose. I forgive myself for past mistakes. I now update my standards and values to reflect what I feel is important. I recognize my true worth, and  focus on the positive about myself. As I improve my self-image, and act accordingly, it becomes easier for me to achieve my goals.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A nationally known speaker, life coach, hypnotherapist, and writer, Linda-Ann Stewart helps people rediscover their power and sense of self-worth. Visit Secrets To The Law Of Attraction to download your copy of this free ebook.

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“10 Steps to Turbo-Charge Your New Year’s Resolutions”

“10 Steps to Turbo-Charge Your New Year’s Resolutions”

by Linda-Ann Stewart

This is a time of year when many people establish New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives in some way. And generally within weeks, if not days, they give up on their good intentions and go back to their old ways, feeling like nothing can ever change. Most people just don’t know how to set a goal and achieve it. Here are ten steps that you can use to manifest any desire you have.

1. Write down everything you want to change in your life.

I mean everything, from your weight to your mom stopping her nitpicking, increased income to putting up that little picture you got at the flea market. Big and small, write them all down. Take a small note pad with you to catch the ones you think of in the supermarket or at work. Add them to your master list.

2. Prioritize the importance of each one.

First, go through and eliminate the desires that you have no power to change, like your father’s health, or the state of the economy. With what’s left, give each one a number from one to ten to establish its importance, with one being very important, and ten being least important. Take the ones you rated a one or two, and again assign each a number of importance. Whittle them down to a few really strong desires.

3. Pick the most important one to focus on.

Choose one goal to work on. It would be nice if you could stop smoking, lose weight, start exercising, and quit biting your nails all at once, but that’s not realistic. Your subconscious can only handle so much change at once.

4. Write down why you want to achieve that goal.

What are the reasons and motivations you have for the realization of that desire? Why do you want to eat healthier? Is it to feel better, live a longer life, or to continue to be there for someone close to you? Get detailed because this is your driving force, your power for change.

5. Write down the steps you need to take to accomplish your desire.

Under each step, note down micro-steps. For instance, to lose weight, you could write, “Diet.” But what does that mean? Eat more fruits and vegetables, eliminate sweets, reduce calories or carbohydrates or simply eat less at each meal? You could then decide on various meals to prepare or foods to have on hand.

6. Be willing to do whatever is necessary to attain your goal.

That is, within reason, legal and moral. You may have to do things that stretch you out of your comfort zone, or that are difficult in the short term. But keep your attention on why you want it, and your subconscious will take your commitment and make it easier to reach.

7. Read your reasons and goal out loud at least three times a day.

This will help keep you energized and enthusiastic. Reading your goal keeps your subconscious focused on what you want. Visualize that you’ve accomplished it, and affirm that you have achieved it. You may not know how it’s going to come about, but your subconscious knows just what to do.

8. Take some action towards your goal each day.

Even if it’s the same thing you did yesterday, take one of the micro-steps you’ve chosen. This helps to convince your subconscious that you really do want the goal, and aren’t just daydreaming about it. And the action also sends out energy to attract what you may need to manifest your goal.

9. If you reach a dead end, ask the Universe for guidance.

You’re not in this all by yourself. At any point, from setting the goal to its actual manifestation, ask the Universe for direction and be open for any impulses or nudges.

10. Be grateful for the fulfillment of your goal.

You can have what you desire, through the power of your Higher Mind. Even before you see the completion in your life, you have received it. Thanking the Universe for Its help, guidance and success of your desire communicates to your subconscious. The subconscious uses the power of that emotion, and the feeling of conclusion to create your desire.

If you seem to resist doing any of these steps, or the goal isn’t manifesting, ask the Universe if you’re blocking it for some reason. If you are, find a way to deal with that and move forward. You could also be trying to force it, instead of trusting your subconscious to manifest it. That’s why the gratitude step is so important. This encourages you to let go of the worry and doubt, and let the Universe and your subconscious mind handle the details.

Affirmation

I can have anything I desire through the power of my Higher Mind. My creative mind knows just what to do and how to do it to accomplish my goal. I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to make this positive change in my life. I keep my mind focused on my goal, and take the steps necessary for the fulfillment of my desire. I trust my creative mind, and the Universe, to take care of the details and bring me whatever I need to realize my desire.

Copyright 2009 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Book Review – “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”

Book Review – “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind”

The Power of Your Subconscious MindThe Power Of Your Subconscious Mind
by Joseph Murphy

This book has been one of my inspirations over the years. It was one of the first books I read about the subconscious mind. It addresses how your subconscious mind works, how affirmations work to transform your life. It has chapters dealing with various aspects of life, and how to change them. It is a classic, and is a very easy read.

Many years ago, I took a cab to a conference, and started talking with the cab driver. It turned out that he used this book as his bible. I’ve heard this same sentiment from many other people over the years. I keep returning to this book time and time again, whenever I need to align myself with my Source.