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Changing Your Life With Affirmations, Self-Talk, and Autosuggestion

Changing Your Life With Affirmations, Self-Talk, and Autosuggestion

I’ve heard some people assert that affirmations don’t work for them, or that they don’t believe in them. Unfortunately, this attitude comes from a misunderstanding about what affirmations are, what they do and how to use them.

Affirmations aren’t a magic wand that will make things change in the blink of an eye. They’re simply a deliberate, constructive use of a process that you’re already using. You talk to yourself all the time, either giving yourself positive feedback or putting yourself down. It’s called self-talk. Affirmations are a way of reprogramming your self-talk.

These statements to yourself are also considered to be autosuggestions. You’re giving yourself hypnotic directives all the time by your self-talk. Napoleon Hill wrote about this concept in his book, “Think And Grow Rich.”

No matter what you call your inner statements, you’re instructing your subconscious mind on what you want. You either do it consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or habitually. The only way to change those directives, and their results, is to change what you say to yourself.

That’s why using affirmations in a specific and regular way makes changes in your life. But you have to use them consistently because that’s the only way to change the way you’ve been thinking.

If you were on a freeway, you wouldn’t expect to go in the opposite direction without braking, stopping, crossing to the opposite lanes, and then accelerating to merge with traffic. Any other action could be disastrous.

You’ve built up momentum going in one direction. And you have to slow down before you can change course. Committing to your decision is vital. If you make a sharp turn on the freeway, while driving at 75 mph, you’re inviting an accident.

It’s the same with autosuggestion. You have to work to slow your old thinking down (braking), and then turn it around to believe something different. As with driving, you move in the direction of your attention.

No matter whether you call it affirmation, positive self-talk, or autosuggestion, the process of changing the quality of your attention is the same. Consistently focus your mind on what you want. That will change your life.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Identify With Your Good

Identify With Your Good

by Linda-Ann Stewart

I once heard someone say, “If you’re not successful, then you’re really working hard at not being successful.” Success, health, happiness, harmonious relationships, creativity are natural states. The Universe always pours all that you need for good into your life.

If you’re not experiencing what you desire, your mind is actively restricting it. The way you feel towards your life, the beliefs based on those feelings, flow forth in statements that limit the expression of your natural resource of good.

“I am a failure,” “I’m sick,” “I can’t do it,” “I don’t belong here.” These are feelings that you have based on past experiences. However, when you identify with these statements, you’re telling the Universe that this is what you continue to want. Whatever you identify with becomes your self-image. Your experience of life has to be consistent with your image of yourself.

A person who wants to be a success, but feels that they can’t do anything right, will sabotage achieving their desires. When you want something better in your life, and it conflicts with your self-image, you undermine your ability to have it.

Whatever you focus on, that’s what you’re telling your Mind that you want. Watch your words. You are literally instructing the Universe what to give you. The silent messages you say to yourself about yourself, the things you say to others, these reinforce the outdated picture you have of yourself.

As a child, you may have been told that you wouldn’t amount to anything. That was a lie. You are an expression of the Universe, and the Universe has all the power within It to create galaxies. The lie was to keep you from remembering that you have the power within you.

One of my clients was a beautiful woman, inside and out. When she was young, her mother convinced her that she was ugly and no one would ever love her. My client changed her self-image when she realized the untruth of that statement, and she began to attract people who valued and appreciated her.

Many times people will fight to hold onto their old self-concept, even when they want something better. Jerry was an artist whose sculptures were critically acclaimed. However, he wasn’t making much money from them, and wanted to be more prosperous. He identified with being a “starving artist,” and was disdainful of those artists who were financially successful.

Because he refused to release his anger at other creatives, and continued to visualize himself as poor, he never realized the wealth that the Universe was urging on him. You can’t have more good without opening the floodgates within, and discharging self-limitations.

What are you identifying with? How do you see yourself? Do you believe that you’re a person who deserves good? What ideas are you acting on that counter what you desire? Notice the “I am” statements you make. They will show you what your self-image is. You can change those declarations by simply stating the opposite every time you catch yourself thinking something negative.

Eventually, the feelings behind the old ideas will transform, because you’re telling them the truth about yourself. Imagine that you have achieved what you want. Now imagine how you’d act, what you’d say to yourself, how you’d dress, what kind of people you’d associate with. What else would be changed in your life?

By aligning your words and ideas with that of a successful person, you can then begin to identify with the good the Universe has been pouring into your life. The floodgates will open, and your life will be overflowing with the goodness that is your natural state.

Copyright 2000, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Are the personal growth methods teaching different things?

Are the personal growth methods teaching different things?

Question: With all the self-development and personal growth methods available, are they all teaching something different?

Answer: Whether it’s yoga, est, reiki, hypnotherapy, EFT, affirmations or whatever, all spiritual development techniques have a similar goal in mind. That goal is to help you open yourself up to a greater flow of Spirit.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical, mental or emotional method, it’s designed to change your conception of yourself, your body or your world. That change helps to release resistance to allowing more of Universal good into your life.

They may go about it differently, and state it differently, but when you change your perspective, and have an intention to spiritually evolve, the result is more joy, peace and harmony.

Copyright 2003, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Understanding Fosters Forgiveness

Understanding Fosters Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a powerful process that brings you freedom and peace of mind. But sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. When you’re able to understand what prompted the person to hurt you, this can begin to heal your wound. Discover some different ways of looking at the situation that can give you valuable information and guidance to heal.

Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

A Story About Setting An Intention

A Story About Setting An Intention

Recently, Jeff and I visited Phoenix, 120 miles away. I had a meeting and we planned to do some shopping. The afternoon was forecasted to be stormy, but I hoped the rain would hold off until we were on our way home in the early evening.

We were pretty lucky. The rain held off all afternoon. As Jeff shut the car door after our next-to-last stop, it started to rain. By the time we pulled out of the parking place, it was pouring.

We still had one stop to make, to get gas, which would have been interesting with the continuous lightning. But we drove out of that storm cell, and were able to stay dry while we got gas.

Our route remained dry most of the way home. Lightning lit the clouds all around us on our trip. About 30 minutes from home, we noticed a bunch of brake lights up ahead on the freeway. We slowed down, and as we got closer we noticed lots of cars pulled off to the side of the road.

As we got to the area, we realized that the ground and road were covered with hail. There were a few hailstones still falling, but nothing like what had created this hazard. We must have missed that storm by just a minute or so. A couple of miles further, we drove out of the precipitation.

Just a few miles from home, we drove through some rain and a few hailstones. But it was dry when we got home. We unloaded the car, and not fifteen minutes later, it started to pour. We were very fortunate to have ducked most of the storms that day and evening.

When I heard the weather report for our trip, I’d set my intention to stay dry while in and out of the car in Phoenix. For the most part, it happened. Do I believe I changed the weather? No. Especially since so many thousands of people in our drought ridden state wanted it to rain.

However, I believe my intention affected our timing. If we’d been in that last shop for 10 seconds more, we would have been drenched. We missed the hailstorm by seconds, and got home minutes before the storm hit. We weren’t able to avoid all of the storms, but we dodged most of them and the most damaging ones.

When you set an intention, you bring all the force and direction of your creative mind to bear on a situation. It can make you aware of opportunities, or inspire you to make a contact. Or it can affect your timing so that you return home safely during a day of storms.

Book Review – “Beyond Postive Thinking”

Book Review – “Beyond Postive Thinking”

“Beyond Positive Thinking:
A No-Nonsense Formula For Getting The Results You Want”
by Dr. Robert Anthony

This book a step-by-step process for “right thinking” rather than “positive thinking.” It doesn’t pull any punches regarding why you do the things you do that sabotage your goals. And it specifically tells you want to do about them, so you can achieve your dreams.

This is a users manual for the Law of Attraction. Beginning with the basics of self-esteem, it dives deeply into all the aspects of what could block you from your desires. It addresses the obstacles you encounter and suggests solutions for them.

This is one of the best books I’ve found that explains how to go about creating the life you want. It doesn’t just give you steps to follow, but instructs you on strategies and time-tested techniques. He explains how to use affirmations, intentions, visualization and more.

It’s written in a very clear and understandable manner, directly addressing what to do and why. It’s tightly packed with information, explanations and exercises to change your thoughts and reframe your beliefs.

You’ll need to read this book over and over again, because you won’t be able to absorb all of it in a single reading. If you want to change your mind to change your life, read this book.

Lesson Learned: Creativity Feeds The Soul

Lesson Learned: Creativity Feeds The Soul

I love weaving and embroidery, but have been so focused on work that I haven’t had time for either for a very long time. Also, my loom is in storage because it’s too big for our condo. So I’ve spent my free time hiking and doing other enjoyable things. But it hasn’t been the same or given me the same fulfillment.

Recently, I took a class that included doing a little bit of simple embroidery on some felt. I didn’t finish it in class but worked on it a few days later. Unfortunately, I found out that the embroidery floss supplied by the class was about 6 inches too short to finish the project.

I had to wait for several weeks until we went to a nearby city to get the needed embroidery thread. During that time, the project sat on the table, as a reminder that it needed to be completed. Every time I went by and glanced at it, I got a thrill of joy, excitement and satisfaction. The same feelings I had when I actually worked on it.

I realized that I needed to make the time to do some of the fiber handiwork that feeds my soul. Eventually, I need to find a smaller loom. Until then, I’m designing an embroidery project that will satisfy my need to create.

And I wasn’t the only one in my life to come to this conclusion. A friend of mine loves music and hasn’t been able to play her piano for quite some time. A few days ago, she went to play it, and once again discovered how it makes her heart sing. She’s committed herself to practicing again because it’s so important to her emotional health.

Creativity helps keep a person young and their brains active. It’s when we block our creativity that we begin to shrivel up inside.

What creative pursuit have you abandoned to focus on family, work, or other pastimes? How can you begin to include that activity in your life again? When you do, it will enhance your relationships, reduce stress, and give you more energy because you’re being authentic and attending to your soul’s needs.

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.

“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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“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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