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Filling the Well of Your Mind, Part 1

Filling the Well of Your Mind, Part 1

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Sometime in your past, you may have started to make a change in your life. You might have started to paint your house, lose weight, or work on a project. And like most people, you probably lost your passion for it pretty quickly. Although you launched your attempt with enthusiasm, the day-to-day reality of it eroded away the excitement, and it became a bullet point on your list of “good intentions.”

Zig Ziglar, legendary speaker, said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” For some reason, people believe that once you’ve been exposed to a concept, or a new belief, or begun a new process of change, it should just keep going like the Energizer Bunny. They think it should develop a life of its own, be self-sustaining and propel itself with its own momentum.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. You have to keep refreshing your motives, and reminding yourself of the benefits of your goal. To continue to move forward, you have to keep your emotional fire stoked to provide it with energy. It’s like exercising, sleeping, or eating. They need to be done each day to keep your physical body strong and healthy. If you go without any of them for a day or more, you’re going to notice their absence by feeling weaker and confused.

The same is true of motivation and even optimism. They have to be nourished and nutured each day, too. If you go too long between jolts of inspiration, you tend to run out of steam. I’ve known people to burn out because they thought they could coast on their original motivation and desire. They soon ran out of juice and lost focus. You have to fill your inner well frequently and consistently to be able to continue to progress.

Years ago, I wanted to begin a walking program, but I couldn’t get myself motivated to get started. So I cut out articles about how walking was beneficial, and read those articles every day. Within a week, I was eager to begin my training. Whenever I felt like quitting, I just read those articles and remembered how much better I felt after a walk.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

How do I use self-hypnosis to change a habit?

How do I use self-hypnosis to change a habit?

Question: How do I use self-hypnosis to change a habit?

Answer: Congratulations on wanting to change your life. Self-hypnosis can help you change a habit or quit something, but it takes dedication and commitment on your part.

For instance, I’ve had many smokers come to see me, saying “I really don’t want to quit. I want to want to quit.” In this case, they don’t have the commitment to stop smoking. They want a magic pill that will make it go away. Self-hypnosis makes the process of changing or quitting easier, it doesn’t make the choices for you.

Whatever it is that you want to change, you could decide what it is that you want instead of it. You could use an abstract, like greater self-respect or pride, or you could substitute something more concrete, like a carrot stick or green tea.

Once a day, in self-hypnosis, you imagine the desire for ‘whatever’ transferred to what you really want, and imagine yourself satisfied and delighted with the new substitute or abstract. Then, during your waking hours, whenever you think of the ‘whatever,’ you say to yourself, “No, I don’t do that anymore. Instead, I’m choosing ….”

The change won’t happen overnight, and you will have to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to letting go of the habit or making the change, no matter what happens. And you may have to practice your self-hypnosis up to three times a day in the beginning.

Copyright 2004, 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #3 Going the Extra Mile

Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich” #3 Going the Extra Mile

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” explains about the benefits of going the extra mile. This a habit of leaders and has marked the turning point of successful people. He gives a formula for it and says that this is the habit you need must follow to advance in your life.




~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Live According To Your Values

Live According To Your Values

When you live according to what is important to you, you’re living in tune with your deepest self. Discovering what your values are helps you to make wiser decisions. Learn 6 ways to clarify your values and gain the sense of fulfillment living according to them gives you.



Napoleon Hill – “Think and Grow Rich” #2 The Master Mind Principle

Napoleon Hill – “Think and Grow Rich” #2 The Master Mind Principle

In this rare video, Napoleon Hill, author of “Think and Grow Rich,” explains about the power of the Master Mind principle and alliance. He gives three steps to do to establish what you want in the area of success. “Your mental attitude is the only thing over which you have complete control,” he says. You are the only person who can limit you.


~ Linda-Ann Stewart

Be True To Yourself, Part 2

Be True To Yourself, Part 2

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Living up to your values isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can be inconvenient and difficult, such as trying to carve out family time from a busy professional life. But if you try to rationalize and ignore your standards, because it’s expedient in the situation, you’ll create internal strife and tension. When you violate your values, you feel abandoned, because you’ve betrayed your deepest self.

Honoring your values builds empowerment and self-worth. By supporting what you feel is important, you validate yourself and your choices. You feel good about yourself, feeling more whole and complete. By taking action on what you feel is right for you, you build a sense of self-respect. You approve of yourself and your actions.

When you live in alignment with your standards, then you feel worthy of happiness, abundance, joy, and all good. You’re more open to the Universal flow of good. There is less inner resistance to it and you feel more deserving of it. Other people recognize that you’re more in tune with yourself, and are drawn to you. And because you can trust yourself, they’ll be able to trust you. Other people know what to expect from you and will respect you for that.

Learning what your values are helps you to make better decisions. You can ask yourself, “Does this allow me to support my values?” and “Does this violate my values?” Sometimes, the choice to follow your heart can be difficult in the short term. You may have to sacrifice something you want so that you’re in alignment with your deepest self. But the long term rewards for being true to yourself are beyond measure.

Affirmation

I recognize and honor the values that I cherish. When I need to make a choice, I consider what’s important to me. Even if it’s a difficult choice, I realize that it’s worth it. My values are unique to me and I deserve to live in alignment with them. As I’m true to myself, I open to more Universal good of abundance, happiness, and joy.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Be True To Yourself, Part 1

Be True To Yourself, Part 1

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Shakespeare said, “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” When you are true to yourself, you follow certain values that you live your life by.

A moral is “You must be honest,” and are generally dictated by culture, society or religion. But when you’re working on your income tax return, you might feel that you’re entitled to keep the money that you’ve earned. In this case, your value would be that any way to elude the regulations is ok, so that you keep what you believe is rightfully yours. Values are core beliefs that you have accepted or created and they direct your actions and decisions.

Values are also attitudes and behaviors that you’ve consciously decided are important to you. They motivate you to act in constructive ways. They might have been inspired by others, but they are ideas that you have chosen to live by. What they aren’t are ideas that have been imposed on you or you think you should have.

For instance, if you enjoy being an omnivore (eating meat and vegetables), and your friends pressure you into being a vegetarian, that’s not a value that you’ve chosen for yourself. And you’ll probably eventually return to what resonates with you. Some values are created by fear, such as, “Don’t rock the boat,” or “Be invisible.” These are constrictive and don’t allow you to expand into your potential.

A positive core value would be one such as honesty, independence, empathy, order, personal power, risk taking, family time and similar concepts. When you uphold your values and live accordingly, you feel fulfilled and authentic. However, when you aren’t true to yourself, or violate your individual values, you feel anxious and out of sorts. You probably feel guilty because you’ve violated what you cherish.

For instance, if you value honesty, you can’t shoplift or steal from another. For Anabel, honesty was a core value. As a teenager, she accidentally walked out of a store with a candy bar. In a store across the mall, she realized what she’d done. She went directly back to the original store, explained what had happened and paid for it. Rather than taking the easy way out and just keeping the candy, she took action on what she valued. If she hadn’t, she would have violated what she held dear.

Copyright 2013 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

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

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

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.

Copyright 2001, 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

Attitude Makes All The Difference – By the Amazing Zig Ziglar

Attitude Makes All The Difference – By the Amazing Zig Ziglar

The amazing motivational speaker and thought leader, Zig Ziglar, passed away this week at 86 years of age. He taught millions about the fundamentals of sales, success and how attitude makes all the difference. He didn’t even begin his career as a motivational speaker until he was in his 40’s.

As a speaker, he encouraged others to believe in themselves. Ziglar emphasized that a positive attitude must be followed up by action before success could be achieved. To listen to his inspiring podcasts, visit http://zigziglar.libsyn.com/

In this video, he tells the story of a woman who complained about her job, changed her attitude about it, and changed her life.


Change Takes Time

Change Takes Time

Change is a part of life. But it doesn’t happen all at once. When you were in school, you learned a little at a time, and built on what you knew. The same is true of life. Discover how you can improve this process and speed up your ability to change.


Copyright 2012 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved