Remember with me…now, to when we were little children, perhaps six, seven, or eight years of age. At that time, someone we knew–perhaps a good friend or relative–may have told us a ghost story. Listening intently, we felt our muscles tighten, shivers run down our spine, and our breath tighten as we imagined ghosts in the attic, the creak of doors opening by invisible forces, or a sudden frostiness in darkened halls. In spite of being frightened, we may have soon begged to hear another.

What we didn’t realize at the time, was that our body was creating real reactions to those fictitious ghosts. Now, of course, we know that the ghosts–the ones with eyeballs dangling from empty sockets, severed body parts, and oooohhhh-sounding voices–aren’t real; but at the time we believed they were. And because of that, our hearts beat faster, our eyes dilated, and the rate of our breathing increased. Our bodies reacted as though those ghosts were real. And the point of this article is?

This: That even though the ghost stories are long gone, we’re still telling stories. They’re just different. In fact, we’re telling them to ourselves every day. The stories we tell now most likely revolve around health, wealth, family, careers, and relationships. They also relate to what we imagine is possible or impossible for us. We’re telling ourselves: I am this, or I am that. I can or I can’t. Life always works out for me, or I was born to lose! I’m unlovable, ugly, and poor; or I’m lovable, beautiful, and rich! And as a consequence of the nature of stories we’re telling–some of which may be very scary–we experience correlating positive or negative consequences. For example:

Every time we tell ourselves illness-based stories, our bodies react by matching what we’re telling ourselves–perhaps by delivering more aches and pains, or another health issue to be investigated. The body might deliver the ache first, but it is we who add to the story by thinking, “Oh, there’s that ache again. Could it be…?” Conversely, if it’s a health-based story, we have nothing to do but enjoy the harmonious ease with which our body functions. For every time that we tell ourselves a poverty-based story, our subconscious mind delivers a way to fritter away money, turn down a great job opportunity, or instill another belief that we are destined to be poor. A prosperity-based story, of course, functions by motivating us to create the results that match that type of story. It’s just the way this reality works. The sad part is that many people don’t realize that results are directly related to the type of thoughts we engage. This will make more sense when we realize that it wasn’t real ghosts that frightened us as little children; it was merely the thought of ghosts that created the effects. The point? That thought was–and still is–the power.

Consider this: Do you believe that repeatedly telling yourself “I’m having a crappy day” makes any difference to the quality of your experience? Do you believe that thinking “I’ll never find a wonderful partner” can help you find that great relationship? Do you believe that saying “I’m broke, and I’m always going to be broke” can help you effectively manage your finances? Amidst even the most chaotic and unsettling circumstances, we may tell ourselves the most amazing story–through our thought commentary–and maintain our calm center. Émile Coué, a french psychologist and pharmacist (1857 – 1926), realized the importance of what we’re habitually telling ourselves. A firm believer in the power of autosuggestion, he coined the well-known expression: Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”

So how do we make a better life? By realizing that the type of story we’re telling ourselves can transform our lives! If we want to be scared, we can focus on a fear-based and negative story lines. If, however, we desire a wonderful life, we would be wise to make great health, wealth, success, peace, and joy the underlying theme. To empower ourselves even more, we might use wording such as “I am strong, confident, powerful, courageous, and whole.” It’s our book of life. We are the author. We owe it to ourselves to tell a good story…now. Don’t you think?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Copyright © – 2020 – R. Arthur Russell

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. May it help you in your spiritual journey. 🙏🙏

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”