Affirmations in Life

Louise Hay, founder of Hay House Publishing and author of several Law of Attraction books, is a firm believer in the use of affirmations. By her definition, an affirmation is any statement that we say or think–whether positive or negative. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines affirmation as follows: Something affirmed; a positive assertion. We, too, may benefit from the use of affirmations.

How do we effectively form and use affirmations? It’s easy, really. Our affirmations must always be phrased positively, and always in the present tense. The powerful influence that affirmations have on the subconscious lies in repetition; so it’s to our advantage to use them frequently. They should be stated in a relaxed and positive manner, without stress. We will also benefit by writing them down and referring to them daily. As an example regarding wealth, we might say: Money comes to me easily and frequently, from known and unknown sources. We would not affirm: I am not poor; for doing so would only give focus to lack and poverty.

For those who are new to the concept of affirmations, the previous sentence regarding money may seem ridiculous. You may think: But I am poor! Do you want me to lie to myself? No; I don’t. I do, however, want to encourage you to tell yourself a new truth, to help you create the life that you desire. Understanding a concept of Law of Attraction teachings will help: What we sense in our apparently outer world–through our five senses–is an effect of past thoughts, feelings, and habits. If we continue to focus on effects, the future that we’ll create will look very much the same! But, when we deliberately control what we’re thinking now, we’re dealing with creation at the level of cause. It may help if we imagine this as seeding the garden of our mind with new desires; rather than watering what has already manifested. With patient persistence, and action based on our new way of being in the world, our results will change. They must.

Why, you might ask, must I phrase affirmations in the positive? Because we create most effectively by focusing on what’s desired while letting that which is undesired wither and fall away. Consider this: Don’t think of a pink elephant. What just came to mind? A pink elephant, of course. Although this example may seem nonsensical, it helps us understand the logic involved when you consider affirming “I am not overweight.” In this example, what would have just entered your mind? Being overweight. For someone who desired to be slim or more fit, such an affirmation would obviously be unwise to program into the mind. The same logic holds true for every aspect of our life.

As you incorporate affirmations into your life, you’ll receive intuitive guidance regarding action required to manifest your desires. Such guidance might take the form of the repeated mention of a book; words of advice from a friend or colleague; or a symbolic message that keeps entering your awareness. Whatever the form, you’ll intuitively know whether taking such actions feels right. When this occurs, it’s imperative to follow through by taking a step. Even a little one! Doing so will make all the difference. And it will strengthen your faith to continue taking step…after step…after step.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

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), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡

Susie’s Going to Be Late!

“I’m going to be late! I’m going to be late! Susie just knows it! She can feel it in every fiber of her being. She’s been late for as long as she can remember. She arrived late at her graduation party; she’s almost always a few minutes late for work; and she was even late to her best friend’s wedding! It’s just the way she is…or so she thinks.

What Susie isn’t aware of, is that it’s not by accident that she’s habitually late. The pattern of her behaviour began a long time ago, when she was just a little child. Her mother unintentionally reinforced her behaviour by repeatedly saying, “Well, our late little girl finally decided to make an appearance!” Her father also contributed to the programming by kidding that Susie would even “show up late to her own life!” Teachers, too, played their roles.

Susie’s also unaware that her subconscious mind has been eavesdropping on what she’s been telling herself. From every thought, word, and experience, it has formed the paradigms (collection of beliefs) that are governing almost every aspect of her life. Whenever Susie thinks she has allowed lots of time to prepare for work or a special occasion, her subconscious mind directs her to begin a minor task that will just take a few minutes; or convinces her to underestimate the time required to travel a certain distance; or trick her into forgetting to set her alarm. It has a multitude of ways of delivering the results that Susie secretly believes.

Susie’s not alone; for all of us live with our unique paradigms. It’s part of life. And just as Susie knows that she’s going to be late, Elizabeth knows she’ll never find the man of her dreams; Ralph knows he’ll never be able to shed those extra pounds; Beverley knows her new business will probably fail like; and Tim knows that he’s an absolute klutz, especially when under stress. What none of them realize, is that as long as they keep reinforcing the same thought patterns, they’re going to keep manifesting the same results!

For anything new to occur, we have to change our thinking and claim our right to govern. There’s no diety floating on a cloud and dictating that this will occur first, and then that. Now, here’s a question to consider: Are we going to learn how to think differently and engage our power of imagination, or continue to be late for the wonderful life we deserve?

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

It Just “Is”

Today’s article is going to help anyone to create better life experiences. Guaranteed. The method is free, is easy to use, and will bring immediate results. With a little practice, it has the potential to dramatically change the quality of our life. I’m going to use a real-life experience to share my message:

It’s raining today, at least where I live. Grey clouds are hanging over town as though they might stay forever. They won’t. It was under these conditions that I ran some errands this morning. At the checkout of one of the stores I visited, the woman behind the counter glanced out the front window and remarked, “What a crappy day.” I replied, “Well, it’s raining, that’s for sure.” She made another statement about ducks liking this kind of weather.

I realize that such comments are often intended as conversations starters, which is wonderful because it engages people and provides an opportunity to share. Also, I’m not judging the woman as being right or wrong for her dislike of rainy weather; she just made a comment that felt appropriate for her. I would, however, like to offer an alternative way of looking at life.

We who desire to learn more about the Law of Attraction, and how to manifest more effectively, understand that what we’re habitually telling our subconscious mind literally “matters.” We know that positive or negative thought patterns create according to their nature. We realize, too, that underlying programming gives context to everything we experience. In other words, telling ourselves that a rainy day equates to a “crappy day” creates a crappy day. It’s just the way it is. Anyone who lives with a rainy day mentality is inviting negative influences to other aspects of their day. This is logical. The experience has been labeeled, as though carved in stone, with little or no awareness that it could be labelled otherwise.

My message today also relates to freedom. Such freedom is available here and now when we break free of the mind’s incessant need to label. Can we allow life to just be? Could a situation, event, or circumstance just be what it is? The benefits of living in this manner are tremendous, but they’re dependent on our effort. Every time we deliberately practice allowing, we disempower our old limiting programs and invite a brighter life experience. We’ll discover that it’s actually possible to enjoy a rainy day. The air will feel vibrant and fresh, cleansed by the rain that once seemed a curse!

As we dig deeper within, we’ll unearth more labels, which may no longer seem relevant to what’s currently occurring. No one, including me, will deny that certain situations are more challenging, for many labels are deeply ingrained. Still, our new practice holds value. By detaching ourselves from our mind’s habitual narrative, we may also discover our higher self, the witness. From this perspective, we’re grounded in the very core of our Being; rather than upon the shifting sands of effects.

Can you imagine catching yourself the next time you’re about to automatically label this as good or that as bad? The practice has the potential to transform your life. And with just a little observation, you’ll understand that a thought is only creative when empowered with attention. The upshot is that you’ll find yourself consciously attracting more of the good you desire, from within.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

What Are You Telling Yourself?

So, you’re running late for an appointment, and you’re ready to leave your home when you realize that you’ve misplaced the keys to your car. If you’re like the majority of people, you’ll begin a mad search; looking on the top of your dresser, the key holder at the entrance to your home, or your purse or pockets. As the minutes tick by, and you feel the mounting pressure to leave, there will most likely be an interior dialogue squawking in the background of your mind that might sound like the following:

“Oh, God, I’m never going to find these keys!”
“I’m going to be late; I just know it!”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense!”
“I can’t see them! Why can’t I see them?”
“This is just like me! I’m so stupid!
“Today of all days!”

If any of that dialogue sounds familiar you’re not alone. Is that dialogue harmless? Hardly, and here’s why. What we habitually tell ourselves is a reflection of our inner thoughts. Those inner thoughts are creating our future. In effect, we’re programming our reality in much the same way that a computer is programmed. There’s an well-known phrase in the computing world that states: garbage in; garbage out. It means that the success of the computer system will only be as good as what’s programmed into it. Humans are no different!

How the above dialogue actually brings an effect in our real world is simple. For every time that we tell ourselves “I can’t find my keys!” we’re programming the mind not to alert us to the keys even if they’re actually there. A little proof of the above, which many may have experienced, is when someone–perhaps a spouse or partner, proceeds to look in the very same drawer or coat pocket that we have just searched. Exasperated, we say that we’ve already looked there, only to have the person triumphantly shout that he/she found the keys…in the exact place that we had already searched!

Why could this actually happen so often? The answer, which I can’t prove, is simple to understand. The spouse/partner is using a different program, one with very different dialogue playing in the background. In fact, the person may take great delight in finding something that we couldn’t find. Chances are the helper was thinking: “I know I can find those keys; I know I can.”

The good news is that we can change our programming, by conscious effort. We can program ourselves in ways that are beneficial to us in every aspect of our life. It doesn’t take a genius to realize the difference that positive internal dialogue could make regarding a new business, a weight loss program, an exercise plan, or a new skill that we’re trying to master.

What we’re telling ourselves literally matters, as the events and circumstances of our life. This practice is worth putting to the text the next time you misplace your keys. Just tell yourself something positive.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Tag: Self Talk

Affirmations in Life

Susie’s Going to Be Late!

It Just “Is”

What Are You Telling Yourself?

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