Simple Ways to Condition Your Mind For Success
Whether you want to believe it or not, your thoughts do create your reality. Everything begins with a thought and even the smallest one can transform into something very powerful. It is important to closely monitor your thoughts and take an active role in rejecting old negative programming. There is no such thing as an insignificant negative thought. All negative thoughts have the power to implant fear, doubt, and insecurity into the mind regardless of how big or small it may seem. Here is a quote from one of my favorite books "Warrior of the Light" by Paulo Coelho that I feel demonstrates the importance of keeping a close eye on your thoughts:
"The Warrior of the Light pays attention to small things because they can severely hamper him.
A thorn, however tiny, can cause a traveler to halt. A tiny invisible cell can destroy a healthy organism. The memory of a past moment of fear allows cowardice to be reborn with each new morning. A fraction of a second opens the way for enemy's fatal blow.
The Warrior is attentive to the small things. Sometimes he is hard on himself, but he prefers to act in this way. "The devil is in the details," says an old proverb." (pg 49 Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho)
It is time to live like a Warrior of the Light and start paying very close attention to the "little things" or the thoughts that are constantly streaming through your mind. We must take an active role in keeping our minds positive if we are going to achieve our dreams in life. Every night as we are falling asleep we enter a natural self-hypnotic state, and our minds are very receptive to our suggestions and self-talk during this quiet time. With this in mind, it is important that you know the right way to deliver suggestions to yourself so you can maximize this time every night and begin removing old negative programming from your life.
The first lesson in giving yourself suggestions is one of the "little things" that always needs your attention. This simple, little shift in self-talk is sometimes all that is necessary to begin creating new breakthroughs in your life. The lesson is called the Pink Elephant, here it is:
Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Now whatever you do…don't think of a pink elephant on a skateboard. Seriously, don't think about a pink elephant skateboarding. What did you immediately think about when you read those words? A pink elephant, of course. This is a valuable lesson to learn because what it demonstrates is that the subconscious mind doesn't understand negative connotations in speech. When I ask my new clients what they want on their initial interview, the majority will say things like "I don't want to be overweight," or "I don't want to smoke" and after that simple example with the pink elephant it should be clear to you why some people struggle with moving forward. It occurs because the focus of their subconscious mind remains on the negative outcome and the subconscious is designed to actively move toward a person's most dominate thought and object of focus. Rather than stating what you don't want, it is important to do this little shift and get clear on what you do want. For example, "I want to look great in my bathing suit" or, "I want the freedom non-smokers have." These types of suggestions get your subconscious mind moving in a new direction and towards the things you desire. So always remember when giving yourself suggestions make sure you are focused on your positive outcome rather than what you don't want.
Another way you can take advantage of your nightly self-hypnosis time is by creating a mantra for yourself. A mantra, or a scared verbal formula that is used in meditation, self-hypnosis, and prayer, is an excellent way to recondition your mind. This type of suggestion is excellent for self-hypnosis because mantras are easy to repeat with very little conscious effort. Mantras are short, sweet, and effective. Your mantra can be anything you desire. Here are a few examples of some positive mantras you may consider using: "I eat less and feel fuller", "Calm and Confident," "God renews my life" "Happy, Healthy, and Joyful" or the famous, "Everyday and in every way I am getting better and better" (last on taken from My Method by Emile Coue). As you repeat your mantra, simply let your imagination flow and imagine yourself doing, having, or achieving what you desire. Have fun creating your mantras and watching your creative mind come alive as you repeat it during your self-hypnosis time.
If you have very specific goals that you want to achieve then follow these 6 criteria for making effective goal achievement suggestions. It is important when pursuing a specific goal that your suggestions are: Positive, Present Tense, Simple, Measurable, Believable, and Carries a Reward. Following these rules when creating a self-hypnosis suggestion will maximize the effectiveness of your self-hypnosis time. It is easiest to write down your suggestion until you commit it to memory. Remember to always keep it simple so it requires as little conscious effort as possible. Here are a few simple examples of suggestions that follow these rules.
"When I sit down at dinner, I am satisfied with a half portion and feel in control"
"Every day I am more comfortable as a non-smoker and feel proud."
"When I golf I am mentally focused on each shot and play great."
If you keep these 6 criteria in mind when creating your suggestions you can never go wrong. Once you have created a suggestion that is specific to your goal, like the mantra, simply repeat it over and over again when drifting off to sleep. Allow your imagination to take over and envision yourself carrying out the necessary actions to achieve what you want.
These are just a few of the many ways you can recondition your mind with positive suggestions. Be sure to use the time before sleep to your advantage and program your mind for success. Make sure you always have fun with this and challenge your imagination to become more vivid every day.
"The Warrior of the Light pays attention to small things because they can severely hamper him.
A thorn, however tiny, can cause a traveler to halt. A tiny invisible cell can destroy a healthy organism. The memory of a past moment of fear allows cowardice to be reborn with each new morning. A fraction of a second opens the way for enemy's fatal blow.
The Warrior is attentive to the small things. Sometimes he is hard on himself, but he prefers to act in this way. "The devil is in the details," says an old proverb." (pg 49 Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho)
It is time to live like a Warrior of the Light and start paying very close attention to the "little things" or the thoughts that are constantly streaming through your mind. We must take an active role in keeping our minds positive if we are going to achieve our dreams in life. Every night as we are falling asleep we enter a natural self-hypnotic state, and our minds are very receptive to our suggestions and self-talk during this quiet time. With this in mind, it is important that you know the right way to deliver suggestions to yourself so you can maximize this time every night and begin removing old negative programming from your life.
The first lesson in giving yourself suggestions is one of the "little things" that always needs your attention. This simple, little shift in self-talk is sometimes all that is necessary to begin creating new breakthroughs in your life. The lesson is called the Pink Elephant, here it is:
Take a deep breath and clear your mind. Now whatever you do…don't think of a pink elephant on a skateboard. Seriously, don't think about a pink elephant skateboarding. What did you immediately think about when you read those words? A pink elephant, of course. This is a valuable lesson to learn because what it demonstrates is that the subconscious mind doesn't understand negative connotations in speech. When I ask my new clients what they want on their initial interview, the majority will say things like "I don't want to be overweight," or "I don't want to smoke" and after that simple example with the pink elephant it should be clear to you why some people struggle with moving forward. It occurs because the focus of their subconscious mind remains on the negative outcome and the subconscious is designed to actively move toward a person's most dominate thought and object of focus. Rather than stating what you don't want, it is important to do this little shift and get clear on what you do want. For example, "I want to look great in my bathing suit" or, "I want the freedom non-smokers have." These types of suggestions get your subconscious mind moving in a new direction and towards the things you desire. So always remember when giving yourself suggestions make sure you are focused on your positive outcome rather than what you don't want.
Another way you can take advantage of your nightly self-hypnosis time is by creating a mantra for yourself. A mantra, or a scared verbal formula that is used in meditation, self-hypnosis, and prayer, is an excellent way to recondition your mind. This type of suggestion is excellent for self-hypnosis because mantras are easy to repeat with very little conscious effort. Mantras are short, sweet, and effective. Your mantra can be anything you desire. Here are a few examples of some positive mantras you may consider using: "I eat less and feel fuller", "Calm and Confident," "God renews my life" "Happy, Healthy, and Joyful" or the famous, "Everyday and in every way I am getting better and better" (last on taken from My Method by Emile Coue). As you repeat your mantra, simply let your imagination flow and imagine yourself doing, having, or achieving what you desire. Have fun creating your mantras and watching your creative mind come alive as you repeat it during your self-hypnosis time.
If you have very specific goals that you want to achieve then follow these 6 criteria for making effective goal achievement suggestions. It is important when pursuing a specific goal that your suggestions are: Positive, Present Tense, Simple, Measurable, Believable, and Carries a Reward. Following these rules when creating a self-hypnosis suggestion will maximize the effectiveness of your self-hypnosis time. It is easiest to write down your suggestion until you commit it to memory. Remember to always keep it simple so it requires as little conscious effort as possible. Here are a few simple examples of suggestions that follow these rules.
"When I sit down at dinner, I am satisfied with a half portion and feel in control"
"Every day I am more comfortable as a non-smoker and feel proud."
"When I golf I am mentally focused on each shot and play great."
If you keep these 6 criteria in mind when creating your suggestions you can never go wrong. Once you have created a suggestion that is specific to your goal, like the mantra, simply repeat it over and over again when drifting off to sleep. Allow your imagination to take over and envision yourself carrying out the necessary actions to achieve what you want.
These are just a few of the many ways you can recondition your mind with positive suggestions. Be sure to use the time before sleep to your advantage and program your mind for success. Make sure you always have fun with this and challenge your imagination to become more vivid every day.