I was going to make this a super quick thread and drop a link to an article I came across. But I really like the article and wanted to post it here with the link so we all can share our thoughts and comments on the information.
It’s called The Power of Affirmations, written by Peter Shepherd & Ken Ward.
Mr. Shepherd & Mr. Ward teach a very very comprehensive explanation of how our thinking is directly responsible for the “right now” reality of our life, how affirmations work and give really clear teaching on how and why affirmations won’t work. That’s WON’T not DON’T, Affirmations DO WORK.
These next 3 minutes will make you feel good. It may even change your life.
[MY \$.02/INTRO] : Everyone is aware of some wanted change in their existence, from a man living on the street to a billionaire. The homeless mans desired change is obvious, or maybe it’s not, he may need to first change an issue with in him that got him down where he is… Right now, right where all of us are, this current time and place in real existence is a direct result of a continued train-of-thinking from the past. Sure, it’s commonly possible that the circumstances in ones life that brings tragedy, loss and sorrow, can jolt the strongest of people and ruin a life, and it’s likely that some sad event was the breaking point into poverty for the majority of the homeless. But, it was not the event in it’s self that lead to street residence. The thoughts, ideas and feelings that convoked while the event unfolded lead to this. Thinking, controlled or uncontrolled, generates energy or what we all have heard of as “vibes” and these vibes move from within us all out into our one universe. The one universe is like a trampoline, the energy goes in two directions. The physical motion on a trampoline is up n down which are opposite each other created from the same action. It’s different results from one cause, think of the sensation while getting airborne and then the feeling in the air, the weightlessness. Now, think of the feeling down, your energy drives into the trampoline, that’s a complete different experience than where we were only a second or two ago, yet you’re still jumping on a trampoline. Two people living in the same moment can experience that one moment separately and differently. Look at two men getting fired from the same job from the same company. Man “A” couldn’t feel worse, it’s the worst day of his life, he’s telling himself how this will lead to his wife leaving him, taking the kids and never coming back. He reminds himself that the bills will continue to come in with his name on them but the pay checks wont yet the numbers in the bank account continue to get smaller and smaller and smaller. 3 to 5 years later you may have handed this broken soul \$1, while stopped at a freeway off ramp.
Then there’s the other guy, guy “B”. Who is yes, getting fired as well, yet he’s reminding himself how thankful he is that his wife loves him and will help him get though this difficult time. He even fantasizes about things he can now do, now that he is released from the clutches of corporate world. That he now can drop the kids off at school for a change. He say’s to himself, “maybe I’ll start my own business”. 3 to 5 years later he sells his business for millions, retires at 40 and spends the rest of his time with his family and friends.
There also are changes that even a billionaire, like Oprah Winfery desire. The obvious is she would like to control her fluctuating weight in a sustainable fashion. Something that fits perfectly into her already busy life. I have always said that for people that are already at the top of what they desire and desire to maintain that level and attain new personal goals, that mindjam.com is a perfect fit. Oprah loves music and I’d bet that she listens to music everyday, I believe she would love to mix weight control affirmations into some of her favorite songs to program into her train-of-thinking, to think fit.
Fact of the matter is, we all want to better ourselves. Creating a train-of-thought dominated by causative intentions will get you thinking, controlled and uncontrolled, in line with what you desire for the rest of your life.
Ok, enough of my \$.02, here’s the article…
The Power of Affirmations.
by Peter Shepherd & Ken Ward
It’s human nature to wanna better ourself, so we search for ways to change our behavior and make a better life experience, to make a new start. We use affirmations to achieve thinking with causative intentions.
Affirmations always work. Yes, whatever you positively think you will focus on ,visualize and feel for, from that process it will manifest.
CAUTION: THIS WORKS BOTH WAYS, NEGATIVE THOUGHTS MANIFEST NEGATIVE EVENTS, SITUATIONS & CIRCUMSTANCES.
For example: “I don’t want to be poor.”
Assumption: “I am poor.”
Focus: “Poverty.”
Result: Thinking about poverty, and being in the identity of a poor person. So the affirmation worked, but not in the way you intended.
Maybe this should be re-phrased in the positive? For example: “I want to be rich.”
Assumption: “I am not rich.” That statement begin said as true, is not true and you brain will not believe it as true. By “wanting” to be rich, want implies not having, so I have nothing.
Focus: Poverty.
Result: Not being rich.
So we have learned it is better to phrase in the present, not future. Don’t use “want” and similar words. Perhaps this makes a better affirmation: “I am rich”? But if you are rich, then this does not work because if you are rich then of course you’ve already attained being rich. If you aren’t rich, it is a lie. Therefore, it doesn’t work. There’s got to be a better way…
How about: “I CAN BE rich”? Believe it is possible for you have everything that being rich means to you. Imagine that this is happening. See yourself in that situation. Get excited. Then slip into that image of yourself and see and hear and feel what it is to experience being rich.
It works now, doesn’t it? That’s because it feels as if it’s true, it doesn’t imply or state an undesirable state and it’s in the present. At least in your imagination you’re rich – you have felt what it’s like to be in that wealthy identity and that it’s a reality you can maintain. You’ve changed your frame of mind and your view of the world has altered from it, making a change for the better. When you have a positive vision that’s real to you and genuinely something that you want and identify with, then creative energies naturally flow toward that vision.
This is powerful stuff!
Everything in our lives is created newly every time we experience it. Even if it is something we barely notice. Yet we are not aware of making these creative affirmations. There are so many of them, that we’d be overwhelmed if we had to think of them all. If we wish to break down a wall with a sledge hammer, then we need to create the wall as well as the force to knock it down. We are creating a resistant wall and at the same time creating an opposing force. This may not be the wisest way to do things!
Using this as an analogy, when we are affirming something, even when we do so focusing on ability and being honest, we are making many other affirmations at the same time without being aware of them. We create a problem and try to create a strong enough force to overcome that problem – we can’t effectively use force to discover truth but we often try! We make an affirmation but subconsciously we are also creating hidden barriers or “counter-intentions” to that affirmation.
This counter-intention is probably something that we thought in the past was a means to keep us safe, or otherwise make our lives better. It might even be a simple negative thought that we decided at a time of stress and keep thinking unconsciously. Such counter-intentions could be ideas that our parents or our culture bombarded us with as a child and then these became habitual and out of our awareness.
When you are affirming a positive intention it is therefore very helpful to recognize the counter-intentions or hidden barriers that you are creating at the same time. What is connected with your affirmation that you are opposing, or disagreeing with, suppressing or trying to forget?
It is important that you perceive the positive intention (affirmation) as an out-flowing creation that meets barriers (hidden counter-intentions), rather than perceiving your affirmation to be resisting or fighting an incoming opposing force.
When these barriers are seen in a clear light, you can then just let them go, or if necessary adjust your affirmation so there is no longer this inner conflict.
It is said that when affirming you should only use positive language and not (for example) “I will not overeat” because the mind will interpret that “positively” and you get the result “I will overeat”; so, why isn’t negative self-talk like “I will never succeed” interpreted by the mind as “I will succeed” – why this “double standard”?
The answer is a bit complicated but worth understanding. The right brain, which determines our feelings and hence motivation/action (that the Universe then mirrors through the power of Spirit), interprets our thoughts in terms of the underlying (subconscious) true feelings and therefore doesn’t discriminate between conscious acceptance or resistance.
It doesn’t listen to a “not” or “never” that’s a true observation, but more significantly it interprets based on actual beliefs (at the level of feelings) that are stimulated by the concept of what is being consciously thought – it picks up on what most closely corresponds to the subconscious belief/feeling.
“I will not overeat” is an affirmation based on the feeling that you really do want to eat a lot, so that’s how it’s interpreted – you really have acceptance of eating even though your conscious mind (left brain) is resisting that. The feeling of wanting to eat is stimulated by the affirmation, so you’re more likely to eat more. “I will eat what I want” would be more empowering, as it doesn’t conflict with the inner belief and gives you the power of choice.
Whereas, “I will never succeed” may be a deeply held belief, in which case it’s accepted subconsciously even though consciously you are resisting that. If you use that as an affirmation it will directly stimulate that inner feeling and as a result you will be less likely to succeed – though if your inner feeling is in fact that “I will succeed”, then both “I will succeed” and “I will never succeed” will stimulate that inner feeling of confidence. Say the negative one too much, though, and your inner belief/feeling of confidence of success may start to wane, so of course, it’s good advice to stay clear of negative affirmations! But using the affirmation “I will succeed” without first bringing to consciousness and re-evaluating an inner feeling that conflicts with it, will probably not be helpful because it is not really believed.
So the key issue is whether your affirmation is in alignment or conflicting with your deeply-held belief. That’s the real reason why affirmations don’t necessarily help but may indeed increase inner conflict and serve to suppress the inner belief rather than resolving it. When you have uncovered the inner belief and genuinely discovered it is false – not rational/helpful/true/your own – then using an affirmation can help to keep in the place the revised belief, and that’s where affirmations are indeed very helpful.
END
Was that not awesome or what? You feel great don’t you?
Here is the link to Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Wards website where I found the article. You may find other posts there useful.
http://bit.ly/cFVOe1
Share your thoughts on this =)