The Power of Positive Being
April 2008 - Beth Sutherland

Since The Secret was named the most purchased book in Canada for 2007, many of us have heard about, or have come to believe in, the power of the mind’s ability to attract what it’s thinking. Or perhaps you’re a non-believer because of the commercialism and simplistic notion of “If you want it, all you have to do is think of it.”

With Oprah’s support, The Secret was introduced to the masses and provided people with their first exposure to this way of thinking. It got people talking about energy and the universe. There was a groundswell of enthusiasm but those old habits are hard to break and when results weren’t happening, doubt and disbelief surfaced.

How do you control the power of the mind? Is it possible? Don’t the thoughts just keep coming? That’s what it seems like but the truth is that the brain doesn’t know anything until you tell it. So the key to controlling the thoughts is to retrain the brain. However, it’s not that simplistic and there is another component. The law of attraction happens when you accomplish a combination of awareness of the thoughts in the mind, awareness of energy in the body, and vibrational awareness of the soul, all at the same time.

Negative thoughts feel bad. They make your stomach hurt, or make you feel empty or depressed. This is a vibrational message telling you “You are going the wrong way!” It’s your higher self, or the universe, giving you a signal to change. But we aren’t aware enough yet to get this, and instead we feel worse (negative loop thinking). And so we have no drive, we eat to fill the emptiness and are paralyzed by the chatter.

So to make the shift, the feeling of the thoughts have to change, not just the thoughts. When we can recognize the feeling and stop and listen to what we give attention to, then we literally change it.

10 steps to control chatter

1. Buy in to the philosophy of The Secret: Whatever your most dominant thought is what you’re attracting; like attracts like. (Let’s assume we believe, or pretend we believe.)
2. Wear an elastic band around your wrist and snap yourself every time you’re negative (it doesn’t have to be hard!). This is to get you aware of your negative thinking and how often you’re “mean” to yourself.
3. Think about what the chatter is saying. Are you hearing, “You’re not good enough, not deserving, not capable” or something else along those lines? Write these things down (it’s easier than pondering over and over) to help get them out of the brain.
4. Feel the vibrations of the words. Do they lift you up? If not, then that’s your indication you don’t want them.
5. Erase negative thoughts. Picture the words in your mind’s eye on a blackboard and erase them now.
6. We need to understand that the brain doesn’t see our thoughts like we do, as we picture them written on a blackboard. The brain works in pictures, so words like “don’t” or “not” actually get muted out. For example, if you say to yourself, “I’m always too nervous to speak my mind,” saying, “I don’t want to be nervous anymore” won’t change it. Instead, say “I’m now able to speak my mind” to send the right vibration to make the change.
7. Start some new chatter or high-energy self talk by declaring the opposite thought pattern. Write it down to solidify it. (eg., “I’m capable now of handling every challenge or opportunity that comes my way.”)
8. Read the new thought pattern out loud first thing in the morning and last thing at night, or whenever the thoughts come in. Do this for 21 days. If you miss a day, keep going as it’s drawing and building more positive energy daily.
9. Feel the vibration of the new words. It will feel lighter and powerfully motivating. Sit and take in how you would feel if the words were true. Remember your brain doesn’t know anything until you tell it. It may even talk back and say “liar” but ignore this and say it again. You’re in control of your brain, not the other way around!
10. Repeat often (positive use of loop thought)! Eventually, you’ll notice the chatter isn’t negative, as you’ll be drawing positive energy in, helping you move in the direction you want to go.

Some people may want help to speed up this process, or have already tried, and need assistance. This isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s a sign of commitment and determination. Coaches have techniques they can teach you for your specific chatter/self talk. There are therapies to eliminate the built-up energy in your body where those thoughts have been stored for years. There are also many books, CDs, tapes and websites to assist you. Check out www.ziglar.com for free downloads and more ideas.