To achieve your goal – any goal – it is important that all parts of your mind work together to make it happen. Let’s find out what happens when it’s not the case and how you can make things better.
If what you are trying to achieve goes against your subconscious yearning, it will have a deciding impact on how things in your life are going to unfold.
Our attitudes are governed by our thoughts, which are rooted in our value and belief system. If you believe that you are strong, successful and unbeatable, it will show not only in the way you think but also in the way you speak, in your body language, the way you interact with people and which chances you take. There is one very important moment to this, so keep reading to fully understand.
As we are flooded with self-help literature of all sorts, many people become aware that negative self-image (in other words, thoughts like “This is not going to work”, “I always mess things up”, “I never get anything right” and so forth) is a serious disadvantage in life, so they try to ‘do something about it’. They, therefore, try to stop themselves having negative thoughts, which is a good thing to do by any measure, but it’s not all. While occasionally saying positive comments to themselves, they force their deeply rooted negative beliefs patters further away, to the point where they become almost undetectable by the conscious mind. The problem is – they don’t disappear!
So now the person believes that everything is fine and he or she has successfully eradicated any negativity – however, they lives stay average or improve only very insignificantly. At this point, it is also very difficult for such people to admit even to themselves that the negative beliefs keep shaping the way they perform.
What do we need to do to fix the problem for good?
The first step is to be completely honest with yourself. Ask yourself, if despite your efforts you keep running into the same problems over and over. Do other people (for example your friends) think that you generally have ‘bad luck’? Do you tend to see other people as ‘born achievers’, whereas you secretly don’t include yourself in that category? Do you think that ‘life is hard’?
If you get any ‘yes’ answers from that self-enquiry, it may indicate that the negative beliefs that you carried from some moment earlier in your life, are still influencing what happens to you today. The surest way to eradicate deeply rooted negative beliefs for good is to reprogram your subconscious mind.
The good news is – you can start doing it yourself, and if your desire to change is strong enough, it will give you the discipline this requires.
You will need 10 to 15 minutes a day when you will not be disturbed. One of the best times to perform this exercise is in the morning when you are still lying in bed.
Your subconscious responds to images and feelings, so this is what you will use to ‘update your software’.
Here is how to perform it:
- Lie on your back with your hands alongside your body, and start relaxing from your toes up. You may find it easier to contract every muscle first, before relaxing it. Notice how it feels, so you can perform it more and more effectively in the future.
Most people carry lots of tension in their hands, back, shoulders, the solar plexus area, their jaw and their forehead. When relaxing your body, pay attention to these areas in particular. As you are relaxing, you will notice that your breathing naturally slows down. - Clear your mind of thoughts for a short while and just follow with your awareness your breathing for a couple of cycles.
- Now visualize as clearly as you can what it is you want to achieve, for example:
- A successful career
- Financial stability
- A loving and meaningful relationship
- A strong and healthy body
- The qualities of inner strength, courage and determination
Choose a goal that really resonates with you, then imagine would it would feel like to be able to enjoy it already. Make the picture as vivid as possible and get the feeling of fulfilment which accompanies the goal. Let your imagination run wild and fill the image in with as many details as you want. Make sure that your body remains fully relaxed while performing this exercise.
4. When you start feeling happy and joyful, mentally look back at your present self and send the present self feelings of strong encouragement and genuine gratitude for all your efforts. Be appreciative, as you would be appreciative to your close friend who tried their best for you.
The present moment is a seed from which grows all your extraordinary future – I’m saying extraordinary because it’s in your hands how exciting and inspirational you want it to be!
After the exercise, take a few moments to slowly come back to full waking consciousness, concentrating briefly on your breath once more. Before you get out of the bed, say to yourself with the conviction that you are going to have a fantastic day ahead. Smile to your reflection in the mirror and expect the best things to start happening to you.
How do you know if you are succeeding? If you practise the exercise above diligently, you will soon notice the change in the way other people interact with you. You will start naturally respond to situations and challenges in the new, empowered way, that will transform them into opportunities. You will feel stronger, happier and more inspired.
Even if you are feeling happy about yourself already, you can still do the exercise to add an extra boost and to open yourself more to new possibilities to grow, explore and inspire.
