Hello again, fellow readers! I hope that you are thoroughly enjoying your summer. 🙂 This month, I was asked to write about mental restructuring. In other words, what can we say to ourselves to reinforce positive progress or goals?
Why is Mental Restructuring Important?
It is important, because if you make the decision to make permanent or long lasting change, it cannot happen without changing your mindset. It is about “getting your mind right” or becoming mentally prepared for the things that you want. Part of that has to do with the things that you say to yourself on a regular basis. A lot of us have a tendency to say things to ourselves that we would think twice about saying to an enemy. James C. Allen wrote a book called, “
As A Man Thinketh
“, which is all about the importance of our thoughts and how they affect the outcomes of our lives. Mr. Allen once said, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
Whatever you think… is. If you think that you are fat and lazy and no one could ever love you for you, then you are correct. If you believe that you are fat and lazy, then that will be your excuse as to why you don’t exercise or why you choose not to make a real effort to do the things that you know that you need to do. As far as the love relationships go, you may find someone that loves you, but because you’ve hidden your true nature under a bunch of layers, the ones who loves you can only love the mask, not the real you. So, as I said, whatever you
think… is.
How to Get Your Mind Right
There are plenty of ways to go about getting your mind right: hypnosis, meditation, prayer, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), and more. One of the ways that people do it is through affirmations. Everything that you say to yourself is an affirmation of some sort. You have the power to change things in your life simply by making positive affirmations every day. Things like, ” I never catch a break”, “everything always goes wrong”, “I am so broke”, “I am such a fat loser”, are all examples of things NOT to say, but I’m sure all of you have said one or more of these statements, or worse, to yourself at one point or another. I’m sure statements like these don’t make you feel good. As such, your negative emotions are what is put out there and negativity is what you get in return. Whereas, the reverse is true with positive affirmations. If you think that you are a magnet for great things and wonderful opportunities and truly believe that, then that is what you will speak into existence.
I’ve heard two different points of view regarding affirmations. On one hand, I’ve heard that you should say positive affirmations even when they aren’t true or if you don’t believe it. On the other hand, I’ve heard that if you don’t believe the affirmations, then they won’t work for you. Whether or not this is true I am not sure, but I know it can’t hurt you. As a matter of fact, I think it is important to develop a habit of positive self talk as soon as possible. I believe that it can totally change your life. There’s no time like the present to get started!
So What Do You Say?
Affirmations are so simple. In fact, you are already doing it. We just need to tweak it a little. Here are some tips.
Most affirmations start with “I am”, but they don’t have to. Here are a couple examples. “My body is amazing.” “My health is improving every day.”
All affirmations should be in the present tense. You cannot change the past and the future is something that always occurs later. You only have this moment. The present. Right now. That is why your affirmations should focus on the present.
Affirmations should be positive and should use positive words. “I don’t overeat,” is not a good affirmation, because “don’t” is a negative word. “I only eat when I am hungry,” or “I eat until I am full,” both say the same thing as the first affirmation, but they are positive.
Keep your affirmation straight and to the point. Shorter affirmations are easier to remember and repeat. Shorter affirmations have more of an impact. Wordy affirmations lose their power.
How Do I Do Them?
A lot of people think that they can just say them out loud and that is all, but there is more to it, if you want them to work for you.
Before you begin, I suggest taking a few deep breaths to clear out any mental residue so that you can concentrate. When saying your affirmations, say them with feeling. Say them like you believe what you are saying. If the affirmations aren’t true, then imagine what it would feel like if they were true. Allow yourself to bask in those feelings. Repeat the affirmations. It feels really good to repeat them. Say your affirmations how ever many times feels right to you.
If you find it hard to say your affirmations in the beginning, then I highly suggest starting with things for which you are grateful. Gratitude is an extremely powerful affirmation. I wrote about it on my blog, Big Diva Hq. You can find the post here:
http://bigdivahq.com/personal-development/be-grateful/ It may be hard for you to say an affirmation that is not true, but using gratitude really helps. For example, “I am healthy”, may be hard for you to say and feel, so find something about your health or your body for which you can be thankful. You can say, “I am grateful that I am making healthy eating choices”, or “I am grateful for going to the gym last night”, or “I am grateful for making a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle.” “I am grateful for taking the first step towards having a healthier body.” See the difference?
Do your affirmations daily. Consistency is the key here. Affirmations are a great way to start your day. They put you in a great frame of mind. I feel great after I say my affirmations and that feeling is carried with me throughout the day no matter what happens.
When you get into the habit of speaking positivity and love to yourself and you will be greatly rewarded in life. I can personally guarantee that, so give it a try! Best wishes on your journey! 🙂
Ms. Pillowz