If I was sitting with you now and said “Don’t think about pink elephants!” What is the first thing that pops into your mind? Exactly! Pink Elephants!
You might think that this is a strange way to start an article but the point I am making here is extremely important and this light-hearted example makes the point very clearly. What point I hear you asking. Well, if you were to ask Paul McKenna he would say “The mind does not process negation.” which is gobbledygook to most sane and normal people. However, if you re-read my first sentence above, the meaning will become very clear to you. What this means is that “the mind does not process negation…” but seriously, it means that your mind does not give value or attention to negatives. For example, if you say “I want to lose weight.” Your focus and attention is on “weight” and consequently your mind will assist you in maintaining your current weight and even increasing it. Another example would be you say “I want to be wealthy.” This one is more subtle because you are making this statement in a positive tone; however in your mind you are thinking “I don’t want to be poor.” And as your attention is on “poor” you will maintain and attract to yourself more “poor” or poverty. Is this becoming clear to you now? I do hope so. If not then I suggest you go back to the beginning and read this section again more slowly.
To make positive changes in your life, you must think and make statements of what you want, not what you don’t want. And don’t tell me that these two things are the same, because they are in fact opposites and the results or consequences will be poles apart. You must have this clear in your mind to gain any real benefit from this article.
Okay, now that the above is clear (I hope!) let us continue. To initiate any significant changes in your life the first step is to be very clear about what it is you really want. For example, let’s say you want a new car. You would not say “I don’t like my car and want to change it.” as this is a negative focus. Also you would not be too general with your request to the universe and say “I want a new car.” What will draw your new car to you is to be very specific and detailed such as “I want a new black Mercedes SL350 convertible, with cream leather upholstery, parking sensors, a built in satnav, black floor mats and a 6 CD autochanger.” Now if you want to gain a huge advantage and draw your new dream black Mercedes car towards you with lightening speed you should also do the following:
- visit a Mercedes car showroom and sit in your dream car; wrap your hands around the steering wheel, smell and feel the new soft leather… now let your eyes drink in the elegance of the interior and the style and beauty of the body design.
- then book a test drive and think about driving this beautiful car and imagine the wind on your face and rushing through your hair.
- and now, when the time comes for your test drive, really enjoy it and drive it as though you own it and imagine that this beautiful black Mercedes SL350 is in reality all yours.
The final part of this is to hold onto your mental picture and to the feelings you have associated with owning this new car, and believe with all your being that this new elegant and stylish Mercedes is on its way to you and nothing can stop it. As Dr Wayne Dyer would say “You will see it when you believe it.”
Here is another example for those of you who may be more spiritually minded and want to develop qualities and skills and not material things. Let’s say you want to be a good public speaker. And remember that you don’t want to think “I don’t want to be a poor public speaker.” First of all you would state very clearly, perhaps out loud and in your mind and even write it down “I want be to a good public speaker.” or even better still “I am a good public speaker.” Next visualise yourself giving a great talk to an interested and appreciative audience. They are smiling at you. They are leaning forward in their chairs to catch every word you say. The expression on their faces shows that they are so impressed and interested in what you are saying. Your words are flowing easily and you feel inspired. [feels good, doesn't it!]
Now take action to project this new image you have of yourself and to reinforce the new confident and eloquent speaker that you are. Practise giving a 5 minute talk on something that you feel passionate about. Relax! The first practice step is to do this on your own. Next, when you are comfortable with the first step choose a good friend or perhaps your partner or spouse (plus one or two other people if you are feeling confident) and give the same talk. You might want to repeat these two steps a few times until you have adopted and ingrained into your being that you are a good speaker. See this in your minds eye and believe it and feel it. Know that the more you believe you are a good (or even great) speaker and you speak in public the more this will be embedded into your whole being and public speaking will be very natural for you. And when I say ‘public speaking’ I am not necessarily referring to speaking to hundreds of people, although you may have this as your goal, ‘public speaking’ may be feeling more confident and comfortable telling a joke at a dinner party or standing up at a formal event and sharing your views with the participants or giving a short presentation at work. Whatever it is, if you follow these steps YOU can and will do it!
The most important message I have tried to convey in this short article is to help you to gain a clear understanding that to be successful and to draw good things, events, qualities and people into your life and into your experience you must focus on the positive and on what you really want. And the very best way of putting this to the test is simply to try it. Well, what have you got to loose? or rather I should restate this in the positive and say “You have everything to gain.”
I wish you well.
Anthony Fleming
www.Passion4Life.org
