The most inspirational moment of my life was when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Would it be for you too?
During emotional turmoils, how many times have you heard, “think positive?”
What a frustrating statement to hear. They’re telling you the end result which you already know you want.
The “How-To” guide was something I could never find. After years of research, I learned it all starts by controlling your thoughts.
Implementing these techniques changed my life, and they’ll change yours:
1. The Word “Cancel”
Say the word “cancel” and your limiting beliefs vanish; I wish it were that simple. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negatively, repeat the word “cancel” until you’re able to introduce a positive thought. Over time, it becomes easier to change your thinking with just this one word. Numerous people I talk to say they only have to say this word once for it to work, not for me. I repeat it over and over again until my mind is blank, then introduce an affirmation.
2. Gratuity Stone
There is nothing special or magic about this stone other than the movie, The Secret recommended it to the world. You can find any stone on the sidewalk, store, or beach. The purpose of it is to say one thing you are thankful for every time you touch it. Ideally, touching it once in the morning when putting it in your pocket and once at night when taking it out will change your thinking. I have mine next to my phone to touch it countless times throughout the day.
3. Rubber Band or Bracelet
There’s no need to get fancy here, though you are more than welcome too. You’re reminding yourself to be conscientious of your thoughts. When you notice the rubber band/bracelet, think about what thoughts are in your mind — correct them as necessary. Dr. Tony Piparo recommended to me to use a red bracelet since our eyes are naturally drawn to that color over all the others. You’re producing your whole world with your self-talk.
4. Reminder Notes
These can be from small post-its to a magnificent mural on your wall. Placing them on the ceiling above your bed, on the mirror in your bathroom, on the walls of the shower, on your computer monitor and even on your steering wheel will always keep them in front of you. On these notes, writing empowering words or phrases will keep them in your mind all day. I consider them my daily mentor and accountability partner for thinking right.
5. Affirmations
Also known as autosuggestions or mantras, they’re phrases stated in the positive present tense which describe who you want to become. Repeating these phrases thousands of times a day to yourself, your subconscious will soon believe them to be true. Many people even write their top three affirmations in the morning and before bed; pen to paper is your direct link to profound change. In 90 days, you’ll become a new person, a person you chose to become!
6. Stop Watching Certain Media
A week after I stopped watching, reading, and listening to the news, I began to feel better and had more energy. As Andre L. Vaughn mentions, there are so many negative subliminal messages on TV and in commercials that the information we receive goes against who we are. This becomes devastating to our psyche. Start controlling the information that you feed yourself and watch your thoughts follow suit.
7. Surround Yourself with the Right People
Jim Rohn said, “you’re the average of the five people you hang out with most.” If everyone around you is a negative complainer who blames everyone and makes excuses, you will too. Determine who you want to be and surround yourself with that type of person. This is your life, allow only those people who will make a positive impact on you into it. I went from a lot of friends to zero overnight. It took years, but I now have the right people in my world.
8. 100% Responsibility
What a concept! Take responsibility for absolutely everything in your life, no matter what! When teaching this concept to my students, there’s always one person who has a need to find someone or something to blame outside themselves. It’s a huge relief once you stop blaming someone on the other side of the world for your misfortunes. If you implement the learnings in any article you read, you’re the one responsible for those results, good or bad. Why are you choosing to make someone you never met responsible for the outcomes in your life?
9. Seek out the Good
That simple! Thinking about the last negative pitfall you encountered, what good things has that brought into your life? There’s always more than you can think of! You already know that love is the highest vibrational force there is. Seeking out the good raises your vibrational frequency which protects you from all the negative energy throughout the world. Don’t wait a lifetime to figure this out!
10. Setting Daily Intentions
What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up? These are important thoughts to control because you can set a better tone for your day. To do this, place a post-it note or your gratuity stone next to your bed as a reminder to make the effort. You can use one of your affirmations, repeat “thank you” for a while, or think about successfully achieving all the outcomes you want for the day. Putting yourself in a good mood before getting out of bed will increase your positivity drastically.
This is your arsenal of techniques to attack those negative thoughts which have been holding you back. Knowing how habits are formed, I suggest to take these one at a time. Spend anywhere from a week to a month on each technique before adding your next choice to take on.
Share with others what works for you too!
Originally published at medium.com