Suggestibility

How suggestible are you?

When I ask people this question, the typical response is "I am not suggestible at all!"  Fortunately that is not true!

Fortunately?  Why am I suggesting that it is a good thing to be suggestible?

The reason I believe it can be a very good thing is that you can take advantage of the suggestible quality of your mind to create changes you really want to see in yourself.

Take creative visualization for example.

Many people, myself included, believe when you use visualization to manifest something, you are using the power of the Universe.  But I also believe that power of the universe is within me if only I will make an effort to use it!  By focusing properly on whatever it is I wish to achieve, by putting it in a setting that generates warmth and happiness and that reminds me I have already achieved it, I am in a sense "tricking" my subconscious mind to utilize that inner Universal power.

When you use affirmations, you are doing the same thing.  You are "tricking" your subconscious and making it believe you have reached your goal and all that remains is to bring this inner reality into the physical world.

In both cases, the main reason this works is because you are suggestible.  If you were not at all suggestible, then your subconscious would ignore your visualizations and affirmations and simply retort that they do not accord with what it sees in the physical world.

Sometimes, though, that DOES happen.  It happens when your subconscious becomes aware that you ARE tricking it.  Allow that to happen and for that moment in time you are no longer suggestible, which means your visualizations and affirmations will not work.

Typically, this will occur when you approach manifesting techniques in a half-hearted manner.  Perhaps you begin affirming but at the same time keep thinking this is probably not going to work.  If you do that, then I can guarantee it is NOT going to work.  Your subconscious is not going to respond, as it knows you are trying to trick it.  It is almost as though you are first sending it a message saying "don't believe what I am going to say next - it isn't true!".

One of the secrets of manifesting properly is to leave all your doubts to one side.  You may simply be able to do this without using any other techniques.  Or you may need to bring those doubts to the surface first, and address them one by one, setting each aside as you answer it.

You should also try to get yourself into a suggestible state.  Relax!  Allow your mind to drift and reach your "safe haven".  This is a place where you know you are perfectly safe no matter what.  Where you are nurtured by the Universe and feel really happy and comfortable.  I cannot describe this place for you, as the reality is we each have our own safe haven which is not going to be exactly the same as anyone else's safe haven.  You should spend some time meditating and exploring your inner world so you can find your own safe haven.

Use these techniques and you will find you are much more suggestible and your visualizations and affirmations work far better.

Be aware, though, that suggestibility can work against you as well.  Not in your safe haven or when you are using these techniques.  But when you are just living your normal life it is possible for others to take advantage of your suggestibility.  I don't want you to worry about this, as your own suggestions will be far more powerful.  But I do want you to be aware so you can counter any negative influence.  Make sure you associate with other positive people, not with any who are negative and will consciously or unconsciously send negative messages to your own subconscious mind.

Recognize that if you are a human being, then by your very nature you are suggestible.  Use that knowledge to reduce the power of negative people to influence you, and use it to harness the extraordinary power of the universe to change you and everything around you to what you really want for yourself.

Suggestion

What is suggestion?  And is it by definition immoral and evil?

Tackling the second question first, of itself suggestion is not wrong.  Is electricity wrong?  Of course not!  But can it be used for evil purposes?  Yes, of course it can.  And just like electricity, suggestion is a natural force which can be used for good or evil.

Suggestion can be anything that bypasses the "censor" most of us have to stop us being unduly influenced.  It then affects our emotional side, often resurfacing as an original idea we have just had.

It can be deliberate or accidental.  And it need not even be caused directly by a person.  A piece of music, a hint of perfume, a flash of colour - all these and many more can have suggestive influence.

It can also be directed inwardly, as in auto-suggestion or self-hypnosis.

Everything around us is capable of suggestive influence.  When you listen to a piece of beautiful music you can find your mood changes and you may become more capable of achieving your goals.  You can also create suggestion around you in your own environment.  For example, when I had to study and work at home I designated one room as my study and office.  I never did my study or work outside of that room and once in the room I never did anything except study and work.  It did not take too long for the room itself to become a very powerful suggestion.  The moment I entered it I was immediately in the right mood for work.  Also, the moment I stepped outside I could feel I had left my work behind and was able to relax completely even if there was unfinished work to be done.  Once you are aware of this it is much easier to guard yourself against undesirable suggestive influence, and also to create the right suggestive influences to help you achieve whatever it is you want to achieve.

Suggestion works much better if it is very repetitive.  The first time we sense a suggestion our censor will often block it completely, recognizing it as an outside influence which may be undesirable.  The second time it may still be blocked, but our censor is slightly more relaxed about it, now recognizing it as something a little familiar.  By the third time it is likely our censor will relax completely, believing that this completely familiar suggestion is something from within.

It also needs to be clear, not giving mixed messages.  For example, if you are using music to get you in the right mood to achieve something you might want to pay careful attention to the lyrics if there are any.  If those lyrics are not aligned with that mood you want, then maybe you had better choose something else!  If you are using auto-suggestion to achieve a goal, again make sure it cannot be misunderstood when it bypasses your internal censor.  For example, if you are trying to become better at remembering people's names, you should not try using an auto-suggestion such as "I will not forget people's names", as the suggestion that gets through is talking about forgetting names - the very thing you want to counter!  Instead, it is much better to say "I always remember people's names" - that is a much more powerful suggestion which is clear and is properly aligned to what you want to achieve!

So much for auto-suggestion, but what about influencing others through suggestion?  Is this the right thing to do or is it immoral as so many people seem to believe?  Well, I come back to my point that everything is capable of suggestive influence.  So whether or not you wish to do so you are actually influencing those around you all the time.  Even those who believe it is wrong to influence others are still doing so all the time.  You should use this knowledge to improve the way you are influencing people - to ensure you are a positive influence rather than a negative one.  Make sure the messages you give encourage others to be better people.  And NEVER send out messages like "you will never amount to anything!" or "you are such a bad child!" - if these are the messages you send they will easily become self-fulfilling prophecies.

The Power of Self-Coaching

by

Tamara Baruhovich

Coaching is becoming more popular than ever, simply because it works. Just take a look at the achievements that the Winter Olympic athletes attained and you'll clearly see what I mean. And this is no different with Life Coaching. Think about the times when you had to solve a problem all by yourself versus a time when you got the help and guidance of a friend or co-worker... which scenario was easier? In fact, your friend and/or co-worker acted as a coach even without knowing it.

However, even when you have a Life Coach guiding you through the process, there is something you can do to make your experience 100% infallible. You must commit yourself to adopt certain traits that will aid in propelling you towards your destination more efficiently. By this I mean that since your Life Coach cannot be whispering in your ear 24/7, or patting you on the shoulder every moment throughout the day, you must learn to self-coach yourself.

Self-coaching is related to positive self-talk, but it's much more than that. Follow these steps to self-coach yourself to realize your goals faster and easier...

1. Determine your purpose - You must not only know what you want to accomplish but WHY. This surely seems obvious, but for some reason the WHY keeps on getting forgotten or dismissed altogether. Knowing what you want and why you want it is the primary starting point for achieving the results you want, for it you don't know where you are going or what your motivation is, you will never get 'there'.

2. Write your action plan - Don't rely on your memory alone. Self-coaching involves writing the steps to reach your goal. Jotting down every step is powerful because it serves you as a map. Once you have it, proceed to give yourself commands that will prompt you to act. Keep track of your written goals. Modify them if they are not working for you. Nothing has been written in stone, so use them as guideposts and correct the aim if needed. One step at a time you will get to your destination.

3. Auto-suggestion - Self-Coaching incorporates positive self-talk. First, you must know and feel that you are capable of accomplishing your goal. Then, tell yourself you can do it and give yourself the reasons as to why this is so. Creating positive affirmations is helpful too. Craft and memorize a handful of positive affirmations that you can repeat as needed to feed your mind with positive thoughts every time you need a lift.

4. Self-advice - We have all 'heard' that critical voice in our head when we make mistakes... why not use this voice for self-advice? If you are between two or more decisions, 'ask' your inner voice for advice. Treat yourself 'as if' you were talking and listening to a friend that has the best in mind for you. Take a nature walk or meditate. Then ask, be silent, listen... An excellent time to do the 'asking' is right before you fall asleep. Let your subconscious mind search for the right answer and whisper it into your ear as you wake up.

5. Self-encouragement - When the going gets tough, take some time off to remember the times in your life when things seemed close to impossible and somehow you were able to overcome the obstacles. Remember what you did and how good you felt. Self-coaching encompasses recognition. Allow yourself to live the experience all over again. Use that positive feeling as a springboard to encourage yourself, as you have proven in the past that you can accomplish difficult tasks. Remember your "why" and think of new reasons that can support your determination and resolve.

6. Adopt a positive attitude - This may sound like a 'cliche' but I can't tell you how important this is to change your state at any given moment. You can feel positive any time you choose to by focusing on the good you already have in your life. Regardless of your circumstances, you do have many things to feel grateful for and thus, to encourage a positive attitude. The fact that you are reading this should be one reason to make you feel positive for you are seeking new ways to improve your life.

7. Get self-inspired - Self-Coaching involves finding motivating stories that serve you as inspiration. Read about people that have accomplished major goals related to what you want to achieve. They become your role models. Use their stories to inspire you to reach new heights.

8. Be relentless - One famous phrase says that "Success is a journey not a destination"... be persistent and don't forget to enjoy the process. After all, you are moving towards your goal, and that is what matters.

9. Be patient - Anything worthwhile takes time to come into fruition. Just keep on keeping and believe in the unseen... patience is the mother of all virtues.

Life Coaching is a wonderful option to support and guide you towards achievement of your goals, but when you add Self-Coaching to the mix, you will experience faster and better results while you learn a helpful skill that will last a lifetime.

About the Author:

Tamara Baruhovich is a Life Coach, Health Educator, Parent Educator, and Counselor. Tamara has dedicated over 25 years of her life to the health field, teaching, counseling, coaching and writing about common health topics, self-help and personal growth. You can reach Tamara with your questions at her website. She always takes the time to reply personally as her passion is to help others achieve their best.

"Discover Your Potential" is a powerful, self guided coaching eProgram that offers you the one-on-one assistance of a Life Coach. Complete details at http://www.Discover-Your-Potential.net

Goal Setting and the Power of Autosuggestion

by

Gary Greenbank

Most people who read about goal setting take away the idea that thinking positively will help them achieve their goals. There is always a deeper message if you are ready for it.

You've probably also heard that 'we are all one' and that you are a 'spiritual being having a human experience'. An increasing amount of people believe that our minds are connected at some level in what could be called 'infinite intelligence' or the 'universal mind'.

Consider the idea that we actually change our life situation by using autosuggestion to tap into this 'infinite intelligence'. That is, if we can see and feel ourselves in possession of a goal, then this emotion of desire opens up the connecting link to 'infinite intelligence' through our subconscious.

To explain the idea of oneness in human terms think of your Higher Self as the ocean and your Limited Self level as a drop of water in that ocean. When you look at the ocean you know that it is made up of individual drops of water, however, all you see is one great expanse of water. This is the same as the relationship between you at your Limited Self and Higher Self level. Just as all the drops of water make up the ocean, you and every other living thing in the universe make up your Higher Self. You are the ocean having the experiences of each drop of water that is part of you. As your Limited Self, you are a drop while as your Higher Self, you are the entire ocean.

In our mind, at our Limited Self level, we have what is called our conscious faculty which is the guardhouse that helps us analyse and make judgments on the environment around us. Behind this lies our subconscious. We can tap into our subconscious in a variety of ways including meditation, prayer, hypnotism etc.

Many people believe that our subconscious is the connecting link between our finite brain and infinite intelligence. This is the basis for all manifestation theories involving positive thinking and goal setting. Many books have been written on this subject including 'The Secret', 'The Law of Attraction', 'The Power of Now', 'Think and Grow Rich' and many others.

What is often not understood is that when we want something to change in our life the change isn't actually manifested by us as our Limited Self. The actual process we use to change our situation, whether we know it or not, is to use autosuggestion to open the connecting link between our subconscious and our Higher Self or Infinite Intelligence where we are connected to everything else as one. It is at this level that we change our environment and therefore change our life situation.

Autosuggestion is where you have such a burning desire for something to change that you can actually see and feel yourself in possession of what you desire in your life - visualising and then adding the emotion of actually feeling yourself in possession of what you want.

This emotion and faith then stimulate your subconscious to link with the infinite intelligence to change your life situation. So how do you use this process to change your life? As mentioned earlier, the most effective way of tapping into your subconscious is through autosuggestion.

The following is an excerpt taken directly from the classic book, Think and Grow Rich. The example Napoleon Hill uses is making an amount of money however in reality your goal can be anything and you would just replace money in the excerpt below with your own goal.

'First. Go into some quiet spot (preferably in bed at night) where you will not be disturbed or interrupted, close your eyes, and repeat aloud, (so you may hear your own words) the written statement of the amount of money you intend to accumulate, the time limit for its accumulation, and a description of the service or merchandise you intend to give in return for the money. As you carry out these instructions, SEE YOURSELF ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF THE MONEY.

For example:-Suppose that you intend to accumulate $500,000 by the first of January, five years hence, that you intend to give personal services in return for the money, in the capacity of a salesperson. Your written statement of your purpose should be similar to the following:

"By the first day of , I will have in my possession $500,000, which will come to me in various amounts from time to time during the interim.

In return for this money I will give the most efficient service of which I am capable, rendering the fullest possible quantity, and the best possible quality of service in the capacity of salesperson of (describe the service or merchandise you intend to sell).

I believe that I will have this money in my possession. My faith is so strong that I can now see this money before my eyes. I can touch it with my hands. It is now awaiting transfer to me at the time, and in the proportion that I deliver the service I intend to render in return for it. I am awaiting a plan by which to accumulate this money, and I will follow that plan, when it is received."

Second. Repeat this program night and morning until you can see, (in your imagination) the money you intend to accumulate.

Third. Place a written copy of your statement where you can see it night and morning and read it just before retiring, and upon arising until you have been memorized it.

Remember, as you carry out these instructions, that you are applying the principle of auto-suggestion, for the purpose of giving orders to your subconscious mind. Remember, also, that your subconscious mind will act ONLY upon instructions which are emotionalized, and handed over to it with "feeling." FAITH is the strongest, and most productive of the emotions. Follow the instructions given in the chapter on FAITH.

These instructions may, at first, seem abstract. Do not let this disturb you. Follow the instructions, no matter how abstract or impractical they may, at first, appear to be. The time will soon come, if you do as you have been instructed, in spirit as well as in act, when a whole new universe of power will unfold to you.

Scepticism, in connection with ALL new ideas, is characteristic of all human beings. But if you follow the instructions outlined, your scepticism will soon be replaced by belief, and this, in turn, will soon become crystallized into ABSOLUTE FAITH. Then you will have arrived at the point where you may truly say, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!"

Many philosophers have made the statement that man is the master of his own earthly destiny, but most of them have failed to say why he is the master. The reason that man may be the master of his own earthly status, and especially his financial status, is thoroughly explained in this chapter. Man may become the master of himself, and of his environment, because he has the POWER TO INFLUENCE HIS OWN SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, and through it, gain the cooperation of Infinite Intelligence'.

The actual performance of transmuting DESIRE into money, involves the use of autosuggestion as an agency by which one may reach, and influence, the subconscious mind.

This same mechanism, where we connect with our Higher Self, has also been called Creative Genius and is the process behind intuition, imagination and instinct.

If you need any more proof read the biographies of people such as Einstein and Beethoven and you will realize that they were working with intelligence greater than that in their finite brain. Similarly with great inventors, this process of linking to the infinite intelligence allows them to operate at a higher creative plain than in their normal finite mind.

If you're interested in this idea that we are all one, and our minds are connected in some way we don't at this stage understand, I'd suggest you read my article on Internet of Minds and also watch a very interesting video presentation by Jill Bolte Taylor a brain scientist who documented her incredible experiences while she was having a stroke!

For more advice and answers to questions you won't find in a text book go to businessadvicecolumn.com

copyright Gary Greenbank 2012

Achieve Your Dream

by

Graham Dragon

Do you have a dream?

Is there something you always wanted to achieve, but never really tried because you knew you couldn’t?  Perhaps because you were born the wrong side of the tracks?  Aren’t gifted enough?  Don’t have what it takes?

What is holding you back is not your circumstances.  Not the people around you.  Not lack of money or other resources.

What is holding you back is YOU!

That voice inside, telling you that you can’t do it, or it is too risky, or you will never have the resources.

So let me help you take that first step to living your dream.  Close your eyes, reach out and take my hand, and I will guide you.  Not to the climax of living your dream – that is a journey you must make by yourself.  But to the place where you can make that first step.

Are you there with me now, with eyes closed, holding my hand, trusting me to deliver what I have promised?  Good!

The first thing we are going to do is use that remote you have in your other hand (You didn’t know it was there, did you?  But it is!  Feel it right now.).  Feel for the “off” button, and push it.  Did you feel that?  The negative voice inside you saying “I can’t do it” has just been silenced.  The remote has put you right where you should be – in control.  That voice shouldn’t come back now, because you have switched it off.  If it tries, level your remote at it again and switch it off again.  You won’t need to do that many times, as it will soon get the message.  It thrives on the attention its victims give it, and it doesn’t like being turned off.  Turn it off a few times and it will go away.

Now turn the remote in the other direction and push the “on” button.  You are switching on a parallel voice.  One that says “I CAN do it”.  Hear that voice?  It is there right now, because you have switched it on.

Do this exercise as often as you need, but I suggest at least daily for the next seven days.  And certainly any time you feel any doubts about achieving that dream.  Soon you will find you can “zap” those negative thoughts instantly, without really even thinking about it.

And once you really have turned off that negative voice, the sky is the limit.  That dream really can become your reality.

Finally, take a quick look at this 2 minute clip of Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happiness”, and take to heart what he has to say to his son:

What is Hypnosis?

So, what IS hypnosis?

Here is a dictionary definition:

"Hypnosis is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person loses the power of voluntary action and is tremendously conscious of suggestion or direction."

To go into a little more detail you could say that hypnosis is often over exaggerated. The term "Hypnosis" is used to describe a trance-like state.

However, in point of fact we all go in and out of mild “trances” every day; those moments when our minds wander and we daydream, even when we just shut the planet out and deeply focus on a book we are reading.

These are trance like states, and they are all natural and safe. Hypnosis simply puts you into one of these mild “trance” states purposefully, and over time the hypnotist plants simple, beneficial messages into your subconscious mind.

Although you might not remember everything which is said to you once you enter a trance you are not actually asleep.  Hypnosis is a wakeful state in which you are both deeply relaxed but also have a heightened sense of awareness and are open to suggestion.

Because of this heightened mind-set you can use hypnosis to make changes within your mind which would be much harder with conscious coaching alone.

To sum up very briefly, it might be said that hypnosis gains access the subconscious mind to get rid of the negative beliefs which hinder personal development.

What can hypnosis help?

Well, it’s almost a case of what can’t be done, or what can’t hypnosis be used for...

Hypnosis has a reputation of treating phobic disorders and fears, or at least this is the way it started out. It then began to be used with good results for weight reduction and stopping smoking.

Hypnosis is now used for the elimination of almost any unfavorable belief, it is used to help a wide range of health problems, and is massively effective for bettering self beliefs such as self-esteem and confidence.

It is possible to obtain these benefits by consulting with a hypnotherapist.  This can, however, be a rather expensive way of doing so.

Nowadays it is possible to obtain benefits more economically through mp3 downloads.  One firm pioneering this "self-help" hypnosis method is "Natural Hypnosis".  You can try out their methods initially by downloading 3 albums for free.  If you find them of benefit then you can go back to them and get something more particularly targeted to your own self-development aims.

Click here to claim your 3 free hypnosis downloads

Hypnosis is no miracle cure.  In fact, by itself it is not a cure at all.  If you feel you need a cure for anything then you should, of course, see your doctor.  But if you are looking for a simple tool to help you by giving you a positive attitude and increased mental strength then using hypnosis can be a very effective addition to your armoury of self-help tools.

The Art of War

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.  Why on earth would I be talking about a book on strategies of warfare in a blog all about personal development and success?  Especially considering my personal philosophy is that all war and violence is inherently wrong no matter what the provocation!  The reason is simple: although Sun Tzu wrote his book as a treatise on military strategy it can actually be used by anyone to achieve almost any objective if they read it properly.  Many successful business leaders have used "The Art of War" to achieve their business success.  Some personal development coaches use it as the basis of their coaching - and charge their clients high fees for the privilege.

You can use "The Art of War" to improve your sporting ability, build a business, overcome personal challenges, widen your social circle, make bullies leave you alone, attract a member of the opposite sex (or, for that matter, the same sex) - in fact, for almost any challenge you may have in your personal or professional life.  The secret, of course, is to read between the lines and adapt this treatise in your mind so it provides you with an appropriate strategy to achieve your desired goal.

You should begin by obtaining a copy of "The Art of War".  This book is well out of copyright now, having been written well over 2,000 years ago.  The English translation most accepted by academics was written by Lionel Giles, who died in 1958, so this version, too, is no longer copyright.  There are many free versions now available on the internet, including at Project Gutenberg.  One version with a typeface I find particularly easy to read is that published by Pax Librorum in 2009.  You can download this version here (for free, of course!):

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

Once you have your copy, sit for a while thinking clearly about what you are trying to achieve.  Then take your copy and begin reading it, identifying in your mind each section with your intended strategy.  Make copious notes in your book, crossing out words and phrases and replacing them with ones appropriate to your own goal.  Continue doing this, maybe not in one sitting, until you reach the end of the book.  Then go back to the beginning again and begin writing out your own version, using your own changes you made to make the book fit your strategy.  Now you will find you have a very good manual, totally personalised, which will help you make very good progress indeed with whatever strategy you have in mind.

The autosuggestion specialists, Subliminal MP3, have even come up with a subliminal MP3 you can use to ensure appropriate affirmations to help you achieve your goal are embedded in your subconscious.  You could either use this on its own or in conjunction with the strategy I have outlined above.  If you want to try the Subliminal MP3 you can obtain a copy here:

Subliminal MP3 of "The Art of War"

If you download this within the next three days, as a reader of my blog you will be entitled to a 30% discount.  Just enter the following coupon code at the checkout:

ARTWAR234

Good luck with whatever strategy you have in mind for your copy of "The Art of War".  And go in Peace!

Program Yourself for Success

We are being programmed to achieve all the time.  But most of the time what we are being programmed to achieve is not what we WANT to achieve.  We achieve it anyway, as that is what our program tells us to do, even though we probably wanted something quite different.

Take a few minutes to watch this video by Denis Waitley, one of the top authorities in the world on achieving greatness:



So, how can you make sure you are getting the right programming?

There are many ways of doing this.  For example, you should work hard to ensure you have exactly the right goals, and then affirm those goals every day when you awake and before you go to bed.

You can also program yourself for success by using subliminal messaging.

Subliminal messaging is hardly a new concept, yet still it gets misunderstood in the media. This doesn't have to be so though, as in-fact it is pretty simple really. This article will show you in a very down to earth way how it works, and how you too can use it to help shape your subconscious for the better.

The word "subliminal" itself comes from the Latin words "sub" and "limen", which literally translate as "below the threshold". All this means is that a subliminal message can be any piece of information our minds receive below the threshold of our conscious levels of perception.

It can come in many different forms, from sounds moved to a higher sound frequency, to images or text flashed faster than we can see. The most basic example of subliminal messaging is from our every day environment. We are always filtering information out - only processing information that we need in the present moment in time.

When walking in the street we notice the traffic around us, when walking on the path we hardly take notice of cars passing just a few feet away. When we are talking to our friends we focus in on this - hearing nothing else... but if we then hear our name called by someone outside our group this information manages to get through.

You have been unconsciously processing this conversation all the time - only when you hear your name do you fully focus in on itproperly.

Can Subliminal Audio Help?

YES OF COURSE THEY CAN!

This isn't just interesting pop psychology.These principles can be applied in the form of subliminal audio and used to help you in life - help you to boost your confidence, levels of self esteem, boost willpower, develop motivation - the possibilities are almost limitless.

This is all because we are capable of absorbing information we are not consciously aware of.

By using subliminal messages you will gradually receive these positive messages over and over. In time they will build in your mind and start making changes to your self beliefs and ways of thinking

You might still be unsure (many people are before they try it for themselves), if so then you are in luck as SubliminalMP3s.com are the leaders in subliminal audio, and the best part is that you can download 3 free subliminal audio albums along with their email course in subliminal messaging. This way you can experience the benefits of subliminal messaging completely risk free and see for yourself how it works..

Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better

This is a most powerful phrase left to us by the father of autosuggestion, Émile Coué.  Used properly, it really works.  Not just to heal disease, although there is much evidence that proper use of the phrase does just that, but also to help us achieve whatever it is we want to achieve.  You could even say it is the one phrase which draws together all the diverse strands of self-improvement philosophies.

I did say “used properly” though, so let us look at this phrase a little more carefully.

 

Every Day

Important words!  What this tells us is that any method of self-improvement we select has to be regular for it to work properly.

How many times have I heard people say this or that method doesn’t work?  And when asked, the complainer admits he or she only used it a few times and then gave up!

No matter what you may be trying to improve in yourself, and no matter what method you may be using to do so, you must keep going.  Almost certainly when you start you will encounter resistance.  Inner and outer resistance.  Your own subconscious mind will start voicing doubts.  Crush them.  You cannot afford to let them germinate.  Family and friends will tell you that it will not work, or that you are not strong enough to keep going.  Ignore them.  Keep practicing every day and you will achieve your goal.

 

In Every Way

Self-improvement is holistic.  It should not centre on one narrow aspect but should permeate your whole being, your whole life.  If it does, it will start to reflect back on itself, and that reflection will make the whole process more powerful and more effective.

Take a good look at whatever you are doing now to improve yourself.  Have you interpreted it too narrowly?  Can you extend it into other areas of your life in ways you had never considered before?

The more you can extend it into a complete system, touching all aspects of your being, the more effective you will find it.  And probably the more enjoyable and compelling you will find it will become.

 

I Am Getting

I have studied many systems of self-improvement, some of which are very obscure and little known.  In all my years of study I have never yet found one that provides instant results.  Why?  Because there is no system of instant self-improvement.

Every system requires sustained effort.  Put in that effort and you will find you start, gradually, getting results.  Not suddenly reaching the goal.  But slowly, step by step, getting closer to where you want to be.

 

Better & Better

Note the positive statement here.  This is vital.  Never focus on the weakness you are trying to remove, the problem you are trying to conquer.  If you do, then it is that weakness, that problem which will surface.  Always focus on the positive result you wish to achieve.

 

I Am Getting Better & Better

Having focused on it, visualise it and accept it into your life, knowing you have now achieved it.  How does that make you feel?  What can you do now, given you have achieved what you wanted?  Bask in that feeling.  And at the same time express thanks to the Universe (or God, or whatever you call “It”, “Her” or “Him”) for granting your this gift.

That is a really key part of the phrase Coué left us.  He did not tell us to say “I will get better and better”, but “I am getting better and better”.

Our subconscious mind is like a computer.  Powerful but stupid.  Able to calculate perfectly and make amazing things happen around it, but believing everything it is told, no matter how silly it might sound.  By telling it you have already achieved this you will make it believe you, and it will then act to draw to you all that pertains to this state you have told it you have achieved.

I hope you have found this little article helpful.  Whatever path you are pursuing, try putting what I have said here into effect and I know you will find you can achieve so much more.  And let me know how it goes for you by commenting back here in this blog.