Larson Institute of Self-Mastery » Thoughts

What Are You Focusing On?

Gary N. Larson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:09:32 +0000

I talked earlier about the concept of Threshold, of reaching a boiling point in your life, of hitting rock bottom and realizing you need to change. But after that, then what? Where do you go from there? Many people have reached that point and they say, “I’m going to make a change, I’m going to turn over a new leaf.” But, you know, they go to bed, they get up the next day, and life goes on and nothing really changes. Well, that’s a good point. Where do you go from there?

Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want

I think many times we focus on the bad habit or behavior that we want to change and that’s where our mind is, that’s where our attention is, that’s where the vision is, the pictures that we have in our mind. Now I’ll go back to the example of the person who overeats. You know they say, “I’ve got to change, I’ve got to go on a diet, I’ve got to quit eating the food.” They put all of their focus on not eating and they are constantly thinking about food, saying things to themselves like; “I can’t eat the chips and salsa. I can’t eat the chocolate cake in the fridge. I’ve got to count calories.” Their whole focus is all on food, and not eating the food.

Dominant thoughts

The problem is, the picture that you have in your mind when you’re in this mode is of food and your mind draws toward what you have pictures of in your head. Let me rephrase that, not your mind, but whatever pictures you have in your mind; that’s what you’re drawn towards. The person who wants to quit swearing for example, if he’s just constantly telling himself, “I’m not going to swear, I’m not going to swear.” The thoughts in his mind are all about swearing.
The focus can’t be on what it is your trying to stop. It’s got to be on the behavior you’re going to replace it with. So for the person who wants to change the way they look, their physical appearance, their health, they shouldn’t be focusing on not eating food. They should be focusing on what they’re going to look like in six months or a year down the road-what kind of lifestyle are they going to have? It’s got to be a lifestyle change.

“See” what you want

They can’t say, “I’m going to stop eating food for the next ten days” or “I’m going to stop eating until I’m down to a certain weight and then resume my regular lifestyle.” That’s not going to work. You’ve got to see in your mind who you’re going to become. And then once you decide what kind of life you’re going to lead, are you going to be a biker, a runner, are you going to get up and do aerobics, kick boxing, whatever it is, you need to see pictures of yourself in good health, pictures of yourself in your mind having the body, the physique that you want, looking the way you want and then move towards that picture.

Suddenly you start to make changes in your life because your current behavior is incompatible with the way you see yourself. You need to start looking, acting, walking, and talking like that person.

Now that is focusing on a small part of your entire self, your physical body. You can bring this up to even a higher level and see yourself as a completely different person, a person you have described and envisioned in every detail, the real “you” deep inside of you. You begin to change every aspect of your life. It all begins with what you are focusing your mind on on a regular basis. So be aware of your thoughts, be aware of the images and pictures you have in your mind because whatever your dominant thought is, that is what you will create in your life.

Overcoming Obstacles

Guest — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:09:51 +0000

Author – Vera Stark

Obstacles are something that you are faced with throughout your day and are usually perceived as a hindrance or a problem. You encounter obstacles in your business, your work place, your relationships, your health and your personal lives.

So what if you were to change your perception?

You see, it isn’t the obstacle that is the problem; it is your perception of the obstacle that makes it what it is. When you see something as being an obstacle you immediately have an opinion or judgment about it. Your thoughts take over creating a feeling inside of you that is in alignment with that thought. It is these thoughts and feelings that stop you.

Imagine that you were working to achieve one of your goals for the day. All of a sudden something happens that you weren’t counting on. Maybe it is something unexpected around your finances or perhaps you had a time line in which to finish something and your boss decides that he needs it 2 hours earlier. These would be considered obstacles or so called problems. They are things that have gotten in your way of completing what you were doing.

Many times we think of our age, not having enough time or feeling that we can’t do something an obstacle, but the only obstacle is your own thoughts about it and your choice to either move forward regardless of it or let it stop you.

I heard an amazing story once that really helped me to see why we have obstacles and barriers in front of us that I would like to share with you.

One day this ladies daughter was showing her an aquarium full of tadpoles. She had purchased a whole bag full of them for her children to watch grow from tadpoles into frogs. The lady noticed that there was a big rock in the aquarium. When she asked her daughter why she put a rock right in the middle of the tadpoles’ environment, she told her an interesting story.

She said that when she went to the pet store to buy the tadpoles, the gentleman told her to be sure to put a big rock right in the middle of the aquarium. The tadpoles’ must have this obstacle to give them the incentive to climb up and thus split their little wiggly tails so that their legs can begin to develop. if they have no rock or obstacle to climb up on, they will never turn into frogs. They cannot learn how to hop by just swimming around in water. They must have something causing resistance to give them the incentive to leap forward.

The man went on to tell her that last year a school teacher came back to the store and complained because none of her tadpoles had ever turned into frogs. She had put all of them in an aquarium and let them swim around but they never became frogs. He asked her if she had put a big obstacle, like a rock, in the middle of the aquarium. She said that she had not. She did not know that a tadpole will remain a tadpole unless it faces some obstacle or barrier that forces it to grow.

Why you have obstacles and barriers in front of you is not to hinder you, but to cause you to grow. It is not so much what the object is in front of you that matters as much as it is your attitude towards it.

If you just realize that every obstacle that you face is really a gift that is giving you the opportunity to grow, your thoughts about it will be more positive.

I now look at every obstacle as an opportunity and a blessing, a way for me to step forward regardless of the situation.

Understanding that barriers and obstacles, challenges, difficulties and hard times that you face are all there for a reason is important because without them you will never have the incentive to grow.

The next time you are faced with an obstacle ask yourself, “How can I turn this into a project that will work for me.” Make it a project not a problem.

About the Author

Vera Stark is dedicated to teaching you how to create more loving and lasting relationships, workplace success, improved state of health and a more prosperous and fulfilling life.

I invite you to access a copy of my free ebook #Solutions to Living Your Life With Purpose….Visit: http://bit.ly/buOwsa

The Power of Dominant Thought

Guest — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 08:02:56 +0000

Author: Brian Carson

Wayne Dyer, the famous author, speaker and teacher, likes to say in his writings that what you focus on expands. Nothing could be more profound or truthful.

What you focus on expands should be a rallying cry for all who want and are willing to pay the price to live the life they imagine. We are the sum total of all our thoughts. Our dominant thoughts create the life we have lived up to this point and will create our futures as well. Make no mistake about it.

This is not some New Age hocus-pocus. This principle has been around for centuries. The Bible says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, that is what he is.” Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius said, “a man’s life is dyed by the color of his thoughts,” and the Buddha commented that, “All that a man is comes from his thoughts.”

All of us at one time have used this power of dominant thought, whether we realized it or not. When as I was about 12 or 13 years old, I really wanted to be a running back on my midget football team. Most of the time, I played on the offensive and defensive lines, but I set my sights on running back.

During the full three months of summer vacation, all I thought about morning, noon and night, was being the starting running back on the football team. Soon summer was over and we had our first practice. The coach asked us where we wanted to play and I said running back.

Long story short, I won the starting position in tryouts and played the entire season as the starting fullback. All from my dominant thought over the summer.

That is just a minor example of the power of dominant thought. There have been larger and grand examples throughout history, like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan to name a few.

The important key to remember is it must be dominant thought. Half-hearted or fleeting thoughts will not bring about the desired intent. Only a thought that consumes you, that dominates your waking moments, is strong enough to make it become a reality.

Thoughts are things. Thoughts are electrical impulses and if a thought is strong enough it can reach out into the quantum field, which is also made up of various light vibrations (electrical impulses), and match you up with your desired thought. Like attracts like. This is a fact. If you couple your dominant thought with focused, confident action – life will give you whatever you ask.

About the Author

Brian Carson is a writer, Internet marketer and a self-improvement coach. He has created a new website that gives advice on success philosophy, resume creation and cover letter tips for job seekers/career changers. Visit his site at: http://www.writepowerfulresumes.com/center/index.html or to read more great articles go to http://fourpillarsofsuccess.blogspot.com/

The Most Useful Mind Control Techniques

Guest — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:02:01 +0000

Guest author Steve G. Jones

There are many mind control techniques that can work to manipulate the mind. Sometimes known as the power of persuasion, mind control can give you the ability to transform your thinking so you can accomplish anything your heart desires. Do you aspire to have that dream job, relationship or live in a beautiful part of the world that you have always wanted?

There are ways to control the mind and give in to the power of suggestion, so that whatever you desire can be accomplished. Learn how to influence others or influence yourself with a change of thinking patterns. Have you ever wanted to stop smoking or lose weight but something always prevents you from doing so? Are you attracting the same detrimental partners in your life as you wonder how you will ever get out of these bad patterns? As powerful as our brain is, it tells us what we are worthy of and more importantly, what we aren’t.

You can meditate or use self-hypnosis when using mind control and both are excellent ways to manipulate your environment. They also are ways to help you reprogram yourself into thinking that the way out, is always through. Program yourself to be a positive thinker and relish as you see instant results will improve your life many times over. If you want to look a certain way but need to lose weight and haven’t had success doing it by yourself, you may want to consider self-hypnosis. As an effective strategy that will improve how you feel about yourself, it will send a message out to the universe that you have already achieved your goal.

Mind power techniques work. They work best for people that believe in them, but for anyone that is determined to change their life. You have the ability just based on the power of your mind to control who and what you have in your life, regardless of what your past experiences have taught you. Think about the thoughts that enter your mind on a regular basis. Do they contain mostly positive or negative feelings? Are they full of nurturing energy or self-hate? Whatever messages your subconscious is sending your conscious has everything to do with the outcomes in your life. What does your work life look like? How about your personal life? Is it as exciting and thrilling as you want it to be? Meditation can be a powerful skill when you need to change some things in your life. As a de-stressor, it also contributes to good thoughts which can quickly produce peace of mind and positivity in your life.

Meditation can contribute to many areas of your life, including offering peace of mind to your relationships, improving your health and contributing to an increased amount of wellness and prosperity. If you have ever invested time and energy into meditation, you know that you can see results immediately! Start by taking 10-20 minutes by yourself and make sure that the time you devote to meditation is uninterrupted time. Start by allowing whatever thoughts you have to come in and then out, in and out. Understand that when negative thoughts come into your mind to be aware of them and release them. Begin to replace them with positive thoughts and hold them in your mind for as long as possible. Sometimes meditation can be challenging to do at first and frustrating when you have so many thoughts to enter you head filled with negativity, but the results that follow are worth the time involved.

The power of your mind is all in your head – literally! The things that you want for yourself are within your grasp and much easier to obtain that you may think. If you can rewire your subconscious by powerful positive thinking and proactive subconscious mind control, then you can make anything in your life change or manipulate, simply by changing how you think about it! Whether you want to create more happiness in your surroundings, live more simply or luxuriously or just enjoy your life is a more appreciate way, you can utilize your mind and control your thinking which will ultimately control your environment. You no longer have to look outside of yourself for the answer but work with your mind to develop the life you crave.

It started way back in 1953. While rock and roll was gaining ground and poodle skirts were in style, Jose Silva was preoccupied with his 10 children. Like any awesome parent, he wanted the best for his kids. But he didn’t stop at reading, arithmetic, and writing. He expanded his children’s studies to include hypnosis, mind exercises, and meditation all based upon scientific research.

The results were incredible. Not only did his children become the top students in their respective classes, but they also exhibited powerful intuitive skills far beyond what he expected. Since those humble beginnings, Jose Silva has taken his techniques and exercises to every corner of earth, in a personal mission to help everybody achieve their greatest potential and open up their minds to so much more than conventional thinking and education.

Over the past 5 decades, countless successes and breakthroughs have resulted from the Silva Method. As of 2010, there have been over 6-million Silva graduates in 110 countries who have increased their happiness, wealth, health, personal wellbeing, intuition, and creativity.

http://www.silvalifesystem.com/products

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_G._Jones

5 Steps to Change Habits by Changing Your Brain – Create New Neural Pathways

Guest — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:02:24 +0000

Guest author Marilyn B. Gordon

Because of the brain’s ever-changing potentials called neuroplasticity, anything is possible. People who’ve had strokes can retrain their brains to function again by building new pathways. Smokers and overeaters and many others can learn new behaviors and attitudes and can transform their lives.

I used to drive with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator, and I wanted to train myself to drive with one foot only. It took some time, as I had a strong neural pathway for two-footed driving. But because I had the will to do it, I built a new pathway, and I rewired or reprogrammed my brain. You can remove a behavior or thought or addictions directly from the brain.

Some Powerful Ways to Retrain the Brain

1. Use aversion therapy.

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s an optional path. I like to call it “the maggots on the chocolate cake technique.” I used to love candies and sweets, and when I stopped eating them, I still had to pass by them when I walked by the candy store in town. I used aversion to train my brain to walk on by: “That’s junk,” I said to myself. “It’s made in factories, sickeningly sweet, makes me feel bad. The company makes it so sweet just to addict buyers. I don’t want any of that.” So I talk myself out of it. I’ve use it with many clients (only those who say they want it) on smoking, junk food, cocaine and many other behaviors.

2. Create a specific plan and choose what to do instead.

When you get specific, it’s easier to build new neural pathways. You “make it official.” Decide if you want to exercise instead of overeating or if you want to eat fruit instead of candy. Just keep focused on the new choice. You may want to create affirmations and anchors to reinforce your choices. This can be “I’m free or “I’m in control.” Reinforce this with energy therapies like EFT or other techniques.

3. Transform the obstacles.

Look at what’s in the way. Look at secondary gain – what you’ve been getting out of the old habits or pathways. Look at the stress in your life and how you can handle it differently. Get your mind in the place of possibility. Handle the emotions and thoughts and get on a new superhighway in your mind.

4. Connect with your Higher Source for inspiration and support.

Listen to our guidance. Know you have the Force within you, and therefore you have great power. Meditation creates new pathways and brain changes. Actual studies have been done on the brains of monks to show meditation’s effect on neural circuits of the brain.

5. Transform and make the shift.

Know that transformation is always possible and that you can create new brain pathways whenever you’re ready to make the shift. When you keep your mind in the “I can do it!” space, you get a clear sense that you’re done with the old and on a new beam now.

Want to learn more about life transformation, spiritual growth, and healing? You can download our 100 page free ebook, Extraordinary Healing at http://www.lifetransformationsecrets.com. You can also subscribe to our wonderful free monthly newsletter, “The Transformation News.” Marilyn Gordon is a life transformer, board certified hypnotherapist, teacher, speaker, healer, school director, and author with over thirty years of experience. Her latest book is The Wise Mind: The Brilliant Key to Life Transformation and Healing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_B._Gordon