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| Mom never stops being your mother |
There are a few things you can do to be a positive thinker, even if it doesn't come naturally to you.
Follow three steps to feel good about yourself.
First, understand the power of suggestion. Suggestion is a process where a person guides the thoughts, feelings or behaviors of another -- even yourself. Yes, the power of suggestion, works when you make suggestions to yourself, too.
The power of suggestion is based on the powerful psychological mechanism that results in whatever the subconscious accepts. Whatever the subconscious accepts... the person believes and acts on. This could be a negative comment blasted down from a parent or a positive self-image statement you say to yourself.
You must get past the "conscious" to reach the "subconscious." The whole idea is to use the power of suggestion to communicate in a way that reaches the subconscious. Here's how you do it:
1. Words.
2. Repeat.
3. Touch.
1. The first step is to understand that the subconscious takes things literally, one word at a time, and processes all the associations for those words. If you say to yourself "don’t worry," you are actually programming yourself to "worry," because "worry" is being heard by your subconscious.
In this case, it is more beneficial to say "be calm" because the lingering word that the subconscious hears is "calm."
Here's another example: Say to yourself, "I'll be on time" rather than "I'll be late." You want the lingering word to be "on time." This is a good one: When someone asks how you are... answering "not bad" leaves the word "bad" lingering in their subconscious, which they then associate with you. And you associate with yourself. Instead, say "I'm good." Do you see how this works?
It's works on dogs, too. How often have you heard someone say, "bad dog." The lingering word is "bad." That's what you're teaching and what your subconscious associates with the dog. Instead say, "That wasn't a good dog." It's the same thing, but the lingering word is "good." It's the same with children of any age.
The power of suggestion is powerful whether you're thinking it or saying it out loud. When in doubt on how to say something, focus on what the lingering word is.
2. The second part of the equation is to repeat the positive statement. Most experts agree that to learn something, your brain needs to experience it eight times or more. To see this in action, all you have to do is recall the 2012 presidential election ads, which were repeated to ad nauseam. They worked for one candidate. I'll leave it to you to reason why.
More recently, advertisers have bombarded shoppers with "Black Friday" ads. They are trying to reach our subconscious so we'll buy from their store. Repetition is the key. It works.
Next time someone asks how you are, say "I'm good. I'm good." Say good words first thing when you wake up and again when you brush your teeth and again... and again.
3. Last, add touch. It doesn't need to be a big one. Just a small tap is good enough. Families have been doing this for generations. Mom hugs the child [touch] and says "I love you" [positive words]. Other people use touch, too.
In the presidential debates, you see the candidates shake hands and even touch each other on the arm. Some people pat another gently on the shoulder.
Use it on yourself by briefly rubbing your hands together or by doing a one-time clap of the hands. Touch sends the message to the subconscious. It works.
(1) Saying and hearing good words, (2) repeated often, and (3) with a little touch works. The power of suggestion works. It's healthy. It's happy. Use these three steps to feel good about yourself. Pass it on.