How is your internal dialogue? What do you say when you talk to yourself? Or do you even notice the ongoing conversation you have with yourself?
This internal dialogue – or self-talk – is a combination of our conscious and subconscious minds. Unfortunately, our self-talk is frequently negative. “No one likes me”, “I can’t do it” or “Bad things always happen to me”. These limiting or damaging messages are stored deep within the subconscious mind. Often, these negative thoughts turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. We are what we think. If we tell ourselves we are not good, we become just that. We feel stuck, trapped or even lost in life. We feel powerless to improve or change our circumstances.
According to a French scholar Émile Coué (1857-1926), our mind has unlimited power. He trained as a pharmacist but became interested in exploring the subconscious mind. He discovered self-hypnosis and the power of autosuggestion.
Autosuggestions – often described as mantras or affirmations – are positive and optimistic phrases or statements you CHOOSE to repeat to yourself regularly. Repeating powerful affirmations “reprograms” your brain and helps you to challenge and eliminate self-sabotaging thoughts. The constant repetition of positive affirmations helps the conscious mind to influence and "rewire" the subconscious mind.
You can find lots of information on Émile Coué and his method, but it can be summed up in a brief mantra to be repeated many times each day;
“EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY, I AM GETTING BETTER AND BETTER”
Of course, you can create your own mantra that reflects your specific goal but Coué’s original "general purpose" formula applies to all situations and circumstances… health, wellbeing, love, relationships, business, career, wealth, confidence, self-esteem, personal growth … just to name a few.
The practice he advocated seems simplistic, but thousands of people have used his formula for health and happiness. Its very simplicity makes it work. Our mind has the power to heal and transform.
Try it – put your skepticism on hold!
It’s simple, easy and free.
Pick an area in your life that you want to improve. Then, choose or create an affirmation that will help bring about the desired change. Make it positive, realistic, present-tense and action-oriented statement. Make it short and memorable. And make sure it resonates with you and your situation. For example, “I am strong, fit and healthy”, “I am resilient and can get through anything” or “My business is successful in every way”.
Then, start practising!
Say it with faith and confidence and with the certainty that you are going to obtain what you desire. Ideally, say it out loud. If you are surrounded by other people, say it silently in your head. Say it calmly, without effort and as if it's already happening. You need to believe in the words you are saying. If you don’t, you will send mixed signals to your subconscious mind.
There is no "best time" to say your affirmation. You can do it in the morning, setting a positive tone for the day. You can repeat your affirmation virtually any time during the day or right before bedtime, as it allows the subconscious to continue working on it even whilst you are sleeping.
Shifting your self-talk from negative to positive is a process that takes time and persistence. Ongoing REPETITION is the key. So, repeat your affirmation AGAIN … and AGAIN … and AGAIN. It is essential to repeat the positive affirmation every day. Repetition is the best way to influence your subconscious mind. Don’t be discouraged if this seems a struggle at first. Every time you use the technique, you are stimulating the communication between the conscious and the subconscious minds. You are embedding new beliefs into your subconscious mind.
So many people give up all too quickly because they don’t see success immediately!!!
Turn your mind back to the first time you learned something new… like riding a bike or playing a musical instrument. I’m sure you remember how much concentration the task involved. But then it became easier and easier once your subconscious mind had reprogrammed the process into a routine. Perhaps you visited a foreign country and had to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, in an unfamiliar car with everything on the opposite side to what you were used to. You had to devote a lot of mental energy to it instead of being on “autopilot”. It was daunting, but after a couple of days, it was a lot easier.
The subconscious mind is highly developed and far more powerful than the conscious mind. You'll be amazed at the difference as your subconscious mind will start creating a life that is better for you in every way possible.
I use affirmations on a daily basis to uplift, inspire and motivate. I have different affirmations for different situations.
For me, affirmations are a life-long practice, and I can tell you – they do work!
Eila Mikkonen
Counsellor, Coach & Mental Fitness Facilitator