Mind Your Mind

Three Secrets to Effective Affirmations:

1 Drive your Physiology - by this I mean get yourself into a dynamic state of mine by moving your body energetically. I find walking quickly, cycling or jumping around the house while listening to loud music, all very effective for me. When you feel energized you will put more enthusiasm and emotion into your affirmations and you will make a bigger impression on your mind.

Then say your short positive statement out loud if it is appropriate, otherwise shout it out inside your head where only you can hear it.

2 Create short statements

These statements will describe how you want to be and it is best to state these attributes in the present tense as if it is already true.

For example, *I am confident and appreciated by all* Instead of... *I want to have more confidence someday only I do not know when that is likely to be because I have a few problems to deal with right now.*

When you say your affirmation, assume it is already true and express this feeling as you repeat the phrase. This way you are programming your brain to find a way for you to achieve your goal.

3 Use the Ultimate Affirmation:

The ultimate affirmation is ideal for anyone who wants to communicate at their best under pressure. Here it is...

*I love myself*

I know this seems a bit far out. Let me explain. Let us pretend, just for a moment, that you completely love yourself 100 per cent. So this would mean you fully accept all aspects of yourself, your body, your bad habits, your personal limitations etc.

If this was the case, the opinion of other people would be totally irrelevant. You would then have no barriers to speaking at your best.

At first repeating * I love myself* is likely to cause you to feel awkward, embarrassed or just plain silly. If that happens you will know that you are on the right track because that is evidence that you are challenging limiting beliefs you already have about your value as a person.

For the more adventurous, try this in front of a mirror. It freaked me out the first time I did it. Although I soon got the hang of it.

Play with this approach to managing your mind and you will soon discover that the secret is to use affirmations with intensity. Enjoy your journey!

Peter Murphy is a freelance business writer. He publishes a free weekly ezine full of practical tips for communicating at your best under pressure. All new subscribers receive a free e-book with powerful strategies for being at your best.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., right, and Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., listen as Sen. Arlen  Specter, R-Pa. not shown, speaks at a news conference on the auto industry bailout, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008,  on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP - Democratic leaders began laying out conditions Friday that they say Detroit's Big Three automakers need to meet before Congress will consider giving them an emergency $25 billion lifeline.



Nebraska lawmakers Tom Carlson, left, of Holdrege, Lowen Kruse of Omaha, John Wightman of Lexington, and Norm Wallman of Cortland visit briefly Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, on the floor of the legislature just before the final vote of LB1, which puts a 30-day age limit on children who can be dropped off at Nebraska hospitals under the safe haven law. The bill easily passed 43-5. (AP Photo/Bill Wolf)AP - Nebraska lawmakers have approved adding a 30-day age limit to a safe-haven law that resulted in 35 children — including teenagers as old as 17 — being abandoned at state hospitals. Gov. Dave Heineman was expected to sign the bill later Friday, and the law would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Nebraska will join 13 other states with a 30-day age cap. It has been the only state with a safe-haven law that lacks an age limit.



Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr burn the American flag as thousands converge at Firdous Square in central Baghdad, Iraq for a mass prayer to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)AP - Thousands of followers of a radical Shiite cleric protested a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security deal Friday, burning an effigy of President George W. Bush in the same square where Iraqis beat a toppled Saddam Hussein statue five years ago. Chanting and waving flags, Muqtada al-Sadr's followers filled Firdous Square to protest the pact that would allow American troops to stay for three more years.



President-elect Barack Obama, with money in hand, looks to pay for his order during a visit to Manny's Deli in Chicago, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - Law enforcement officials bracing for the largest crowds in inaugural history are preparing far-reaching security — thousands of video cameras, sharpshooters, air patrols — to safeguard President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in.



U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, left, and Vice President Dick Cheney are shown in this 2006 file photo at the White House. Cheney and Gonzales have been indicted on state charges involving federal prisons in a South Texas county that has been a source of bizarre legal and political battles under the outgoing prosecutor. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, file)AP - A county prosecutor who brought indictments this week against Vice President Dick Cheney and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday during a routine hearing. Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra asked Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself from the case, which alleges abuse at federally run prisons.



AP - A South Florida college student killed himself by overdosing on drugs in front of a live online audience as some computer users egged him on, some debated his method, and others tried to talk him out of it.

Bulgarian archaeologists work near a Thracian bronze chariot discovered near the village of Karanovo. A bronze chariot dating back to the second century AD has been unearthed in a Thracian burial mound in southeastern Bulgaria, archaeologists said Friday.(AFP/BGNES)AP - Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. "The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.," Veselin Ignatov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo.



Rapper T.I.,  whose real name is Clifford Harris, of Atlanta, testifies in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)AP - Rapper T.I. testified Friday that he believes the bullets fired at his entourage during a wild vehicle chase two years ago were meant for him. He took the witness stand in the trial of Hosea Thomas, 34, who is accused of firing the shot that killed Philant Johnson during a gun battle on Interstate 75.



AP - A thief who robbed a general store apologized to the owner and left the singles behind so workers on the next shift would have something in the till. The knife-wielding man made off with an undetermined amount of money from Joe's Pond Country Store on Wednesday after threatening owner Jeff Downs.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce drives on New York Knicks' Jamal Crawford during the first quarter of a basketball game in Boston Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)AP - The New York Knicks were expected to announce a trade for Golden State Warriors forward Al Harrington on Friday. Media reports had the Knicks sending guard Jamal Crawford to Golden State, though it was unclear if he was the only player.



Leaders of the U.S. automotive industry testify at a hearing held by the House Financial Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington November 19, 2008. From left are General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner, Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)Reuters - Detroit automakers began work on the turnaround plans demanded by Congress in return for a possible $25 billion rescue as General Motors Corp said it will cut production more deeply and drop two of its controversial corporate jets.



President-elect Barack Obama asks patrons what he should order for lunch at Manny's Coffee Shop and Deli in Chicago, November 21, 2008. (Frank Polich/Reuters)Reuters - With his choice of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state all but certain, President-elect Barack Obama promised on Friday to bring a "fresh perspective" to U.S. relations with the rest of the world.



Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit in a file photo. (Peter Morgan/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc shares tumbled for a fifth straight day, as Chief Executive Vikram Pandit tried to downplay speculation the banking giant might sell major businesses to restore its health and investor confidence.



Reuters - Iran rejected Friday U.S. reports it had enriched enough uranium to make an atom bomb, saying this would require steps it had ruled out like ejecting U.N. inspectors and leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Reuters - Unknown assailants launched an attack on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline between Iraq and Turkey on Friday, triggering a large fire, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.

People search for jobs on computers at the Verdugo Jobs Center, in Glendale, California, November 7, 2008. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)Reuters - President George W. Bush on Friday signed into law an extension of unemployment benefits, the White House said.



The Turkish frigate Gokova escorts MV As Salaam, carrying 11,000 metric tons of aid to Somalia, in the Indian Ocean, November 20, 2008. (NATO Allied Maritime Component Command/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Dozens of Somali Islamist insurgents stormed a port on Friday hunting the pirates behind the seizure of a Saudi supertanker that was the world's biggest hijack, a local elder said.



President Bush walks across the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House, November 21, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - George W. Bush headed on Friday to an Asia-Pacific summit aiming to seek support for global financial reform and hold talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program as his presidency winds down.



Iraqi Shiites protest in central Baghdad. Thousands of Shiite followers of the firebrand anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in Baghdad to protest a security accord that would allow US troops to remain in Iraq until 2011.(AFP/Ali al-Saadi)AFP - Thousands of Shiite followers of firebrand anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in Baghdad on Friday to protest a security accord that would allow US troops to remain in Iraq until 2011.



Children are being forcibly recruited into the ongoing conflict in Congo. Profile of a former child soldier. Duration: 02:06(AFPTV)AFP - Congo's government demanded a stronger mandate for UN peacekeepers in the conflict-torn east Friday, while residents of a squalid refugee camp said soldiers killed a woman during a looting spree.




The Joy Of Living In The Zone

What do people want most in the world? What is the most... Read More

How The Power of Attraction Can Help You Get What You Want?

"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by... Read More

Dont Be Afraid to Let Other People See Who You Really Are!

Do you know anybody that you consider to be particularly engaging and... Read More

Success Is In Your Hands - For Things To Change, I Must Change First!

Do you know that many people feel they cannot achieve what they... Read More

The Path of Appreciation

Without appreciation, any success you have will be in vain and worthless.... Read More

Intuition and Instinct, Our Friends

Say the word 'intuition,' and some cringe. It sounds too new-age, too... Read More

Hearts Made Strong

The heart seems to be one of the most vulnerable in the... Read More

Ego, Arrogance, and Self-Esteem

The pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain are not our... Read More

The Magic of Mike

The woman stood over the stove stirring a pot of hot soup.... Read More

The Laws of the Universe

What I am about to tell you will take a very open... Read More

Five Ways to Sharpen Your Sense of Humor and Improve Your Relationships

Humor has long been considered one of the most effective tools to... Read More

The Beast

What does one do when one is too old, too weak, and... Read More

Teach Me Who You Are

We all have a privately held belief system that defines who we... Read More

The Power of Focusing on What Vs. How

We see it and do it enough times to know just how... Read More

Feng Shui with Style! Working with Your Element Type

When you begin to study feng shui, you quickly realize the importance... Read More

The Real Secret of Attraction

The secret of attraction is the unconscious hope for healing and understanding.... Read More

7 Tips to Make a Fantastic Impression on People Who Count

Making a fabulous impression on people opens doors for your business, personal,... Read More

The Gift

Welcome to The Gift ? a simple pattern that is both ancient... Read More

The Law of Attraction - Make it Work For You

The Law of Attraction responds to whatever vibration you are sending out... Read More

Just Allow? But How?

If you've been practising the Law of Attraction, then you're probably familiar... Read More

Crack the Clandestine Code of Diamonds

Precious, brilliant and expensive-why wouldn't diamonds be a girl's best friend? When... Read More

Live Your Own Life

Are you living your life, the way you want to live?If your... Read More

Embrace Change

Last Sunday I was sitting in on a class we conduct for... Read More

3 Steps to Manifesting Your Ideal Life

Over the past several weeks I've received dozens of email solicitations for... Read More

Perception Is Reality

"We think, therefore we are."God always gives us what we expect. Sometimes... Read More

The Top 10 Roadblocks to Attracting Prosperity and what We can Do About Them!

If it were easy, everyone would do IT; everyone would have IT.That... Read More

Plants, Herbs, And Roots For Love

In the column Plants, Herbs and Roots For Prosperity, I explain in... Read More

One of the Many Ways That The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles Gets It Right

I probably would not be able to count the number of different... Read More

Improve Your Conversations By Watching Talk Show Hosts

If you want to learn how to be a good conversationalist, a... Read More

Putting Yourself on the Road to Success

What separates successful people from unsuccessful people, achievers from non-achievers, winners from... Read More

Use Your Reset Button to Change Your Vibration

At every moment you can tell if the vibration that you are... Read More

Four Disciplines To Getting What You Want

I bet you're like me - you want results now, without having... Read More

More For Me Means More For You

How would you like to have what you want AND at the... Read More

Are You Thinking About What Youre Thinking About

Do you realize that your belief system is ultimately what will determine... Read More

Enjoy the Magic of Prosperity

There is an art and a science to prosperity. The art is... Read More

Searching for Higher Ground: 24 Hours to a Better Life

There's a moment in one of my favorite films, Searching for Bobby... Read More

Feeding

The purpose of human existence is to send out impulses to influence... Read More

Do You Want Raspberry, Chocolate Or Vanilla?

Descartes once wrote, "I think, therefore I am!" and 'hidden' in plain... Read More

Small Steps And Golden Stones

It was a long walk but someone had to do it. And... Read More

What is it That You Want, Honey? Discover Wealth and Prosperity with the Angels of Abundance

As you already know, the Angels are here; ready to assist us... Read More

Birthing Your Dream

Are you ready to birth a dream and not sure about the... Read More

What are You Creating?

Before you left school, did any of your teachers sit you down,... Read More

Create a Climate for Success by Mastering Your Total Image - Part 3

In the first parts of this series, we introduced the concept of... Read More

How To Influence People

Most of your success in life will come from your ability to... Read More

Be Grateful for Gratitude

In Twelve Step meetings, it's traditional to groan when someone says, "Let's... Read More

The Power of Letting What is Be Okay

Have you been in that "black hole?" That is the place that... Read More

Mirror, Mirror

The Concept of Beauty"Mirror Mirror on the Wall, who's the most beautiful... Read More