Creating a Better Life

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There is no labor from which most people shrink as they do from that of sustained and consecutive thought; it is the hardest work in the world. — Wallace Wattles, The Science of Getting Rich

What we do, our actions, are what determine the majority of what happens to us in our lives. By action, I’m including things like meditation, prayer, sitting around and watching television, taking out the trash… anything that is being done - even sitting around is the action of sitting around.

Our beliefs are what control our actions. To use a simple example: you are much more likely to take out the trash if you believe that it will make your living conditions better; if you believe that there’s somewhere to take it to; if you believe that there won’t be any negative consequences to taking it out. You may say that you know these things, but knowing something is just believing it with zero doubt.

It’s our habits of thought that form our beliefs. Before you could tie your shoes, you had to really concentrate on tying your shoes. Now, it’s a habit… you just tie your shoes. Before you could walk, you had to concentrate on each and every step. Now, it’s a habit… you just stand up and start moving.

A habit is an action that is performed regularly without conscious thought.

Habits of thought (regular, unconscious thinking) are what form our beliefs.

Why We Believe What We Believe

We believe what we believe usually because someone else has told us what to think on a regular basis.

This can be very beneficial, and save a lot of time. Just how many people could tie their shoes if they had to figure it out on their own, and had no encouragement from others that it was a good thing to be able to do?

But it can also be destructive. How many people believe that they are stuck in their lives, unable to improve them, unable to change, and that they can’t reach their goals, because that’s they message that they got when they were younger, and is now reinforced by society?

Way too many.

I used to think I had to remove these old beliefs. I now know that that isn’t necessary (and may not even be possible.)

What I can do is replace them with new beliefs.

How to Develop New Beliefs

As adults, if we want to change our lives, we have to change those beliefs that are holding us back.

Since it was repetition that embedded the beliefs that we have now, it’s repetition that can replace them.

There are a number of ways to do this - all I’m going to focus on in this article one simple way. It’s detailed in the audio that I posted a link to a couple of days ago - “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale. I’ve used this method in the past with good results, and the audio really helped me to crystallize my thinking and turn it into something that I could really wrap my brain around. It’s very similar to Emmet Fox’s Golden Key method, but I think it’s easier to use, because you are working with solid goals rather than abstractions.

Every time you have a conscious thought about something that you don’t want, replace it immediately with a statement of definite purpose - a goal that you have set for yourself.

What I’ve done is taken my 3 current major targets from Simpleology¹, crafted them into a statement of definite purpose, and written them as positive affirmations of my completed goals.

Putting It Into Practice

So let’s say I start focusing on a thought like “Man, why do I still have to work this day job? This sucks.”

I’ll replace that with “I’m so happy and grateful that I’m a non-smoker who has completed Simpleology 103² and is earning $10,000 a month.”

And if the next thought is “Come on, you’ll never be a non-smoker!”

I’ll consciously think to myself “I’m so happy and grateful that I’m a non-smoker who has completed Simpleology 103 and is earning $10,000 a month.”

I won’t argue with the thought. Whenever I try arguing with myself, I lose. I also don’t try to shout it down.

One of the coolest things about this is that the negative thought that I’m replacing doesn’t have to be related to my goals at all. Any thought that doesn’t feel good, that brings me down, can be neutralized using this method.

“Crap… I hate the fact that we never do the dishes and they pile up in the sink.”

“I’m so happy and grateful that I’m a non-smoker who has completed Simpleology 103 and is earning $10,000 a month.”

But That Doesn’t Get the Dishes Done

Actually, in my experience, it does. When I’m depressed and full of negative thinking, I usually don’t want to do anything… never mind the dishes. Sure, I can force myself to do them, usually by using the 15 minute rule or another related technique.

But I’ve noticed that when I’m feeling good, I’m more likely to want to do things that will make me feel even better - and a clean sink with no dirty dishes in it makes me feel better.

This Takes Work

As the quote above says, changing your own thinking can be the hardest work in the world. It’s very easy to fall off and go back to letting our thoughts think us, rather than having us think our own thoughts. It can tire you out physically even. And while we want to stretch ourselves, remember that we have to continue to take care of ourselves. And when you start beating yourself up for getting tired and not wanting to do it anymore?

“I’m so happy and grateful that…”

The Two Steps to Follow

1.) Form a statement that is related to the goals that you have. It’s best if it’s written in the present tense, and that it’s emotionally charged (I’m happy that…, I’m grateful for…, I’m excited to be…)

2.) Whenever a negative thought pops into your head, replace it with the statement you’ve written.

If you can do this on a regular basis, I guarantee you that your life will get better, the only lasting way… from the inside out.

Footnotes

1. affiliate link for Simpleology 101 [↩]
2. affiliate link for Simpleology 103 [↩]

Uncategorized
action, affirmations, beliefs, earl nightingale, goals, positive thinking, Simpleology, the science of getting rich, the strangest secret, wallace wattles