Tag: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
7 Bible Quotes That Will Transform Your Life (Even If Your Aren’t Christian)
I’m not a Christian.
However, despite this lack of religiosity, I found myself drawn to the Bible after reading two influential books – The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind and The Power Of Positive Thinking.
Both quote the Bible extensively. They use it to both explain the points they’re making and add gravitas to their words.
It works!
Somehow, reading these old Bible sayings, written anywhere between 2500 and 2000 years ago (some Old Testament and some New), left a powerful impression on my mind.
It’s like life’s secrets are being shared with you.
Understand, assimilate and then live by these words, and the world is your oyster. They’ll show you a way to live and think that guarantees peace of mind and enables you to get what you want from life.
That last phrase might not sound very Christian. Afterall, isn’t The Bible supposed to be about serving others and self-sacrifice?
Maybe. However, the parts I’ve read, and love, read something like an ancient self-help book to me.
Tony Robbins, or Robert Greene, couldn’t have said it better.
The Bible seems to have been written by people who understand how the universe works. Tap into their knowledge and you’ll dramatically transform your life.
Here are 7 of the Bible’s most powerful quotes.
On Belief
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
– Mark ix. 23
I remember having something akin to an out of body experience when I first read this quote in The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind.
So, you’re telling me I can do anything I want with my life?
I can live my dreams? I have the power within me to make any outcome I want come true?
But how does the power of belief work?
Believe in an outcome and its realisation becomes a possibility. Not only do you activate all resources within you, a likely connection with infinite intelligence is also established, revealing a path towards the realisation of your desires.
Doubt an outcome, or believe that something is impossible, and you shut yourself, and the universe, down. There is no possibility of your desire occurring because you’re closed to the idea.
Ok, so this may work for the small things in life but what about the outcomes we know are impossible?
For example, let’s say I lose my arm in a car crash. If I believe it’ll regrow will that happen?
No.
You can’t defy the laws of biology and physics. However, you can work around them.
Through man’s desire to heal, and be whole, we’ve invented prosthetics.
To a medieval warrior who’d lost his arm in battle, the thought that he could have a functioning metallic replacement would seem impossible. However, fast forward 700 years and the impossible is made possible through the power of belief. (And who’s to say, in the future, we won’t discover a way to regrow limbs in a lab).
This is why it’s so important to believe in your desired outcome.
In fact, let your belief be SO strong that you meet the standard set by Mark in xi. 23,
Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that these things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
The “mountain” represents an obstacle you’re struggling with in your life right now (and have maybe done so for years). Can you believe that it will be “cast into the sea” (submerged, drowned and no longer in your way)?
As crazy as that metaphor may seem, it’s useful as a barometer for how strong your belief needs to be.
Affirm, with absolute conviction, that you can have the life you want.
On Prayer
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
– Mark xi.24
I pray every other night. I kneel by the side of my bed and adopt the familiar prayer position.
First and foremost, I pray for the health of my soon to be born baby (4 months’ time) and for the health of my partner when she gives birth.
I then pray that my message will reach a million people through the sale of my books.
Sometimes, I even pray for obstacles to be put on my path as, historically, this has always led to greater growth.
When I pray, there’s emotion in my words. They feel like a demand and I always wake up the next morning feeling peaceful and clearer about what I need to do.
I’ve only just turned this into a routine. However, I have noticed that my prayers are being answered.
I can only guess this is because I’m activating the power of belief. There’s something in The Universe that responds to certainty. Science may not fully understand it, or be able to prove it (at the moment), but it’s there.
On Thoughts
For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.
– Proverbs xxiii. 7
James Allen wrote a book about this line and explained it brilliantly.
You don’t get what you want in life, you get who you are.
Or, to put it another way, circumstances don’t make a person, they reveal him or her.
The Bible is telling you that you play an unrealised role in shaping your reality.
It’s not the case that you’re dumped onto the planet, in a certain environment (whether negative or positive) and the impact of this beginning then determines the rest of your life.
Instead, you have a choice. Sure, environment has an impact but you also have the power to create a new reality for yourself.
But how to do this?
Once again, The Bible provides answers in Phil iv. 8 when it says,
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Focus on the positive. Reject the negative.
Of course, this is easy to say but much harder to do.
Negativity is seductive. Negativity is addictive. Negativity is believable.
They’ll be so many things pulling you towards the negative.
What you must do, though, is train yourself to disengage from these thoughts and remember the verse from Philippians.
Keep pouring into the jug of positivity. Every day.
Eventually, your life will change to match your inner transformation.
On Fear And Worry
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.
– Job iii. 25
You attract your fears.
I learned this when overcoming a particularly bad case of insomnia. It go so bad I feared going to bed every night, anticipating only 4 hours sleep after I woke at 3am.
What I didn’t realise was that I was creating this experience through fear.
The more you focus on something, the more likely it is to occur. This is true for both the negative and the positive. However, the unfortunate reality is that the negative, especially the things we fear, seem to have more of an appeal (perhaps they’re more believable).
This will happen with every area of your life, not just sleep.
It could be a car crash. It could be getting fired from your job. It could be getting a disease.
And, if you go to extremes to avoid the outcome (such as never travelling in a car), you’ll find that your life gets negatively impacted in another way. So, in effect, you never escape your fears.
What can be done to avoid this situation?
Remember, and live by, the words in Matthew vi. 26, when he recalls Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount,
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, what you will wear. . . Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns – and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
The Bible is offering you a recipe for a care free existence. Ditch the worries and, instead, know that you’ll always be provided for.
This is a much better way to live than constantly fearing the next disaster. Furthermore, you won’t be any more likely to fall foul of a legitimate danger (your instincts will see to that).
It’s the ultimate win-win.
Final Thought
When I re read these Bible quotes, the lesson I take from their words is that we, as humans, are co-creators of our reality.
We have far more power than we realise, perhaps far more than the Christian Church of old wanted us to believe.
Through the power of belief, we work with God (or the universe), and can bring about the most fantastic life for ourselves and, potentially, the most amazing world for everyone – a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
What To Do When It Feels Like Your Life Is Falling Apart
You have two choices when it comes to living your life.
- Adapt to the world and do your best to fit in.
- Listen to your heart and act on its promptings.
This article is written for people who choose option 2.
When you play it safe, you don’t have to confront the challenges that those who listen to their heart are forced to face. Instead, you get to sail through life, safe in knowledge that there’s safety in numbers and, if you do what everybody else does, it’s likely you can stay out of harms way.
Of course, this won’t save you from the truly terrible life events that plague us all – cancer, divorce, addiction, premature loss of a loved one. However, that’s not what I’m writing about today.
As important as that subject is, I want to focus on a slightly different aspect of the “life falling apart” experience.
In particular, I’m focusing on what to do when;
- Your business, which you’ve pinned all your hopes and dreams on, fails.
- Your money is running dangerously low because you’ve been trying to create the life of your dreams but it hasn’t panned out as expected.
- Your girlfriend/boyfriend or wife/husband leaves you because they don’t understand why you can’t settle for an ordinary life.
- You’re spending too much time on your own, and feeling lonely, because you find it difficult to engage with a world of superficiality and materialism.
- You look at other people, living regular lives, and can’t shake the thought of what you’ve given up by following a different path.
- No matter what you try, you can’t seem to get any clients or breakthrough to the next level in your business or life.
How do you handle these moments?
My Strategies
In one form or another, I’ve experienced every single one of the situations above. As a result, I’ve been through more soul searching moments than I’d care to count.
True, they were more frequent many years ago, when I was first starting out, but they still occur.
I still get down. I still question all of my life choices and wonder why the path I’ve chosen has to be so damn hard. I still get low on belief and struggle to see through the fog of negativity.
What do I do when this happens?
There are a few methods and resources I turn to in the dark moments. I’ve never documented them before but my hope is that by doing so, you might be able to borrow and adapt them to your own situation.
Yes, some of them are specific to my psychology but there should be something universal to them as well.
So, without further ado, here’s a list of strategies, perspective shifts and tools you can use when it feels like your life is falling apart.
1. Find Your Meaning
To my mind, Viktor Frankl’s, Man’s Search For Meaning, is one of the most powerful books you can ever read. Borne out of his experiences in a Nazi death camp, it documents a time when every day felt like his life was falling apart.
He had to cope with the death of almost all of his family and endure some of the harshest conditions known to man (freezing cold winters with only rags on his back, a starvation diet, hard manual labour and brutality from prison guards).
He estimated that his chances for survival were 1 in 20. However, he was one of the 5% and in his bestselling book, he shares insightful advice on how to get through anything.
Meaning is key. So long as you can find purpose in what you’re doing, it will be enough to keep you going.
For Frankl, you find meaning in one of three ways.
- Through a project or work you’re passionate about
- Through the people you love
- Through a commitment to maintaining your dignity and decency, irrespective of the adversity you face
This message has always stuck with me.
There were times when option 1 and 2 weren’t available to me – I felt like my work was failing and I was all alone. The only thing I was left with was option 3. However, it was enough.
I made a commitment to myself that even if my dreams failed and I spent the rest of my life on my own, I wasn’t going to lose my decency.
I could take pride in this. Of course, I wanted Frankl’s first two paths to meaning (and, in time, I got them) but remembering that I always had the third gave me something to hold onto.
2. Find Your Role Model
For me, two people spring to mind when I feel lost – Nelson Mandela and Rubin Carter (see Denzel Washington’s portrayal of him in the film, The Hurricane).
Both these people faced the worst kind of discrimination and depravation.
Nelson Mandela choose an incredibly hard life (not many people know this, but he could have become a royal advisor and bypassed the mountain of hardship he ended up facing). He did so because he believed in something so deeply (equality for his people) that he was prepared to give his life for this cause.
When it feels like my life is falling apart, I can picture him in his 2 by 2 meter cell on Robben Island, watching the years pass but staying firm in his commitment to do what’s right.
It reminds me that I must stay the course. Even when I appear to be stagnating, and nothing seems to work, I have to remember why I choose this path and this gives me the strength to see my mission through.
While I won’t necessarily watch The Hurricane when it feels like my life is falling apart (I’ve seen it about 4 times now so repeated viewing wears thin), I’ll remember the dignity of Ruben Carter while experiencing decades in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. I also remember a moving scene at the end of the film, when he’s finally freed and stands outside the steps of the courthouse giving a speech to the press. This reminds me that, one day, my salvation will also come.
These two people might not mean much to you. It doesn’t matter. There’ll be somebody that does and perhaps a movie or two that offers solace.
Bear them in mind when you’re feeling down. Use their example to remind you that you’re not alone in your struggles. It’s likely other people have been through far worse than you and yet still come out the other side successful and happy.
(It’s also worth mentioned that, at the end of The Hurricane, the title track So Amazing plays over the credits. This gospel infused song is something I also turn to when it feels like my life is falling apart and you should seek a similarly evocative song for yourself).
3. Journaling
This isn’t something I turn to only when I’m feeling down. I journal every week. However, it takes on a deeper significance when it feels like my life is falling apart.
The simple process of writing my thoughts down on paper can transform my mood in the space of 20 minutes.
I write about what I’m struggling with and what’s confusing me. Furthermore, I do it with honesty and without fear that another person might read my innermost thoughts.
As a result, I emerge from a journaling session with clarity. With the 300 or 400 words I write, I can usually see my way out of an overwhelming situation and find a new perspective that gives me renewed motivation.
If you don’t journal, start one now. Even if you just turn to it at your lowest points, it’ll be invaluable.
4. Prayer
I’m not religious so my prayers aren’t to the God of any religion. Nonetheless, I find the process of kneeling down by my bed before I go to sleep and asking for a solution, incredibly soothing.
Joseph Murphy, in his book, The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, notes that most people will pray in times of desperation or when faced with a life threatening situation (whether they’re religious or not). Instinctively, we know there’s power in prayer. Perhaps it’s an opportunity to communicate with the universe.
Tell it what you want. Tell it how you need its’ help for your predicament to be resolved.
In my experience, most times, it answers.
5. Recalling Powerful Spiritual Experiences
I was 20 years old when I had the most powerful spiritual experience of my life. Lying in bed, before falling asleep at night, I was filled with a wonderful feeling that I’d always be protected.
It was euphoric and joyous and, in that moment, I knew I had nothing to fear from life.
The feeling only lasted for 5 minutes before I fell asleep but it’s stayed with me over the years.
Sure, I don’t live with it on a daily basis and neither does it prevent me from, occasionally, feeling like my life is falling apart. However, I can recall it and it’s useful to do so.
This spiritual experience reminds me that, no matter the difficulties I’m facing, some power greater than myself is watching over me and I’ll always be protected.
Recalling this makes me feel uplifted, blasting through the negativity that had, previously, overwhelmed me.
Obviously, it’s highly personal and I don’t expect you to co-opt my revelation. However, if you look back over your life, you probably have some of your own.
When did you feel in touch with a divine presence? What revelations have you had over the years?
Remember them as they act as reminders that whatever it is you’re going through won’t last.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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THE ONLY 7 SELF-HELP BOOKS YOU NEED TO BECOME A COMPLETE PERSON
Can you remember the Power Rangers?
I wasn’t a big fan of this 90s kids TV program but I have a vague recollection of each of the five rangers morphing to form one giant fighting machine (called a Megazord).
It seemed every episode ended that way. The individual rangers couldn’t defeat whatever comically designed live-action suitmation monster they were facing that week so they had to unify. Then, once combined, they were unstoppable and always won the day.
I want to turn you into a Megazord. However, rather than do it with a mastery of weapons, robotics or magic, I’m going to use books.
I’m going to present you with 7 self-help books to read which, once combined and acted upon, will provide all the life skills needed to become a complete person.
Just as the Power Rangers had a unique colour and skill, these books will focus on different areas of your development.
They’ll be a book on mastering the law of attraction, one on productivity, a couple on human relations, one on mental clarity, something on developing inner strength and more.
Read these books multiple times, put their advice into action and you’ll have the wisdom of a Buddha, the charisma of a Hollywood star and the dynamism of a billionaire entrepreneur.
Let’s begin.
1. The Power Of Now (Eckhart Tolle)
Poise and peace of mind are the words that best describe the benefits of assimilating the knowledge contained in this book.
The key concept is simple but incredibly powerful.
All anxiety is caused by worries about the future.
All depression is caused by dwelling on the mistakes and trauma of the past.
Therefore, if you can train your mind to stay present (in the now) then you’ll be happier, appreciate life more, have greater energy and perform better in pressure situations.
The Power Of Now teaches you to disassociate from, and even switch off, the parts of your mind that drain you with constant mental chatter and negative self-talk.
Free from these, you’ll have the ability to focus your mind on the goals that are important to you and perhaps more importantly, live with a calm and serene disposition.
2. The ONE Thing (Gary Keller)
There are many obstacles preventing you from creating the life you want. Of all of them, time seems to present the greatest barrier. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.
You may have to work a full-time job, have family commitments, a social life AND be trying to build a business on the side.
This is where The ONE Thing shows its value.
It teaches you how to become a productivity machine.
This is achieved by narrowing your focus. There will be key areas of your work that will make the most impact and your task is to identify what they are.
Once found, concentrate on completing just one of these every day.
Try to work in time blocks. Carve out 4 hours as early in the day as possible to work exclusively on your most impactful task and leave emails and other less important activities for later (if you can’t find 4 hours because you work a full-time job, then 1 or 2 will suffice).
This is the path to productivity. Follow the blueprint laid out in The ONE Thing and what once seemed like an impossible workload will become manageable as you double or treble your efficiency.
3. The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind (Joseph Murphy)
Over the years, countless books on the law of attraction have been written but this 1962 classic stands the test of time.
In fact, calling it a “law of attraction” book does it a disservice.
This is a deep dive into the metaphysical, consciousness and the best aspects of The Bible (although don’t think you have to be a Christian to enjoy it, I’m not).
It asks and answers the question, “What force determines the direction and outcomes of my life?”
Is it random occurrences, the environment you’re born into or the genes you inherit?
The answer is, none of the above. A belief, held with great enough conviction and backed by strong emotions (i.e. can you feel the reality of your dreams coming true?) is what will determine the direction of your life.
That belief might be negative or positive. It doesn’t matter. Your subconscious mind will faithfully obey your conscious mind and give you the energy (or lack of), ideas (or lack of) and put you on the path to meeting the right people (or remaining isolated) to make sure you realise your habitual thinking.
Of course, the book shows you the techniques to ensure you’re using the power of your subconscious mind positively and, having mastered these, you’ll be successful at whatever it is you choose to do.
4. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
What will you choose to do, though? How are you going to navigate your way through life?
The Celestine Prophecy provides an answer.
This book is unlike the others on the list because it’s a work of fiction. It’s in the same mould as The Alchemist although I feel it contains clearer and more impactful lessons and a more interesting narrative.
The narrator sets off on a journey to the Peruvian jungle in search of an ancient manuscript that will spark the next evolution in human consciousness, ushering in an age of peace and prosperity.
On this journey, he learns about the concept of synchronicity and how this is the key to finding your path through life.
If you can raise your energy to a sufficient level (the book shows you how), then people, ideas and events will be put on your path to provide a direction for you to follow.
You’ll discover your purpose in life (which is ever evolving) and can begin to move towards fulfilling it.
5. How To Win Friends And Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
Whatever that purpose might be, you can’t get around the fact that success in achieving it will largely depend on your ability to interact with other people.
How are you going to master this skill?
The original self-help classic is the answer.
Carnegie’s understanding of psychology and human relations is far reaching. He gets to the core of what motives people to take action and how to get the best out of them.
For example, when seeking to win someone over, never criticise them. Instead, show genuine appreciation for the qualities they possess (everyone has something you can find praiseworthy).
Furthermore, don’t talk about yourself all the time. Instead, become a good listener and frame anything you’re selling or promoting (whether that’s through a website, an advert or a product description) in a way that’ll benefit the consumer or solve their problem.
6. The 48 Laws Of Power (Robert Greene)
How To Win Friends And Influence People’s darker and more cynical younger brother.
As useful as the aforementioned book is, it might not be enough when it comes to developing your skills of persuasion.
The world’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Succeeding at any kind of scale will require you to operate in a cutthroat environment where everyone is out for themselves.
In such a world, being a good person won’t be enough. You’re going to have to learn how to manipulate other people and situations to your advantage and this is what The 48 Laws Of Power teaches.
Some of Robert Greene’s most impactful laws are;
- Law 6: Court attention at all costs (attention is currency so make something about you stand out and stay in other people’s minds).
- Law 13: When asking for help, appeal to people’s self-interest, never their mercy or gratitude (nobody really cares about you, they want to know what you can do for them!)
- Law 32: Play to people’s fantasies (don’t sell people a harsh truth when marketing your product or cause but, instead, let them believe their desires can be achieved without struggle).
7. Man’s Search For Meaning (Viktor Frankl)
To be a complete person, you must have strong foundations and none are stronger than those rooted in meaning.
This is a powerful truth Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl discovered after surviving 3 years in Nazi concentration camps.
He estimated that he had a 1 in 20 chance of survival but then noticed a strange phenomenon amongst the few that remained alive – they all had something to live for.
If you can develop this, he concluded, then it’s possible to get through almost any difficulty you face, including loneliness, illness, physical depravation and failure.
How to create this meaning?
Frankl suggests three sources;
- Love – people find meaning through their most important relationships.
- Work – if you have a mission you’re passionate about this will keep you going.
- Personal dignity – if you commit to bearing your suffering with dignity and refuse to lose this despite what the world throws at you, it can give you something to hold on to during the hard times.
That’s the point of Frankl’s book.
There will be hard times.
Even with all the skills and knowledge you’ve developed from the previous six books, life will throw you curve balls and you need a strong foundation to keep you going when this occurs.
The 8th Book?
After I finished writing this blog post, I couldn’t help but feel something was missing. However, it wasn’t a book.
Instead, it was an aspect of being a complete person that isn’t covered by the previous seven classics – HABITS.
Habits are incredibly powerful, being the small daily actions you take that eventually create a lifetime of greatness.
The obvious go-to book on this subject is Atomic Habits by James Clear. However, I had a problem listing it with the other books because I don’t think it’s good enough.
That’s not to say I think it’s a bad book, it just fails to offer anything lifechanging or even a set of habits that might get you closer to your goals.
So, instead, I’ll leave you with a link to my blog post on the 7 daily habits that will create the life of your dreams. In return, perhaps you could suggest some great books on habits in the comments section below.
Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
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5 Ridiculous Things I Tried Before Finding My Purpose (and how you can find yours)
Let me take you back to 2002.
I’d just completed my politics degree and returned home after 3 years at university.
Now, I was faced with the unenviable prospect of discovering what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
I didn’t have many ideas.
I certainly knew what I DIDN’T want to do.
- I didn’t want to be stuck in an office for 40 to 60 hours a week
- I didn’t want to work solely for money (I wanted the work I did to be meaningful)
- I didn’t want to have my whole life (where I lived, when I took holiday, when I woke up, when I played sports) dictated to me by a job
Beyond that, though, I was stuck.
I knew my criteria. I wanted to support myself in a fun and inspiring way. However, I couldn’t identify an actual occupation that would both do that and to which my skills and personality would be suited.
So, I went through a period of experimentation. I tried the following 5 ridiculous options in the hope I might get lucky and find my purpose. (Please note, when I use the word ridiculous the implication is that they are ridiculous for me. For you, they might be a great fit and I wouldn’t want to dissuade you from pursuing them).
1. Acting
As long as I can remember, I’ve always been inspired by movies. Combine this with my slightly extroverted tendencies (I enjoy being in front of a camera or on stage) and acting seemed like a good fit.
I didn’t want to be any old actor, though, I wanted to be a movie star.
At the time, both Denzel Washington and Ed Norton were my favourite actors and I wanted to play powerful, moving roles like they did in The Hurricane and American History X. However, despite my grandiose ambitions, I had zero acting experience and no idea how to make it in the industry.
I had to start somewhere, though, and for me this involved enrolling on an adult education acting course.
Hollywood, this was not.
I attended 8 weeks of this course (probably geared towards people wanting to appear in local plays) and that was enough.
The final straw came when the tutor wanted us to sing while jumping around (I don’t know whether this was for her amusement or whether it’s a legitimate training technique).
At that point, I was out. I felt like I was embarrassing myself and that this environment was a million miles away from my Hollywood ambitions.
2. Modelling
What possessed me to pursue this avenue?
Probably an, at the time, inflated opinion of the way I looked and the comments of a school teacher (suggesting I should try out as a model) after I took part in a school runway show.
So, I did what any self-respecting would-be model would do and got my Mum to take some photos of me doing, what I thought were, model poses (but probably looked something closer to Ben Stiller in Zoolander).
I took this “portfolio” up to London and shopped it around at various modelling agencies.
The reactions I received varied from barely concealed laughter to being told I was classically handsome but not model material.
I did have one fan, though, who waited for me at the exit of an agency.
A 50-year-old gay guy told me he had a private room where we could take some “special” photos that were bound to impress the unappreciative modelling scouts.
I declined.
3. Becoming A Preacher
Throughout my life, I’d always been sceptical of religion. However, after reading Joseph Murphy’s The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, I began to think of it differently.
Murphy regularly quoted the bible and explained the deeper meaning of the words in such a way that was both accessible and illuminating. Furthermore, he referenced the Church of New Thought and mentioned he was a minister of this institution.
It’s difficult to capture in words the impact that The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind had on my life at that time. Therefore, I thought to myself, if there’s some opportunity within the Church to be involved in what Joseph Murphy writes about, then I’m in.
This thought process resulted in two trips to Church.
The first was a regular, if somewhat evangelical, Church where I witnessed scripture readings and several members of the congregation being baptised and “born again.” While the ceremony moved me, it was too traditional, reminding me of the Church I’d known as a child (albeit a far more emotionally charged version).
My second trip was to a New Thought Church in London (the only one I could find – after spending a great deal of time scouring the internet). Here, the service was lot more sombre and sparsely attended.
In truth, it couldn’t have been more devoid of the inspiration I felt in the words of Joseph Murphy’s books. I talked with the preacher/organiser at the end but she dissuaded me from becoming a New Thought minister.
She explained there were limited options in London and that, anyway, the world of politics (I told her about my degree) was in greater need of Joseph Murphy’s teachings than the Church – something I didn’t want to hear.
4. Script Writing
As much as I wanted to be in front of the camera, creating powerful, moving stories was equally appealing.
So, I got myself a script writing guide from the library and studied it cover to cover.
I thought this was going to be easier than writing a book. However, coming up with a plot, characters and writing dialogue was more complicated than I imagined.
I spent a few summer afternoons, lying out in the sun, wracking my brains but not being able to create anything of note.
5. Utility Warehouse Distributor
A year after all these adventures took place, I signed up to be a Utility Warehouse Distributor.
This was a network marketing scheme that involved getting customers to switch their electricity, gas and internet and recruiting a team of distributers who would do the same.
I was lured by the prospect of setting my own working hours and achieving a substantial passive income once my network grew. However, the product, and the work itself, couldn’t have been any further from my wheelhouse.
I’m not a natural salesman (I used to struggle to sell my own books, so selling something I didn’t believe in was a total non-starter).
After 9 months, and 3 customers acquired, I quit.
How You Can Find YOUR Purpose
As you can tell from this list, I did a fair amount of fruitless searching in my youth.
Some of my ideas WERE ridiculous but did it matter?
Not really because the intention behind the search was pure.
I wanted to do inspiring work. Even deeper than that, I wanted to find my life’s purpose and if, in the process of getting to this destination, I had to go through a period of struggle, embarrassment and rejection, it was ultimately worth it.
That’s the first message of this blog post.
DON’T GIVE UP YOUR SEARCH.
You may feel like you’re wasting time pursuing different avenues that, ultimately, lead nowhere but the mere intention to find your life’s purpose is enough.
As a result of this desire, ideas WILL come to you and opportunities WILL present themselves.
Eventually, I turned my hand to writing self-help books.
I wrote 5 drafts of my first book before I finally released it in 2012.
It wasn’t easy. At many points, I felt lost and couldn’t see how this endeavour was going to work out. However, ultimately, through my confusion and struggle, I found a way and experienced success.
That’s the second message of this blog post.
IT’S OK TO FEEL LOST AND TO STRUGGLE.
A way can be made out of no way.
The thought of getting a book publishing deal seemed unreachable to me in 2008. In 2018, I got signed and the impossible became reality.
The same can happen for you. You can struggle, you can have no idea how something is going to work out and yet, you can still make it through the darkness and find clarity and direction.
How?
HOLD ONTO YOUR VISION.
Even if that vision doesn’t have an identifiable endpoint (to sell X number of books, to be a travel blogger with 100,000 subscribers, to run a business creating and selling affordable eco-homes), the strong desire to experience greater freedom, to feel excited and engaged every day and to have a life filled with love (a love for what you do and to be surrounded by people you love) is enough to get you started.
From here, and through a process of experimentation and trial and error, you’ll find out what is, and isn’t, going to work.
A path will emerge.
That path might fade at times, and take a few wrong terms, but by holding onto your vision (and it improving in clarity as you do so), you’ll eventually arrive at your destination.
Good luck!
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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10 Rules for Mastering your Mind (and getting whatever you want from life)
Your mind is your most powerful tool for personal transformation.
Not your diet, not adopting “good” sleeping practices, not some wonder drug and not changing your habits.
Don’t get me wrong, all of the above are important but, when it comes to making a shift that will render you, and your life, unrecognisable to someone who knew you 10 years ago, it’s your mind that’ll have the biggest impact.
This is because, by mastering your mind (with the 10 rules I’m about to give you), you’ll be altering the cause of your environment, circumstances and present bodily conditions, not just dealing with the symptoms.
The following 10 rules have been created from my 20-year journey into exploring, and understanding, the workings of the mind.
This journey began, and was inspired by, some seminal works on the subject (the following are recommended reading if you want to explore further – The Power of your Subconscious Mind, As a Man Thinketh, Think and Grow Rich, The Power of Now, Psycho-Cybernetics, Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting, Becoming Supernatural), over 15 years of working with clients as a hypnotherapist and, most importantly, my own experiments into using this power to change my life.
Rule 1: Focus on what you want
Starting today, think only about the outcomes you want to achieve.
Are you preparing for an important speech, pitch or presentation?
See your audience being wowed. Imagine your words flowing and the information you’re sharing having the desired impact. Think about people coming up to you at the end, or emailing you, and telling you how good your presentation was and how much inf0rmation they gained.
If ever you think about forgetting your lines, how much pressure you’re under or what you stand to lose if the pitch isn’t successful, then banish these thoughts. Instead, focus firmly on one of the positive outcomes above.
Apply this rule to anything you want to achieve.
Rule 2: Create a daily, mind focusing routine
Every day, take time out of your hectic schedule to focus on either achieving the outcomes you desire or living the life you want.
How much time?
Five minutes is sufficient (but you can spend longer if you want).
At present, all I do is repeat seven goals, 3 times over, upon waking up in the morning and going to bed at night.
Here are three of these goals;
- 10,000 copies sold (referring to my book sales)
- 1 Tesla car (that I want to own)
- 80 kilograms in weight (my ideal weight)
This particular approach may, or may not, work for you. It doesn’t matter. There are many different ways you can focus your mind.
You could;
- Relax, close your eyes and spend 5- or 10-minutes visualising what you want to achieve or the life you want live
- Write out, and repeat, a statement (only needs to be a paragraph or two) describing your ideal life and the experience of living it
- Create a DCA (Definite Chief Aim, see Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich) and repeat it three times every morning, noon and night
Choose whatever method works best for you (or create your own).
Rule 3: Channel your thoughts when your mind isn’t actively engaged
Alongside your daily mind focusing routine, use the moments when your mind isn’t actively engaged to focus on the outcomes you want to achieve or the life you want to live.
Obviously, this doesn’t apply when working, engaged in a conversation, playing a sport or taking part in a hobby. On these occasions, and many more, your mind should be focused on the task, or person, at hand.
However, at all other times (see list below), you can return your thoughts to the contemplation of the outcomes you want to achieve and the life you want to live;
- Washing the dishes
- Cleaning your house
- Driving your car
- Taking a shower
- Walking to work
- In between points while you’re playing tennis
- In between sets at the gym
Rule 4: Keep your instructions simple
Whether you’re completing your daily mind focusing routine, or channelling your thoughts when your mind isn’t actively engaged, keep it simple.
Whenever you focus your thoughts, you’re giving an instruction to your subconscious mind. This part of your mind responds best when fed with clear, concise directions.
For example, if you want to recover from any kind of ailment, or disease, then you would repeat, over and over again (until you receive the outcome you desire) instructions and affirmations like,
- Perfect health
- I am healing
- My body works perfectly
- Health
Alter your instructions depending on the objective you want to achieve.
Rule 5: Make your thoughts visual
To make a greater impression on your subconscious mind, create a visual accompaniment to the thought you’re thinking.
For example, with the mind focusing routine mentioned in Rule 2, I link each outcome to a visual image.
- For 10,000 book sales, I think about writing the number ten thousand down in a diary where I keep track of my sales
- For owning a Tesla car, I imagine myself getting into a black Model 3 and noticing the distinctive interior
- For getting down to 80 kilograms, I see myself with visible abs
All of these images are meaningful to me. Find the ones that trigger a similar reaction in you.
Rule 6: Make your thoughts resonate
There must be an emotional connection with the thoughts you’re thinking and the images you’re visualising. Without this vital ingredient, your thoughts are powerless and will lack the ability to influence your subconscious mind.
It’s estimated that we think around 6,000 thoughts a day. Very few of these have any impact on the direction of our lives. However, if you can inject a thought with a powerful positive emotion then it can bring you the outcome you desire (BEWARE: This works just as well for powerful negative emotions).
In his book, Becoming Supernatural, author Dr Joe Dispenza tells his readers to, “continuously fall in love” with their vision for the future. This is how powerful your emotions need to be.
Rule 7: Learn to live in the now
For peak performance, and to prevent anxiety from holding you back, learn to live in the now.
If ever you find yourself distracted by mindless mental chatter, or worrying about the possibility of something going wrong, ask yourself this question, “Where am I now?”
And then answer it.
Notice everything around you and describe it, either out loud or in your head.
This simple practise forces you out of your head and into the world. As a result, you’ll be able to give all of your attention to whatever it is you’re doing and perform at your best. Furthermore, your fears won’t escalate and prevent you from taking the action necessary to move your life forwards.
Rule 8: Ignore your negative voice
Over the course of an average day, your critical voice is going to throw all kinds of negative statements at you in response to what you’re doing.
It’ll tell you that;
- You’re not good enough
- You’re ugly
- You’re going to fail
- You should give up
- You’re too old to do something
- You’re too young to do something
- Other people won’t like you or what you have to offer
ALL OF THESE STATEMENTS ARE A LIE.
In his book, The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle explains that there are two competing forces in our minds.
The first is the “I,” which is our essence, represented by our personality, emotions and dreams.
The second is the “self,” which is artificial, represented by our internal dialogue.
Tolle teaches us to separate these two entities. Understand that your “self” isn’t who you are. It’s just a very annoying voice, attempting to sabotage the good you intend to create.
Therefore, you must NEVER listen to this voice. Instead, ignore it and, eventually, it’ll weaken and go away.
Rule 9: Don’t overload your mind with multiple information streams
We live in an age where it’s possible to avoid any type of silence or deeper thought.
We have podcasts, the radio or Spotify to listen to. We have Netflix, YouTube or the cinema to watch. And, if we ever need to be distracted, we have social media or the internet, to browse through.
It’s now possible to continuously jump from one information stream to another without ever having to engage in the practise of disciplining your mind or focusing your thoughts.
This isn’t healthy. While there’s nothing wrong with doing any of the above, you must set aside time every day (in addition to your daily, mind focusing routine) to be alone with your thoughts and direct them towards your higher purpose.
Rule 10: Feed your mind with inspiration
You don’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
For the occasions when you’re struggle to motivate yourself, use inspiring songs, movies and books to provide the boost you need.
- Create a motivational music playlist
- Watch the movies that connect you with your life purpose
- Read the books that make you believe anything is possible
Do whatever you can (excluding becoming dependent on drugs) to get yourself in an inspired, high-energy state.
What’s the payoff?
Follow all 10 of these rules and something incredible will happen.
Your subconscious mind will respond by providing you with the ideas, chance encounters and peak states that will enable the realisation of your dreams.
The power to change your life is within you. Your mind can either set you free, or cage you through the forces of fear, confusion and self-doubt.
Faithfully follow the rules above, and give yourself enough time to master them, and there’s no force in the universe that can prevent you from getting to where you want to go.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
7 Self-Help Principles and Practises that ACTUALLY Work
The self-help industry sometimes gets a bad rap. Rightly or wrongly, it can be viewed as exploitative and unscientific.
You might have had your own experience of paying hundreds, or possibly even, thousands of dollars for a course that promised the world yet delivered very little.
Yet, despite the downside, I still love self-help for its optimism, idealism and redemptive promise.
More than that, though, it has some incredibly powerful ideas and practises.
Self-help books turned my life around.
I’d spent 22 years on this planet before I heard a single voice, either in person or through any other medium, telling me I could have the life I wanted (a poor reflection on the societies we live in). Then, I stumbled upon The Power of your Subconscious Mind and started learn about the mind-body connection.
This, in turn, introduced me to other writers, speakers, bloggers and more. Over the course of nearly two decades, I’ve experimented with multiple practises and principles, applied what works and discarded what doesn’t.
Now, in this blog post, I’ll present you with my findings. My hope is that you can apply what I’ve learned to your own life and share in the benefits I’ve experienced.
1. Living in the Now
The premise of this practise is simple. You live in the now when you are completely absorbed in what you are doing in the present moment. There’s no thinking about what you did yesterday or regretting a decision you made 10 years ago. Likewise, there’s no thinking about what you’re going to eat this evening, worrying about a meeting you have next week or whether you’ll get ill at some point in the future.
I often ask clients with anxiety, ‘where are you now?’ I then get them to describe their surroundings and what they’re doing at this precise moment.
Do you understand what this does?
It brings you out of your head and into the world. When you live in the now you engage with your environment. You come alive and are responsive (as opposed to being anxious about the future or depressed about the past).
Although not always possible (and I’m not for a moment suggesting you ignore important parts of the human experience like grieving), this is the best way to live.
Your performance at sports, presenting, coaching and being present for other people will go through the roof. Furthermore, you’ll begin to enjoy life, appreciate the beauty and nature around you and possibly even feel more connected to the universe.
2. Being Grateful for what you have
Whether you express this by keeping a gratitude journal, repeating 10 things you are grateful for when you wake up or any other practise you find beneficial, being grateful for what you have is the best way to maintain a positive outlook.
At any given moment, your life is full of negatives and positives. Even the person who lives the life of their dreams could probably find 10 things they’re not happy about.
But what do they, and you, choose to focus on?
This is what’s really important. What you believe is a 5/10 life can easily turn into a 7/10 one when you pay attention to what you have (rather than focusing on what you lack).
Of course, being grateful for what you have doesn’t mean you ignore the negatives, refuse to learn from your mistakes or give up on trying to improve and make your life better.
Instead, it’s about your overall attitude. You become someone who acknowledges the good things they have in their life (and everybody has something, no matter what) and uses these as a springboard to create something even better.
3. Applying the 80/20 Principle
One of the greatest delusions you need to wake up from (if, indeed, you are experiencing it in the first place) is that positive results directly correlate to the amount of effort you make.
They don’t.
The relationship between results and effort is not 50/50 (fifty percent in, fifty percent out). Instead, it’s more like 80/20 (this can be eighty percent effort in, twenty percent result out or, if you get it right, twenty percent effort in, eighty percent results out).
19th century Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, was the first to observe and codify this phenomenon. It can be seen in all areas of life.
- 20% of the food you eat is probably causing 80% of the damage to your desire to lose weight.
- 20% of the blog posts you write are probably responsible for bringing in 80% of your websites’ traffic.
- 20% of your investment portfolio is probably generating 80% of your profits.
The 80/20 principle is most valuable when it comes to eliminating waste.
Let’s say you spend 20 hours a week working on your new business. 20% of this time is spent promoting yourself on social media. However, social media only generates 5% of the traffic to your website.
What should you do?
The 80/20 principle would suggest you cut back on social media usage and redirect your time towards the few, key clients, customers, topics and platforms that are generating most of your revenue or positive results. Focus more of your attention here and watch your business grow.
4. Record Everything
Over the years, I’ve got into the habit of;
- Giving each day a score out of 10
- Recording the amount of money I spend on food and drink every day
- Splitting my work into three and a half hour sections and then ticking them off in my diary when complete
- Writing down how much time I spend watching TV/Netflix/YouTube each day and placing a cap on its duration
- and many more
What does this do?
Primarily, recording everything gives you a goal to aim for and the motivation to get there. Furthermore, it keeps you focused on the small steps needed to achieve your big goals.
Often, when you have a big dream, you can get overwhelmed by the enormity of the task in front of you. By recording everything you do, you chunk down, and make yourself aware of a set of standards which, if achieved, will push you in the direction of being successful.
5. The Law of Attraction
Critics will tell you that the law of attraction isn’t actually a law and that its claims are unscientific and unsubstantiated. However, have these same critics dedicated nearly two decades of their life to measuring the correlation between their mood/energy and their environment (both physical body and external circumstances)?
I have and here’s what I’ve learned.
There is a mind body connection. Changing your state and raising your energy can have a profound impact on your sports performance, sleep, socialising, creativity and dating.
Can it bring you untold riches and amazing opportunities though?
This is harder to gauge. From analysing my own life, I would say that raising my vibration and deliberately working on making myself feel good has played a role (although possibly not directly caused), the many breakthroughs I’ve experiences (getting a publishing deal for one of my books, finding love, building a following for this website).
What about you?
To experience the benefits of the law of attraction, start developing a greater awareness of how you’re feeling on a day by day, hour by hour, basis.
How would you score your energy?
If it’s at a 5/10, what could you do to move it up to a 6? Keep progressing in this manner and you’ll be amazed at how your life changes.
6. Letting Go
This is the promise of every major religion. If you let go of your worries about how you’ll survive, or achieve a goal, and, instead, have faith that God will always take care of you, then amazing things will happen in your life.
This statement may put you off if you’re not religious. However, fear not, as the principle can be detached from the dogma.
At its core, letting go is about the power of belief. If you believe in yourself, and believe that your life will work out the way you want, then there’s no need to worry, be fearful of anything or try to control outcomes.
This shift, and corresponding release of negativity, will have an amazing impact on your life. Instead of trying to force your life in one direction, you’ll be open to the plethora of ways it’s possible to succeed.
7. Modelling
NLP made this concept popular. To master it, you need to look for the industry leaders in your field and replicate what they’re doing.
The idea is that, if they can succeed using a certain method, then you can experience similar results by adopting their strategy.
This is a huge time saver. Instead of wasting years in a trial-and-error process, you borrow from something, or someone, that’s been known to produce results.
You can also apply modelling to your mindset.
Ask yourself this question. How does the person you want to emulate think?
Let’s say you’re an insomniac and you want to sleep well. It therefore follows that you must think like the person who sleeps well.
Such a person doesn’t worry about getting enough sleep or panic if they’ve got something important to do the next day. Furthermore, they’re not super anxious in the evening, worrying about the time and concerned they might miss their ‘sleep window.’ In fact, they probably don’t think about sleep at all!
Learning to think like the person you want to become can remove all the inner blocks that are preventing you from living the life you want.
Final Thought
I hope you enjoyed my list. If you feel I’ve missed any powerful self-help principles and practises then please feel free to mention them in the comment section below.
(feature image taken from Angie flickr account)
Call to Action
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You will find the unconventional approach to developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
How to Use the Power of your Subconscious Mind
Since being published in 1963, The Power of your Subconscious Mind (by Joseph Murphy), has sold more than 1 million copies and impacted lives the world over. A quick perusal of it’s Amazon page will reveal well over 2000 reviews, 78% of them 5 star and the kind of affectionate language usually reserved for a well loved relative.
There’s something magical about this book. It has the ability to sooth and simplify in a way that few others can. People’s lives change after reading it. Mine did. Alongside The Matrix and Fight Club, it was the catalyst for me breaking free from The System and pursuing my dream to become a best selling author.
Having experienced The Power of your Subconscious Mind’s life changing impact, I want to relay its secrets to you. As of this year, I’ve read the book five times, written a 4000 word piece on it for HiBooks and run a workshop covering its key points. I like to think I know it inside out and, to my reckoning, there are 3 key parts you must understand.
- First, we have the theory
- Second, having understood the theory, you’ll need to know some of the techniques for accessing the power of your subconscious mind
- Finally, I’ll warn you about what not to do so you can avoid sabotaging your success
The Theory
Let’s start with a quick definition. Your mind has 2 parts – the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious is the one you’re more familiar with. It’s the voice in your head. Rational in nature, it’s the part of your mind you can control.
The subconscious is the deeper part of your mind. It’s much harder to control and emotional in nature. It responds more to metaphors and images and is less influenced by language.
Joseph Murphy uses two metaphors to explain the relationship between your conscious and subconscious. The first is the captain and the ship. Your conscious mind is the captain, standing on the deck, giving the orders. The rest of the ship, from the crew, to the sails, to the anchor, is the subconscious, faithfully carrying out whatever order the captain gives.
The second metaphor is the watchman at the gate. Here, the conscious mind is the lone guard, deciding who and what can enter the fortress. The subconscious is everything beyond the gate. Therefore, it’s the watchman’s duty to determine the impact of what he lets pass.
Both metaphors emphasize the significance of the conscious mind. You must take responsibility, and be very aware of, your thinking. Your thoughts aren’t insignificant mental chatter. Instead, they are commands. Guard against negative self-talk and thinking about what might go wrong.
The metaphors also reveal that the subconscious can’t discern discern between good and bad. Sure, it’s powerful and will carry out whatever you request. However, it won’t help you in determining whether these requests are going to be of benefit (Present images of failure to your subconscious and it will just assume this is the direction you want to move in and carry out the order).
The subconscious draws its power from a connection with the infinite intelligence. You are not an isolated individual. Through your mind, you are connected with the intelligence that moves the tides, keeps the planets orbiting around The Sun and presents people with ideas for changing the world. Make use of this connection, and through your intuition, your subconscious will reveal the path to your best possible life.
Exactly how to do this, is the subject to which we’ll now turn our attention.
Techniques for Impressing your Subconscious
Murphy highlights two main techniques for impressing a belief on your subconscious. The first is based around visualisation. He advises playing mental movies over in your mind before going to bed and when waking in the morning.
The reason for this timing is that, in his words, there is “the greatest outcropping of the subconscious” upon waking and going to sleep. This is when you’re at your most impressionable.
Your mental movie should be about you succeeding. Perhaps, like me, you want to be a best selling author. If that’s the case, visualise the number of book sales you want to achieve. See a big fat 1,000,000 or 100,000. Also, imagine yourself signing books at a book launch and conducting interviews with popular podcasts. See yourself living the life of a best selling author.
The same principle applies to healing (much of Murphy’s book is concerned with this area). If you’re currently suffering from an illness, or experiencing an injury, imagine your body being healthy and whole. Visualise yourself moving around, being active and partaking in all the activites you did before your illness or injury.
When using the mental movie technique, you’ll want to both keep it fresh and rely on trusted favoruites. The subconscious responds best to familiarity. A repeated mental movie, with time, will be able to trigger an emotional response. Also, big bold numbers (such as book sales totals) or a repeated slogan (I am fit and healthy), easily sink in. However, at the same time, be mindful of the fact you might, occaisonally, get bored. Therefore, be ready to change up your regular mental movies and try something new.
The second technique for impressing your subconscious is called the written statement. Here, you write down a paragraph or two, stating what you want to achieve, as if it has already happened. For example, if you are looking to find your soul mate, you might write,
I am a in love. My ideal partner is with me and it feels amazing. We share incredible moments together and are perfect for each. I’m attracted to both their looks and personality (elaborate from here) . . .
Pay close attention to the language. There’s no room for ‘hopes’ or ‘wishes’. This is affirmative. It’s happened. You have done it. Therefore, be bold and assertive when creating your written statement.
Once created, you should read it out loud 3 times over, 3 times a day. Again, it’s suggested you should do this upon waking and before retiring. Fit the third time of day in whenever convenient for you.
Perform your mental movie and written statement with emotion. Both will be ineffective if you simply read off the script and run a few images through your mind. Instead, you must dig deeper. Why is this dream so important to you? How will it feel when you’ve achieved your desire? Whatever the answer, capture that emotion when performing these techniques.
If you can, amazing changes will occur.
First, new beliefs will form in your subconscious. Your beliefs set the boundaries for your world. The person who believes they can do anything, or that they can achieve their desire, has access to many more opportunities, and far greater information, than someone who believes something isn’t possible.
Second, your subconscious will hit you with insights (via the infinite intelligence) about how to progress. These will come in the form of ideas, usually accompanied by a feeling of inspiration.
Look out for these moments. What they reveal can lead to a new creation or connection that dramatically changes your life.
What NOT To Do
There are 6 reasons why you may fail to influence your subconscious in the manner you’d hoped.
1. Lack of confidence. We live in a world obsessed with the material. Therefore, it can hard to see the importance of the spiritual. However, if you doubt the effectiveness of Murphy’s techniques, it will only work against you. Remember, the subconscious realises your beliefs. This means your doubts will be manifested.
2. Too much effort. Willpower doesn’t work when it comes to influencing your subconscious. Struggling only implies an obstacle. Therefore, let go, and believe your mental movies and written statement will come to pass.
3. You get disheartened. If you get disheartened because your desires haven’t been realised in a week, a month or a year, the message received from your subconscious is that you don’t believe it will happen. How will your subconscious react to this message? Yep, you’ve guessed it, it will continue to deny you the thing you want. Therefore, keep believing until it happens.
4. Old negative beliefs dragging you down. Be aware of the baggage you bring to this book. If you’re like me, you won’t be working with a blank slate. I approached the book with a whole host of hang ups, doubts and fears. As a result, I was constantly sabotaging my progress by fighting with my old problems. It’s far better to let them go. Don’t think about them at all. Focus on what you want to move towards and, eventually, the past will fade away.
5. Imagining the change will happen in the future. This will always make the realisation of your desire something beyond your reach. Instead, know it happens now.
6. Setting yourself too many goals. This disperses your energy. Have one main goal. Focus all your mental energy on achieving it and then move on once complete. This avoids your ship being steered in too many directions and failing to get to its destination.
Final Thought
I hope you’ve found this post useful. Your subconscious can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. Spend time learning how to master its ways. While doing so, remember that emotion is the key. When you can feel the realisation of your desire, the physical equivalent won’t be far away.
Get your FREE Course
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
EXTRA RESOURCE: If you want to learn more about your subconscious mind and how to use it, make sure you check out the article below from iNLP Center. It comes with a free 18 page workbook which guides you through different exercises to explore the deeper workings of your subconscious mind.
Subconscious Mind| 9 Facts you should Know [plus FREE WORKBOOK]
How to Gain the Knowledge of 20 Life Changing Books Without Reading Them
Have you ever noticed that, after attending a seminar or reading a book, only one concept tends to stick in your mind? Sure, a day or two later, you can still remember most of the ideas but, six months down the line, how many of them are you actually using?
Probably just one.
With that in mind, I’ve trawled through 20 of the most life changing books known to man to present you with their most salient point.
Do I expect you to apply all 20 of them? Probably not. However, there will be 3 or 4 concepts you take from this blog post that could be responsible for your future life success.
For ease of use, I’ve split the books into 4 categories – Spiritual, Business, Lifestyle and Personal Development. These should cover every aspect of your life and ensure that your growth is balanced, leading to love, happiness and success.
Spiritual
As A Man Thinketh – James Allen
You are what you think. Your outer world is a reflection of your habitual thinking. Therefore, if you want to change your life, you must change your thoughts.
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
Your suffering occurs through not living in the moment. If you can let go of regrets from the past, fear about the future and calm your racing thoughts, then a life of peace and happiness will be yours.
Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting – Lynn Grabhorn
The energy you live with is the key to being successful and living the life you want. Therefore, on a daily basis, find ways to feel great and avoid remaining in a negative state for any length of time.
The Power of your Subconscious Mind – Joseph Murphy
You can programme your subconscious to reveal life changing insights, heal your body and find you love. This is achieved through repeating affirmations, reading written statements and visualising mental movies which all positively state you already are that which you want to become.
Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl
As long as you have a purpose for your life, you can endure almost any circumstances. Find this purpose through the work you are passionate about, your loved ones or a commitment to bear your suffering with dignity.
Business
The 80/20 Principle – Richard Koch
Your efforts won’t yield result according to a 50/50 ratio. Instead, only 20% of what you do will account for 80% of your results. Discover where your 20% lies and focus your attention there.
Business Stripped Bare – Richard Branson
There are no barriers to entry and you don’t have to follow the rules when venturing into the world of business. All you need is your gut instinct and the wisdom to learn from your experiences.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Richard Kiyosaki
You get wealthy through owning assets, not working for your money. This means buying property, shares, bonds, creating/owning intellectual property, investing in start ups and avoiding liabilities like a heavily mortgaged homes, luxury items and credit cards.
The One Thing – Gary Keller
Have one major focus for your life (this can change over time). To achieve this one thing, figure out what the one action you need to take today to get you closer to your overall objective is, and work on that to the exclusion of other tasks.
Start with Why – Simon Sinek
Clients and customers make decisions based in their emotions. Therefore, to get them excited about your work or product, don’t tell them about what you do, or how you do it, tell them about why you do it.
Lifestyle
Willpower – Roy Baumeister
Your willpower is like a muscle. It can be developed but it can also be exhausted. Therefore, tackle major life challenges likes stopping smoking or weight loss, one at a time.
I Can Make you Thin – Paul McKenna
Only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Follow this rule religiously and what you eat won’t be such an issue.
The Game – Neil Strauss
Appealing to other people (in any capacity), is a skill that can be learned. Irrespective of looks, money and past successes, by making yourself stand out, and appearing to be valuable, other people will be drawn to you.
The Latte Factor – David Bach
You have more money than you think. Cutting back on a few insignificant luxuries (your daily Latte) and diverting these funds into relatively high interest investments is the path to your financial freedom.
Easy Way to Stop Smoking – Allan Carr
Addictions are lies. The so-called benefits you think they bring are all psychological. Therefore, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain by stopping and, once you realise this, breaking a lifelong habit becomes easy.
Personal Development
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
Write down a statement regarding how much money you desire, what you will do to achieve it (selling a certain product, writing books etc) and the date by which you want to be in possession of the funds. Condition your subconscious to assist you in the acquisition of the money by repeating this statement upon waking up and going to bed.
Psycho-Cybernetics – Maxwell Maltz
Your subconscious works like a guided missile. Give it clear and frequent instructions regarding what you want from life and it will course adjust to bring you your desired outcome.
Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins
When you think you can’t work any harder, or go any further, you are only at 40% of your true capacity. However, to bring out your hidden reserves, you must break free from your comfort zone.
Never Too Late to be Great – Tom Butler-Bowdon
With advances in modern medicine, and changes in lifestyle, you have many chances to be great at something, or many things, in your lifetime. Take a long-term view of your life and you’ll realise success is virtually guaranteed.
Escape The System – Joe Barnes
Free yourself from the negative influence of society’s conditioning and the possibilities for your life are limitless. You are under no obligation to accept a mediocre life when you have the potential to create a great one.
Did I miss any?
Please share this article with anyone you think will find it useful. Also, were there any books you feel I should’ve included on the list? Let me know in the comments section below.