I just received this question by email, and thought it was significant enough to post my answer here.
Here’s the question:
I am in need of some advise… I am very familiar with the teachings from The Secret concerning the Law of Attraction, and have proven to myself over and over that it works every time! But the one obstacle I continue to get tripped up by is my negative thoughts sabotaging my stated and believed wants… I very much want to get started in this business, but I am continually focusing upon the lack of finances flowing towards me… Not meaning to sound overly simplistic, but how do I fix it?
Let’s start with the more general question first–how do we deal with the “negative thoughts sabotaging (our) stated and believed wants…”?
Whether or not you’ve seen The Secret yet, you probably realize that you have “self-talk” throughout your day–thoughts and feelings that provide almost a running commentary on what you’re looking at, thinking about, or doing–and that much of it is “negative”, in that it tends to involve some amount of doubt, fear, criticism, skepticism, or some other thought and feeling that when you get right down to it, doesn’t feel good and tends to “block” the belief that anything can really change for you, or to “stop” you from taking the inspired actions that could lead to change.
How many of you can relate to the question and “struggle” above?
Well, for starters, let’s call the person above “John” (not his real name…smile…). Here’s what I’d say to John (as well as to myself):
Hi John,
First of all, great question, and I commend you for already taking steps to expand your thinking with ideas like those in The Secret and to begin recognizing that your own thoughts and feelings have a profound effect upon your experience.
Now I’d like to begin by saying this:
Be easy on yourself.
You don’t have to fight against or “get rid” of all the doubts, fears, and negative self-talk, or even to fear it.
Instead, simply choose the best thought you can in any given moment, and find reasons to feel good, and reasons to “pat yourself on the back.”
In other words, if you recognize that what you’re thinking doesn’t feel good right now, or is characterized by doubt or fear, congratulate yourself for being aware…
That alone is a big step, even before you “change” anything–just being aware is a change already!
Next, ask yourself how you could look at your situation, or what you could think about instead, that would feel a little better.
Then celebrate that step.
At the end of your day, rather than looking at all the things that still haven’t changed or still haven’t been done; instead, take note of something that did go well, a moment where you did choose a better thought, or a moment where you did feel even a little better than usual.
Just this morning I re-read these wise words:
“Look for things to appreciate….”
Look for things to appreciate…it will change your life.
And what are we really talking about here?
We’re talking about practice.
Be willing to implement new practices into your daily life, and celebrate the practice itself, and the progress you make each day, rather than get tripped up over what still hasn’t happened yet.
Or as another wise person has said, “become like a little child.”
Learn to look with wonder…
Have you ever seen a toddler learning to walk?
Does a toddler curse and beat herself up every time she stumbles, and then wonder if she’s ever going to walk?
Or does she simply keep finding things that fascinate and delight her, and in the process, she learns to walk, and even giggles and gets cheered on when she goes “kerplunk” on her behind, not because of the stumbling, but because of the steps she did take and the joy she had?
Be like a child.
Delight in each step, and in the wonder in each moment.
Want something really concrete to practice?
For the next 7 days, begin and end your day with finding 5 things to appreciate from the past 24 hours.
You can do this silently while your head is still on your pillow, you can do this aloud as a kind of thanksgiving prayer, or you can write this in a spiral bound journal by your bed.
A fun place to practice this, and to bring this into the realm of prosperity and finances which you asked about next, is to play the free prosperity game at www.choosingprosperity.com .
Finally, with regard to your desire to start “this business” vs. focusing on your lack of finances, your next step is simply to engage 
, then we can interact directly “on the court” rather than talking in the bleachers, and you can apply these principles in real-time while building a business at the same time.
Oh, and be sure to read the post below on doing what you love, and for more on changing your thinking over time, read the earlier post on Jerry Clark’s “psychological escape velocity” here.
John, look forward to hearing back from you!
Dr. Ben
P.S. Well, that’s what I’d say to “John”, and what I’m also practicing daily myself.
How about you?
Do you have your own insights into transforming your thinking and your results, or your own questions to followup on John’s?
Post them in the comments below, and join the conversation!
on curing “health excusitis.”