The Power of Ideas: Positive Thinking Produces Positive Results

Big life changes can make you more aware of the power of ideas

I’ve had several big life changes recently. My Dad died in March. My Grandmother died in April. In May, I learned, through a stroke of good luck (a new client), that I am gluten-sensitive, and changed my diet.

But the funny thing about the world… the big wheel just keeps on turnin’. I honestly don’t know what happened to March, April, May, and June… and here we are the middle of July!! Summer’s half over. It’s taken me the better part of 2Q to get my head screwed back on straight.

On top of that, I’m a Small Business Consultant who has been bootstrapping my consulting business for the last 4 years, and using all the money that comes in to run our household. When things like this happen it can turn your world upside down…

… in a good way.

I’ve lost about 20lbs without even trying. And I am now out of the rut that I was in. A mental fog has lifted, and it’s opened my eyes to a whole new world–it’s literally as though I’ve woken up. Before I was just going through the motions. Now I’m in full control, and mindfully moving forward in a very positive direction.

And I’d like to share with you how I did it.

The Law of Attraction and The Power of Ideas

In a previous post that I wrote with one of my clients, I affirmed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude–no matter what. I suggested a couple of books: ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People‘ and ‘Think and Grow Rich‘. These are without a doubt the two singlemost important books in the self-help industry.

If you Google “Law of Attraction” you’ll see just how influential “Think and Grow Rich” is.

“Like attracts like”

The Law of Attraction is a metaphysical belief that “like energy attracts like results”, i.e., that positive thinking brings about positive results and negative thinking brings about negative results. In “Think and Grow Rich“, Napoleon Hill says that thoughts are objects, and ideas are the wellspring of abundance. Change your thoughts, change your life.

Channeling your desire, affirming your belief, visualizing your success, you can re-program your mind to think successful thoughts. The effect of this “rewiring” is that you can catch yourself when you’re being negative. As with the concept of mindfulness in Buddhism you can see your thoughts are objects, and train yourself to dismiss your negative thoughts.

The Power of Ideas (Do this excercise now):

Meditation and Vizualization: The key to stilling the left brain and creating greater inner awareness 

Many mystics have taught their students to develop greater inner and psychic awareness through meditation. This works because it is a great way to quiet the constant stream of thoughts that wander through our heads.

A great way to do this is:

#begin meditation#

 

1. Stop what you’re doing (Quiet your mind and take note of your breathing or body sensations)
2. Take 3 really deep breaths (Visualize breathing in health and vitality–and breathing out toxins and things holding you back)
3. Be grateful for where you are right now (Be thankful for what you have–even your current problems–because abundance springs from gratitude. Say to yourself: “I was born for a specific purpose, and I am grateful for the opportunity to use my talents to serve others.” )
4. Affirm your belief that you will have abundance (say to yourself ”I have more than enough money to pay all my bills, pay my taxes, fund my retirement, and expand my charitable giving.”)
5. Visualize yourself in possession of lots of money (What does it feel like? What would you do with it? Anything different?)

#End meditation#

 

Note: I don’t know if he followed the first 4 steps, but when I was in business school, my International Finance and Trade Professor Arkadi Kuhlmann used to ask us to visualize all the money sloshing around in the financial markets and he called it: “Kuhlmann’s Bathtub”, a big bathtub of money. He is now the Chairman of ING Direct, which has over $92 billion in assets, and is the 15th largest bank in America.

If you do this, you’ll begin to see patterns of how your left brain chatter is overwhelming all of your creative impulses, and by quieting your left brain you’re able to unleash your creativity with the power of ideas.

Try this exercise now again now for a 2nd time, and listen to your inner voice.

What is your inner voice telling you to do? Without a doubt, “that” is what you should be doing. If you listen to your creative impulses and your intuition, it will guide you in a positive direction.

“Give and it will be given to you”

Do you feel like you can’t accomplish something because you’re not smart enough? Not courageous enough? Just follow the Yellow Brick Road. The Cowardly Lion did and he discovered he already had everything he needed to succeed. He just needed to do it!

Actions produce results. Left brain chatter stymies action, so no results. It’s simple.

Big Question: What would you do if money wasn’t an object? Would you do anything differently? If you had extra resources to accomplish your goals, what would you do? Chances are it’s not resources that are holding you back. It’s simply the idea that you don’t have enough resources that’s actually holding you back. You are holding yourself back. There are many ways to the top of the mountain.

As Eckhart Tolle affirms in “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose“:

“Whatever you think the world is withholding from you–you in fact are withholding from the world. [...] Give, and it will be given to you.”

So what is it that’s holding you back?

1 Comment

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  Cyanne Campbell October 12, 2011 at 3:44 am

  You can develop positive thinking consistently, until you acquire it as a habit. There is no secret to creating positive habits: it is a matter of taking action towards what you want consistently and during a extended period of time. Thanks for this inspiring post Les! Keep it up.

  Reply