Category: Articles

There’s been an intriguing development in the last 2-3 years at Effective Learning Systems, and that has been the surge in popularity of titles related to fears and anxiety. It’s a sad testament to the current state of our world. And while the trend is understandable, the good news is that YOU don’t have to let it affect YOU.

It’s normal to feel fear. In fact, in centuries gone by, fear is what kept our ancestors alive because they responded to external threats, such as a saber-toothed tiger hovering around the entrance to the cave. The fight-or-flight response kicked in releasing adrenalin that helped our forebears to run away as quickly as possible or muster enough energy to fight. These days, however, when we feel fear, there generally isn’t a physical outlet to resolve the perceived threat and it manifests as anxiety or worry in our minds. And we tend to retain the same worries and anxieties that become more reinforced every time we think them. It becomes a vicious cycle.

One of the things that makes life so wonderful is the ability to experience a broad range of emotions. The highs can be indescribably joyful! And the lows – while often quite painful – can be some of our best learning experiences and they certainly help us appreciate the highs even more.

The difficulty is when emotions become overwhelming and stop you from participating in life they way you would like. Fears can take on a life of their own and have disproportionate control over our lives. If we are unable to let go of the past and forgive ourselves and others, the feelings of guilt or anger can consume our lives and limit our potential.

And it is absolutely true that our fears and worry take a toll on us. It is said that worry is interest paid in advance on a debt that we may never owe. What that means is that when we worry, we imagine the negative outcome that we fear. We live that negative outcome in our minds as if it was really happening. Our bodies react to the worry as if the feared outcome was actually happening. As a result we experience immediate discomfort and pay a physical and emotional price through the effects of excessive stress.

And what of that imagined negative outcome? Well, in most cases it never materializes. Meanwhile, we’ve suffered as if it had.

Therefore, the key to conquering fears and anxiety is to not only break the habit of dwelling on potential negative events, it’s to proactively dwell on potential positive events. As simple as that is, it’s not always easy. Most people tend to dwell on negatives out of habit and reflex. So it’s important to learn how to build new habits and reflexes that focus on the positive outcomes.

For the past forty years, we’ve been helping people release negative emotions and build new expectations for the future. Our programs have helped thousands of people change old conditioned patterns, replacing them with more helpful ways of processing life events.

Here are a couple of real-life examples:

Joni: “I recently found myself unemployed after working for the same company for 17 years. The fears that haunted me were, ‘Am I skillful and self-confident enough to enter the world of job hunting?’ After listening to the CD, I realized that I am. You see, the skills and confidence I thought I lacked were deep within me. It’s like getting up and brushing your teeth – you know how to do it instinctively. It empowered me with what I already had.”

Diane: “I used Conquering Fears and Anxiety to overcome my fear of flying. I actually used it prior to my flights and even during the flight! It was a wonderful comfort and I flew without fear!”

Our programs show you how to take control of your emotions, eliminate fears and anxiety, live in the present, and plan for a much brighter future. There’s no magic elixir or “surefire formula for success.” Instead we show you how to recondition your inner mind to harness the full power of your subconscious and help achieve more of your potential. The positive programming delivers an immediate positive impact. And, over time, there are immeasurable long-term benefits.

The goal-orientated programming allows you to implement strategies in your day-to-day life that eventually become second nature. It’s like having your own therapist or coach to guide you through the maze until you have mastery of your emotions. Your emotions won’t control you – you will control your emotions.

If you feel that conquering fears and anxiety is something that will help you improve your life, here are some programs that may interest you.

Browse all our titles related to Fears and Anxiety

Conquer Fears and Achieve Emotional Freedom Collection

Conquering Fears and Anxiety from the Love Tapes series

Overcome Fears and Anxiety from the While-U-Drive series

Overcoming Worry from the Love Tapes series

Inner Peace and Happiness from the Effective Meditations series

The best and quickest way to improve your life is simple: just think more positively.

You’ve probably heard this many times before. And you’re probably thinking, “That’s a great idea, but in the real world it’s much easier said than done.”

It’s true; like a lot of things in life, becoming a “positive” person is an idea that is simple but not necessarily easy. The goal of this brief article is to give you a few simple and practical techniques that will help you make positive thinking an automatic and permanent part of your life.

Positive Thinking is Critically Important

Your thought patterns have a huge influence over every aspect of your life. Your thoughts determine your personality, the quality of your relationships, your financial success, your physical health, and much more.

You probably have an idea of the power of your thoughts. The fact that you’re reading this indicates you know it’s important. But if you’re like most people, you still grossly underestimate the powerful physiological effects your thoughts can have.

For example, by simply thinking of biting into a juicy, yellow lemon you can make your mouth water. That’s just a small example of how a thought can create chemical changes in the body.

The fact is that your thoughts greatly influence much more important things than saliva production. Science has shown that positive thoughts increase your white blood cell count which helps you fight infection and disease. In a study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Wisconsin proved that people who practice positive thinking are better equipped to fight disease.

In the study, a team of neuroscientists used electroencephalography to measure brain activity and then gave all the subjects flu shots. What they found is that positive thinking individuals had a significantly stronger immune response than those who exhibited more a negative thought patterns. The bottom line: positive thinking can make you not only happier but healthier as well.

How Do You Become a Positive Thinker?

If you currently have habitual negative thought patterns – and most everyone does – you can learn to eliminate them and replace them with positive thought habits. But it won’t happen on its own. You have to make a conscious decision to make a change. Once you do that – and with the help of a few simple techniques – it’s actually pretty easy to become totally positive.

Here are a few simple techniques you can start using right now:

Smile and Let the Tail Wag the Dog

Being happy can make you smile. But does it also work the other way? Can smiling make you happy?

Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco have discovered that mimicking the facial expressions associated with such emotions as happiness, sadness, and anger can trigger some of the same physical changes produced by actually feeling these emotions. By measuring an array of biometrics – such as heart rate, body temperature, and the electrical resistance of the skin – they demonstrated that simply smiling made the body “happy.” Apparently moving facial muscles sends signals to the autonomic nervous system, which controls certain muscle and gland activity. This, in turn, spurs the physical reactions. So, smile and you’ll be happy!

Create a Triggering Mechanism for Yourself

Now try your own smiling experiment. Put a big smile on your face right now. You may have to force it at first but do it anyway and see what happens. It’s okay if you feel silly. Let the silliness make you smile even more.

As you smile, think of anytime in the past when you felt very happy, joyful and positive. We’ve all had experiences in our lives when we have felt very positive. Let yourself replay some of those positive moments right now. Let yourself relive feelings of being positive and confident. Continue to smile. Release all cares and concerns and with a big smile on your face, feel yourself becoming more and more positive and carefree.

As your positive feelings continue to build, press the thumb and middle finger of either hand together gently but firmly, and say to yourself “I am positive!” Again, while you’re feeling very positive, press your thumb and middle finger together and say “I am positive!”

You have just programmed yourself with a mechanism that you can use to trigger these same positive thoughts and feeling anytime you choose. Practice this frequently and soon you’ll notice that you can have a positive attitude in any situation merely by pressing your thumb and middle finger together and saying “I am positive!”

Choose Your Words Carefully

What you say and the words you choose are very important to maintaining a positive perspective and eliciting positive outcomes.

For example, consider the word “don’t”. If you call out to a child “Don’t slam the door!” what’s the next sound we usually hear? Bam!! That’s right, the door slamming. It’s as if the child didn’t hear the “don’t.” Only the positive part of the statement got through: “Slam the door!” However, if you say “Close the door softly,” the child will be much more likely to comply.

Another dangerous word is “can’t.” People often say I can’t lose weight, or I can’t quit smoking, or I can’tremember names. The more they say that, the more it becomes reality. From now on, let the use of that word be like a red light flashing as a warning that this is negative programming that can create false limitations. Don’t let this word rob you of your true potential.

Eject Negative Self-Talk

More important than the words you say to others are the words you say to yourself. We all have an inner voice that reflects our subconscious thinking. Unfortunately, a lot of our self-talk is negative. For example: “I’ll never be able to do it”, or “I’ll never understand it”, or “I’m not smart enough”, or “If something can go wrong, it will”.

To eliminate negative self-talk you must first become aware of it. What are the things that you say to yourself that limit your potential? The moment you become aware of the negativity eject it! You can eject it just as easily as you can eject a CD from a CD player.

To make that ejection more vivid, you can press your index finger against your thumb, or against a table or a dashboard, as if you’re pressing a button, and at the same time emphatically say “EJECT!” Then immediately replace the negative with a positive such as “I can!” Over time, repeating this simple physical action will go a long way to helping you become totally positive.

Train Your Brain through Meditation

Research has shown that meditation increases activity in the left prefrontal cortex; the same area of the brain that scientists associate with positive thinking. And people who meditate regularly are typically found to be more positive and healthier than the population in general. So learn how to meditate – and practice it often. You’ll train your brain to use its positive thinking centers more readily and quickly become a more positive person.

Remind Yourself of What’s Important

A friend of ours who is a salesman and who’s away from his home and family more than he’d like to be, told us about a tape he put together that never fails to lift his spirits. The tape consists of a series of messages from the most important people in his life: his wife, his father, his kids, and his closest friend. On his tape, each of these people says, in his or her own words, how important this man is to them. They say what they like, admire, and respect about him. They say how much they appreciate him, love him, and miss him when he’s away. He says that after a tough sales call, or anytime he needs a lift, he plays that tape and instantly he feels very fortunate, very happy, and has greater sense of self-worth. It puts everything back in its proper perspective, and gives him renewed strength and a very positive attitude. Perhaps you could benefit from creating a similar tape of your own.

Wash Away Negativity with a Powerful Visualization

Another technique for feeling totally positive is called the funnel of energy. It’s a simple visualization exercise that can take less than a minute, but it makes you feel great.

Here’s how you do it. Imagine there’s a funnel of positive energy flowing in through the top of your head. This positive energy comes from the purist, highest, most divine source of energy in the universe. It makes you feel more alive, stronger, more aware and alert. The moment it enters your body you sense its positive, loving, healing effect. You feel it cleansing you of negativity. Washing away any past negative programming you have experienced.

It’s dissolving all the old fears, the old inhibitions, the old limitations. Feel this positive, loving, healing energy washing away all negative thoughts, images and feelings. Feel it releasing your inner strength. The energy continues to flow in, through your shoulders, arms and hands, your chest, your back, abdomen, hips, legs and feet, reaching every part of your body dissolving all negativity. It’s converting your entire body to healthful positive energy. Imagine all the negativity flowing out of your hands and feet leaving your body filled with only the purest positive energy. If feels so good to free yourself from negativity, it feels so good to be totally positive.

Practice this visualization any time you’d like. Allow the visualization to last as long as you need to feel revived and purged of all negativity. It’s great any time you need a lift.

Welcome Life’s Obstacles – Adversity is Opportunity

Life throws each of us a lot of curves. No one goes through life without problems, or without running into obstacles. And some of these problems or obstacles can be huge. But what’s really important is how we face these obstacles. If we think negatively, we can be overwhelmed, give up or become ineffective in dealing with them. But there is a much better way to handle them. We can choose to look for something positive in the situation. We can choose to consider it a blessing in disguise – even if we have no idea what that blessing might be.

We can look for an advantage or opportunity in any situation. As Richard Bach points out in his book Illusions, “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift in its hands.” And the Chinese word for crisis is written with two characters. One of them means opportunity.

Many of our students have become so positive that when an unexpected problem arises they automatically say “Oh good!” They then immediately start looking for the opportunity presented by the situation. And they inevitably find it. This can work for you, too.

Learning to deal successfully with obstacles can help you live a more fulfilling life. As Booker T. Washington said, “Success is to be measured not so much by the positions that we have reached in life, as by the obstacles which we have overcome while trying to succeed.”

Don’t Worry – Be Happy

In order to be totally positive, we need to know how to deal with worry. Every thought we have affects us physically as well as mentally, and worry can be very harmful. Dr. Charles Mayo said; “Worry affects circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects the health.”

Think about the process you go through when you worry. In your mind you picture a negative end result. It takes no effort or willpower; you just dwell on it. And in a short time this negative end result appears very real to you and you generate the same emotions that you’d experience if it really happened. You experience the same fear, anxiety, or discouragement. Consequently, you end up feeling bad right now for something that is merely a thought in your mind.

At the same time you are setting up patterns in your mind for future negative experiences. The more you worry, the more you train your mind to expect bad things. Even if your “problem” never manifests itself, the worry takes its toll through immediate discomfort and the harmful effects of excessive stress.

It’s said that worry is interest paid in advance on a debt you may never owe. And Mark Twain put it this way; “I’ve had a lot of troubles in my day – most of which never happened.” So, most worry is useless. You’re better off ejecting it.

But you can take the same process you use to worry, change just one thing, and it can help you immensely. Instead of imagining a negative end result, imagine a positive one! This, too, takes very little effort or willpower. Just dwell on that positive end result and in no time at all you’ll be generating the emotions that are associated with that experience. You’ll feel great immediately as a result of something that is merely a thought in your mind. You’ll feel joy, happiness, and self-confidence. Plus, you’ll be setting up patterns in your mind for future positive experiences.

So make the worry process work for you rather than against you. Get into the habit of expecting good things.

Start Today

There are many other things you can do to become more positive, but this handful of ideas is a great start. Begin today and you’ll soon realize what a tremendous impact they’ll have on your life.

Copyright © 2010 Bob and Deirdre Griswold, Effective Learning Systems, Inc.

About the Authors:

Bob and Deirdre Griswold are the Founders of Effective Learning Systems, Inc., the leading creator of audio CDs and MP3sfor personal development and self-improvement. With over 100 titles available, their programs are among the bestselling self-improvement audio programs in national bookstores – including Barnes & Noble. Bob’s book, Attract Money and More, has been printed in 7 languages and he has personally taught over 50,000 people techniques for relaxation, memory, stress management, goal achievement and self-esteem through seminars for corporations, government agencies, and the general public. You can find Effective Learning Systems online at www.efflearn.com or by phone at (952) 943-1660 or toll-free in the US at (800) 966-5683.

Featured Happiness and Positive Thinking Audio CDs, MP3s and, yes, even Tapes

HOW TO BE HAPPY

BECOME TOTALLY POSITIVE…AUTO-MATICALLY

To view All Happiness and Positive Thinking Audio CDs MP3s and Tapes, choose “Shop Online” by “Category” and select “Positive Thinking.” Or just click here.

Experience the Benefits of Subliminal Love Tapes

There has been, and probably always will be, some controversy about subliminal messages in audio programs. The scientific community continues to study and debate the effectiveness of audio programs that utilize subliminal messages. Meanwhile thousands of people use these programs every day and report very positive results.

You might be asking: “Can the subliminal messages in audio programs help me attain my goals?” Here’s some information that’ll help aid your decision:

First of all, audio programs with subliminal messages are designed to deliver positive affirmations directly to the subconscious — bypassing the conscious mind, which may reject these positive affirmations. This method is designed to allow the subconscious to more readily accept positive thoughts and images, replacing the negative thoughts and images we’ve held in our subconscious — often since childhood.

There have been dozens of studies of subliminal messages by Dr. Lloyd Silverman, Dr. Hal Becker, Dr. Kenneth Parker, Dr. Eldon Taylor and many others that have shown significant positive results. That’s why many prominent physicians, psychologists and other professionals use audio programs with subliminal messages — because they know they’re helpful to those desiring positive changes.

More important, however, is the fact that while subliminal communication has been shown to be effective, not all audio programs using subliminal messages are equal!

We believe that subliminal programming is most effective when it’s accompanied by an effective program that works on the conscious mind as well. In other words, the audio programs that work the best are those that combine audible plus subliminal messages, as our Love Tapes® do!

We know subliminal programming is a very beneficial supplement to our audible programs. We know because our customers tell us so. And real-life results are what really matter. It also makes our audio programs more versatile, since the subliminal messages recorded beneath the sound of ocean waves or carefully selected music can be enjoyed at times when it is not possible to close your eyes and relax deeply, as the regular programs require.

With the Love Tapes the choice is yours. They’re available in two formats:

MP3: 3-in-1 – Includes the audible program plus powerful Music & Ocean Subliminal programs – all downloaded instantly
CD: 3-in-1 – Includes the audible program plus powerful Music & Ocean Subliminal programs

Love Tapes with subliminal messages provide you with the best of two convenient and complementary learning methods. In fact, they’re like getting two (or three) audio programs in one — and more!

They combine the ingredients research has found to be the most important for providing optimum results such as:

• Meaningful, positive affirmations
• Real-time, compassionate human voice
• Goal-oriented visualization and other proven mind development techniques
• Audible and subliminal programs appealing to both hemispheres of the brain
• Valid, time-tested information on respective topics

This is a combination no other brand of audio program can match. You get the most powerful personal development program you can buy – at any price! And they’re enjoyable and convenient.

But don’t take our word for it, or anyone else’s. See for yourself. With our No Risk Guarantee, you get results or you’ll get a refund. Find out why thousands of people say that purchasing the Love Tapes® was the best investment they’ve ever made.

Remember: many studies have indicated that subliminal messages can help you reach your goals…but only if you use them correctly. Listen to the audible program as well as the subliminal programs on the Love Tapes® at least once a day for 30 days. You’ll be amazed at the results!

The following is a brief excerpt from the special report titled “The 3 Keys to Life-Long Health and Weight Control.” The entire 24-page report is available to you free when you sign up for our free MP3 Download (use the form above).

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Are you struggling to lose weight? Are your diet and exercise programs not working for you? Are you finding it difficult to stay motivated? While it’s essential to have a plan for proper nutrition and regular exercise, there’s one more thing you need to lose weight fast and maintain your ideal body weight. You also need to win the “Mental Game” of weight control.

Most people ignore the importance of the Mental Game in achieving their ideal weight. Deeply engrained thoughts and beliefs are the source of bad eating and exercise habits and can result in a negative, overweight self-image. No diet or exercise program can succeed if your mind is working against you. To lose weight fast or maintain your ideal body weight, you need to combine proper nutrition and regular exercise with winning the Mental Game of weight control.

Love Comes First

Many people think, and often say aloud, “I’d love my body if I could just lose 10-20 pounds.” The truth is that this thinking is completely backwards. If you don’t love your body to begin with, it is next to impossible to improve your health or your weight. Think about it this way, why would you take care of something you don’t already love?

Let’s explore an analogy to help illustrate this point. Think about how you treat an old, beat-up car versus how you treat a brand new car just off the showroom floor. With an old “beater” you don’t think twice about driving through the mud, over potholes, or fast over speed bumps. You don’t mind spilling things on the seat and you put in the cheapest gas you can find. You feel fine abusing a car like this because you don’t really care what it looks like.

With a new car, however, you drive very carefully, wash and wax it on a daily basis, and park far away just to avoid other cars. And when you see that first paint chip, within 2 minutes you’re out there with the touch up paint and polish to keep it looking like new. You care about this car – you LOVE this car – and you take care of it to keep it looking and running new as long as possible.

It’s the same thing with your body. Just like the old beat-up car, if you don’t love your body, you probably won’t take very good care of it. It becomes very easy to let yourself eat a whole box of cookies or “super-size” that order of fries. If you already “hate” your body, you feel like you can’t really do any more damage, so why not have another cinnamon roll and watch some TV.

This reasoning applies to more than weight loss. It applies to all areas related to your health. Smoking is a great example. We know smoking does terrible things to our bodies. It destroys our lungs, causes cancer, and kills us. So there is no way a person who truly loved their body would ever do that to himself or herself.

Do You Treat Your New Car Better Than You Treat Yourself?

But what if your body is already in bad shape? It’s kind of hard to love your body if it’s already run down and out of shape, isn’t it? Let’s go back to the car analogy. It may be easy to love a shiny new car, but a little harder to love something that’s old and broken down. That may be true, but think about when a rusted-out, beaten-up 1965 Mustang convertible ends up in the hands of an enthusiast. That person loves that car no matter what shape it’s in. With wide eyes and ceaseless energy, he or she will spend a lot of time and effort restoring it until it’s back in mint condition. When it’s done, he or she is as proud as a parent with a newborn baby.

Why do enthusiasts do this? Where do they get the energy to restore something that to others appears to be a complete disaster and a hopeless cause? The answer is “LOVE!” Enthusiasts LOVE the objects of their attention. They see beauty where others don’t. They see the promise and the possibilities. They can envision the future and know they can reach their goals.

Be Your Own Enthusiast

Your body is the same way. You can be an enthusiast for your own health and fitness. Love your body no matter what shape it’s in. Become an enthusiast! Restore it and be proud of the work you do!

So, begin by loving yourself. Start today and you’ll find it’s much easier to succeed in your weight control efforts.

The problem is that for most of us it’s very difficult to change the way we think about ourselves. This is not something that comes naturally to us. It requires overcoming years of programming we’ve received from our parents, friends, the media, and even ourselves.

Here are some steps you can take to change the way you view yourself and begin to win the Mental Game of weight control:

• Recognize your negative programming
• Replace your negative programming with positive affirmations
• Apply visualization techniques
• Use guided imagery

You can use these techniques on your own or utilize audio programs such as those developed by Effective Learning Systems to guide you in using these techniques.

Learn More

To learn more about each of these techniques, request your free copy of “The 3 Keys to Life-Long Health and Weight Control,” a 24-page report discussing the 3 keys to effective weight control:

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Winning the Mental Game of Weight Control

About the Author:

Jeff Griswold is the President of Effective Learning Systems, Inc., the leading creator of audio CDs and tapes for weight loss and weight control. With over 100 titles available, their programs are the bestselling self-improvement audio programs in national bookstores – including Barnes & Noble and Borders – and have been for over 20 years. “Your Complete Success Weight Loss Program”, recently released by ELS, is the perfect tool to help you succeed in winning the Mental Game of weight control.

Copyright © 2005, 2011 Jeff Griswold, Effective Learning Systems, Inc

Featured Weight Loss and Weight Control Audio CDs, Tapes, and MP3 Downloads

SUPER STRENGTH WEIGHT LOSS

SLIM IMAGE II

EXERCISE MOTIVATION

To see all the titles related to Weight Control, shop by category and choose “weight loss.”

BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE: HOW TO INITIATE A VIRTUOUS CYCLE

It’s no secret that self-confidence is very important to achieving success in any area of life. The thing about self-confidence is that it is very sensitive to our personal experience and is inherently instable. In other words, your self-confidence has a “snowball affect.” And it can snowball in a positive direction or it can snowball in a negative direction. Here’s how it works:

How the “Negative Snowball” works

1. If you start out with low self-confidence (see below to learn more about how this happens), you’re less likely to take on challenges or try new things.

2. On the rare occasion that you try to accomplish something, your low self-confidence can sabotage your efforts and you’re much less likely to succeed.

3. Your lack of accomplishment and your failures reinforce your low self-confidence.

4. Then it’s back to step 1 and the cycle repeats; limiting your ability to live a better life.

How the “Positive Snowball” works

1. If you have self-confidence, you’re more likely to attempt just about anything, so you try more things.

2. And when you attempt something with confidence in your abilities, you’re very likely to succeed.

3. As a result, your success increases your self-confidence.

4. Return to step 1 and repeat, and repeat, and repeat until you reach your full potential!

Wearing a Groove in Your Brain

At the risk of over-simplifying a phenomenally complex process, what’s happening in your brain is that these snowball cycles “wear a groove” through the vast array of neurons and synapses. So, neurologically you are physically carving a path of least resistance through your brain. With enough reinforcement, you develop a reflex to certain kinds of stimuli.

For example, if a smoker tries to quit smoking and fails – and he allows a negative snowball cycle to take place – he’ll lose confidence in his ability to quit. And he’ll eventually develop a negative reflex to the idea of quitting. Once that happens, if anyone suggests that he quit or someone offers a new way to try to quit, his brain will automatically reject the possibility. In his brain, the mere suggestion of quitting will trigger an impulse that will follow that well-worn path of least resistance; the path that equates “trying to quit” with “failure.”

But this works the other way, too. A positive snowball cycle will wear a groove that creates a positive reflex. We’ve all known people like this. They’re the ones who are eager to try anything and seem to succeed at everything. And in the rare occasions when they fail, they are undeterred. The positive reflex they’ve created in their brain allows them to learn from their mistakes and equate “failure” with “I’ll do even better next time!”

How Does the Low Self-Confidence Cycle Start?

Unfortunately, virtually everyone has been programmed from childhood with negatives that make us believe we can’t do things that we are innately capable of doing. A lot of it is self-imposed programming. If we fail to do something perfectly the first time we try it, it is only human nature to begin to believe that we can’t do it.

We also receive negative programming from others that can greatly impact our self-confidence. We are told repeatedly as a child “You can’t do this” or “You’ll never be able to do that.” If we accept this programming – which, again, is only human nature – our self-confidence is weakened accordingly.

Take a moment now to think back on your own life. Think about the things that you’ve been led to believe you cannot attain but that you know intellectually are entirely possible. It could be anything; a certain level of income; academic achievement; great athletic performance; success at love, etc. If you’re like most people, it won’t take long to come up with a sizable list.

Fortunately, when some people are told they can’t do something, they refuse to accept that programming and go on to prove that they indeed can. For example;

• Beethoven’s teacher said he was hopeless as a composer.
• Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was too stupid to learn anything
• Leo Tolstoy, the author of War & Peace, was told he couldn’t learn
• Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4, didn’t read until he was 7. His teacher called him mentally slow.
• One of the early teachers of the great opera singer Enrico Caruso said he had no voice at all & could not sing.

There are many other examples, but the point is that each and every one of us has given up on at least one thing because we lacked the confidence to try! And the world has undoubtedly been robbed of the great contributions of countless gifted people because of such negativity.

Good News
The good news is that a negative self-confidence cycle is completely reversible! You can learn how to eliminate existing negative thought reflexes and replace them with positive thought reflexes. By mastering a few easy techniques you’ll be able to recognize and reject negative programming before you allow it to begin to erode your confidence.

There are dozens of techniques to help you build your self-confidence and self-esteem. These include:

• Positive Affirmations
• Guided Visualization
• Mental Imagery
• Goal-Oriented Meditation
• Breathing Techniques
• Subliminal Programming
• Whole-Brain Learning

Here’s one simple technique you can start using today that will help you initiate a virtuous cycle of improved self-confidence.

Using Positive Affirmations to Build Self-Confidence
Positive Affirmations are carefully-worded positive statements that you repeat to yourself and are designed to establish new thinking patterns in your mind. Using affirmations is a very effective way to build self-confidence. It seems simple – and initially it can actually be a little uncomfortable – but remember, what you’re trying to do is to wear a new groove in your brain. You’re trying to create a new path of least resistance and establish a positive reflex in your mind. And the best way to create a new reflex is through repetition of positive thoughts, images and feelings.

At the end of this article, I’ve included a small handful of powerful affirmations for you to begin using today. The way to use affirmations is to repeat the statements to yourself (out loud or silently). When you repeat an affirmation, feel it, believe it, and know it! Put some positive emotion into it. Emotion-backed programming is the most powerful and long lasting. Allow yourself to experience the feelings of joy, satisfaction, power and self-confidence as you do each affirmation. Make each one a true part of your reality.

Use your favorite affirmations routinely throughout the day, and really feel them. When you do you will eventually make a quantum leap. You will suddenly be far beyond the doubts that accompany wishing, hoping, daydreaming, and even believing. You will enter the zone of knowing.

When you enter the zone of knowing, supreme self-confidence is automatically there. All doubt is gone. You know you can do it. You know it will happen, just as surely as if it had already happened. And quite likely at some dimension it has happened – for you! When you enter the zone of knowing, your self-confidence is unshakable and your untapped potential is released. You feel invincible!

Another great way to use affirmations is to say them while looking in a mirror. Say them with feeling and soon you’ll become aware of how powerful your eyes are. It’s said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that each of us carries in our eyes the exact indication of our rank. We send messages with our eyes that show how we think of ourselves and how self-confident we are. And that influences how others respond to us. The more our eyes bespeak self-confidence and self-esteem, the more other people are likely to hold us in high esteem. Some people have developed a penetrating gaze that makes it seem as if they can look into your very soul. As you practice your affirmations in the mirror, you’ll see this in your own eyes and soon others will feel the confidence that you project.

Sample Affirmations

• I now free myself from false limits
• I choose to be self-confident
• I now feel self-confident
• I radiate self-confidence
• I reject negativity at all levels of consciousness
• I love turning negatives into positives
• The more positive I am, the more confident I am
• I now think as a positive person
• I breath as a positive person
• I feel positive and confident
• I am intelligent
• I am capable
• I speak with self-confidence
• My body language projects self-confidence
• People sense my self-confidence, which gives them confidence in me
• I am positive and confident
• I’m becoming aware of my true potential
• I enjoy being positive
• Being positive builds my self-confidence
• I feel positive and confident
• I am positive and confident

Start Today
There are many other powerful techniques that you can use to improve your self-confidence and build your self-esteem. But this will get you started in the right direction.

The most important thing to remember is that repetition and positive emotions are critical to changing the way you think. While it’s possible to do this on your own, most people need a defined program for the direction and support they need to commit to a change.

Many people find that listening to audio programs (like those available at http://www.efflearn.com) is the best way to provide the consistency that’s needed to develop new, healthy, positive thought habits. In addition to Positive Affirmations, the best audio programs will incorporate a variety of techniques including guided visualizations, mental imagery, goal-oriented meditation, subliminal programming, whole-brain learning, and more.

So, employ whatever resources you need to commit to improving your self-confidence. Whether it’s an audio program or help from your friends, family or therapist – your self-confidence is too important to allow it to wither away. Be confident that you can improve your confidence and it will change your life.

About the Author:
Jeff Griswold is the President of Effective Learning Systems, Inc. (http://www.efflearn.com/selfesteem.php), the leading creator of audio CDs and tapes for helping you build self-esteem and self-confidence. With over 100 titles available, their programs are the bestselling self-improvement audio programs in national bookstores – including Barnes & Noble and Borders – and have been for over 20 years. To request a free copy of “The Greatest Thing You’ll Ever Learn,” a 24-page report showing you how you can harness the unlimited power within yourself to achieve your full potential, please contact us.

Copyright © 2005, 2011 Jeff Griswold, Effective Learning Systems, Inc.

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To a large extent, your happiness and your success in life is determined by the thoughts you hold in your subconscious mind. Positive affirmations are powerful statements that are used to build a positive internal dialog. By consistently repeating positive affirmations to yourself, you create positive subconscious thoughts. These new, positive, productive thoughts will replay automatically throughout your life. Each time they replay, they’ll reinforce the new positive inner-image you have of yourself and your life in general. By replacing old, negative thinking with new, positive subconscious thoughts you’ll be able to access the endless resources of positive energy you have within yourself. And you’ll be able to create a new, positive reality for yourself.

When you use positive affirmations, let yourself really feel them. Fully experience each one. Enjoy them. Assume each affirmation to be true in your physical reality. Feel the positive emotions that are appropriate for this positive reality. This will help you make positive changes more quickly and automatically.

At the end of this report you’ll find dozens of carefully chosen, time-tested, positive affirmations that will help get you started. Select those that you think will be most helpful. Write them down, carry them with you, and use them often. Get into the habit of saying them while you’re doing routine things such as brushing your teeth or washing your hands.

Maximize the Benefits of Using Positive Affirmations

The following two nuggets of advice will help you maximize the benefits of using positive affirmations:

1. Use the affirmations frequently. It’s one thing to know about affirmations and use them occasionally. It’s quite another thing to use them regularly every day for at least 30 days. Dr. Maxwell Maltz in his book “Psycho Cybernetics” asserted that it usually takes 21 days to make any perceptible change in one’s mental image. For some people it takes a bit longer. That is why you should use them frequently for at least 30 days.

2. You must continue to actively “eject” the negatives you experience daily. If you use affirmations occasionally, but allow negatives to dominate your thoughts throughout the day, any progress you make will be quickly negated. So, if you find yourself thinking a negative thought, consciously “eject” that thought and replace it with one of your favorite positive affirmations.

Start Using Positive Affirmations Today
Using positive affirmations correctly is one important step to changing your subconscious thoughts and changing your life for the better. But most of us need assistance in doing this properly and consistently. Many people find that listening to our audio programs (available here on this website) is the best way to provide the consistency that’s needed to develop new, healthy, positive thought habits. In addition to positive affirmations, our programs incorporate a variety of techniques including guided visualizations, mental imagery, goal-oriented meditation, subliminal programming, whole-brain learning, and more.

So, employ whatever resources you need to start using positive affirmations consistently — whether it’s an audio program or help from your friends or family. Be confident that you can take steps to improve your life.

Examples of Positive Affirmations
Here are dozens of powerful, time-tested affirmations to help you overcome negativity in many areas of life. Repeat these affirmations to yourself (out loud or silently). Or use an audio program to help you develop new, healthy, positive thought habits.

The affirmations below are brief excerpts from that particular audio program. Click on the titles below to view a complete description of that title.

TOTAL RELAXATION

• I feel calm and relaxed.
• I breathe slowly and deeply.
• With each breath I become more relaxed.
• I breathe as a calm relaxed person.
• I feel completely carefree.
• I am free of worldly cares.
• I am free of unwanted stress.
• It is healthy and wise to let go and relax.
• I choose to enjoy this moment.
• I feel very positive and confident.
• I feel so peaceful and calm.
• I feel so comfortable.
• I feel like smiling.
• I am smiling.
• I am happy and content – and so relaxed.

HOW TO ATTRACT MONEY

• I project wealth and good fortune to each person I meet.
• Large amounts of money are coming to me.
• Money flows to me easily and naturally, just as the waves flow into the shore.
• I deserve great sums of money and use it to help myself and others.
• I am putting more loving energy into my work and this is providing me with a larger and larger income.
• The more money I have the more money I have to give.
• I am like a magnet to money.
• It is attracted to me.
• My financial worth increases every day regardless of what I do.
• I am learning and growing every day which makes me more valuable to the world.
• Money is always circulating freely in my life and there is always a surplus.
• Every dollar I spend circulates, enriches the economy and comes back to me multiplied.
• I see money as a useful tool.
• The more money I have, the more money I can use to help myself and others.

SUPER STRENGTH WEIGHT LOSS

• I love myself as I am, regardless of weight.
• I eject negative thoughts.
• I choose to be slim and healthy.
• I now see myself as being slim and healthy.
• Every day I get more control of my weight.
• My thoughts influence my body.
• I eject any negative thoughts about my body.
• I choose to think positively about my body.
• My beliefs create my physical reality.
• I now believe and I know that I control my weight.
• My new reality includes my ideal weight and shape.
• In my mind I am now slim, healthy and attractive.
• My physical reality is quick to follow.
• I shall attain and maintain my ideal weight.

SUPER STRENGTH SELF-ESTEEM

• I am at peace with myself.
• I accept myself.
• My self-esteem is growing daily.
• I love the real me.
• I’m happy being who I am.
• All I have to be is me.
• My life is meaningful.
• My life is important.
• I now make good use of my life.
• I’ll now be the best me I can be.
• I don’t have to be perfect; I just choose to be perfectly me.
• I now recognize my talents and skills.
• I feel good about myself.
• I feel better each moment.
• I’m happy being me.
• The more I accept and love myself, the more I can accept and love others.

BECOMING TOTALLY POSITIVE…AUTO-MATICALLY

• I now eject negativity.
• I now control my thoughts.
• I now control my feelings.
• I’m building a storehouse of positive energy.
• I’m storing positive thoughts.
• I’m storing positive images.
• I am in charge of my mind.
• I am in charge of my life.
• I choose to be positive.
• I am positive.
• I have great potential and I’m going to use it.
• Every day, life gets better & better.
• I expect good things to happen.
• I see something positive in all situations.
• I turn negatives into positives.
• I am totally positive.

DEVELOP A SUPER MEMORY…AUTO-MATICALLY

• Each day I tell myself I have a great memory.
• I have confidence in my memory.
• My memory improves every day.
• I replace negatives with positives.
• I easily remember anything of importance.
• My memory is well organized.
• I record information easily and naturally.
• My memory retrieval system is excellent.
• I am now good with names.
• I learn and recall names easily.
• I can remember names
• I do remember names.
• I am now proud of my memory.
• My mind is sharp.
• My memory for names is great.
• I enjoy remembering names.

About the Author:
Jeff Griswold is the President of Effective Learning Systems, Inc., the leading creator of personal development audio programs. With over 100 titles available, their programs are the bestselling self-improvement audio programs in national bookstores – including Barnes & Noble – and have been for over 20 years. To request a free copy of “The Greatest Thing You’ll Ever Learn,” a 24-page report showing you how you can harness the unlimited power within yourself to achieve your full potential, go to: http://effective-learning.flywheelsites.com

Copyright © 2006-2011 Jeff Griswold, Effective Learning Systems, Inc.

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