We are such impressionable creatures.
Before age 6, you’ve already formulated a great deal of your opinions regarding the world around you, and about yourself. You’ve decided if you’re pretty, creative or a hard worker. You have learned about money and if it’s easy or hard to obtain. You may have seen suffering and pain, and have determined what your reactions to various situations will be.
Most of these opinions you’ve learned by watching the people around you, and listening to the words they say. At such a young age, you have no way of determining if the source of your information is legitimate or valid, you simply accept it as truth. If the information comes from your parents, a teacher, or another adult you see as an authority, you take their words as immediate fact. If the source of the information is a peer, even more so.
Until these beliefs are challenged, they become part of your subconscious and you live as though these “truths” are irrefutable. When you attempt to change your belief regarding body image, food, exercise, money, or some other concept that you may have a negative view of, your 3-year-old-self takes over from your subconscious and undermines the change. She pipes up and says something like “oh, no…Uncle Charlie said that fat girls don’t get boyfriends.” And suddenly you start to feel unattractive and unworthy again. Or money gets tight and you try very hard to implement some of those techniques from The Secret so you can live a life of abundance, and your dad’s “Why does it always have to be so hard just to make ends meet?!” comment comes flooding into your brain at a hundred miles per hour.
We get stuck in those mindsets that don’t even belong to us! Well, I have a secret that can change all of that. One simple sentence guaranteed to change your life (if you let it). Ready?
You are YOUR OWN ARCHITECT.
Do not let the influencers of your 3-year-old-self dictate who you are or what you believe you’re capable of! Decide for yourself. Decide what or who you want to be. Choose how you want to view money and how easy it is to obtain. Allow your own image of your beautiful body and how other’s perceive it to be your truth.
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself-and you are the easiest person to fool.”
-Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics
(He was so my hero when I was in college!)
There are five easy steps to hack your mindset. You can transform any thought about yourself and the world around you using these steps. I use them on an almost daily basis, even after years of implementation. I still discover lingering doubt, negative thoughts, and worries that need to be addressed. I know that I can design my existence using stories and positive statements, but sometimes I just really want to kick those negative thoughts to the curb fast! That’s what this 5-step process is for!
5 Steps to hack your mindset:
- Take some time to write down the negative viewpoints that you want to change. Catch them like Pokemon whenever they enter your mind!
- Say “Scratch that!” *This is extremely important – tell your subconscious that this is NOT how you really feel!
- Re-write the viewpoint with your OWN, positive thoughts on the issue. Design it to make your heart soar! Use words like “I am” or “Money is”, or “My body is”. Write them as if they are FACT.
- Repeat your new viewpoint at least twice to yourself.
- Act and feel AS IF it were already true, achieved, or proven.
Triggers
It’s also valuable to examine where those viewpoints may have come from. This is where journaling can come in quite handy! I write down feelings, memories and thoughts on why I may have a particular negative viewpoint. What “evidence” have I received up until this point, that has directed this way of thinking? Why do I feel it no longer represents who I am? Then I peacefully let the old viewpoint go, and begin to self-create my own paradigm.
If this process is at all painful, or brings up memories of frightening or uncomfortable things, you may want to speak with a counselor or psychologist to help you process them. It can really help to have a professional assist you with painful memories – especially when they have dictated a negative viewpoint about yourself that you wish to transform. You CAN hack your mindset, but there are times when a professional is needed to really make a transformation, especially in regards to trauma or PTSD.
Freebie Time!
Here’s a free step-by-step checklist that shows you the exact 5-step process I outline in this post.
Janeen
Affiliate link for an awesome product I actually use and love. This supports my coffee addiction so I can write more and provide you with the best possible content!
