The subconscious is a powerful force. We can use it to help us accomplish great things. When you want more than just the usual “force of will,” give these powerful tools a try.
Intentions
You can set an intention for a whole lot of different things.
- What you will do or accomplish in a day, week, month, etc.
- What your state of being will be, e.g. peaceful, aware or
curious - What you will have, such as a specific amount of money, an opportunity or an experience
The more specific, the better. I’ve found that writing them down at night before bed gives me time to meaningfully consider my intentions for the next day. Then stating them out loud in the morning–ideally in front of someone else–makes them more real and powerful. Those written and stated intentions are a lot more likely to come to pass.
Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements about ourselves, qualities we want more of in our lives. When I first learned about affirmations many years ago, it felt like I was lying to myself, saying things like “Rena always says and does the right thing.” It infused a little bit of confidence, but it always felt like a struggle because I could easily argue with it. So I find it more helpful to choose an affirmation that already has some truth to it, but I want more of it. It’s like taking a quality that we are already stepping into and magnifying it.
The neat thing is that affirmations should evolve over time because we are evolving ourselves. I no longer use the affirmation, “I am authentic and vulnerable” because I have already made so much progress stepping into those qualities.
What qualities do you want to step into? What affirmation(s) would serve you?
- I am bold.
- I am trusting.
- I am intuitive.
- I am courageous.
You can get creative, but remember to keep it positive:
- I nurture and take care of my body.
- I regularly express gratitude.
As we plant these statements in our subconscious, that part of our brain helps us have more of it. Then we will start to notice when we are acting consistently with the affirmation we stated. it’s like our brain exclaims, “See! I told you I was like that!”
Visualizations
When we visualize something, we are picturing it in great detail. I have heard of people visualizing every detail in an entire talk or presentation. It’s helpful when we want things to go a certain way.
I remember doing a visualization when I was in guide dog school. Ironically, I didn’t actually “visualize” anything. I imagined myself going through the prescribed route with blinders on so I couldn’t see anything It was just me and my guide dog guiding me. I was familiar enough with the route to imagine it in detail. It really helped it go smoother.
The practice of letting your mind experience something before it happens is powerful. We do it all the time, although we are probably not aware of it. We picture what things will be like but we often paint it with a negative hue. We set negative expectations about how badly things will go. (Do you do that, too, or is it just me? I often do it without realizing it.) Why not turn it around and paint it positive to make it that much more likely to happen in the positive way?
Give It a Try
See what it’s like to enlist your subconscious in helping solidify the things you desire. It can help move things in a positive direction and help make good things happen.
