The Universe totally supports every thought
I choose to think and believe.
I have unlimited choices about what I think.
I choose balance, harmony, and peace,
and I express it in my life.
                                                   -- Louise Hay

Last month I was teaching a class called Creating a Life You Love. I was going over the lesson about affirmations. I stated something I thought was self-evident -- that each of us has an internal dialogue going on at all times, and in essence we're constantly talking to ourselves. A man sitting to my right let out an audible gasp and exclaimed, "Oh! I'm so glad you said that. I thought I was the only one who talked to myself!"

Have you ever suddenly and inexplicably felt depressed or irritable when just moments before you'd felt fine? That happens to all of us from time to time. The next time it happens, take a moment to remember what occurred just prior to your shift in emotions. You'll likely come up with something someone said or did that hurt your feelings, or a situation that arose that made you feel bad in some way.

The important thing is to observe your thoughts. What did you tell yourself about the comment or situation that made you feel bad? Learning to ask this question whenever you experience a sudden mood shift is vitally important. You'll have some instant insight into some core thoughts and beliefs.

What Did You Just Tell Yourself?

I'll give you an example to illustrate this point. Recently I was coaching Roy, a middle manager at a corporation near Boston. We were speaking about his recent successes and an award that he had received the week before. He was upbeat and positive as we spoke.

Moving on to a different subject, I asked him something about his boss, Neil. Roy immediately began shifting in his seat. His energy and posture changed, and he looked crestfallen. I was startled by the abrupt shift and asked, "What did you just tell yourself about the topic of Neil?" He quickly replied, "I'll never be as smart as Neil. I won't get ahead because I'm not as good as him." I remarked that it was interesting to me that we could be talking about his successes one moment, then make such a rapid shift in focus based on his self-defeating internal dialogue.

What Is A More Productive Way of Thinking About This?

Clearly it didn't help Roy to perceive himself as unintelligent and incapable of getting ahead. Neither was it true! The rest of the session was spent in reframing how he saw himself in relation to others. The next time he experienced the beginning of a negative thought pattern, he learned to question it and ask, "What's a more productive way of thinking about this?" The answer he came up with in connection to his boss was to say to himself, "I have many abilities that enable me to do my job well. They are just a different set of skills than Neil's."

The book A Course in Miracles has an affirmation that says, "I could choose peace instead of this." You have a choice about the thoughts you pay attention to. You can choose the ones that make you feel good, hopeful, and positive or the ones that make you feel rotten, hopeless, and miserable. Take a look at how this model works in the Intuition Exercise.

Intuition Exercise: Find Reasons to Feel Good

Begin to look for reasons to feel good, and consciously change the direction of your thoughts. Practice asking your inner guidance, "Is there another way to view this situation?" and listen for the answers. Here's a practice exercise:

Write a few sentences about a recent event that you felt bad about.

What did you say to yourself about this situation? How did you interpret what took place?

What is another way of viewing or interpreting the situation that makes you feel better?

Here's an example from my journal:

The situation: I had a miscommunication with a local landscaper about the cost of planting some bushes in our backyard. I realized that this was my misinterpretation of the work involved. It was not his fault.

My interpretation/what I told myself: I spent the day feeling bad because I felt I had spent too much money. I was chastising myself for not keeping to our budget. I began generalizing that I was not good at saving money. I told myself that I should be investing that money in our retirement fund.

An alternate way of viewing the situation: I began to stop beating myself up when I asked the question, "How can I look at this differently?" The answers came flooding into my mind. I feel expansive when I look into my "new" backyard. I feel good that I could afford to have this work done. I trust that more money will come from some other source to more than make up for this money I spent.

Epilogue: The next day my husband received a contract for his freelance work that more than covered the check I'd just written to the landscaper. I find over and over again that when I can shift my thinking to feeling good about something and placing my focus on what I want rather than what I don't want, I create positive results. Ask your intuition to direct your thinking. Your inner wisdom will always guide you to well being.

Your Intuition Journal

Do you have a chronic situation in your life that takes a lot of your energy? This might be an area in which you are disappointed, sad, or discouraged.

Write one or two sentences about this situation in your journal.

What do you tell yourself about this situation?

For example: "This will never change." "I'm just not good at this."

What could you tell yourself that would make you feel better and more optimistic?

For example: "This situation is only temporary." "I'm taking steps to change and this will get better." "I've been in difficult situations before and things have worked out."

What are you willing to do to change your internal dialogue to be more positive?

Sometimes you may not feel that you have options, or you may believe that the other person or the situation has power and you have none. This is rarely true, and continuing to think that way may shut you off from your wise inner guidance attempting to offer you solutions. Answers and options will come to your mind and heart. Allow yourself to be open to the potential for change.

Transforming Your Fear

We cannot escape fear.
We can transform it into a companion
that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures...
Take a risk a day -- one small or bold stroke
that will make you feel great once you have done it.
                                           -- Susan Jeffers

Divine intuition speaks to you most strongly through your hopes and dreams. God communicates your next steps through what you feel excited and passionate about. In talking to thousands of clients, I've discovered that many of us suppress and restrain our enthusiasm. Have you ever done that? You might have been excited about a work project, a potential move, a new business venture, but you talked yourself out of it. You let your initial enthusiasm fade away.

Many of us do that because the task seems insurmountable. How do I get from Point A (where I am) to Point B (where I want to be)? The Roman philosopher Seneca stated, "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." We give up when our fear gets in our way. Intuition can provide you with the appropriate steps to take to bring your dream to fruition.

Intuition Exercise: Small Steps, Big Gains

1. Think of a goal or dream you've had. Write it in your journal. Examples:

I'd like to lose twenty pounds.

I want to be self-employed in my own graphic-design business.

I want to be a well-known poet.

I'd love to be a great watercolorist.

2. Each morning when you arise and each evening before going to bed, visualize yourself having achieved your goal. Just spend a few minutes each time.

3. Think of a small step you could take that would move you toward your goal. Think of something you feel excited about that doesn't feel like too much of a stretch to achieve.

Examples:

I'd like to lose four pounds this month.

I'd like to find out more about starting a business.

I'd like to discover where I could read my poetry in public.

I'd like to find a great watercolor class.

4. Begin to take the small steps you listed above. Each day, pay attention to what you feel enthusiastic about in relation to your goal. This is your intuition communicating with you and encouraging you toward your goal. Take action on your enthusiasms!

Your Intuition Journal

Creating major change in your life can feel overwhelming. Many people don't change, if given an option. They prefer to stay stuck and wait until they're assured that the change they contemplate will be successful. Those assurances are rarely forthcoming, and then it's often too late. Think of the excitement and enthusiasm you feel as your intuition indicating the direction of some small steps to take.

What do you feel excited about today?

What small steps can you take toward your goal?

Your action plan:

Success breeds success. As you start to take small steps, you'll feel more self-confident and you'll develop trust that your intuition will lead you in the right direction. Slowly but surely you'll find that you'll experience a greater sense of self-achievement and satisfaction.

Reprinted with permission of the publisher,
Andrew McMeel Publishing. www.andrewsmcmeel.com

Article Source

Compass Of The Soul: 52 Ways Intuition Can Guide You To The Life Of Your Dreams
by Lynn A. Robinson.

In Compass of the Soul, Lynn Robinson leads you on a journey of discovery to a life that's full of joy and purpose. She shows you how to tap into your own intuition to reveal the endless possibilities of the life you were meant to live.Each of the 52 chapters contains a motivational quote, an intuition exercise, and a thought-provoking question that you can answer in an intuition journal. The chapters are easy to read and full of practical, down-to-earth advice about how to tune in to what Lynn describes as your "inner success coach."

Info/Order this paperback book and/or download the Kindle editionKindle edition.

About the Author

Lynn Robinson, M.Ed., is one of the nation's leading experts on intuition. She's a popular and widely recognized author and motivational speaker. She is the author of four books, including Divine Intuition: Your Guide to Creating a Life You Love. She is also the co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Being Psychic.

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