If you have spent any time studying the movie “The Secret,” or “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace D. Wattles (which the movie The Secret is based upon), you are aware of the importance of controlling what you think about. You are probably also quite aware of how difficult that is. It sounds easy on the surface, but once you try to make it a practice to only think positive thoughts – only about the things you want in life and not the ones you don’t – you realize what a daunting task that is.

Of all the elements in the theory behind the movie “The Secret,” it is likely this is responsible for most of the frustration experienced by people who truly want to make positive changes in their lives. The good news is that there are techniques you can employ to master your thoughts and transform them into positive and productive tools.

It is extremely important to remember, you are the one in control. It is YOUR mind and YOU ultimately have control over what happens in your mind. It is also important to remember that most of what is in your mind was programmed before you were old enough to realize whether it was good or bad. Therefore, do not blame yourself or beat yourself up for having these negative thoughts, just take action and turn them into positive thoughts. You have control!

The first step is to become aware of your thoughts. Start listening to the chatter that is going on in your mind throughout the day. We are so used to this chatter we typically don’t even realize it is there. A good way to start identifying the messages you are giving yourself is to post notes around your living or work space that commands you to stop and listen. Another trick I use when I am working at my computer is to add appointments to my Outlook calendar with reminders. So, a couple of times a day a reminder pops up on my screen and tells me to stop and pay attention to what is going through my mind. Don’t worry, after you do this for awhile, it will become automatic and you will no longer need reminders.

Now that you are aware of your thoughts, take a look at your present situation and see if it reflects the thoughts that are repeatedly going through your mind. This will give you your starting point to begin reprogramming your mind. Take some time and write down what your thoughts are and how they are being manifested in your life and environment.

The next step is to pay attention to how you feel when things happen during the day. Are there times where you have strong emotional feelings (either negative or positive) in response to something? Stop and think – is there something in my past that I am connecting with that occurrence? If it is a negative response, it is important to catch yourself whenever it happens and “cancel” it. Simply stop what you are doing and say or think “CANCEL.”

If you experience a positive emotional feeling, try to determine what is causing that feeling. Was there something in your past that occurred to give you that feeling? The positive feelings are the ones we cherish and encourage. Whenever you have one of the negative feelings, replace it with the thought that gives you the positive feeling. Replace the bad with the good. The more you do this, the less you will have the negative and the more you will have the positive. You are reprogramming your mind to benefit you instead of hinder you.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to realize that YOU have the power to change your thought patterns, so stop beating yourself up and get busy creating the life you desire!

THOUGHTS BECOME THINGS!!