By John Raye

What we think and believe about ourselves is what we eventually create and attract to ourselves. It is that simple. There are no exceptions.

Today, we see so many people who have become spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally depleted because of an inability to control the mental images lodged in their minds. It is easy to lose your edge when you do not know the source of your real power. It is even worse when you do not realize the things that have quietly seeped into your mind.

FEAR

Fear, for example, is not merely the absence of courage. No one is born with fear. It is an acquired behavior, an acquired attitude of abject ignorance and self-denial. It is difficult, almost impossible, to feel good about yourself when you know very little about yourself.

SELF-CONFIDENCE

The good news is that you can move past fear, pain, hurt, and frustration by re-claiming, re-living and walking in your faith. Self-confidence is nothing more than faith in action. It is nothing more than the dominating feeling you have about yourself, and the way you treat yourself.

SELF-INTROSPECTION

Self-introspection is the key to building self-confidence; it is the only way to move away from the source of deep-seated hurt and pain. Some people do not like to go there because it can be very uncomfortable and very painful. But really, we can get used to anything, good or bad. It takes the same amount of energy to feel good as it does to feel bad. How you choose to feel about yourself is a personal matter.

Napoleon Hill told us this much 83 years ago when he wrote the classic, “Think and Grow Rich,” the greatest self-help books ever written in America. Though it has not been advertised in any newspaper, magazine, radio, or television, this book has never gone out of print. With over ten million copies sold, it is a worldwide bestseller.

FAITH

In a chapter about faith, the book contains a formula for the acquisition of self-confidence: “I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward physical action and gradually transform themselves into a physical reality, therefore I will concentrate my thoughts for 30 minutes daily, upon the task of thinking of the person I intend to become, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture of that person.”

DOMINATING THOUGHTS

Note the phrase, “dominating thoughts.” When something is dominant, it means it stays put—it is in control. Before long, it becomes unmovable, unshakeable, and gives birth to the physical equivalent of the mental image held captive in the mind. In other words, you gradually become or grow into the likeness of the dominating thoughts you place, or allow someone else to place, in your mind. Again, what you concentrate on most of the time is what you eventually create or attract most of the time.

CONTROL

I went through school, college, and even graduate school without ever being aware of this simple yet profound concept. I never knew, for example, that I could control my life by controlling the thoughts and images held in my mind. In hindsight, I now realize why, as children, our parents did not allow us to associate or become friends with certain other kids in our community. They say, “birds of a feather flock together.” It is a documented fact that we tend to take on the attitude, actions, and behavior of the people we spend the most time with.

To this day, I am extremely conscious about where I hang my hat. I do not allow my mind to focus on just anything or on everything that flashes into it. I cannot stop thoughts, sounds, or images from coming into my mind, but I can sure stop them from making a home there!

What you believe is what you become and eventually create or attract to yourself. If you do not like the way things are going in your life right now, then change your attitude. Everything we do or do not do, begins in the mind. So here is the takeaway: change your mind… and you automatically change your life! It is just that simple!

John Raye is a cancer survivor for over 10 years and a health and wellness coach residing in Kernersville. You can contact him at 336.782.8383 or RayeandRosie@aol.com.