Category Archives: Inner power

Faith and the ‘As If’ Principle

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‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’

 Paul of Tarsus

Faith has nothing to do with blindly accepting someone else’s religious beliefs. It is simply trusting the process of life as expressed in the great spiritual laws such as the Laws of Cause and Effect, Attraction, Forgiveness and Nonresistance. If you lay down the right causes, the right effects will follow. This not only the foundation stone of lasting peace of mind, but also an essential prerequisite for success. If you don’t have faith in yourself, how can you possibly succeed?

Faith is best expressed in action through the ‘As If’ Principle.

  1. Act ‘as if’ you are already what you wish to be, and are on your way to achieving everything your heart desires.
  1. Act ‘as if’ the whole power of the universe is with you, that Life itself is set up to help, nurture, guide and support you.

You need faith when you first set out to make changes to yourself, your way of being and your life style by setting goals. There are periods when things change rapidly, and others when little seems to happen. It is then that faith carries you through.

Change does not happen at a constant rate. You move forward – then you plateau. You may stay on the plateau for several weeks, even months: don’t let doubt creep in because in time you will move forward again. The process has been likened to the drip, drip of water on a rock. For long periods there may seem to be little change, then all of a sudden a crack appears.

Keep the faith. Apply the principles consistently knowing that unseen changes are taking place. What starts off unseen eventually becomes seen. You never know when you are on the verge of breaking through to a whole new level of growth and understanding.

Focus your mind on what you want and visualise it becoming a reality. Follow your inner guidance and you’ll discover an  astonishing inner power, as if there’s an Infinite Intelligence responding to your thoughts, feelings and actions. If this stretches  your credulity, realise that this is not some fanciful esoteric notion, but science. Quantum physicists have long recognised that energy alone cannot crystallize into matter, it needs a pattern, information fields to shape it.

You are not the body. You are not the mind. You are the ‘Witness’that is aware that you are aware, that knows that you are thinking. The real You is non-physical, spiritual, the part of you that has the power to think. This is what shapes your life.

Have faith in who and what you are and your full potential come to fruition. Health, happiness, prosperity and peace of mind are yours!

Finally, the most empowered individuals know that the secret of true fulfilment lies in helping others to enjoy all the health, happiness, prosperity and success they want. This is the highest mission in life, a certain route to happiness and prosperity, and genuine love in action.

‘If you head confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the kind of life you have imagined, you will come across a success undreamed of in common hours.’

Henry David Thoreau

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 18.7.2016

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How to access your Inner Power

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You have a wonderful power within you.

Consider the moment of your birth. At the instant your umbilical cord was cut, you became a separate human being, full of possibilities, charged with spiritual energy. You had within you the seeds of everything you needed to build a happy and fulfilling life. All you needed was someone to encourage your natural birthright to burst forth.

Then what happened?

Did anyone explain how you could make of your life whatever you willed? Were you encouraged to feel like the wonderful miracle of creation that you truly were? Did your adult caretakers nurture your self-esteem, helping you use your innate talents to the full?

Whether they did or not, your Inner Power is always there, just as it always was. It nurtures and sustains you, but the way you conduct yourself ultimately determines how you use it and consequently the kind of life you create for yourself. Everything you do and say has consequences. Greed, envy, selfishness and cruelty are all too much a part of modern life: you don’t have to be a part of them.

It originates in the way you think, imagine and feel.

What you think, feel, and how you speak originates in your ‘inner world’. They condition your behaviour, and attract events and circumstances into your life according to your state of consciousness. Your life is a reflection of whatever you hold in your mind.

It is non-physical, i.e. spiritual.

It has nothing to do with physical attributes. If this were not true, elderly, impaired or diminutive individuals such as Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa would have made little impact.

You will never realise your full potential as long as you think of yourself primarily as a physical body with a brain. You must go beyond all that to that part of you which ‘knows’ at a much deeper level.

You can access it through your Superconscious Mind

The Superconscious oversees the Conscious and Unconscious Minds and communicates with you through intuition and synchronicity. When you are conversant with it, it endows you with higher-level wisdom, creativity and inspiration, peace of mind, and an exhilarating sense of freedom

There is an ever-present Intelligence that responds when we direct our attention and our thoughts to it. It is the invisible ‘energy’ or ‘intelligence’ that governs the universe; the ‘life-force’ which suffuses everyone and everything, and connects us to each other.

Attune yourself to Higher Consciousness….

The Superconscious is powerful, but only because it has a direct line to something even more significant: Universal Consciousness.

Do I mean God? No. The idea that something or someone is ‘up there’, outside of ourselves, looking down on us, belongs to a bygone age.

Many religious people refer to this life-force as ‘God’, but J. Krishnamurti, a great spiritual teacher from the last century, a man familiar with both the Eastern and Western traditions, said, ‘There is only one God as manifested in you, but I am not going to use the word ‘God’. I prefer to call this ‘Life’.’

God/Life is within you. You can feel it pulsating in every part of your being. It is present in rivers and oceans, it makes the stars shine, the Earth rotate on its axis, flowers bloom, trees grow and fish swim. It heals the sick, and without it, everything dies.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote,

‘Whilst everything around me is ever-changing, ever-dying, there is underlying all that changes a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves and re-creates.’

A student once asked the teacher, ‘How can I find God?’ The teacher replied, ‘How does a fish find the ocean?’ You are living in an ocean of consciousness. It is all around you and within you, just as a wave is part of the ocean. Like sunlight, which radiates throughout the solar system, it is available to everyone.

Love, peace and happiness are not to be found in faraway places or unusual states of consciousness, but here, right now, if you are willing to receive them.

…. by having some quiet time to yourself each day….

Make a priority of having regular quiet time for you. When you commune with your Inner Power in silence, your spirituality assumes a progressively greater role in your life. Regular practice of prayer and meditation makes a profound difference.

Affirmative prayer is simply a conversation with your Inner Power.  Many people think prayer is a waste of time, because they have tried it in the past, felt their prayers went unanswered, and gave up. If this is your experience, it is probably for one of two reasons.

  • Either you have not listened hard enough for an answer because that still, small voice within was drowned out by mental clutter.
  • Or your prayers were answered, but either you didn’t notice, or it happened in a way you didn’t expect.

…. then miracles might just happen.

When you make prayer and meditation part of your daily life, everything flows more smoothly. You realise that, from a spiritual point of view, the best thing that could happen to you is happening right now. Learn as much as you can from it and let your Spiritual Self be your guide. Don’t expect miracles to happen, but equally, don’t be surprised if they do.

Allow this power to guide and support you….

The idea of acting ‘as if’ the power of the universe is flowing through you is not an abstract idea, because this energy is as real as you are – indeed, it is you. Until you fully grasp this, you are like a light bulb without current.

You can light up yourself and the world around you, but only once you are plugged in and switched on. You can receive spiritual power whenever you have a use for it.

Universal Consciousness constantly emits creative energy like the sun gives warmth and light. As the Indian teacher, Sai Baba, said:

‘The rays of the sun fall equally on all who are directed in their way. If someone is behind an obstacle, or in a room, he will receive only part of the light. Cultivating the higher spiritual yearnings is like coming out from the confinement of a room into the sun’s rays.’

Your task is to facilitate the flow of this universal energy through you and get out into the sunlight! How? The basic toolkit is in the letters I-T-I-A.

  • Intention: Aspire to your highest potential, aiming at nothing less than completeness and harmony. As long as your intentions are pure and focussed, it’s there for you.
  • Think: Cast off your negative beliefs. Shake off the habits and thinking patterns that have constrained you, clear away the rubbish you have gathered inside you, and raise your thoughts to the underlying Intelligence that governs all our lives. When you look for happiness and fulfilment in a higher way of thinking, anger, fear and anxiety fade into nothing.
  • Imagine: Imagine yourself permeated with this Inner Power, attracting whatever you need into your life as naturally as breathing. Imagine yourself as a giant solar battery absorbing energy from the Source, this energy flowing through you and put to good use in the service of your fellow beings. Imagine that tranquil centre within you radiating energy and drawing others towards you, seeking the same peace of mind and sense of purpose that you have.
  • Action: Put your ideas into action. Allow the invisible hand of Universal Consciousness to guide you. Trusting to this degree may be scary at first, but you know the reason for this is merely your programming and conditioning. The more you use it, the more available it is. Persevere and you will change yourself, your life, and the lives of those around you.

Ironically it is not the achievement of your goals that brings happiness, but the sense of purpose and direction they bring. If you succeed – great! If not, at least you’ve enjoyed trying.

…. and you will be happy, peaceful and fulfilled and have the courage to follow your dreams.

No words can express how you will feel once you have awakened the infinite power within you. You realise that all along there was something wonderful within you, and you did not know it. But now you do know it. You are greater than you knew, and all is well.

©David Lawrence Preston,

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Affirmative Prayer

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Affirmative prayer is not like the sort of prayers that many of us grew up with. It is not about pleading with a G_d to do something for us, but directing our self-talk to our inner selves in a positive and life-enhancing way.

We know there is an Intelligence in the universe that shapes energy into matter and responds when we direct our attention to it – in recent decades scientists (quantum physicists) have confirmed that this is so. We are an integral part of this Intelligence. We are each an individualized expression of the whole, like musical notes contributing to a complete composition. Our aim is to express more of the attributes of this Intelligence – life, love, joy, wholeness, harmony, freedom, abundance, peace and so on. But it does not come from ‘out there,’ but from ‘in here’.

Iris Murdoch called prayer, ‘the most essential of human activities.’ Why? As the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard said, ‘Prayer does not change G_d, but it always changes the one who prays.’

Just as everything in the universe – including you – is energy in vibration, prayer is energy too. Prayer-energy is a form of higher vibration. So pray often, whenever you feel a need. Pray in silence and feel that inner peace. Pray in the morning, before your mind has turned to other things, to start the day in a centred, peaceful frame of mind. Pray in the evening, to wind down and go to sleep.

How to pray

Affirm and deny. There are two main mechanisms:

  • Denials – in this context, letting go: releasing the energy you have been putting into the appearance of spiritual lack.
  • Affirmations – establishing in your mind the attributes you wish to acquire and thinking, speaking and inwardly feeling them taking form.

Affirmations and denials can produce immediate changes in the mind, especially if the word ‘now’ is included.

Example of denials

Use the word ‘release’ in denials and ‘establish’ in affirmations as reminders of the changes you want. Identify and be clear on the mental and emotional conditions you want to release and those you wish to establish, and be conscious of what you are denying and affirming.

‘I now release from my life all negativity, all lack, all sickness, resentment, jealousy, fear…..’ and so on.

Examples of affirmations

‘I now establish in my life perfect health, forgiveness, courage, strength, prosperity, happiness, love and peace. I am whole and free, and I am grateful……’

‘The vitalising energy now floods my whole consciousness.’

‘I am now aware of the Presence in me that is whole and complete, that heals, and inspires and harmonises. It is the source of my Inner Power and my power to think, my power to achieve and the glory of all my accomplishments.  This is the Truth, and it is now done.

  1. Pray regularly

Set aside time every day for quiet prayer.

2. Pray in the silence

Enter the silence and mentally relax. Go to a place where you will be undisturbed and close the door. Quieten the mental chatter.

3. Pray to the Source

Address your prayers to the Source (however you envisage it) within. Realise that you have always been part of the Infinite Intelligence.

Remember, all visible things come from the invisible and are dependent on the unseen for their existence, and you have a part to play in this process. Prayer brings into play forces that change the character of every cell in your body.

  1. Do not become a ‘praying beggar’

Do not misunderstand the purpose and effects of prayer. It is not to get a ‘Higher Power’ to intervene in the world; this is not prayer is for; nor does it work. Instead, ask for strength, wisdom and guidance from within.

Don’t ask for solutions; ask for the wisdom to find them for yourself and the strength to put them into action.

5. Pray unceasingly

You can pray any time – indeed, every thought is a prayer in its own way. The more you pray, the more effective it is. Pray in the certain knowledge that your words will make a difference.

The words you use in affirmative prayer are like seeds planted in your mind. They bear fruit. They are prime causes that eventually create sought-after effects. Don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself!

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 29.6.2016

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Intuition – your infallible inner guidance

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
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In his novel, ‘Angels and Demons’, Dan Brown writes:

‘Remarkable solutions to seemingly impossible problems often occur in moments of clarity. It’s what gurus call ‘higher consciousness’. Biologists call it altered states, psychologists super-sentience. Sometimes divine revelations simply mean adjusting your brain to hear what your heart already knows.’

A common term for higher consciousness is ‘intuition’. Intuition is an inner sense that can quickly reach accurate conclusions from limited data. It is often referred to as ‘the sixth sense’.

Some argue that it is simply the sum total of all our learning experiences coming to our aid when we need it. This can happen when an experienced doctor immediately pinpoints the root cause of a patient’s problems without having to go through a sequence of steps. They draw on their deep knowledge and with experience an expert’s hunches get better and better.

Others argue that the human body and brain subconsciously pick up signals from the environment which are so small they are not noticed consciously. If someone is lying, for instance, their body language and voice quality are subtly altered.

Many neuro-scientists believe that our minds exist only inside our brains, with consciousness located in the cerebral cortex. However, brain activity cannot account for the overwhelming evidence of intuition, telepathy and other so-called ‘psychic’ abilities. Not even the most rigorous investigators have been able to find a physical explanation for how Uri Geller is able to do what he does, yet his abilities are beyond dispute.

Psychic phenomena are ‘logically’ impossible. They ought not to happen, and yet they do. There’s obviously a lot more to it than can currently be explained by science alone.

How well developed is your intuition?

‘If a man (sic) can quietly listen to the voice of the unconscious and understand that the power works through him, that he is not in control, then he is on the way to a genuine development of his personality.’

Dr Carl Gustav Jung

Intuition is a fundamental survival mechanism. It not a gift that some have and some don’t – it is possessed by everyone. In animals, we call it instinct.

Survival intuition is located primarily the solar plexus, although you can feel it throughout your whole body. If you choose not to follow it, you have to rationalise why not.

The most important thing when developing your intuition is to know you have it. Do you use it confidently? Are you suspicious of it? Do you know you have it and try to ignore it?

The problem is, most of us (especially males) are systematically taught to ignore and/or mistrust it from an early age. We’re encouraged to put names to things, to count, calculate, analyse and intellectualise – all left-brained functions. We are taught to examine the evidence, and if there isn’t any that can be measured, seen and touched, mistrust it.

If you don’t use your intuition, like a muscle it contracts and gets weaker. Our intuitive and creative abilities are a natural part of us, and the more we use them, the more reliable they become.

Intuitive Problem Solving

When your intuition starts to develop, you’ll find you:

  • Improve your decision making abilities
  • Tune in to people, even when meeting them for the first time
  • Solve problems more easily
  • Generate new, more creative/ innovative ideas
  • Become more spontaneous

Let’s suppose something has been praying on your mind. You’ve tried to think it through, perhaps even attempted a few practical solutions, but nothing has worked.

Now try this:

1.      Be clear on the problem

Do your homework. Gather as much information as you can. Consider what is stopping you from solving it. Feed all this into your Superconscious data processor. We tend to have the most reliable hunches about what we know best. Careful homework prepares the ground and stimulates intuition and insight.

 2.      Immerse yourself in the problem

 Discuss it with people who you think may be able to help. Write down all the possible solutions you can think of. Try a few and monitor the results.

3.      Put it to one side

So far, you’ve use purely left-brained thinking, but this can lead you only so far. There comes a time when you have to make a leap of faith. That’s when you put the problem to one side and turn to something else. Affirm that the answer will come at the right time, then let go.

Do something else for a while and see what happens. Go for a walk, read a book, tidy the house, clean the car. Distance yourself from the problem for a while, allow your intuition free rein and the answer will come.

 4.      Ask your intuitive mind to help

If the problem proves really stubborn, consciously ask your intuitive mind for help. Ask a question as you’re dozing off at night, with an air of expectancy that the answer will be revealed to you in your dreams or will pop into your head in the morning. You may find that you wake up knowing exactly what to do.

 5.      Use the Alpha State

If you’re still not getting anywhere, put time aside, relax into Alpha and ask for help. The answer is unlikely to pop into your head there and then, but sooner or later it will come. Keep your wits about you. Intuition is rarely loud and insistent – more like a whisper, a gentle nudge in the right direction.

6.      Write down the answer

When an answer comes, write it down. You may think you’ll remember, but don’t take the risk. Then try it out. Even if it’s not yet 100% correct, action can clarify the issue and lead you to the solution.

7.      Stay open

Be open to the possibility that more answers may come. Trust your experience, but don’t be naive. Check out your intuitions before you go off and do something rash.

‘Pure’ intuition is nothing less than your spiritual self communicating with you. Ignore it at your peril! You cannot stop intuition flowing once you’ve opened the tap, but you have to put your intellectual inclinations on hold and go with your deepest feelings. Once you’ve started, it grows.

Intuitively-intelligent people know that guidance is available and that solutions to seemingly intractable problems come when they have turned their attention to something else.

‘Pure’ intuition is ignored at your peril! Put your intellectual inclinations on hold and go with your deepest feelings. Then it gets stronger.

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 1.7.2016

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Thoughts on Affirmations

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What does ‘prayer’ suggest to you? A pointless ritual? A cleric recites from a prayer book while the congregation gives fixed ‘responses’ parrot-fashion? This is one form of prayer, but it is not the whole story.

As a child, I was taught to get down on my knees and plead with a supernatural being to take pity on me, give me what I wanted and solve my problems for me. I call this ‘begging prayer’. Needless to say, this kind of prayer hardly ever works. Nowadays I don’t believe that prayer is for acquiring things or having our problems solved by an outside force, but for hastening our personal growth.

Which brings us to a third type of ‘prayer’, one that does work. It’s called ‘affirmative prayer’. It is, in effect, concentrated positive thinking. It works directly on our consciousness, making us aware of limiting thought patterns and changing them so that new thought patterns manifest as life conditions. There’s no need to kneel or beg and you don’t have to pray to a G-d unless you want to. You can pray anytime, anywhere, and in your own words. It can be a one minute activity in which you pause, mentally switch off from your surroundings and take a few moments to centre yourself among the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Affirmative prayer has three main mechanisms – mindfulness, denials and affirmations. Denial is letting go of unwanted thoughts and limiting beliefs. The process is then completed by affirming the truth of positive thoughts and beliefs.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply going within and being aware of our thoughts and feelings and how we are responding to the world around us. It is taught in clinics, classes and counselling sessions all over the world as an effective psychological therapy.

Denials

Denials are akin to preparing the ground before planting seeds – first we dig up the weeds, clear the ground and prepare the soil. For example:

  • I now release all fear, all worry, anxiety and mistrust.
  • I am now letting go of all hatred, anger and all bitterness.

Allow yourself to feel the release happening as you interrupt the energy you have been giving to erroneous thoughts.

Affirmations

Follow each denial with affirmations. To affirm anything is to assert that it is so. It begins the process of making it so even if there is no visible evidence to support it. Use a form of words such as, ‘I now accept…..’ or ‘I now establish…..’ The word ‘now’ adds to their immediacy. For example:

  • I automatically and joyfully focus on the positive.
  • Perfect harmony is now established in me. I am at peace.
  • It is right for me to have happiness (or love, prosperity etc.). I claim it. I give thanks for it.
  • I resolve to live, love and be happy, whatever happens around me, with compassion for all.
  • I have time enough, faith enough, strength enough and enthusiasm enough to do the things that need to be done by me.

Create some affirmations for yourself. Write them on a card and carry them around with you. Use them often, both silently and aloud. You can adapt them any time to meet your own needs.

Intuitive ideas

We receive answers to affirmative prayers not in the form of miraculous interventions, but intuitive ideas. When they come, act on them. Keep your wits about you and let your inner self guide you.

 Don’t ask for changes in your circumstances, but in yourself. Affirmative prayer brings about changes in every cell in our bodies and in our energy field. And when we change, the world changes, reflecting back the changes taking place within us. Then, as we incorporate more of the higher qualities into ourselves, we are able to make a real difference to our own and other people’s lives.

Affirmative prayer has been shown to be effective in many scientific studies, and the explanation is not difficult to find. In quantum terms it aligns our thoughts with the highest vibrations of the universe.

Deep inside us, at our very core, is a place of absolute silence and stillness where we become aware of a peaceful Presence at the centre of our being. But first we have to clear away the foolish thoughts and emotional fog which obscure it. Thinking too much is like over-eating – it brings a kind of mental indigestion of anxiety and stress. That’s why every respectable spiritual tradition teaches stillness and silence to connect with one’s deepest self and strengthen our link with the Life Force, whatever we conceive it to be.

So put aside your negative preconceptions about prayer. Don’t be a praying beggar. Direct your thoughts positively, focus on the Power within you. Be inspired. When you’re calm, whole and centred on the inside, your life is complete on the outside too. That’s what the Buddha meant when he said, ‘Meditate and be mindful, and all else will follow.’

©David Lawrence Preston, 7.6.2018

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Your intuition

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Intuition is an inner guide that produces useful conclusions from limited data. It’s often referred to as ‘hunch’ or ‘sixth sense’. It has been referred to as a ‘receiving set’ through which ideas and thoughts flash into the mind.

Every brain is both a broadcasting and receiving station capable of picking up vibrations of thought from other brains. In addition, the brain subconsciously picks up signals from the environment. This is an ability we all have, not a special gift for a few.

Some intuitive ‘hits’ are obvious. We have an unsettled feeling in the solar plexus, a tight feeling in the neck and shoulders, stomach tension, a headache etc. Others are more subtle – a whispering voice, a subtle feeling that something isn’t right, and so on.

Many voices chatter away inside your head; many sensations affect your body. How do you know which of them are your intuition trying to steer you?

The first clue:

Intuition works best in silence. Like a triangle in an orchestra, it is rarely heard above the noise of the other instruments (i.e. environmental noise and your chattering conscious mind), but when the mind is quiet, there it is. Nor does it function well when you are feeling highly emotional: trying to tune in to your intuition when you are, say, angry or upset is like trying to hear a friend on the phone when people in the room are dancing to loud music.

The second clue:

Intuition usually reveals itself gently, quietly, little by little. Things happen which lead you in a certain direction, then one day, you look back and realise that your intuition had been at work.

The third clue:

Sometimes intuition reveals itself through dreams. Many dreams are of little consequence – they are simply the unconscious dealing with ‘unfinished business’ and cleaning out mental cobwebs while you are asleep. But memorable or recurring dreams may be a message from your intuition.

The fourth clue:

Another way in which intuition functions is through coincidences. It’s easy to dismiss coincidences as random chance, but often they’re your intuition prompting you. Often we fail to grasp their significance. Events are often linked in ways that we can’t see, because they go beyond the established laws of physics. Look in any newspaper and you’ll find stories about people who bump into strangers who go on to play a major part in their lives, or overhear a conversation that gives the clue to an unsolvable problem. Whenever something like this happens to you, take note and reflect on it. The more aware you are of the effect coincidences have on your life, the more able you are to make sense of them in the future.

Intuition versus emotion

I often hear people say, ‘Go with your feelings.’ This can be good advice, but be careful. Can we always trust our feelings? There is an enormous difference between a genuine intuitive feeling and an emotional feeling that arises from childhood conditioning or information misprocessing.

For example, you may have a choice of actions, but one of them fills you with trepidation. Is this because you have thought it through, or is it your intuition warning you, or an irrational fear programmed into your unconscious as a child?

How can you tell? The best way is to ask yourself:

  • Does this feel right at gut level (‘gut feel’)? The body usually offers an accurate steer. A tight feeling in the neck and shoulders could be a warning to tread carefully or delay making a decision until you have more information.

We experience something physically a split second before we intellectualize about it. Often this first feeling turns out to be the most reliable, because the brain has not yet had time to come up with a calculated or habitual response. Train yourself to be attentive, and you will register the feeling before the cognitive apparatus clicks into gear.

  • Also, be wary of ‘should’s and ‘shouldn’ts’. These and their close cousins ‘must’, ‘ought’, ‘have to’ etc. are usually indications of the ‘Parent’ voice – your programming and conditioning.
  • Ask, ‘Which option would provide me with the greatest sense of satisfaction?’ The stronger the feeling of fulfillment and contentment, the more likely it is to be pure intuition.

Intuition never sleeps. Once you recognise and trust it, it’s like having a wise being inside you, always on hand to offer inspiration, guidance and support. The more you have faith in it, the more reliable it is. Trust it 50%, and it will reward you 50%. Trust it 100%, and it will reward you 100%.

You won’t always like what your intuition is telling you, though. When we hear an answer we don’t like, we pretend we haven’t heard. But beware: ignore your intuition at your peril. Not only will invite unhappiness and frustration into your experience, you’ll find yourself facing similar situations again until you get the point!

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 4.5.2016

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Self-Hypnosis Script for Calmness and Confidence

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
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This self-hypnosis routine will help you to develop a deep sense of inner calmness and confidence so you feel more appreciative towards yourself, more capable and more in control.  The more you use it, the more you’ll create a deep inner feeling of peace and calmness and the better the results.

Warning

Make sure you have about twenty minutes to spare before you start, and never listen when you’re driving or operating machinery. And remember, no matter how deeply you relax, should anything happen which requires your attention, your eyes will open and you’ll instantly be fully alert.

You may amend this script if you wish to incorporate specific suggestions and creative imagery to help you with any aspect of your personal development.

Read it onto a recording device. Speak slowly and deliberately, in a monotonous tone of voice.

Make yourself very comfortable. Either sit or lie down in a comfortable position with your head and neck supported. Uncross your legs. Slacken any tight clothing or jewelry. Let your hands flop gently by your side or in your lap. Relax. Let go of all tension.

Now, without moving your head, focus your gaze on a spot on the ceiling. When your eyelids start to feel heavy, and you feel you want to shut your eyes, don’t resist, just let them close. Gently release all thoughts, cares and concerns. Allow yourself to be completely relaxed and comfortable.

Take your attention to your breath. Take a nice, deep breath. Breathe in slowly and deeply – completely fill your chest and lungs, right down to your stomach. Breathe out slowly and think of the word, ‘relax’. Let your breath flow in slowly – and out slowly. If your attention wanders, keep bringing it back to your breath.

Calm

As you breathe in, imagine you’re breathing in peace and calmness… and as you breathe out, let go of all tightness and tension. Every breath taking you deeper and deeper into relaxation. Notice all tension and discomfort dissolving away as you relax even more. Feel peace flowing down through your body, from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes.

Now close your eyes and let those tiny muscles around your eyes relax, your eyes so heavy, so drowsy, so tired, they just won’t open.

And imagine your whole body relaxing. Concentrate on each part of your body in turn. You’re growing more relaxed and more tired with every breath you’re taking. All your muscles are going soft and loose and floppy.

Let that drowsy, relaxed feeling spread out from your eyes, into your forehead. Let your scalp relax. Relax the back of your head. Relax the muscles in your neck. Become aware of the muscles in your face – your cheeks, your jaw, your lips – and relax those muscles until they’re all soft and limp, as if you’re very deeply asleep.

Allow the sensation of deep relaxation to flow down through your entire body, all the way down to your toes. Let that warm, heavy feeling of peace and calmness flow down into your shoulders. Release all tension. Then allow the feeling to flow down your arms, down into your elbows, down into your wrists, hands and fingers. Feel how heavy and warm are your arms. Heavy and relaxed. Relaxed and heavy.

Every breath taking you deeper and deeper into relaxation.

Now feel that warm, relaxed heaviness creeping down from your shoulders, down into your chest, down into your stomach. Soften and relax your stomach muscles and solar plexus. And let that relaxed, heavy feeling flow down your spine, into your hips, your buttocks, down into your legs. Beyond your knees into your shins, calves and ankles. Your legs, relaxed and heavy. Now your feet and toes are feeling heavy. Let your feet go heavy – heavy and relaxed, like heavy weights on the end of your legs. Heavy and relaxed.

You can continue to let go until you’ve reached the deepest level of complete relaxation.

And soon, you’re going to relax even more. In a moment I’ll say the word ‘relax’, and when you hear me say that word every muscle in your body will let go, and your entire body will sink down completely and utterly limp. This is such a pleasant, comfortable feeling, you may even forget about your body altogether and enter the deepest, most relaxed state you’ve ever known.

Relax.

That’s it, let every single muscle relax, let all tension ebb away and a feeling of calmness flow down from your head, into your neck and shoulders, down your arms, down your abdomen, down into your legs and feet. Sinking further down into relaxation with every breath you’re taking, enjoying this feeling of peace and calmness.

And now I’m going to count down from ten to zero, and as I count down, think of yourself going down a flight of steps into complete calmness and tranquillity. Think of each number as a step down, deeper and deeper, so by the time you reach number one, you’ll be more relaxed than ever before.

And when you hear the word, ‘zero’, you’ll fall into a deep, deep sleep, the deepest, most relaxed state you’ve ever known, listening to my voice and enjoying this feeling of peace and calmness.

10   9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1    Zero

Imagine now you’re lying in a calm and peaceful place, beside a quiet lake, surrounded by trees shimmering in the warmth of a summer’s day. Above, a clear, blue sky and the bright yellow sun warming your body and making you feel safe and comfortable. The beauty of nature all around you – so quiet, so still, there isn’t even a ripple on the surface of the water.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The more you relax your body and move into this tranquil place, the more you’ll be in touch with your inner self.

And when this relaxation is over, these suggestions will remain so firmly embedded in your mind that they will continue to influence your thoughts, your feelings and your actions just as surely, just as strongly as if you were still relaxing. This inner feeling of calmness and confidence, peace and tranquillity will remain with you in everything you do.

In fact, as each day goes by you’ll feel yourself becoming more and more calm and relaxed. So whatever you’re doing, wherever you are or whomever is with you, you’ll feel a greater sense of personal well-being, more warm and loving towards yourself.

Every day, becoming calmer, more cheerful, more positive and more confident. More confident about what you’re doing. More confident and optimistic about the future. More and more confident about yourself, your capabilities and your relationships. You’ll find that things which used to worry and upset you will lose their power over you. You’ll find it easier to cope even under pressure. Cool, calm, confident and in control.

Sleep

And now, you’re going to hear some positively phrased suggestions for your continuing calmness and confidence. Mentally repeating these affirmations to yourself will imprint them firmly on your unconscious.

  • I used to be less confident, but all that is changing. Now I am always cool, calm, confident and in control.
  • I deserve happiness, prosperity and success. No-one deserves them more than I.
  • I feel warm and loving towards myself. I like myself. I am a strong and worthy person.
  • Every day, I keep my thoughts positive, for I am the result of what I think.
  • Whatever my mind can conceive and believe, I can achieve.
  • Every day in every way, I feel better and better.

(Note: you can insert any affirmation or ‘visualisation’ here.)

As each day goes by, you’ll be calmer, more confident, more in control. You’ll cope with people and events much more easily. You’ll feel better and free to be yourself. Free to enjoy life more fully. Free to head confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Now if you’re listening at bedtime, ignore the next few sentences and drift off into a comfortable and satisfying sleep. You’ll awake at the appropriate time feeling re-energised, knowing that every time you listen to this relaxation you feel calmer, more confident and more positive.

But if you want to resume your activities, feel yourself becoming more alert now, waking up, feeling better than before. When I say ‘open your eyes’, you’ll be wide awake and ready to continue withyour activities, fully alert, more confident and more positive than ever before.

OK. Open your eyes now. Wide awake, feeling good.

Now smile, have a good stretch, get up slowly and resume your activities.

(If you have difficulty and need help relaxing, try this: http://www.feelinggoodallthetime.com/articles/the-chillout/.  Helps calm and relax the body and promote healthy sleep by restoring its natural rhythms.)

_DSF0919

Copyright David Lawrence Preston, 26.4.2016

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How using the right brain makes you more creative

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
43

In the past, intelligence was seen as something inherited in fixed amounts which couldn’t be altered. Some people were thought to be more creative than others because they were born with special talents.

Nowadays, we know that the brain has two parts, a left and right hemisphere, each with its own special functions. This discovery thirty years ago changed the entire foundation of psychology, neurology and education.

In broad terms, left brain activity is related to thinking (the ‘cognitive’ domain) and right brain activity to intuition, emotion and creativity (the ‘affective’ domain). To develop creativity, therefore, we must make more use and better use of the right brain. Then we tap into the same resource that great men and women down the ages used to fashion great works of art, music and sculpture and major scientific discoveries.

Most people have a tendency to favour one hemisphere or the other, but for many activities we rapidly alternate between the two.

Some activities are predominantly left brain based: reading, speaking, calculating, computer programming etc. Others mainly utilise the right brain, for example, drawing, playing music, dancing, and long-term memory. The creation of new ideas is a right brain function; evaluating and developing these ideas is a left brain task. Sometimes (e.g. creative writing) the use of left and right brain switches so quickly that it is impossible to tell which is being used.

When both sides are working together and contributing equally, the brain performs at its optimum level.

Are you more left brained or right brained?

Do you tend to prefer to think logically, take things one at a time, step by step, analyse, calculate and use words?

Or do you process things more emotionally, think in pictures, use colour, ‘feel’ and daydream?

Or both equally?

You can develop both sides of your brain

Long ago, Professor Robert Ornstein of the University of California discovered that people who had been educated to predominantly use one side of the brain had great difficulty in using the other. He also discovered that when the unused side of the brain was stimulated, the result was a vast increase in the overall ability of a person – in the region of five to ten times.

To improve your creative mind-power, therefore, first find out which side of your brain is under-used, then concentrate on developing that side.

For many of us the right is the weaker. This is because our schooling encourages us to make more use of the left brain. Politicians stress the importance of the ‘3 R’s’ – reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. We are encouraged to think about the world in words and numbers. Art, music, dance and more imaginative pursuits are pushed to the periphery.

The balanced use of left and right brain can help you to:

  • Become more creative
  • Learn more quickly
  • Improve your memory
  • Solve problems faster
  • Improve communication
  • Be more intuitive
  • Understand body language

Many of the great artists and inventors had the ability to utilise both sides equally. They appeared to tap into a source of inspiration beyond their contemporaries. What were they tuning in to? Some psychologists believe it is their own unconscious minds; others that it is the Collective Unconscious of all humankind; still others that it was some form of Universal Consciousness.

Whatever it was, it is something to which we all have access through the right brain. However, we usually receive only the germ of an idea from there and must use our more structured left to develop it. The right hemisphere is a rich source of inner wisdom but you have to trust it. It’s a quiet voice, a subtle feeling. Tune in. It’s like having a wise being inside you, always on hand to offer guidance and support.

Get started! If you are predominantly left-brained spend more time on activities which utilise the right brain. Try to avoid analytical or calculating thoughts. Allow yourself to daydream. After one month, review your progress. What difference has this made to your life?

©David Lawrence Preston, 7.4.2016

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Positive Attitudes

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
35

‘The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, then what other people think, say or do.

The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes!’

Charles Swindoll

Attitude matters more than facts, circumstances and what others say or do, and it’s something we choose for ourselves every day.

Once you get into the habit, being positive becomes a way of life. It shows in the way you talk, walk (have you ever seen a positive person walk staring at the ground with hunched shoulders?), what you say, the way you say it, how you feel, the way you are and the way others see you. It helps you to be happier and more successful at everything you do.

It not only improves your life in the short-term, it could even enable you to live a healthier, longer life. Thoughts of hopelessness and helplessness actually weaken the body’s natural defences, the nervous and immune systems.

People with positive attitudes also seek out the good in others, have the courage to try out new ideas, and settle only for the best. For them, anything is possible, and ‘I can’, ‘I choose’, ‘I decide’ and ‘I will’ are their watchwords.

So from now on, make it your motto never to say anything, either to yourself or out loud, that you don’t genuinely want to be true!

Never say you can’t do something – instead say you could if you wanted, or you haven’t learned yet, or haven’t practised enough, or are still working on it. Transform, ‘There’s nothing I can do’ into ‘Let’s look at the alternatives’.

But remember, positive attitudes are not always acquired naturally, especially if you grew up surrounded by negative people; they have to be carefully nurtured until they take root in your unconscious. Then they blossom – and so does your life.

Real positive thinking

There are many misconceptions about positive thinking. Positive thinkers are often regarded as idealistic, naïve and even out of touch with reality. But that’s not what it’s about. Obviously, you don’t solve problems by pretending they don’t exist. If water is pouring through the ceiling, it is pointless to tell yourself ‘There is no leak, everything is dry ‘ and do nothing about it. You’d probably be swept away in the flood.

Real positive thinking is different. You stay calm and tell yourself you can handle it.’ Then you take action. You find out where the water is coming from, turn off the supply and place a bucket under the leak. Then you mop up and call a plumber.

Your aim is not to hide from reality, nor trying to run away from problems by denying their existence. Even if you don’t have all the skills you need at present, you can learn. Very little is beyond your capabilities: there are just some things you haven’t yet learned.

Positive thinking leads to good feelings, self-belief and positive action. And that’s the point.

©David Lawrence Preston, 6.4.2016

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Positive Mind, Positive Questions

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
Reply

The way you talk to yourself is crucial. It influences your state of mind, your mood and your behaviour, and therefore the circumstances of your life.

Frequently your self-talk – the ongoing conversation in your head – sounds like a series of questions since we habitually interrogate ourselves: ‘What should I do next?’ ‘How should I react to this?’ ‘Why did I do that?’ ‘Why was I so stupid?’ And the unconscious is designed to come up with a response, even if the question is totally groundless.

The unconscious has no intelligence. It is not capable of judging the validity of a question. Its job is to search its data files for an answer, and it always finds one. For instance, if you ask: ‘Why am I so unlucky?’ it will give you an answer even if you are not particularly unlucky, which inevitably makes you feel worse.

The answer you get depends on the ‘presupposition’ behind the question. Presupposition means ‘assumption’. Presuppositions don’t have to be deliberate or even conscious, and it’s important that you make yourself aware of them.

When you ask yourself a question with an positive presupposition, your unconscious searches its databanks and comes up with a positive answer. For example, ask:

  • How could I be happier?
  • How can I solve this problem?
  • What can I learn from this?
  • What can I do to improve?

and your unconscious looks for evidence that you will be happier, things are going well, and you are learning from your experiences and so on. Then it suggests ways of making things better.

Teachers, counsellors and coaches know this very well. They are trained to ask ‘powerful’ questions, those that interrupt their students’ and clients’ negative thinking patterns and move them forward.

One way to use this principle is to change ‘Why?’ questions to ‘How?’ ‘Why’ questions often take your mind back to the past, focus on problems, and keep you stuck there; ‘How’ questions such as ‘How can I solve this?’ move you forward.

For example, imagine a tennis player who has just lost – again – to an opponent who he knows he should be able to beat. ‘Why can’t I beat X?’ he asks, exasperated. ‘Why is he so much better than me?’ A little voice in his head responds:

  • ‘Because you’re not as talented.’
  • ‘He’s physically stronger than you.’
  • ‘He’s quicker than you.’
  • ‘He’s mentally stronger than you.’
  • ‘He’s younger/older than you.’
  • ‘You’re just not as good.’

Now he’s really down in the dumps, having convinced himself there’s no way he can ever beat him.

Now consider these questions:

  • How can I beat him next time?
  • What must I do?
  • How can I improve?
  • What are his weaknesses? How can I exploit them?

Whether you’re asking silently or out loud, ask in a firm voice that pre-supposes a helpful response. Now the mind has something constructive to work on. ‘Change your tactics… practise your second serve… hit more shots to the backhand… stay back from the net… eat right before the match … etc. etc.’

Sometimes the answer comes quickly, but not always. The unconscious rarely works to deadlines, but answers do come, often when least expected – when mowing the lawn, doing the cleaning or driving to the shops. You can develop this faculty by asking for intuitive guidance and asking for solutions to your problems. Now the unconscious has something positive to work on.

Powerful questions focus your attention on solutions rather than problems, help bring the Law of Attraction into operation, and are a characteristic of the thought processes of all happy and successful people. It’s a simple switch to make, so start now. Use the Four Step Method. Be aware of the questions you ask yourself. Stop negative questions. Replace them with positive questions. And keep doing it. I promise you, your life will quickly change for the better.

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 4.4.2016

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