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"Great! I'll just control my thoughts," I thought.
Wrong.
I realized later in life that you can say all the fluffy positive affirmations you want, but until you believe them at the subconscious level of your body, you'll feel a dis-resonance anytime you say them or write them.
This is why positive affirmations, especially about oneself, make some people cringe - their beliefs are so opposite that they physically cannot stand even considering the practice.
Not to mention, many don't realize that they're (1) repeating the same thoughts over and over until it becomes a belief and (2) making an assumption after ONE event / situation and applying it to all others. (Example: I couldn't balance my meal at that restaurant the other night, so I can't dine out ever again.)
Believe me, I get it.
I always treated positive affirmations it as a game. How many times can I write and say this statement until I start to see evidence of its truth appear in my life and believe it to be true on a cellular level?
For those who can't make such a drastic leap, try just aiming for a slightly better feeling thought.
For example: I can't dine out, drink alcohol, or have any social life while following this program.
First of all, is that true? Or, are you brushing up against something new and that makes you uncomfortable because you haven't mastered how to balance your intake yet?
Here's a way we can soften that statement:
"I'm finding it more challenging to be mindful of my eating and drinking choices while dining out and eating with others, but that's exactly why I signed up for this program. I am making the best decisions I can, actually, and I'm getting better and better and intuitively understanding the composition of many foods and how to put them together to not only taste good but also FEEL good in my body. Come to think of it, I actually WANT to eat balanced, but I'm finding it difficult to make good decisions in the presence of others who are used to me eating and drinking and socializing in a certain way."
See the difference?
One keeps you stuck. Set in your beliefs. This makes change so draining because you're already pre-paving an outcome that you don't want based on the statements you repeat over and over.
The other leaves room for improvement. Even the slightest sliver of hope can open up a doorway for transformation.
Here's the other quote that Mr. Leverich taped to our desks halfway through the school year (yes, he rotated them - what a gem of a teacher he was in every sense of that word):
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