If you haven’t realized it yet, our minds are truly phenomenal. Our minds are without a doubt the most advanced supercomputer of any era yet. And so it may be surprising to you that only 5% of your actions, behaviours, thoughts, habits and beliefs are conscious. Your math is right – 95% of your life is driven my unconscious forces – beliefs you don’t realize you have and behaviours or habits you just can’t seem to change.
In previous posts I’ve talked about the power of your words – how you become what you are. It’s not just my belief that your thoughts and words have a physical power or energy behind them, it’s actually science. In 1994 Dr. Masaru Emoto began doing various research experiments on water. Over a number of years he researched the effects of positive and negative words and behaviours on water. For example, to some water he played beautiful music like Amazing Grace, said prayers or offered kind, loving words or took samples from clean, natural resources. To other water he would offer negative words or took samples from polluted sources. The water was then frozen and the observed under a microscope. The water that received positive, loving or kind messages always displayed beautiful, symmetrical crystals (no two crystals were ever observed to be the same), while the water that received negativity always displayed disfigured or misshapen crystals.
Now consider this – your body is approximately 70% water. Even if only the water molecules of your body were to react to your thoughts and words, it would still mean the MAJORITY of your body is responding.
What do you tell yourself that your body responding to? Does it make sense now that if you continually tell yourself you are fat or ugly day in and day out that your entire body begins to feel like crap? That you put on weight easily (because you’re “fat”) or that you skin breaks out (because you’re “ugly”).
The words you say to yourself really do matter! Changing your thoughts is not an easy process; I understand that, especially if you’re working against years of programming. So how about we start with changing the way we frame up how we talk to ourselves?
Our unconscious mind doesn’t interpret negatives. Let me give you an example…
DO NOT THINK OF A PURPLE FROG
Let me guess, you thought of a purple frog. It’s because your unconscious needs to conjure up an image of what a purple frog is so it understands what I’m talking about. Then your conscious mind jumps in and says “No DON’T think about that” and instructs your unconscious mind to think of a tree instead. Exhausting isn’t it!
What does this have to do with changing your thoughts? You can use this knowledge to frame up your self talk differently. Words like “fat” or “ugly” have a negative energy behind them, and as such your body will react negatively to them. You’ll feel bloated, heavy, lethargic, your skin will be dull.
So what if we delivered the message in a different way, using more positive language? What if we replaced FAT with HEALTHY. Or, to be more accurate, not healthy. Instead of saying “I feel fat” I would reframe the statement to “I don’t feel healthy”. Because your unconscious doesn’t process negatives, your cells will respond to the word “healthy” instead of “fat”. Your cells will start to vibrate and respond in a manner that matches your idea of health.
Here’s a quick list of how to reframe other common negative self-talk:
Negative becomes Positive
“I feel fat” “I don’t feel healthy/strong/fit”
“I feel ugly” “I don’t feel beautiful”
“It’s too hard” “It’s not easy”
“I feel stupid” “I don’t feel smart/intelligent”
Do you have a language or thought pattern you frequently use that you need reframed? Please email me at tiffany@bluelotusmind.com and I’ll help you out!
**Please note: I’m not by any means suggesting that reframing your thoughts in this way is the be all and end all. It is simply the first step of the journey to changing your self-talk patterns for good.