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Think for a moment about someone that you know who is wealthy or successful. Now think about the types of people and opportunities they currently attract to them. What if they awoke one day and started thinking they were poor and struggling at life, relationships and in their career? If they persisted down this path and began making decisions that aligned with this new belief system, over time, it would it change who was attracted to them and eventually ruin their financial state.
In the same way, we can be certain that how we dress, act, speak, think and live will affect who we attract, what opportunities come our way and whether or not we see our goals to fruition.
A powerful tool that can affect us when done correctly is daily affirmations. I am not referring to simply repeating a few positive statements every day. When you merely think or speak positively but you have no solid belief about it; or what you are saying does not agree with your core or inner beliefs, it will accomplish nothing. This kind of mental posture is "cognitive dissonance”. It was first mentioned in earlier chapters but now we will dive deeper into it’s meaning.
Affirmations can only be an effective form of cognitive restructuring when there is “cognitive consonance”. Businessdictionary.com defines as a state of harmony and internal consistency arising from compatibility among a person's attitudes, behavior, beliefs, and/or knowledge. Opposite of cognitive dissonance.
Therefore, simply speaking affirmations is not enough to create change. You must speak affirmations AS IF you truly believe, using your mind, heart and emotions. When you first begin using affirmations, you will likely be dealing with a mixture of cognitive consonance and cognitive dissonance, making the process difficult and seemingly useless at times. However, when you engage all three simultaneously with visualization, you powerfully influence your neural pathways even at their deepest level. Affirmations reinforced, frequently and consistently, will eventually persuade your heart and mind to come into agreement with your core values and align with what you are saying.
Excerpts and insights* from Chapter 3 of "Your Journey to Greatness Through Routine: A Guide to Creating a Success Routine"
Book Contains:
*Certain portions have been added to actual book excerpts by the author.
LEARN MORE AND PURCHASE THE BOOK at http://michellesteffes.com/book
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Michelle L Steffes is a Certified Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach and Author of two books: "Reframe & Rewire" (also available on Audible) and "The Machine Inside Me." Discover more and contact her through her website, IPV Consulting.
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