How to Change (Part 2)

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"HOW TO CHANGE" (Part 2) Written by Louise L. Hay "CONTROLLING THE MIND: "There is an incredible power and intelligence within you and that is constantly responding to your thoughts and words. As you learn to control your mind by the conscious choice of thoughts, you align yourself with this power. "Do not think that your mind is in control. YOU are in control of your mind. YOU use your

mind. You CAN stop thinking those old thoughts. "When your old thinking tries to come back and say, "It's so hard to change," take mental control. Say to your mind, "I now choose to believe it is becoming easier for me to make changes." You may have to have this conversation with your mind several times for it to acknowledge that you are in control and that what you say goes. THE ONLY THING YOU EVER HAVE ANY CONTROL OF IS YOUR CURRENT THOUGHT: "Your old thoughts are gone; there is nothing you can do about them except live out the experiences they caused. Your current thought, the one you are thinking right now, is totally under your control. Example: "If you have a little child who has been allowed to stay up as late as she wishes for a long time, and then you make a decision that you now want this child to go to bed at

8:00 every night, what do you think the first night will be like? "The child will rebel against this new rule and may kick and scream and do her best to stay out of bed. If you relent at this time, the child wins and will try to control you forever. "However, if you calmly stick to your decision and firmly insist that this is the new bedtime, the rebellion will lessen. In two or three nights, the new routine will be established. "It is the same thing with your mind. Of course it will rebel at first. It does not want to be retrained. But you are in control, and if you stay focused and firm, in a very short time the new way of thinking will be established. And you will feel so good to realize that: YOU ARE NOT A HELPLESS VICTIM OF YOUR OWN THOUGHTS, BUT RATHER A MASTER OF YOUR OWN MIND." Exercise: Letting Go -- "As

you read this, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, allow all the tension to leave your body. Let your scalp and your forehead and your face relax. Your head does not need to be tense in order for you to read. Let your tongue and your throat and your shoulders relax. You can hold a book with relaxed arms and hands. Do that now. Let your back and your abdomen and your pelvis relax. Let your breathing be at peace as you relax your legs and feet. "Is there a big change in your body since you began the previous paragraph? Notice how much you hold on. If you are doing it with your body, then you are doing it with your mind also. "In this relaxed, comfortable position, say to yourself, "I am willing to let go. I release. I let go. I release all tension. I release all fear. I release all anger. I release all guilt. I release all sadness. I let go of all old limitations. I let go, and I am at peace. I am at peace with

myself. I am at peace with the process of life. I am safe." "GO OVER THIS EXERCISE (above) TWO OR THREE TIMES. Feel the ease of letting go. Repeat it whenever you feel thoughts of difficulty coming up. It takes a little practice for the routine to become a part of you. "When you put yourself into this peaceful state first, it becomes easy for your affirmations to take hold. You become open and receptive to them. There is no need to struggle or stress or strain. Just relax and think the appropriate thoughts. Yes, it is this easy." PHYSICAL RELEASING: "Sometimes we need to experience a physical letting go. Experiences and emotions can get locked in the body. Screaming in the car with all the windows rolled up can be very releasing if we have been stifling our verbal expression. Beating the bed or kicking pillows is a harmless way to release pent-up

anger, as is playing tennis or running. "A while ago, I had a pain in my shoulder for a day or two. I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't go away. Finally, I sat down and asked myself, "What is happening here? What am I feeling?" "I realized, "It feels like burning. Burning ... burning ... that means anger. What are you angry about?" "I couldn't think of what I was angry about, so I said, "Well, let's see if we can find out." I put two large pillows on the bed and began to hit them with a lot of energy. "After about twelve hits, I realized exactly what I was angry about. It was so clear. So I beat the pillows even harder and made some noise and released the emotions from my body. When I got through, I felt much better, and the next day my shoulder was fine." End of Part 2 - How To Change Copyright 1999. Excerpted with permission from "YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE", (book & audio), by Louise L. Hay, metaphysical teacher and bestselling author of over 20 books including "Heal Your Body", "Empowering Women", and "I CAN DO IT". Her works have been translated into 25 different languages in 33 countries. Published by Hay House, P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018. (Phone). Visit their website at www.hayhouse.com http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AffirmationstoDe-Stress A positive thinking, positive affirmations support group, that discusses

ways to cope with the stresses of daily life. Come aboard! PJ and Gang