Eight Laws Of Mind and Thought That  Affect ChangeRon StubbsAugust 2002

We know as we begin the process of change, our own healing journey, that each one of us is andindividual, unique to our own, with our own set of schemas, personal issues, and perception of how life has treated us. True? Perhaps not. Perceived fairness, or unfairness, good and badmemories, guilt, adaptive or maladaptive patterns do indeed all play into the factors that caneither increase or decrease our chances for healing, but we can also look at common behaviorsthat we all fall into and from there begin to develop a guideline that can provide a basis for expectant behavior if we are to heal ourselves or facilitate a healing process in others. Some of these guides to facilitate or promote the healing process are:

The Eight Laws of Mind and Thought that Affect Change.

#1) Law Of Desire To make a change in our lives, we must TRULY want the outcome we claim toseek. Not passively, but truly a burning desire for the positive outcome. If there is a pattern of secondary benefit, that is, a subconscious reason for an existing condition, such as attention,love, monetary reward, sympathy etc. these can create obstacles to healing. Developing a belief in ourselves as independent and able people can result in an altogether different positiveoutcomes.

#2) Law Of Harmonious Attraction This is by far the most important law of thought; and it can bethe easiest to apply once the simple concept is understood. Imagine a time when you thoughtabout a desired result, saw yourself taking the steps to achieve the result and ACTUALLY

 ACHIEVED THE GOAL!! We have all done this to a certain extent. When we begin to understandthe law of attraction, we can constantly attract what we desire. The Law of Manifestation impliesthat all we need to do is think of the result and we achieve it. Wouldn't't it be amazing if theuniverse worked that way? That theory has but one vital flaw, and that is we have to DOSOMETHING, do what it takes to reach our goal. No "new age"concepts here, it is pure andsimple science.

When we can imagine a goal, visualize taking the steps necessary to gain that goal, a part of theLimbic system of the brain called the Reticular Activating system takes over and we guides us todo what it takes to achieve the desired result. The Reticular Activating System is the attentioncenter in the brain. It is the key to "turning on your brain," and seems to be the center of motivation. The Reticular Activating System is connected at its base to the spinal cord where itreceives information projected directly from the ascending sensory tracts. The brain stem reticular formation runs all the way up to the mid brain. As a result, the Reticular Activating System is avery complex collection of neurons, which serve as a point of convergence for signals from theexternal world and from interior environment. In other words, it is the part of your brain where theworld outside of you, and your thoughts and feelings from "inside" of you, meet.

Professional athletes have known this for years, and we know that our clients will continue toattract conditions and situations that are in harmony with their thinking. It is important that what isNOT wanted be avoided in thinking. What our minds can imagine, our bodies can produce, both

 

positive AND negative. Take time to examine your self-talk, is it filled with negative words such as"try", "should" "can't"? If so, consider changes in your language patterns to develop a positiveoutlook, imagine the results and watch yourself take the steps to achieve them. Do yourself afavor; take moment and "RAISE YOUR RETICULAR"!!!

#3) Law of Expectancy/Belief Success/Healing is achieved when the mind TRULY believes andsincerely EXPECTS the imagined result to happen. The old adage "Seeing is Believing", maywork for some, but for making life changes we have to think in a different paradigm. A muchbetter line of thinking would be the phrase, "Believing is SEEING". Success is achieved only withthe trust and belief that it can be done. What we expect to happen does indeed happen. Whenwe have faith and expectancy, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we will get better, make moremoney, have a better relationship etc.; we can succeed in achieving that goal. This again alsoholds true for negative behavior as well. As a therapist, my clients come to me with a certainexpectations that I will be able to help them overcome their issues. With this positive image andbelief system set in place, the odds for success are greatly increased.

#4) Law Of Relaxation This is also the law of opposite effort. If we are doing manual work, wemust put all our effort into it to be successful. When approaching mental work, we must stepaside and allow it to come naturally. Desired outcomes cannot be forced or manipulated. Imageryis the tool; thought is the technique. If you consider thoughts as entities, therefore, they have theenergy and ability to bring about a desired change.

#5) Law Of Visualization With guidance, we can generally be helped to see the positive endresult. Negatives can be released and a new positive image is imprinted. This new positive imagehas to be a product of our own mind, our own positive self-images, one that we can relate to andabove all, it must, BE BELIEVABLE!!!! If the image isn't believable, it will not bypass the criticalfactor in the brain and it will not become reality. Once we, begin to easily see ourselves becomingpart of that believable new physical visual image, we become part of the positive resolution.

#6) Law of Substitution Since the mind can only hold one thought at a time, and we choose whatthat thought will be at any given moment, it is essential that negative thoughts be cancelled outand the empty space filled with substituted positive thoughts, imagery and impressions. It is notenough to simply identify seed thoughts that create fear, or issues in our lives, those negativeself-thoughts and self-talk must be eliminated and substituted. This procedure is one of the major differences between "talk therapy" and hypnosis. Using hypnosis, we can provide the imagerythat provides a positive substitution.

#7) Law of Repetition The importance of repetition cannot be understated. We humans arecreatures of habit, and therefore most of us aren't willing to make major life changes easily.

 Although we may tell ourselves, trying to convince ourselves that we accept change readily, our deep subconscious, the very place where change happens, gets stuck in past memories,frameworks, and schemas, and until we make the changes at the subconscious level, thosechanges will not stay in place. Luckily since humans are "meaning making machines", that is wehave to place meaning on all aspects of behavior, and we CAN be essentially "reprogrammed" or "rewired", we CAN be successful if we use the simple technique of repetition. Habits are madeand broken in a span of 21 to 30 days as a rule. Repetition for that length of time can greatlyincrease the odds of making permanent change.

#8) Law of Self Concept This is so very important. This law is the key to making positive changesin our lives. We must be able to feel deserving, worthy, and capable of achieving their desiredoutcome. If others; our parents, friends, spouses, siblings, are occupying rent -free space in our minds, these areas of control need to be released and reclaimed. We must begin to feel self-

 

empowered, able to take responsibility for OUR OWN HEALING, or no such healing will ever takeplace. The need to end the self-defeating behavior and empty the bag of limiting thoughts andactions must take place to begin to become empowered individuals. For too long we may havebeen made to feel inferior, inadequate or deficient. We may have been told that we were fat, ugly,and stupid, that no one would want us; or others such words designed to imprison us in a shelland take away our natural born power. Only by building the self-esteem, the self worth can theseissues be overcome and our personal power, our sacred space, our own self worth, be takenback. We need to feel safe that our anger is justified when appropriate, that it is OKAY to SHOWand FEEL emotions, not stuff them away, that we are worthy, deserving individuals that have aright to happiness, health, prosperity and love. Then, and only then can the change, the healing,which we all deserve, can begin.