Independence from negative thinking

On the far right side bar I’ve posted some books I hope will inspire you. You’ll notice that not all of them are diet books. Some are tomes like Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, which can help you with personal and professional hoals. (It’s a long book, so you may want to borrow the condensed version on CD from the library before you decide if it’s right for you.)

We can be on the best diet plan for us, work with wonderful diet conselors and personal trainers, and have a supportive family and coworkers. Yet we fail or have set backs because what our minds are telling us – those icky, negative thoughts that say we’re failures so what’s the point in adopting a healthy lifestyle?

Me, I have a problem thinking that "a little cheating won’t matter" and "I need this food for energy or to make me feel better." I’m slowly working my way through the The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person to help with that – especially on days I’d kill for a big plate of pasta.

So on this Fourth of July holiday when we’re surrounded by greasy carnival food and BBQ, let’s declare independence from the negative thinking that’s sabotaging our weight loss plans!

Here are a couple of things that may help:

The Simple Dollar (a financial self-help blog) tells us How To Deal With Not Meeting Your Goals And Set Yourself Up For Success The Next Time. The advice can apply to any endeavor where we make goals for ourselves, especially weight loss and fitness. (Thanks to Freelance Switch for the link.)

And here’s some advice I’ve taken from Jack Canfield about celebrating your victories and giving thanks as you reach your goals. Below is an excerpt from one of his e-newsletters:

Celebrate Your Victories and Give Thanks
by Jack Canfield

Research has shown over and over again that the more you acknowledge your past successes, the more confident you become in taking on, and successfully accomplishing, new ones.

As you stay the course and begin to realize your goals, you need to do two very important things:

1.) Celebrate your successes, and …
2.) Express your gratitude to everyone who has helped you along the way.

Let’s look at a few of the ways you can acknowledge your positive past.

Celebrate Your Victories
In order to justify all your sacrifice and persistence that is required to create the life of your dreams, you have to enroll your family, your friends, your colleagues and co-workers, your employees, your clients and, most importantly yourself, to pay the price.

In order for them to do that, there need to be payoffs along the way. Every time you reach a milestone on the path to ultimate success, and every time you achieve a major goal, you need to celebrate by doing something fun and nurturing.

Have an Attitude of Gratitude
Take the time to thank everyone that has helped you achieve your goals. Write them a letter, call them, send them an e-mail or send them a present. It can be as simple as a hug and a thank you — to something as elaborate as letting someone use your summer vacation home for a week.

The Power of Acknowledgment
When you take the time to thank someone, they feel acknowledged for their contribution and will be more likely to want to help again.

Your Inner Child
A big part of creating more success in life is rewarding yourself when you succeed. So, it’s important to reward your inner child as well. Every time you work hard to meet a goal, the part of you that just wants to have fun has to sit still and be good. However, just like any kid, if it knows it will be rewarded later with a treat, it will hang in there with you.

How can you reward your inner child?

• Take a 20-minute walk after an hour or two of concentrated work
• Go for walks in the morning with your spouse, friend, or significant other
• Take 20 minutes to listen to music and daydream
• Take most weekends totally off
• Take several weeklong vacations throughout the year
• Get regular massages
• Engage in daily meditation, exercise and yoga
• Take music lessons
• Go to movies, concerts and plays
• Listen to comedy tapes and watch the Comedy Network
• Listen to motivational audio programs when driving

Thank Your Higher Power
Finally, it is important to thank God, or however you perceive the Higher Power, for all of the abundance that comes into your life. Start with the little stuff — another day of life, healthy children, a sunny day, people who love you, family and friends. Be thankful for the birds, your pets, the clothes you have and the food you eat.

And be especially thankful for any additional blessings that come into your life. Take time each day to say a prayer of thanks when you first arise, before meals, and again at night before bed.

Having an attitude of gratitude opens up the channels for even more abundance to flow into your life.

The more grateful you are, the more you will attract things to be grateful for.

© 2007 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com.

Posted on July 4, 2007 in Inspiration

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