Speak your way to success.

How what you say to yourself and to others makes you who and how you are

I see and hear it every day in the clinic. The words we say to ourselves and the words others said to us when we were young, form and shape the person we are, and how we interact with our world.

This is good news ... and bad news!

Why Do Words Have Such Power?

Thousands of years ago the Buddha said " Everything we are arises with our thoughts." And we know, that our thoughts manifest our words and our behavior. The good news is, once you are past your mid teen years, you are responsible for your thoughts, your behavior. I said it was good news and bad news.

That means there's no one else to blame if we have low self esteem, if we procrastinate, if we are a 'pushover' or over aggressive. It really is in our ability to make the change,--the change in what we think, what we say and how we behave. Here is one reason this idea is so powerful and useful: You don't need any outside help to change your thoughts. You can change a word or a thought instantly, and you can do it any time you want. Knowing this simple truth gives you a tremendous power that comes completely from within. A lot of the thoughts you think, the words you say, and the behavior you manifest happens seemingly automatically.

How many times have you heard yourself behaving like a child? Throwing a tantrum or giving a loved one 'the silent treatment?' These negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors are simply the manifestation of thoughts and situations you have grown up with or rather aged with (some of them aren't too grown up!!) and happen without consideration of cause and effect.

At the Ontario Hypnosis Centre School and Clinic we work with the subconscious mind every day to change habits--the blueprint of behavior, by accessing the subconscious mind. Although the process is faster with a qualified clinical hypnotherapist, with persistence and focus, you can make these changes yourself.

So now it is time to consider cause and effect. What you think and say becomes who you are ... So it's time to change--time to own your thoughts, your words and your life. Time to become the author of your own story. Making your words count to make your life as full and joyous as it can be. So the first thing to do is to learn to recognize these thoughts. They come into your mind without your doing anything at all, much as your heart beats without having to remind it every second. You don't have direct control over what thoughts pop into your mind unbidden, but you always have complete control over what thoughts you consciously insert into your thought stream. That is why the principle "as you think, so you are" has such extraordinary power.

Firstly you need to make the decision of which thoughts and spoken phrases you want to eliminate, and what you want to replace them with. For example, if you're a person who automatically negates a compliment, recognize that, and come up with a new phrase to say when you are complimented. If you find yourself speechless at group meetings at work, plan ahead, and consider what you might say and contribute for your department. If you didn't have value you wouldn't be there! So speak up!

Your mind might be shouting out thoughts like "I'm afraid of speaking in public "or "People won't want to hear what I have to say" It's time to change the script. Time to change the thought which changes the words to change your behavior. Time to empower yourself by changing the direction of your thought stream.

Every time one of the old negative thoughts rears its ugly head, you will learn to consciously switch and plug in a prearranged thought and phrase you say to yourself. It's a decision you've made ... and you do it. The old negative thoughts might continue to pop up from time to time, but you have now made a fundamental alteration in the program that's been running your life, with this simple strategy.

At first you may feel foolish, and you may even believe it won't work. But like all habits, both good and bad, they've become habits because of repetition. Doing the same thing over and over again, until it happens automatically and without thinking. Your new thoughts and phrases will become second nature, and your ability to write a new script for your life will give you an outstanding and empowering life.

Have a Trial Run--

It takes 21 days to change a habit, but to make sure your subconscious mind 'gets it', make a commitment to yourself for a 30 day trial run. You can do anything for 30 days! And when the goal is as profound as changing your life, that commitment is an awesome and exciting promise to yourself.

What Will You Choose to Help You Move Forward?

Choose one of your more debilitating negative or limiting thoughts and behaviors.. It could be not finding the time to work out or eat healthily, or how everyone is an idiot driving on the highway, or how your boss intimidates you..

Now say this limiting belief to yourself in one sentence. Write it down, Then say it quietly in your mind a few times, noticing how it feels in your mind and body. Then choose a positive, empowering thought about the same issue. For example, if you've been saying "Everyone's an idiot on the highway," make up a sentence like "Everyone drives according to their own comfort standard and I am responsible for my own safe driving ..." If that feels stilted and too much of a jump, you could say, "I'm learning to relax on my drive to work." The exact sentence you use is up to you, just as long as it has a positive quality.

The next step is to quietly in your mind, repeat your negative, limiting thought several times. Then, just as quietly, replace it with your positive, empowering one. Repeat the new thought over and over, letting it become more and more subtle and effortless. Going forward over the 30 days, do your best to spot as many negative or limiting thoughts and behaviors as you possibly can. As you identify them, use your newly minted technique and introduce the new phrase and behaviour into your thought stream. Just drop in this empowering way of thinking and behavior effortlessly, as if it's always been there.

You'll notice at the end of the 30 days your life will have improved dramatically. Your new thoughts and behaviors will be beneficially impacting every interaction you have with others and yourself. You'll that you are living the life yon were meant to live.--All because you've learned to speak your way to success.

Georgina Cannon is a Doctor of Metaphysical Counselling, an NGH Board Certified Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner, and an international instructor and teacher of hypnosis and Past Life Regression Therapy. She is Director of the Ontario Hypnosis Centre School and clinic, www.ontariohypnosis-centre.com She has received top honours in the profession. She was the first woman, and the first Canadian to be featured on the cover of the Journal of Hypnotism, for which she is also a columnist. In 2005 she was inducted into the Order of Braid, which recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication and service as a professional hypnotist.

In 2003 the CBC produced a documentary--Past Life Investigation--in which Dr. Cannon facilitated past lives with 32 volunteers recruited by the CBC. It is currently being shown world wide. She is author of "Return--Past Life Regression and You," and many professional hypnosis books.

Her appearances in the media include radio and TV in Ireland, the U.S. and across Canada. She is currently host once a month of the chat room on the Shirley MacLaine website, discussing hypnosis and past life regression.