Expose Your Secret Saboteur

Many people don’t even realize that they have a constant undertone of babble in their heads. It’s like static to them, or white noise. Unfortunately, personal chatter can be pretty negative. This is probably because when a really negative thought pops up we tend to immediately banish it to that place where people put most of their junk – in the basement. In this case, it’s our unconscious mind.

You can say 1,000 beautifully rendered, carefully chosen affirmations every day. But if your subliminal chatter is “I’ll never get a promotion,” “I’ll never find love,” “I’m going to end up bankrupt,” or “This country is going to the dogs,” your positive affirmations are often defeated before they can even get a toehold.

And if you feel exhausted after just a short lunch with a consistently negative co-worker, imagine what’s happening to your own well-being during 24 hours of negative subliminal thinking.

During the first week, spend at least one day paying close attention to the thoughts that natter on while you’re working, driving, showering, watching television, exercising and generally going about your day. Write down every one of them immediately, if possible.

One good way to catch those negative thoughts creeping in the background is when you prepare for meditation. Next time you’re clearing your mind, take note of the mental clutter first. Those distracting thoughts – even if they’re not actually self-sabotaging – will quickly lead you back to the ones that are doing the real damage.

If you discover that your chatter is mostly positive, pat yourself on the back! If your back current is like most people’s, however… go easy on yourself. You’re definitely not alone, and now that you’ve discovered it, there’s a lot you can do to brighten up your personal “background music.”

Next, arm yourself with replacement thoughts – either from your favorite affirmations, or new ones that you can develop from your past experiences. For example, you can replace “I’m going to end up bankrupt” with “I’m really good at solving problems, and I’m going to solve this one.” Remember, though, that your replacement thoughts need to be positive statements, so replacing “my thighs are huge” with “my thighs are not huge” won’t do the job. Try, instead, replacing that negativity with “I have gorgeous skin, and a tiny waist!”

The second week, review your list – and then actively keep track of those thoughts, replacing any negative ones with the more upbeat ideas you’ve developed. Also, keep rooting out any negative chatter you might have missed the first week.

It’s not unusual for people to have layers of gloomy thoughts that hearken all the way back to childhood – and habitual family sayings. So just keep digging. Give the unearthed sad, self-defeating thoughts a mental hug, and then release them. Slip in bright, new thoughts where the old ones used to live. You’ll probably learn a lot about yourself during this adventure, too.

During the third week, keep checking your progress. Polish up any weak replacement thoughts, and keep an eye out for new negative ones that might surface. If some old thinking has shown up again, don’t beat yourself up; it’s normal. Old habits are sometimes stubborn, but they can be defeated.

After that, check in at least one day a week for a tune-up – more often if you’re going through a challenging period. Put it in your calendar! These simple exercises can be especially helpful when you’re stressed and beleaguered, so give it extra time if you can.

Before long you’ll discover that your work is more successful, your love life is perking up, your commute is more productive, you arrive home happy and ready for fun, and your sleep is deeper and more restful… and the list goes on. Those affirmations, if you’re using them, will start to work like a charm. You’ll become better aligned with your inner being, and therefore more authentic. Ultimately, you’ll find yourself in the flow with the Law of Attraction, and your dreams and desires really will start coming true.