Category Archives: Affirmations

What To Do When You Are Bothered By Negative Thoughts And Feelings

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“Negative thoughts and feelings can be trouble. What to do when you have a negative thought? It can ruin your day. It could interfere with your ability to feel happy and successful, pursue your career and enjoy life overall. Some people try to avoid negative thoughts.

Trying to fight thoughts and feelings usually only exaggerates them and makes them worse. You have probably found that to be true, right? There is a way you can get free from them. Would you like to know how? Keep reading.

Thoughts come and they keep coming. Many are repetitive, habitual, chronic old thoughts that just run on and on. The reason you keep thinking the same thing may be because you never attempted to direct them before.

How To Change The Old Into The New

It is estimated we think over 60,000 thoughts a day. 60 percent or more are the thoughts we routinely think. They are the thoughts from the day before and the day before that. The reason we have these repetitive thoughts is because most people don’t bother to learn HOW TO think better.

We think because we think that is how it has to be. We don’t realize that thinking is a skill and a process as any other. We can be good at it if we want to be or we can accept however we learned to do it. That is a choice each of us can make once we realize we have that choice. It would be nice to be a talented thinker, wouldn’t it?

Just like training a horse it can take some time but you can learn to think in new ways. You can think in new positive ways just as reliably and automatically as the old way. The way you learn to think new thoughts is you choose. You make choices. You decide what to think.

Decide To Become A Talented Thinker

You claim and you regain control. You put yourself in charge and you begin to decide what to think. That is what affirmations,  Directed Questions™ and positive self-talk is all about. You choose the thoughts and images you want to fill your mind with. You choose the best thoughts to think about yourself!

If you are up late at night and watching TV or a movie that you don’t like because it produces horrible thoughts or images what do you do to quit being bothered? Some people say turn it off. That doesn’t work because then you think about the last things you saw over and over.

Instead, you change the channel. You watch something else. You tune to something you enjoy. Soon you will forget about the old horrible show and images because you will be caught up in the new more enjoyable ones. You chose to put your attention elsewhere.

You Are In Charge – Change The Channel

You make positive thinking a reality in the same manner. You switch what you are thinking about. You don’t try to stop thinking negatively because what you resist persists. You don’t try to shut the less than glorious off rather you add in more positive, powerful, enjoyable, glorious thoughts.

You make the new thinking a habit by choosing to  think and affirm the new thoughts over and over repeatedly. You think them and add positive emotion and enthusiasm while you say or shout them out loud to yourself. Think of the intense emotions used in military training or sports training. Make your feelings intensely joyful!

Over time, the new thoughts take hold. You begin to think them more reliably and you begin to believe them. They become a part of you. They begin to come naturally and habitually. The older thoughts you think less and less. Your new thoughts take hold.

You Form Habits By Correct Practice And Spaced Repetition

Just as when you change residence. At first you may find yourself inadvertently traveling back to your former address. In time that will happen less and less as you continue to return to the new home address. Soon enough the new address takes hold and you always go there. You learn to go where you put your attention. It is reliable!

It works the same way you make a pathway in the forest or pasture. You travel the same route again and again until a path is formed. It works the same way in the brain.

You create new neural pathways to travel by choosing the thoughts you want to think and repeating them again and again. The key is to use strong, intense, positive strong emotions while affirming. The emotions are what wires in the thoughts.

Choose Your Thoughts

Choose to think new thoughts.  Become aware when you aren’t. Make a correction by adjusting thoughts that run counter to what you want. Change to a positive channel. You will feel better too.

Apply, correct, apply correct and soon over time you get the knack and develop the new thinking habit. It is not just the words but the feeling you have when saying the words. Once you choose to think better thoughts your feelings improve too! It works both ways.

But What If I Think A Negative Thought?

It is okay. We all do. We are human.

Frequently it means that thought is a signal to get your attention. It is a signal that you need to put your attention on something in order to avoid or resolve a difficulty. The same is the case with less than glorious feeling. It means you are focused in the wrong place.

Perhaps, you are more focused on what you do not want than on what you want. Notice the thought or feeling, acknowledge it and put you attention where you want it to be instead. If the thoughts stop or the feelings change for the better you got the message.

You Have  A Guidance System That Provides Feedback

Once you get the message stop focusing on the message. Apply your positive thinking on making the situation better. If it alerts you to something you do not want FANTASTIC!! Now turn your attention to what you do want and concentrate on making this happen.

Switch the channel. Focus on the positive thoughts you want instead. It may be something triggered old associations. That is okay it may happen from time to time.

If it persists it may be you need to listen to your gut. Something requires your attention. Calm down, relax, and accept it. Listen patiently. Learn to pay attention to your inner guidance. Once you get the message you will experience relief or at least the nagging will cease.

The Goal Is To Feel Good Most Of The Time

The goal is to think positive thoughts and feel better MOST of the time. It doesn’t mean we never have other thoughts. So you chose to and do what you need to do to feel good most of the time. If 60, 70, 80 percent of your time is spent feeling fantastic life will be too!

Negative thoughts can be signals. No worries. Utilize them when you become aware of them. Take it as a signal to put your attention  on what you want to include rather than what you want to avoid or exclude. Sometimes they are extraneous and nothing to be concerned with.

They serve as a signal message or as feedback so you can better move forward. Isn’t that great?  We have an internal guidance system. We have our own inner GPS that can take us to where we want to go. Learn to appreciate it, use it and it will serve you well.

We are fortunate that we have this system of guidance. We are fortunate that we can control and choose what we think when we want to. Do we have to be positive and happy all the time? NO the choice is yours. BUT when one learns the power of choosing how to respond in any situation all of life seems to remarkably improvel

Accepting things as they are is important too. If, for example, one suffers a loss of someone close to them. Grieving is a normal process. Allow it. It is not about trying to avoid or alter it. Let it process. Take your time, be sensitive and when ready move on.

What About Negative Feelings?

To reiterate the same applies to feelings. More often than not it is a signal to get your attention to make a positive change in some way. Again, don’t focus on the negative feeling. Put your focus on what you want.

It may be telling you you are off course or focused on the wrong things. So change what you are paying attention to or what you are focused on. If you then feel better you know you made the right correction.

The bad or less than glorious feeling is feedback. It is a signal you are headed or heading off course and alerting you to get back on track. Celebrate it.

It Is A Signal, Feedback, A Message – Pay Attention

We are so lucky to have this available to us. Learn to use it! AND use it! Pay attention and shift your attention as necessary. Energy flows where you attention goes. What you focus on you get.

Monitoring feelings makes everything easier. You either feel good or great or not so good or bad. The goal is to live life feeling the best you are able most of the time. You want to live with joy and celebrating everything.

When you feel less than glorious you are being notified that something is out of whack and requires your attention. Then move step by step toward feeling the best you can. Do whatever you need to feel better. Choose different thoughts, ask questions, go for a walk, skip, sing, dance. Change the channel! Feel better.

Sometimes feeling a little bit better is enough. It moves you in the right direction. For example, right now you are sitting wherever you are. You want to enjoy yourself in a theme park but right now you don’t feel that wonderful.

Drop By Drop Fills The Tub – Bit By Bit You Will Get There

Take a step toward the theme park you want to be at. You are now one step closer. Step by step you will get closer and closer until finally you are there. As long as you are headed in the correct direction you are making progress.

You may notice the closer you get the more eager anticipation you feel. With each step you can leave the less than glorious feelings behind. You’ll move into better feelings until finally you are there enjoying all there is to enjoy! This is how we nudge ourselves along.

Notice that as the eagerness increases you are thinking different thoughts. You attention is no longer on not having or not being there but on the things that you can’t wait to do while there. You are thinking about the fun so your feelings and thoughts change as a result.

Stop Being Critical – Learn How To Let Go And Accept

Accept wherever you are without being critical of yourself. We think we should be further along and better at it than we are presently. In reality, there is no place to be other than in this moment where you are. You can’t force it. Accept where you are at. Love yourself.

You planted seeds now let them grow without any critical commentary. Have faith, trust the process. Let go and let them grow. They wil blossom soon enough but maybe not in your time frame. Let it go. Relax and allow. Be patient. Everything in its own time.

Don’t add insult to injury by heaping less than glorious commentary on yourself whenever you think, feel or do anything. Learn to let go of that old habit. The ability to let go and accept is part of evolving into a more positive and powerful person.

When you let go and drop negative running commentary you and your mind are free to focus on creating what you wan. You are more able to align your resources to enable you to do that. You aren’t distracted by the comments.  You are singularly focused and this is powerful.

You Are In Charge – Exercise Your Ability To Choose The Best

Free yourself up to be who you are. You are a person who has choices and who can decide. Even if you believe you never have you still  can learn how to take charge. Bit by bit. In life you make countless decisions on what to wear, eat, where to go, what to do, what to watch.

Chose your thoughts. Chose the best thoughts. Make thinking positively and powerfully a habit. Enjoy the finest feelings you can find. Spend more time enjoying thinking better and feeling better. Soon enough it will be a habit and overall your life will transform.

Find things to appreciate about yourself, others and the world. Find the best in each and every moment and circumstances. Put a smile on your face and believe in yourself. YOU can do this. Start now and everything can change in wonderful ways! You can be delighted and surprised!” Rex Sikes

How will you celebrate this new day?

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Why ‘The Secret’ & The ‘LOA’ Doesn’t Work For You!

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“Why does ‘The Secret’ not work for everyone? Have you ever felt this way? Have you thought, ‘well I tried the Law Of Attraction (LOA) thingee but didn’t get very far’. If so then you want to read this. The Secret, the LOA, does work. It really does!

It works for everyone the same way. It rains and the sun shines on everyone equally; the good and the bad, the rich and the poor. It doesn’t care nor does it discriminate. It does take longer for some than others but it always works.

Why it takes longer for some than others is up to the individual. That is actually cool because it means it is all within your control. You are in charge of the results you get.

Do This If You Haven’t Yet Had The Success You Desire

If you go back and read Napoleon Hill or the New Thought Leaders or even the ancient texts they seem to agree in various ways with Hill’s language. Know what you want. Know your Definite Purpose. Clarify it. This is a must do first step. Make no mistake about this.

Next, it must be made into a Burning Desire. You must want it with every fiber of your being. Then you must have faith that it will happen. You need to expect its arrival. You conceive of it, you believe it and you achieve it.

Then YOU make a total commitment to make it happen. Never give up. Keep going until you make it happen. The Law Of Attraction is for proactive people. It works for people who make it work. LOA is about harnessing your attention, your energy, your focus and your abilities.

Some people believe they don’t have to do anything but think about it and it will magically manifest. That is NOT what the LOA actually is about. It is a magnifying lens. Anything you place before it expands or is exaggerated. If you look at wonderful things you are blessed. If you put crap in front of it don’t be surprised if life is crappy.

What you focus on you get. Whatever the mind can conceive and you can believe you can achieve. It is about what you ACHIEVE. Not what magically appears. It all starts with the correct attitude or mindset. It begins first in the mind. It involves your feelings and your actions.

Know What You Want – Believe You Can Make It Happen

Some of the reasons LOA doesn’t seem to work is because people believe wrongly about what it is. It isn’t the fast food, magic bullet, quick fix, chant it into being formula some think it is. IT IS a practical, proven means to get you off your ass and into success by putting timeless principles to work. It works when you work it!

Some people take longer than others to know what they want. For some it takes a while  to specify it. It takes some people time to hone it and lock in on one thing. They may go back and forth about what they want or are vague in the first place.

Precision is key. Focus is Key. Practice is key. Write it down. Make autosuggestion work for you instead of against you. Autosuggestion is always ongoing. It is not something you do once. It is a life long continuing process. It is the basis of getting what you already have.

For some the problem is they concentrate on what they do not want. The subconscious mind (or the universe if you prefer) doesn’t care of judge. It gives you whatever you focus strongly on. It makes happen whatever you think about accompanied with strong emotion.

Some People Inadvertently Get What They Don’t Want

Some people are great at getting what they don’t want. They are scared, or depressed, angry, resentful, fearful, anxious or worried. So they get more of these.

Their attention is on what they want to avoid and they feel emotional at the same time. THAT is the magic formula for creating more of the same.

Make autosuggestion work for you by visualizing what  you do want as if you already have it. Feel these feelings strongly. Enjoy these. Affirm what you want positively with strong emotion. Feel it!

Do these things repeatedly. It will work for you. Hill states read it out loud at least twice a day. Fill your thoughts with it all day long. What you think about you become.

Think in terms of already having. State emphatically, ‘I am confident’ or ‘I have confidence’ rather than thinking you will some day. Some day never comes. Claim it now! Be a champion. Act like it!

You Already Use Autosuggestion Even If You Don’t Know It

You already have everything you need. This issue is you do not yet believe that nor do you fully realize it. You already have all the resources you just have not tapped into them yet. They ARE within you. They truly are. You will discover this if you act like it is true.

Too many people wait and hope. They don’t believe or affirm what they want. If you remain unconvinced that is what you end up with. Convince yourself you can do anything you set your mind to do.

You can learn how and you can make it happen. Don’t make excuses. Make what you want happen! Affirm it. See it as if it already happened. Imagine it so strongly you can see, feel and touch it.

Do this everyday until it is a burning desire – a white hot burning all encompassing desire. You must absolutely want it more than anything. Some people aren’t there yet. Don’t wait. Do it! It will not happen by itself. You make it happen.

You must do what it takes and keep doing it until you get it. Many won’t even try and many don’t stick with it. Hardly, anything else needs to be said about this. If you give up YOU quit! Don’t expect to be a winner if you are a quitter.

Commit Don’t Quit – Stop Being A Wimp

Some ‘gurus’ tell you it is because of your past unconscious conditioning and limiting beliefs. While this may be accurate it is a slippery slope. Don’t use what they say to look for crap. Remember, you get what you focus on.

Hill said you would come to believe what is necessary through repetition of thought. By repeatedly filling your mind with what you want you re-condition your mind to believe. The principle which is tried and true is ‘A lie repeated often enough is substituted for the truth.’

This means if you stick with it long enough you will get it. You will come to believe it as you affirm it or claim it. It does work. Spaced repetition is what creates a habit. Repeating the correct action over and over again during a long enough period of time is how habits are formed. So you create NEW thought habits the same way.

When ‘gurus’ say it is YOUR limitations there is a tendency to look for, find and focus on what is wrong. This is not going to help but can hinder you. Yes you want to free yourself of the limitations but wallowing and sifting through garbage doesn’t make you better.

Think of weeding a garden. You plant seeds expecting a certain plant to blossom. Weeds may enter the garden. Extract them as you find them and get rid of them. You do not give those weeds any more thought than that. You concentrate of making your garden healthy.

Use Autosuggestion To Get What You Do Want

You do need to focus on what you want and the new beliefs you want to have. Autosuggestion is the process we use to build new thought habits.   We are always suggesting things to ourselves.

We are always already affirming either positively or negatively.  We are already imagining wonderful things or not so wonderful things. We are already thinking about what we want to include or what we want to avoid. BOTH types of thinking create the results we get.

Stick with positive affirmations and positive visualization to program your mind positively! Use Directed Questions™. Fill your mind with positive inspiring and motivational materials. Read & listen to positive, life affirming materials. Hang around positive people.

Find ways to stay positive and feel your finest. Be happy and enthused. Allow yourself to enjoy and celebrate everything! Smile, laugh, sing, dance. The better you feel the more you enjoy life! Radiate! Imagine you are a light unto the world. Your job is to illuminate and spread joy.

Love Life And You Will Get Everything You Want

Help others get what they want and you will be helping yourself get what you want. Enjoy the success of others. Hold every one in positive regard. Practice, hell, LIVE the Golden Rule. DO these things and you will transform your experience all for the better.

You will be better equipped to handle difficulty when it arises. AND you will be better equipped to enjoy life daily. Make tiny moments magnificent and make terrible moments tiny. Whatever you can conceive and believe YOU can achieve!

Yes, it may take time but do you want it or not? What conditions do you put on getting it? If you can be, do and have anything you want this year will you do what it takes to get it? Will you keep doing it if takes 5, 10 or 20 years?

The answer to that question determines whether or not you are in if for the long haul.

Never give up! Persist in spite of any and all difficulty. This is the most difficult concept for people to get because, sadly, most people lack will power, backbone, dedication and tenacity. Stick with it!

It is easy to give up albeit disappointing. You must not quit if getting to your destination is important to you. There are things I am working on that are only now beginning to come together. Some things just take time. Accept this. Whatever you resist, persists!

Celebrate The Journey Because Where You Are Is Where You Are

Life is a process. That means ONGOING. We can’t tell where we are while in a process. So give up trying to. Nothing is all at once. We don’t have all the information at one time. Let it go. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the process. Celebrate everything and all will be better!

You cannot and must not compare yourself with others. Their path and yours are not the same in any way. You must not be locked into a time frame. You can work with deadlines but some things may take longer. THAT is just the way it is.

Think, ‘THIS or something better is coming to me.’ Think, ‘Good things are happening, and I don’t know when or how. Everything always works out for the best.’ Attitude really IS everything! It is ALL mind set!

How you are and others go about things is different. Stop comparing. Why you or they get something slower or faster is not worth suffering over. If you want something be patient. Anticipate getting it. Do not look at your present and complain you don’t have it yet. That will thwart it. Stop this!

Keep the faith regardless of what present circumstances are like. These have nothing to do with what you are creating. Do not be distracted by less than glorious circumstances or events that come up. Stay focused on what you want. Stay focused on celebrating everything.

Good Habits Get You What You Want To Be, Do And Have

The secret to the Law Of Attraction is the work you do on yourself. You must do the inner work. It begins in the mind and continues through into your actions and behaviors. Your attitude and your feelings determine how far you will go and whether or not you will continue when the going gets tough.

You must visualize and affirm and concentrate and focus on what you want to the exclusion of doubt, fear and worry. You must be passionate and want it and be convinced you will have it. Nothing wil stop you.

You must daily do the work and repeat it over and over until your subconscious mind takes hold and helps you with it. You consciously dictate again and again to your subconscious what it is you want.

Eventually, it gets it and things happen more swiftly. YOU have to lay the groundwork. You have to prepare the soil for planting, then plant, then nurture, then harvest. It takes time.

You have to dig the hole, lay the foundation, build the house. It takes time. You can’t rush it. If you do each step faithfully you will get what you want. You want to build it strong to last. Haste makes waste!

No doubt about it. You will make it happen. BUT remember it is YOU who makes it happen. It doesn’t happen to you. It is YOU working in co-operation with others who will make it happen.

Create a wonderful life for yourself. Commit to being the best, feeling your best, living your best and helping others to do the same. Your life will take on great meaning and you will be fulfilled!” Rex Sikes

Make marvelous this day!!!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

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I’M GOING TO LAUNCH THE NEW SITE SOON  –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home is coming!  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site.

Some of you get this blog emailed to you, I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter.

Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place. I might launch and update as we go along.

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

Stop Spinning Your Wheels! Do This & Powerfully Change Your Life!

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“Why do we believe as we do? Why do we believe what others have told us? Why don’t we become aware of being great? Why not consider yourself a powerful creator? Why not realize fully your potential for health, wealth and well-being?

Why not become all the attributes you admire? Why not have everything you want? It is just as easy to have all these qualities as it is to have their opposites.

Realize it is just as easy to be rich as it is poor. It is just as easy to be positive as it is to be negative. So how come you aren’t already? The answer most likely is you don’t believe it to be the case. You simply don’t believe these things, yet.

You have been told it is difficult, that it is hard work and that few succeed. You may have been told you don’t deserve it or that only a few do. Whatever you have been told shapes your perceptions of the world.

Beliefs Are Thoughts We Repeatedly Think

Beliefs are thoughts we repeatedly think. Much of what we believe came from other people growing up. It came from our parents, educators and peers. Most of our beliefs aren’t actually our own because they came from elsewhere.

What you believe is what you will see. What you hold in your mind is what you hold in your hand. What you focus on you become and you get. SO – WHY continue to believe things others told you? Why live the way they think you should?

Don’t you think it is time YOU decide which beliefs you want to have? Choose those that serve you positively and powerfully and drop the limiting ones like dead wait.  Let go of the limiting beliefs and chose new powerful ones that get you what you want and where you want to go.

Get free of limitations and move into a wonderful new way of being and experiencing life whereby you make happen what you want to have happen.

It Is Just As Easy To Be Positive As Negative

It is just as easy to be positive as negative. It is just as easy to be rich as it is to be poor. If ever you are going to make a positive change for yourself it would seem this is one you should absolutely make. So what stops you? Careful now, your answer is from that set of beliefs you already adopted.

If you give an excuse or a reason as to why you can’t you have already decided that you won’t. You have to turn from the old limiting beliefs and choose new ones. You need to drop the old ones and chose new ones!

Then repeat the new ones over and over with enthusiasm. Use great feeling and emotion until these become your new beliefs. As you do this you will get the results your want. Once you believe the new beliefs you will begin to make your desires and dreams come true. You will transform your life.

If you don’t do it your not likely to get any of the results you claim to want. Make it a point to do it until you succeed. This is the attitude you need to have!

Stop Focusing On What Is Wrong

You don’t need to go into your mind and analyze what is wrong. You don’t need to sift through your history of crap to try to feel better. You may have been told that you need to but you don’t. You will find plenty to feel poorly about because like attracts like.

Once you go looking for what is wrong it is just like digging a hole. You always find more dirt. It is only a another belief anyway that mucking around would be useful.

Stop focusing on what is wrong and why it is that way. Let it all go. You never change your beliefs by examining the old or by fighting them. ‘You don’t put new wine into old wineskins’. You just drop the old and walk away. You resolve to head in a new direction.

Shed the old limiting beliefs. Allow them to drop. Let them go. Turn your attention to something nicer, better, more powerful and more positive. Stop focusing on what you don’t want and don’t like and begin focus on what you do want and do like.

Ignore any call from the old beliefs. Simply do not answer. They are like cat calls as you walk by. Ignore them. Look to those things that are so wonderful that they capture your attention completely. Become captivated with being the new you.

You don’t need to fight anything, because what you fight and resist persists. You cause it to become stronger and bigger by trying to eliminate it. What you put energy into grows.

Start Focusing On What Is Right

What is ABSOLUTELY needed is to go looking around for all that is right with you. Everything about you that works perfectly. Find everything that is positive and powerful. Whatever it is, however small it may be, look for it. Remember, like will find like.

Look for all the good stuff. Your, talents, abilities, qualities, times you helped another person or an animal. ANYTHING. Keep looking. Value all that is wonderful about you. Find these, appreciate these, value these, focus on these. Do this again and again over and over. What you focus on is what you get and become.

Imagine yourself as the powerful creator you truly are. The fact is you have been creating everything, already, all along. It is time to own up and face that you are already 100% responsible for what you have or don’t have in life. No excuses, no blaming.  That is the old way.

Perhaps, up until this moment you have been creating what you didn’t want. STOP IT! Turn away from the old way. Use good taste and create what you DO want instead. Now is the time.

Imagine Everything As You Want It To Be

In the mental movie theater of your mind see yourself and the life as you want it. Imagine it fully, vividly as though you are already living it. Make it so wonderful nothing could distract you. See, hear and really feel what it is like to be living in this way. Feel what it is like to already be and have that. It is now already yours.

This is a process. It takes some time.  Be patient.  You will bring it about if you stay with it. Be positive create what you want. Use your mental movies, your self talk and your feelings to guide you.

You have been using affirmations all along too. You have been asserting how things are in your world. Yes, things may have been less than glorious and by your statements and attention you have been affirming this. You have been creating what you did not want too! Okay, that was how you did things in the past.

Decide NOW to turn around and create only what you do want. Only speak what you DO want. Only notice what you do want. Evidence will follow in time. It does not precede. People use excuses such as ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’. They want the evidence first.

IT does not work this way. Believe it and you will eventually see it. What we hold in our head we will someday hold in our hand.

As you change your limiting borrowed beliefs into powerful, positive, personal ones you will begin to see the changes take place. It starts inside, it starts with a thought, it begins with what we believe. What we think about we bring about! Create all the goodness and all the wonderful things you desire. Begin today!” Rex Sikes

Live more fully today!

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

Who Else Wants To Have More Fun & Overall Enjoyment!

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“Would you like to have more fun and overall enjoyment? Would you like to accelerate your own personal evolution? Would you like to find ways to make changing more fun and easier than ever? If you answered yes then are you willing to do it? It is simple enough and easy enough. All you have to do is be sure to do it.

Fun and delight come from what you put your energy into; what you focus and concentrate on and what you spend time doing. You can increase the amount of enjoyment exponentially by doing these following easy things.

If you haven’t yet read my previous post about asking Directed Questions™ or any of my posts on this topic you may wish to do that now or when you finish this post.

Whether you make declarative affirmation statements or use Directed Questions™ two things are critical. Sincerity is one. You must honestly ask. Be curious. Be sincere when you make the statements.

Even if you don’t fully believe them, yet be sincere and feel good. When you take on the attitude of a child you get out of your own way. Be open, curious, available, eager and enjoy!

Questions are an immense help when you aren’t able to fully believe an affirmation. Rather than declaring something that feels off to you ask questions on how soon you might begin to fully accept it. Ask questions that eventually lead you into believing.

Trying to repeat an affirmation that makes you feel less than glorious is not the right thing to do. Feel great when you affirm!

Feel good! Feel incredible! It isn’t the words that are the most effective. The words help paint the pictures in your mind. You want to use words that enable you to easily visualize. You want to be able to imagine your goals and dreams completed, feeling wonderful. The words are an important part but not the most important part.

The feelings are most important! Emotions drive the subconscious mind. Whether happy or sad, glad or angry your feelings inform your subconscious what to pay attention to and respond to. This is why so many people get what they don’t want. They think about what they don’t want while emotionally agitated and the subconscious goes ‘okay your wish is my command!’.

Feel good when you affirm and ask questions to direct your mind. This is powerful information. Use it!

Feel your best. Feel enthused, eager, delighted, joyful, confident, relaxed or peaceful. The stronger the emotion when asking or affirming the better. The quicker they work. Emotions are the key! Your goal should be to feel the very best you can most of your day. All of your day. Make it a habit!

It’s easy and fun when you are feeling your finest! Everything works together and it is like greasing the wheel. Enjoy and delight in it!

While that isn’t always possible there are things you can do if you get off track and need to get back on track. See other posts in this blog about steering back to center when needed. Keep in mind that feeling best for as often and as long as you can IS life changing.

Find reasons to be grateful right this moment. Find reasons to give thanks and celebrate everything in your life now and you will feel better much more of the time. Make it a habit! Bring your awareness to what is good right now! Live in this moment! Feel alive. Ask yourself, what is good and new? Look for it and you WILL find it!

Learn to manage your thoughts and emotions and you will begin to live like a champion. Your inner mental images, your self-talk and your feelings will all be aligned and congruent.When congruent you are on your way to making your dreams come true.

That is when it is ‘full speed ahead!’ More and more your moments will become wonderful! You will find more to enjoy and more that is meaningful!

Doing these things will produce wonderful feelings. The wonderful feelings you have will make you want to do it more. It begins a marvelous cycle. Doing means feeling good means doing means feeling good. Keep it up and you positively enhance your daily life!

You make it a habit it when you correctly repeat it again and again over a period of time. Develop great, powerful, positive habits.

Everything works together when you are feeling your finest. Do what you can to feel wonderful. State your affirmations and ask your Directed Questions™ in the most powerful, positive emotional states you can experience.  Think the best, only speak the best to self and others and feel your best and magic will happen!” Rex Sikes

It is another incredible day to enjoy!

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

 

Now! You Can Overcome Difficulties & Have A Life Worth Living!

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“Can we live a life worth having? Can we love and enjoy being loved? If we have only one go around then why not find the way to enjoy it and others as best we are able? Can we create a wonderful life and a wonderful world for everyone?

These are questions I find important that we ask ourselves and the purpose of this blog is to help us ask questions that bring us more wonderful results and answers.

Commit to making a change for yourself, commit to your goals and commit to asking yourself new sets of questions. Doing this will help you be happy and able to succeed beyond your wildest expectations.

You might ask the following samples and you might create your own:

I wonder how exquisitely talented I can become? How quickly will I begin to learn these new skills? In how many different ways can I express my confidence appropriately? How easily can I find my self being able to make these changes now? In how many different ways will I be delighted to look back and realize I was able to readily accomplish my goals?

How come I am so lucky? Why am I so wonderful? What are my very best qualities? How soon will I begin to notice myself feeling more surprised and delighted each day?  What new wonderful things will I discover today that can and will amaze me? How soon will I notice myself smiling and laughing more? How much fun can I discover?

I wonder how quickly and easily I can achieve my ideal weight by eating right and getting the right amount of sleep and exercise? How can I become thinner while enjoying the process? How soon will I find myself naturally eating the foods that are healthy for me? In how many positive and powerful ways can I picture my ideal self?

I wonder how delighted I will be as I begin to notice the many different ways I am feeling better and better? How naturally and easily can I begin to pay attention to the most pleasant, wonderful positive feelings? Which sensation in my body feels the very best right now? What can I pay attention to that makes me feel loved?

How delighted  can I become to naturally notice myself feeling more vibrant and alive? How many great feelings can I discover? In how many different ways can I powerfully imagine myself successful? What are the many different ways I can begin to notice my life becoming more and more wonderful? What am I most grateful for?

How quickly and easily will I begin to talk nicely to myself in ways that make me feel grand?  How easily can I see myself feeling incredible having accomplished my goals? What are the best feelings I can feel today? How soon can I begin to notice and pay attention to the many different ways I am blessed and feel absolutely thankful?f How soon can I notice everything always works out well for me?

You can substitute pronouns. For example you can ask yourself or another person the any of the above questions or the following:

How soon will you begin to notice with absolute delight how happy you can become? Do you realize how exciting it is going to be when you take this vacation? In how many different ways are you going to enjoy it? What do you imagine will be the most fun for you? Isn’t it wonderful to be able to relax and let go?

Asking questions of yourself and others directs the mind to areas it is most useful, positive and beneficial to focus on. You aren’t looking for ‘an’ answer you are allowing your brain to find examples. Birds of a feather flock together so the brain comes up with more and more.

The more you ask the more you can find and delight. These are samples. Create your own. Ask repeatedly. The more you ask the more quickly you will benefit. Soon you will find it becoming a natural and automatic habit to look for the good and the new  in your experiences. Remember, we become what we think about!

Questions are useful in feeling better, learning new behaviors and skills easily, overcoming difficulties and discovering new opportunities and advantages you may have been missing. Asking the right questions repeatedly in the right way directs the mind to look for numerous ways to evolve yourself or solve your problems and resolve your difficulties gently. Take it easy and enjoy asking!

You will readily begin to direct your attention and yourself in positive and powerful ways. Right now, notice how well these work to direct your attention and the attention of others in positive ways. Ask nicely! How you ask is as important as what you ask. These types of questions are especially wonderful with children and teens!

I have shared Directed Questions™ since 1980. Countless numbers of people have benefited positively and powerfully by learning to direct their minds. You will too!

So what can you do today for yourself and for others that will put a smile on your face and on theirs? More tomorrow.” Rex Sikes

Have an incredible day!

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  COMING VERY SOON –  Daily Inspiration And Gratitude’s new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this and new content will be at new site. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. You will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. Please stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

Want To Make Good Things Happen To You & In Your Life?

horizon snow fence post shadows

“Who doesn’t want to have more of the good things in life? Don’t you? If there were a way to get it would you take that way? What would you give up to get the life of your dreams? Some people want things without really wanting them very much. They don’t do anything to make their dreams come true other than wish. Sadly, wishing won’t make it so.

If you’d like to make good things happen to you and in your life you need to focus on good things. Your thoughts must remain positive. You must know what you want to create and include in your life and support that with your thoughts and actions.

You need to hold  these good, positive things in your mind because energy flows where your attention goes. You direct the flow of energy by what you pay attention to. That is why your attention must be riveting on the positive and the good things you want.

You can’t be wishy washy and expect stellar results.

Positive or negative? It is always your choice. Focus on the good you get good. Focus on the positive you get positive. YOU make it happen. It is always up to you.

Which side gets most of the energy?  Positive or Negative? The one with the most energy runs the show. The results you have been getting are an indicator. If you aren’t getting what you want you aren’t focused on it in a way that works.

Your feelings are an indicator. If you are feeling less than glorious most of the time you are not focused on being positive most of the time. It is simple. It is straight forward. It is clear!

The more positive you are the more you get back. The more negative you are the more you get back. You become whatever is most predominant in your life. If you are stuck you are waffling, drifting, your are 50/50.

Do you want more love? Focus on and concentrate on being more loving and giving more love. Do you want to be happier? Focus on being happy and making others smile too. Do you want more success? Focus on being successful and confident. Encourage and support others. Do you want to be debt free? Concentrate on abundance, feeling rich and be grateful for what you presently have!

You need to concentrate on what you want more of. You need to focus on what you want to include in your life. You do not get wealthy thinking poor thoughts. You do not get healthy thinking unhealthy thoughts. You need to put your attention on what you want and keep it there no matter what the present circumstances are around you.

To move forward the way you want to you need to be concentrated on the positive most of the time. That is just the way it is. You need to be positive in your thoughts. You need to remain positive in what you imagine in your mind and say to yourself.

You must be feeling good most of the time. Think 80/20. At least 80% of the time you should be thinking and feeling positive. Your attention and energy should be positive. Then you are in that wonderful creation space. You want the good life? You can absolutely create it. Take control of you thoughts!” Rex Sikes

Today is a day you can delight in!

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so.

PSS  A great practice is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS  

*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  Soon Daily Inspiration And Gratitude will have a new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this content and new content will be delivered there. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. I hope you will stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. So will you stay with me?  I sure want you to. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

11 Powerful Principles To Transform Your Life

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“I promised you more on beliefs how we have been conditioned in limiting ways. More will come. But I thought I would provide you a brief, to the point interlude. I think together these thoughts say it all.

Take them to heart. They are easy to remember. I put lots of them together for that very reason. Enjoy them, remember them, keep them in mind.  Use these to transform your thinking and your life.

Direct and run your mind.  Don’t let your mind run you.

The mind is your slave. You are not the mind’s slave. Unless you allow yourself to be.

Focus on doubt you will  fail. Focus on success you will succeed.

Think negative and you will get negative results. Think positive and you will get positive results.

Like attracts like.  Birds of a feather flock together. Whatever you focus on you will get more of the same.

You get what you think about. You get what you focus on good or bad.

If you can hold it in your head you will some day hold it in your hand

You become what you think about. Earl Nightengale

If you can conceive it and believe it you can achieve it. Napoleon Hill

If you think you can or you think you can’t you are right. Henry Ford

Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances., to chose one’s way. Victor Frankl

What you fill your mind with determines what you can and cannot do. Fill it always with the best. Think like a champion and you will live like a champion. Live like a champion and you will be unstoppable!” Rex Sikes

Live passionately and enjoy!

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  Soon Daily Inspiration And Gratitude will have a new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this content and new content will be delivered there. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. I hope you will stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. So will you stay with me?  I sure want you to. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

The Secret Successful People Know: How You Ask ‘Why’ Determines Your Success Or Failure!

horizon rainbow field

“Did you know that questions direct your mind? They do. When you ask a question, of yourself, your mind goes on a search to find experiences and answers. It looks in a broad way for classes of experiences and multiple examples to fulfill the request.

Questions are tricky because you may not even be aware that you asked one or more. When conversing with another you know you asked a  question. I’m concerned right now with the questions you ask yourself in your self-talk. These questions you  may be asking all day long and not even aware of it.

What You Ask Yourself And Others Is Critical

We grew up often having to answer accusatory questions such as: ‘why did you do that?’ ‘Why do you always do that?’ ‘Why can’t I count on you?, ‘Why are you naughty?’ and many more like these. If you ask a child, why the child is good or why the child is bad you will get two different answers and sets of feelings.

If you ask the child, why are you good? The child has to think about that, find examples of being good, feeling good, doing the ‘right’ thing. You could ask, ‘in how many ways are you good’, or ‘how do you always know to do the right thing’, or ‘isn’t it wonderful to be good’, or ‘why do you enjoy feeling good?’ Notice how the child feels and responds.

These questions direct our mind, and the child’s to explore and find answers. The bottom line is we may never actually know ‘why’ but we still come up with answers, reasons and experiences. The questions we were asked and we ask of ourselves subsequently helped to form our self image. Who we are and the quality of our life is determined by the questions we ask of ourself.

Questions Direct Your Mind To Find Examples And Reasons

Ask the child, why are you bad? The child goes through the same process but feels quite different. Ask the child this enough times and the child begins to identify with the feelings, the reasons and the question itself.  The brain traveling the same neural pathways repeatedly becomes habituated. Whenever an issue arises the resulting feelings and conclusions are, ‘it must be because I am bad’.

It could be any other reason as well or in addition to. It could be because I am:  fat;  unlovable; stupid; uncaring; slow; unhealthy; poor; unlucky; un-coordinated; frivolous; cautious; risky; small; weak; tall; boy; girl; young; old, I don’t know how; it is too hard; I’ve never done it before. The list of reasons why is endless.

We grew up being blamed and then blaming ourselves. We tried to escape the blame by diverting it. We learned quickly to  accuse others, or things or circumstances. We made up reasons even if we were not sure what the truth of the matter actually was. This became chronic in many, if not most of, us. It is habit and we find ourselves doing the same today without thinking. It is automatic!

The Questions You Ask Determine Whether You Succeed Or Fail

The questions, the silent ones, we ask ourselves are insidious and difficult to recognize. We utter them on the inside or under our breath. ‘Why me?’ ‘Why do things always suck?’ How come I never get a break?’ ‘Why does s/he always treat me this way?’ ‘Will I never get ahead?’ Recognize any of these or variations?

What makes it critical is you are directing your mind in damaging ways. You aren’t helping yourself. You are harming yourself. These questions are habitual. Chronic. You ask them before realizing you are thinking them. You have done it forever. It is time to stop it!

Asking questions like these aren’t making you feel better nor do they improve the quality of your life. When you focus your mind on the very things you want to avoid you end up creating more of the same.

You become what you think about most during the day. You get what you focus on. You brain delivers you multiple reasons and examples per your request. Your inner world creates your outer world. It starts with the mind and your feelings (body and mind being part of the same) and affects your actions.

Questions And Thinking Produces Feelings

Here is a bet for you. If you are asking yourself, unproductive, crappy questions that lead you to find examples and reasons you are broken, bad and feeling unworthy and terrible IT IS A BET you are asking your children and your loved ones the same types of questions. You ask the same of everyone around you. Bet on it!

It makes sense someone asked them of you. If you want your kids and loved ones to feel better and grow up confident and capable ask them the kind of questions that serve to do that. Help direct their mind and help them learn to direct their own mind in positive, powerful, productive, optimistic ways. Help them become a Can Do person not a Can’t Do person. Keep this in mind!

If you are asking, ‘why you are so unlucky’ you are not creating luck! If you are asking ‘how can I get out of debt’ you are focused on debt. If you are asking ‘why you can’t lose wait’ you are focused on being fat. If you are saying, ‘I want a non-smoker’ you are focused on smoking or people who smoke and how you don’t want one of those.

You may think you are being positive but you are thinking the opposite! You are NOT thinking and getting what you think you are. I don’t want to think of a green spotted cow right now. Oooops too late! You don’t get healthy focusing on illness. You don’t get rich trying to get out of debt. You don’t become better off thinking about and asking why you aren’t

What Are You Focused On?

You get healthy focused on health. You get rich focused on riches and abundance. You are already getting whatever you are focused on. Do you get this, yet? Whatever you predominantly hold in your mind is why you feel, behave and have what you have. Good or bad. If you results, circumstances, events in your life suck trace it back to the direct link WHAT YOU ARE THINKING AND ASKING ABOUT!

Whatever you hold in your mind’s eye, whatever you ask about, whatever you concentrate on, whatever you entertain or stew over is what you bring about. Ideas become things. Thoughts become things. Your life is a direct result of the kind of mindset you have! To change the life you have you must first change your mindset. You must ask better questions and thing better thoughts about what you DO want. Make sure it is what you want to include!

You don’t just sit in your room dreaming and wishing for these things. You are not hoping for a new life and doing nothing about it. What I propose is that you learn a powerful way to aim your mind at what it is you want so you are better equipped and more quickly able to get it. YOU make it happen. You align your thoughts and positive feelings then the actions you take come from these.

You align your mindset with what you want. Get this critical area straight first. Decide what you want and you keep your mind on it. Imagine how wonderful it is to be in possession of what you want and you feel these incredible feelings. If you are feeling wonderful as you think about what you want you are on the RIGHT track. If you don’t feel good that is a SIGNAL you are on the WRONG track.

You can monitor your thoughts by how you are feeling moment to moment. The goal is to feel the best most of the time you are awake. That is the key. Then with this mindset and wonderful feelings you do what is necessary to make your dreams come true. Your mindset precedes your actions.

IF your self-image/mindset sucks your actions will too. You won’t do the right things with the wrong thinking! Get your thinking right and everything else will fall into place.

You Can’t Escape The Power Of Your Thoughts

When your thinking is correct, you will be aware of opportunity and possible advantages and create a road map. You begin to see in new and clearer ways. Just as when you buy yourself a brand new watch, or blouse or car and suddenly you begin spotting those same items around you. You will become aware of new opportunities, events, and people to include in your life.

You need to know where you want to end up. You work to get there Along the way you may have to make adjustments and take detours. Obstacles and challenges may arise. Learn from these and keep heading toward your ultimate destination. Never give up and you will succeed.

If you build your house in sand or use faulty building materials your house will never stand for long. It will collapse. The same is true if your goals and dreams aren’t built with the proper mindset. When you build a strong foundation with positive, powerful thinking you can do anything.

Your Questions And Thoughts Serve You Or They Don’t

Think right and you will be unstoppable. Thing wrong and you will not get very far, if you get anywhere at all. What you think about is what you get and become. Manage what you think about. Ask yourself better questions that direct your mind into what you want to be, feel, do and have. I began using my Directed Questions™ by 1980 and it is powerful.

Spend your time thinking, ‘How come I am so lucky? ‘In how many different ways am I fabulous?’ Why do things always work out right for me?’ What are the best feelings I can feel today?’ How many smiles can I discover throughout this morning?’ ‘Why do I always wake up feeling wonderful?’ ‘Which of the many incredible feelings I have will I experience first today?’

Make Changes More Easily By Asking The Right Questions

‘How quickly can I notice myself feeling even more delighted?’ How much fun can I have today?’ ‘In how many different ways can I discover myself amazed and feeling blessed with all the good things I have in life? Ask questions like these again and again all day long. YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE! Invent your own and keep asking!

Successful people know how to use their mind. They know what they think, how they think and how they ask for things makes the critical difference. You can be successful too when you first learn to think successfully! Think positive. Affirm and have faith. Love yourself and your current life, celebrate and be thankful and you will move forward swiftly. Plants take time to bloom just as it takes time to build a house.

Ultimately, you will be, and do and have anything you want because you targeted it, aimed at it and never lost sight of it. You came, you saw, you conquered! Be a champion. Think like a champion and you will live like a champion!” Rex Sikes

PS YOU may know someone who could really benefit from hearing this message. Feel free to share this with them via social media or email. Buttons below make it easy for you to do so. If you benefit from these words please help someone else benefit too.

PSS I have discussed how to make changes more easily using questions throughout these blog posts. You can search by topic and find some. A great thing to do is read the posts daily and then go back and re-read from time to time. You will discover things you missed the first few readings. Try it, you will be surprised.

Delight in today to the utmost!

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  Soon Daily Inspiration And Gratitude will have a new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this content and new content will be delivered there. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. I hope you will stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. So will you stay with me?  I sure want you to. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

What Your Body Language Reveals About You? Others Can Tell!

"Scarlett"From an article by Jim Stingl...."Sarah Platka is haunted by one particular sunrise, Aug. 17, 2011, and she is hoping someone around here photographed it."......... I did, I just never posted it, so here it is.She and her husband, Nate Weber, of South Milwaukee, had a baby that morning one year ago today, and the sunrise over Lake Michigan was so red and spectacular that it inspired the name they gave their daughter, Scarlett Lucia (Lucia means light in Italian).Ñ with Annette Kelley and Pat Landsel. Photo by Phil Koch

“Did you know people see the real you even if you attempt to hide it? At the very least they see someone attempting to hide. You do realize this, don’t you? It would be far better to live authentically, would it not? Wouldn’t it be great to live with less worry and fear?

What might it be like to move through the world more confidently? Can you imagine?  How wonderful would it be if you felt courageous most of the time? What if you were able to make things happen in positive ways? Wouldn’t that be grand?

You could be happier, healthier, wealthier and more successful. You can, you know. It is far simpler than most people believe. All you have to do is implement some easy things and keep doing them until they become habit. It is that simple.

My recent blog post was about living assertive and assured because it is important to have faith and be confident. I shared with you how you can use your mental movie theater, your imagination, to begin to become more positive and powerful. You use your mind to produce the wonderful feelings that are important to live from.

Use Your Mind And Your Words For Positive Change

You can and should use affirmations, Directed Questions™, or positive self-talk to move you forward. What you think and say to yourself is critical. It means the difference between being a success or failure, champion or loser. Think and speak only to bless, heal and prosper yourself and others. Be careful of your thoughts and words.

You will not be a success, or happy or a champion ragging and nagging on yourself all day long. The outer you will demonstrate to the world what goes on inside you. Everyone will see the way you think and feel by how you act and move.

You need positive, powerful, supportive, nurturing images, words and feelings to feel successful, happy and a champion. When your thoughts, words and feelings are aligned you are congruent.

You are most powerful and capable when congruent. It shows in your eyes and body. It is noticeable when you speak. It is evident how you sit, move and use your body. It is as if every atom of your being is charged with power. You and others will see and feel it.

There is a soft-spoken form of quiet self confidence one can recognize. This person is completely filled with presence. This person is completely present, in the here and now, and engaged.

How You Move And Speak Reflects Your Inner State Of Being

You can tell the person is congruent by the sound of their voice, the firmness and the look in the eye. Everything about this person communicates ‘I believe in and mean my message.’ or ‘I am who I say I am. I believe in myself.’

This person, when communicating with you, looks you straight in the eye, maybe looks right into your heart. You know it when you encounter it. They are right there with you totally here and now. They are alive yet completely calm. Relaxed yet vibrant!

The energy from them is strong and focused. There is no distraction. There is a steady, calm, confident assurance. If you have ever encountered a someone with immense personal power you will understand what I am speaking of.

The confident person’s posture is strong and tall. Shoulders are back, chin is out, eyes are forward. The confident person moves with purpose. Confident people tend to smile more. Why not? They know who they are and are proud and pleased. They smile because they feel good and feel like smiling.

This person speaks with authority or confidence. Nothing  about it is hostile or demanding. Their tone can be very pleasant but it commands you to listen. The person speaks so you can hear but not loud unless giving a speech. This person is assertive, and can be gentle and caring or passionate and persuasive.

You can easily tell this person believes in him or herself. You can tell how the person looks; the look in their eyes; on their face; how the person sits, moves, stands and behaves. You can tell by the volume, rate and tempo when they speak. You know by the quality of the voice and firmness. Everything points in one direction – confidence.

Mind And Body Affect Each Other – They Are One

Your mind affects your body. What you think shows up in how you approach the world. It shows up in your posture and how you sit, stand, move and act. It shows on your face because your thoughts and feelings are intimately wired neurologically.

If you think weak, tired thoughts you feel that way and act that way. People easily recognize when someone thinks self defeating thoughts, or is worried, fearful or sad. They show it. They behave it. Their defeated thinking and feeling  is reflected in everything they do. How do people see you? What are you demonstrating everyday?

People also easily recognize courageous, confident, successful, and happy people. They show it. They behave it! Their positive thinking and feeling is reflected in everything they do as well. Do people see you as someone happy and successful, confident and together, or not? How do people see you? What are you demonstrating?

We cannot easily hide what goes on inside us. Some do try, though, it is true. People try to mask their emotions which means others see the mask. They may not see the real you but they do notice the phony mask. This is no way to live. You are most attractive when you are genuinely you. Learn to live happily and with courage!

Since our mind and body are intimately wired we can use our thoughts to affect our body or our body to affect our thoughts. If we stand tall, and move with confidence and smile more we will feel more confident and brave. Do it! Keep doing it during the day!

Our primitive brains react to stimuli, real or perceived, by fight, freeze, or flight. If you allow your primitive brain to rule you your life will be ruled mostly by fear. It will not be within your control it will control you.  Many people live this way but this is no way to live.

In reality, there is little to fear in this day and age. Far fewer worries than when you had to avoid being devoured by a predator in the wild. That is what your primitive brain was useful for. Today, it is important to learn more appropriate ways to respond to life situations. You don’t have to react with fear or worry.

How You Use Your Body Affects You

Learn to stand tall and smile. Learn to walk, move, stand and speak with confidence and courage. Your body is intimately wired to your thoughts.  Use your posture purposefully. This is the way you can control and even neutralize the primitive brain. Smile, Smile, Smile!

Simply by using your body in this manner you can make very positive changes. You will think and feel better, You will be more confident. When you do some vigorous exercise shortly after dragging your butt from bed, complaining you are too tired, you become more alive and alert and feel better. You shake and wake things up!

How you utilize the mind affects the body. Think and affirm confident and courageous thoughts and you will stand, walk, move and speak more powerfully and assertively. Mind and body go hand in hand. Use both. Adjust your attitude and your body language!

You will be far more powerful and able to take advantage of possibilities and make things happen when you use your mind and body together productively. People will respond to you in positive ways when you exude a positive, friendly, fearless attitude.

This is why successful people look and sound and behave successfully. Their thoughts and feelings and body language are congruent. You are  much more powerful when your totality is aligned. Then you can relax and be completely you! No mask.

Power Comes From Aligning Your Thoughts Words And Body

When you are purposeful and deliberate, courageous and confident you become unstoppable because you know you will prevail no matter what. Every neuron, every cell, every fiber of your being works together to accomplish it. You are focused, determined and living purposefully. Others will see the real you!

You will discover your power can be unlimited. You will find you notice and take advantage of opportunities and circumstances you may otherwise have missed. You will attract other positive people to you. Overall your well-being, your health and life improve!

So do not put it off another day. Adjust your thinking and Aadjust your posture. OR adjust your posture and adjust your thinking. Work on both. Use the tools, the methods, the approaches I have shared with you in these blog pages. Continue to read. Go back and read through the other pages too. Re-read again and again.

You will discover so many positive benefits when you act on the information shared here. If you will just put it into practice you will transform your life incredibly. If you wait and debate you will remain the same. For you to change yourself and your life, if you want to, you must decide to act. It is simple and it is completely up to you!” Rex Sikes

Have a passionate play day!!!

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*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  Soon Daily Inspiration And Gratitude will have a new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this content and new content will be delivered there. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. I hope you will stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. So will you stay with me?  I sure want you to. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.

One Quality You Must Have To Be Happy & Succeed!

horizon lake sunrise

“Do wishy washy people appeal to you? Isn’t it frustrating when a person is overly timid and will not say what the person wants? It is equally unattractive when someone is aggressive, isn’t it.  We don’t want to be around pushy, rude or threatening people either.

There are many desirable qualities to have in order to be happy and for success. One quality definitely required is assertiveness. An assertive person is neither aggressive nor passive.

Assert What You Want

Assertive is defined as confident or self confident, decisive, assured or self assured, forthright, firm, and emphatic. It means you are NOT aggressive or pushy or demanding. It means you are not cowering, afraid or too timid. It means you know what you want and can say so.

The word assured means reliable, dependable, certain, sure and secure. These qualities are ones you may need more of and that you can learn to acquire.  It is a great thing to be dependable!

When you are assertive it means you’re able to state your needs and desires confidently, in a straight forward manner, without apology. It means you are able to affirm what you want without being intimidating or threatening. You simply are confident, decisive, assured and forthright.

Be Confident And Assured You Will Make It Happen

You must be assertive to reach your goals.You must be assertive to achieve your definite chief aim or purpose. You must be assertive when it comes to making your life the way you want it to be. You cannot be wishy washy, and aggression will work against you. You must be firm, steadfast, committed and assured.

You need to know what you want. You must specify it and clarify it in your mind. You need to assert that you will get it. You believe it, you are confident and have faith you will accomplish it. You are reliable and dependable and secure in bringing it about. You think and speak what you want in positive terms and affirm this.

Affirm means to state as a fact, declare, assert, swear, vow, guarantee and pledge. It means you commit to making your goals and dreams come true and are willing to commit to it publicly. You don’t have to publicly announce your goals that isn’t the point.

Affirm It In Your Thoughts Words And Actions

It is probably wiser if you don’t. You don’t need naysayers or detractors or added pressure from peers or family. Just quietly but confidently go about creating what you want. Surprise everyone.

When you assert yourself you act with power. You are congruent in mind and body. You are at one with your purpose. You are totally aligned with what you want and your conviction that you will get it. You do not allow circumstances or others to intimidate or threaten you. You know you will see it through. Success is guaranteed!

So how do you become more assertive? The same way you become more of anything. You practice and you rehearse. You put it into motion and become it. You make being assertive a habit. That’s how you are currently the person you are. Only you did it without knowing you were doing it at the time. Now you do it with awareness and purpose!

You Are Already Who You Imagine Yourself To Be

First you become it in your mind. You imagine it in your mental movie theater. You see yourself acting assertively in situations. You imagine you already have it. If it is at first difficult to imagine yourself behaving differently look for positive role models who embody what you want.

That person could be someone you know who exemplifies it or it could be someone famous. Simply notice how they act and behave assertively and imagine you doing the same. Learn from their positive example. Leave out any personal characteristics that are not you. For example, they speak with an accent and you don’t. So don’t do it.

Use the inner theater daily, 5, 10, 20 minutes at a time, the more often and more time you can spend, at first, the more efficient you will become at doing this. Time can then be reduced. More importantly, do enough to be effective and not so much you quit. Make the time you spend manageable and enjoyable.

See yourself as an assertive person. Live your life knowing what you want, speaking it, without intimidating, but confidently, assured and positive. Notice how you look and sound. Notice how it feels to imagine this and enjoy the good feelings. Affirm this.

Make Affirmations Part Of Your Daily Thoughts And Activities

State positively that ‘I know what I want’, ‘I get what I want’, ‘I can always find a way to make it happen’ and other positive declarations. You can also phrase these as ‘You know what you want. You can make it happen.’ You can also put your own name in place of ‘I’ or ‘You’. All three are worthwhile to do.

Ask Directed Questions™ such as, ‘I wonder how delighted I will be to discover myself feeling more confident throughout each day? How much fun will it be to be more assertive in daily activities? How quickly and easily will I begin to notice, more and more each day, that I feel assured and positive that I will make my dreams come true?’

The key here is to ask open ended questions that direct your mind to what you want to have more of in your life. You want to be assertive, yes, and delighted, and notice changes, and have it easily and more quickly. So you direct your mind through positive questions.

The use of questions and affirmations help you to visualize. The point of visualizing is to create the feelings of what it feels like to already be what you want to be and have what you want to have. Together, these are a prime directive your subconscious mind gets.

Instruct Your Subconscious Mind As To What You Want

You live it first in your mind, feeling it and as you do you become it more and more in your behaviors. From within to without. Imagine it and you can become it. We become what we think about most during each day. What we think about we bring about!

Discover opportunities to clarify what you want and state it. There are numerous times throughout the day you can assert yourself. Remember to speak only in ways that bless, heal and prosper yourself and others. (See my previous posts about this). For example, act more assertive when you are ordering coffee.

Tell the individual taking your order firmly and politely what you want. Thank them. Don’t ask if you can have one, of course you can. You are paying for it. Be nice and state what you want. Practice this. Be sure to say thank you and smile. A smile shows you are friendly and you are confident.

You do the same with your goals in your mental movie theater. You first decide what you want. Stated in positive terms. Avoid stating what you don’t want. You may use what you don’t want to guide you into clarifying what you do want. Imagine yourself already in possession of it. Feel all the wonderful feelings. Savor them!

Imagine You Already Are The Person You Want To Become

Repeat daily and often throughout the day. Soon you will discover it becomes easier and easier and your behavior conforms to the image you have in your mind. Guess what, your behavior already has conformed to whatever image you have had in your life. If you don’t like the results change that inner image into a more positive and better one.

Who you are on the inside is who you are on the outside. If you want your life to change you will have to change things in your life. You must start with your own self image. You must start by evolving and updating you. You can be happier, you will have more personal and professional success as you imagine a happier and more successful you.

Make this a habit and you will be more readily able to change other habits along the way. You will become confident and secure in getting your goals. You WILL make them happen because YOU can make them happen. You will live knowing that you have the power within you to create the kind of life you want for yourself and love ones.” Rex Sikes

Have a thrilling day!

Subscribe and Follow Daily Inspiration and Gratitude!  Visit often. Feel free to comment. If you think others would benefit please share this blog with others.

NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS     NEWS  

*Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.

HEADS UP!!!  Soon Daily Inspiration And Gratitude will have a new home.  A new URL, a new look and feel. All this content and new content will be delivered there. Some of you get this blog emailed to you,

I don’t know whether that will continue or not. I do know you will be able to subscribe to the blog and my new newsletter. I hope you will stay with us. I’d hate to lose you or have you miss any blog you want to receive. So will you stay with me?  I sure want you to. I’ll let you know when the change is taking place.