We’ve all heard it before. Listen to positive affirmations. Practice mantras. Think positive thoughts!
Totally works. UNLESS…you don’t believe them!
I remember the first couple of years I lived in Los Angeles, I was a makeup artist so I was commuting all over the city to different studio’s. At that time I was NOT loving my career. I was in a shitty relationship. I was gaining weight, coming off of some really restrictive diets, and I had very little self-confidence.
One day I saw a Louise Hay CD in a bookstore called “Self-Esteem Affirmations.” So I picked it up and began listening to it on my commutes each day. I’d repeat things like….
“I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do.”
“I am beautiful and everybody loves me.” and
“Loving others is easy when I love and accept myself.”
These affirmations were SO FAR from what I believed at the time. I would say them, but didn’t in the slightest believe what I was repeating. As you can imagine, not much shifted for me. Now I understand why.
When you are repeating something you don’t believe it just feels phony and fake and your brain will come up with ALL the evidence as to why it’s not true.
Let’s say right now when you look in the mirror; you think things like…..
“I hate my body.”
“I look disgusting.”
“No one will ever find me attractive.”
& “Ugh, I’m so fat”…..
If this is what you currently believe, then it’s going to be a HUGE stretch to practice thoughts like “I love my body” and “my body is beautiful.”
Now, I’m not hating on affirmations. We have to keep affirming new thoughts and beliefs to create change. But it’s important that they at least feel somewhat believable.
So if you want to change your thoughts. Here’s a faster route. Start with bridge thoughts!
Bridge thoughts are like the stepping stones between what you currently believe and what you want to believe.
So instead of taking one GIANT LEAP, we take one step at a time.
If your current thought is “I hate my body,” a bridge thought would be “I have a human body” or “I’ve been telling myself I hate my body for a long time, but I’m open to changing that” or “there are some parts of my body that I don’t hate.”
See how that might feel more believable than jumping to “I love my body,” yet it certainly feels better than “I hate my body.”
As you begin to embody these new bridge thoughts, you can continue taking steps in the direction of “I love my body” and eventually you will get there.
You can practice bridge thoughts for anything you want to believe.
Other examples:
Current thought: “I don’t know what foods work for my body.”
Want to believe: “I know exactly what works for my body.”
BRIDGE between the two: “I know a few foods that work for my body.”
Current thought: “I’ll never lose weight.”
Want to believe: “Losing weight is easy, and I am doing it.”
BRIDGE between the two: “I’m open to the idea that I could lose weight.”
Current thought: “I don’t know how to not binge.”
Want to believe: “I never binge.”
BRIDGE between the two: “I’m learning how to not binge.”
What is it that you want to believe? Reply to this email and let me know & I’ll help you come up with your bridge thought!
In health & happiness,
Jamie
