Julia Cameron (Artist's Way author) describes the path of the artist as a spiral one – you often cover the same ground, but with a slightly different perspective. I'm covering some old ground right now. Thinking too much. Analyzing. Processing. Wondering about the 'how.' How is my screenplay going to get sold? How will the film get made? How can get an agent/manager so I don't have to actually sell it myself?All good questions. All valid and important. It's just that they may not be necessary. You see, my job is not the how. My job is to listen and obey. To do what I'm told by my intuition, God, the universe...whatever or whomever is driving this bus.
I know for certain my analytical mind isn't driving. The mind is an irritating back-seat driver that wishes it could drive. And really, if you put it behind the wheel, it would turn left when it meant to go right and over-think lane changes and miss exits. It would make a real mess of things.
So, I'm asking my little hamster of a mind to relax. To just take a vacation. What I could do, is keep it busy with some affirmations. Affirmations are the perfect distraction. They allow my mind to keep busy with something, and behind the scenes they begin to reprogram things, energetically speaking.
The real problem with the mind is that it can really be counterproductive. For example, if I'm thinking about 'How do I get an agent?' and I'm going over it and over it. I'm thinking (THINKING) about things like making a list of agents and putting together packages. And I'm thinking how that makes me nervous and I hate phones and am terrible at mail. And now I'm feeling (FEELING) insecure and inadequate and I'll probably never get an agent. That's the thing that 'other people' get (BELIEF). In this case, my crap thinking leads to crap feelings which leads to crap beliefs.
Beliefs are something that has been programmed into your brain over time. Some beliefs were programmed by your parents. Some you did all by yourself, you big boy! Others come from elsewhere and glom onto other things you've heard until they become 'the truth' in your mind.
I can't remember when or where I heard this, but I heard that 2 million people try to break into Hollywood (every year?) and only one percent make it. This affected me in junior high or whenever I heard it. It contributed to my belief that success happens to other people and not me.
And really, it's a crap statistic anyhow. How do "they" know how many people "try" to break in to Hollywood. And how do "they" know that only one percent make it? Is there an entrance/exit survey? What does "making it" mean? One percent of two million is 20,000 anyway. Are you telling me that 20,000 people "make it" every year? A Saddledome's worth of starlets?
Whatever. The point here is that beliefs and 'things you've heard' aren't necessarily true. It could all use a little scrutiny. Or don't bother with scrutiny (analytical mind again) and jump right to reprogramming the hard drive.
So. Thoughts. Feelings. Beliefs. Beliefs are the hardest to reprogram. And feelings are tough too if you're already a quivering lump of insecure self-loathing. So, we'll start with thoughts.
Affirmations are like thought implants. You are giving yourself a mental boost with phrases that you repeat over and over that are relentlessly, inexcusably positive. They are partly good because they drown out the sound of 'I can't, it's not feasible, I haven't figured out how' and all that other crap. They are also partly good because they can actually help in manifesting all these positive things you keep saying to yourself.
What we're doing here is mental judo. Is it judo where you take the energy of your oncoming enemy and redirect it such that, miraculously, they are on their ass and you are standing still, checking your fingernails? Anyway, that's what we're doing. We're using thoughts to redirect thoughts. Beating them at their own game in an 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' kind of way.
Complaining about your situation will only get you more negativity. Trust me. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Affirmations are about adding positive energy to an area where you want to see positive change. You don't have to know how to get to where you want to go. But you need to start by adding love, joy and possibility.
If you want to write your own, that's cool. Just make sure they are in the present tense. If you affirm something that is in the future tense...you are keeping it in the future and out of reach. 'I will be happy' means your happiness is always 'one day.' 'I am happy' means happiness is available right now. With me?
Affirmations get turbo charged when you add some emotion. I know a woman who buys herself flowers every week, but rolls her eyes when she tells you it's to romance herself. How...romantic? Imagine if a real-life lover rolled their eyes when giving her flowers! The flowers become meaningless. Grudgingly repeating 'I am happy and fulfilled' with a bored look on your face and a snarl in your voice really, really defeats the purpose. So, once more with feeling.
A few from the International Bank of Affirmations:
- I am genuinely talented.
- I allow abundance to flow through me.
- Money comes easily and naturally.
- I am joyful and fulfilled.
- I accept the gifts from the universe.
- I am safe and secure.
- Love fills everything I do.
- I am vibrant and healthy.
- I am peaceful and serene.
No comments:
Post a Comment