Success Begins with Believing.

If you are going to be successful in spite of a recession and create the life of your dreams, you have to believe that you are capable of making it happen. You have to believe you have the right stuff, that you are able to pull it off.

You have to believe in yourself. Whether you call it self-esteem, self-confidence, or self-assurance, it is a deep-seeded belief that you have what it takes - the abilities, inner resources, talents, and skills to create your desired results.

Ultimately, you must learn to control your self-talk, eliminate any negative and limiting beliefs, and maintain a constant state of positive expectations.

Control Your Self-Talk

Researchers have found that the average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day.

Sadly, many of those thoughts are negative — I’m not management material… I’ll never lose weight… It doesn’t matter what I do, nothing ever works out for me.

This is what psychologists call victim language. Victim language actually keeps you in a victim state of mind. It is a form of self-hypnosis that lulls you into a belief that you are unlovable and incompetent.

In order to get what you want from life, you need to give up this victim language and start talking to yourself like a winner - I can do it…

I know there is a solution… I am smart enough and strong enough to figure this out… Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight.

You Are Always Programming Your Subconscious Mind

Your subconscious mind is like the crew of a ship. You are it’s captain. It is your job to give the crew orders. And when you do this, the crew takes everything you say literally.

The crew (your subconscious) has no sense of humor. It just blindly follows orders. When you say, “Everything I eat goes straight to my hips,” the crew hears that as an order: Take everything she eats, turn it into fat and put it on her hips!

On the other hand, if you say, “Everything I eat helps me maintain my perfect body weight,” the crew will begin to make that into reality by helping you make better food choices, exercise, and maintain the right metabolism rate for you body.

This power of your subconscious mind is the reason you must become very vigilant and pay careful attention to your spoken and internal statements.

Unfortunately, most people don’t realize they are committing negative self-talk, which is why it is best to enlist another person — your success partner — in monitoring each other’s speaking. You can have a signal for interrupting each other when you use victim language.

Use Affirmations to Build Self-Confidence

One of the most powerful tools for building self-worth and self-confidence is the repetition of positive statements until they become a natural part of the way you think.

These “affirmations” act to crowd out and replace the negative orders you have been sending your crew (your subconscious mind) all these years.

I suggest that you create a list of 10 to 20 statements that affirm your belief in your worthiness and your ability to create the life of your dreams.

Of course, what to believe is up to you, but here are some examples of affirmations that have worked for others in the past:

I am worthy of love, joy and success.
I am smart and make wise choices.
I am loveable and capable.
I create anything I want.
I am able to solve any problem that comes my way.
I can handle anything that life hands me.
I have all the energy I need to do everything I want to do.
I am attracting all the right people into my life.

Believing in Yourself is an Attitude

Believing in yourself is a choice. It’s an attitude you develop over time. It’s now your responsibility to take charge of your own self-concept and your beliefs.

It might help to know that the latest brain research now indicates that with enough positive self-talk and positive visualization combined with the proper training, coaching, and practice, anyone can learn to do almost anything.

You must choose to believe that you can do anything you set your mind to - anything at all - because, in fact, you can!

© 2006-2008 by Dream Manifesto, LLC

The Prosperity Prayer

Prosperity Affirmation

I am the source of all wealth.
I am rich with creative ideas.
My mind abounds with new, original, inspired thoughts.
What I have to offer is unique, and the world desires it.

My value is beyond reckoning.
What the world needs and desires, I am ready to produce and give.
What the world needs and desires, I recognize and fulfill.
The bounty of my mind is without hindrance or limit.
Nothing can stand in the way of my inspired creativeness.

The overflowing power of … life energy overcomes
every obstacle, & pours out into the world, blessing &
prospering everyone, & everything through me.

I radiate blessings, I radiate creativity,
I radiate prosperity, I radiate loving service.

I radiate Joy, Beauty, Peace,Wisdom & Power.
Humanity seeks me and rewards me.
I am beloved of the world.
I am wanted wherever I go.

I am appreciated. What I have to offer is greatly desired.
What I have to offer brings a rich reward.
Through my vision the world is blessed.
Through my clear thinking & steadfast purpose,
wonderful new values come into expression.

My vision is as the vision of the mighty ones.
My faith is as the faith of the undefeatable.
My power to accomplish is unlimited.
I, in my...uttermost, am all wealth,
all power, all productivity.
I hereby declare my financial free-dom, NOW
and henceforth forever!

Written by Will Bowen, author of "A Complaint-Free World."