Let’s talk about techniques – part 1

Do you feel like you are on a train that is not always heading where you want it to go? I think many people would agree that is sometimes how it feels. It became so strong a feeling for me that I eventually became desperate to find a way to stop the “Train.” So here is the way I do that.

First understand that when I least expect it I will start thinking something that either scares or immobilizes me. Have you ever experienced that? It was the train I couldn’t get off and it always took me places I didn’t like. I would start to do something I had been planning to do and all of a sudden I would start to see a daydream-like image in my mind that would show me how things would come out badly because of the result of what I was doing. For example, maybe I was making a bird feeder and as I nailed it together I would start to see my cat sitting on a nearby wall and pouncing on the birds as they were lured in to use it. Suddenly I would feel doubtful that I should finish constructing such a nice thing. Or when I went to bed I would suddenly see a mental image of a neighbor with whom I had once argued who was peeking in my window with a malicious look on his face. This would result in making me nervous enough that I would have a great difficulty getting to sleep.

The first thing one must do is to realize that this is just a “story” that the mind has made up to discourage or frighten oneself. Still, of course, the discouraging or frightening image is still there in the mind and I must do something to get rid of it. So next I start saying the Hoʻoponopono litinay that I address to my inner child who I am victimizing with all this made up stuff. I say: “I’m sorry/ please forgive me/ I love you/ thank you” over and over until the discomfort I have created has stopped. Now there is an empty place where there once was a strong feeling. If I do not fill it with an appropriate set of affirmations, the negative sensations will simply return when I let myself relax. So I must say a set of affirmations like(for the bird feeder): I love and accept myself just as I am/ I love improving my environment/ everything I do turns out wonderfully/ I trust the universe/ life is for me/ I trust myself/ I know the birds appreciate the extra food during winter. I keep saying the affirmations until I feel positive, happy and relaxed.

This simple and easy technique is a quick way to stop those-train like thoughts and images that run through our lives, making us uncomfortable, or worse, riddled with self-doubt and negative affirmations to direct our lives down the wrong paths. I use it constantly as these moments pop up and work to dismantle the life I would prefer to live. I am so relieved to finally have a way to disembark from that “train to ruin” that has sabotaged my intentions so frequently and frustrated me for so many years. I hope you find this useful and would love to hear about how you are doing to use this method.