We live in a world that has a negative default. This means that we are surrounded by more negative influences than we are positive influences.

Therefore there is always plenty to worry about IF you focus on the negative!

Calvin Coolidge is quoted as saying:

If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.

Isn’t this true? How many of those things you worried about actually came true? And even those that did, you have to wonder if your worry made it possible for them actually happen.

Here’s a question for you:
How easy is it for you to worry when you are focused on positive thoughts?

It is not possible right?
Negative and positive thoughts don’t mix. Sure it is possible to go back and forth from one to the other, but they cannot dwell together.

Overcoming worry:
Your mind is like a muscle just the same as other parts of your body.

When you do not take care of those muscles, what happens?

Here are two more questions:
Are you in good physical condition? In an emergency, how fast could you run?

Of course in an emergency you would have a little help from your adrenaline, but nevertheless you would need to be fit to sustain a long run.

In the same way your mind needs to be in good condition.

Now, how do you get your body into shape? It takes daily exercise and right diet.

How do you get your mind into shape?

1. Consistent right diet

• This includes what you are listening to, watching and reading every day, as well as right food diet that will nourish your brain and keep it alert.
• Watch and listen to motivational and inspirational recordings and videos every day. Read from a non fiction book every day!

2. Consistent right exercise.

• Aerobic exercises are good for the brain.
• Read at least 10 pages of a non fiction book every day. Make notes from what you read.
• Meditate on words that will build your faith. For example The New Testament, Psalms or Proverbs in the Bible, the notes your made from your daily reading.
• Determine to speak only faith building positive words. Your brain responds to your voice!

Get your mind and your brain into shape and you will not fall into the futility of worry.

Then you will be equipped to conquer worry and focus on positive solutions.

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This means that you and I do not do ANYTHING without the act being planned in the brain first.

The one TV show I watch very regularly is Charlie Rose. I love his interviews and the variety of knowledge that can be learned from watching this brilliant man’s skill at interviewing.

Across the years, Charlie has developed some specialized series of shows, and the one that interests me the most is the series on Brain Science. This is a series of 10 hours of panel discussions with Brain Scientists of varying specialties in the area of research on the Brain. It is absolutely fascinating.

Last night the discussion revealed a fact that has been taught for many many years in the arena of Personal Development. The panel were discussing and proving with a demonstration that your brain anticipates events in your life before you actually participate.

Can you see the importance of training your brain to think and plan correctly and positively?

A Simple Experiment
Two members of the panel performed a simple experiment. One gentleman held a heavy book in his hand. Another gentleman took the book away leaving the first with an uncontrollable reflex action. His whole arm went up.

Why did this happen? Because he could not anticipate the actual second that the book would be actually be removed and so his arm performed an uncontrollable action. It shot straight up.

Then it was observed that if this gentleman took the book away himself, his arm would stay in the same position. Why? Because his brain was able to anticipate the actual split second when the book would be removed, and so could send the signals to the arm to stay in place.

Well, this is my explanation in layman’s terms How fascinating is that?

Decision plus action = results (John Di Lemme).

What did you do today to train your brain to think, decide and act for success?

Resources:
Charlie Rose – Charlie Rose Brain Series Episode One (October 29, 2009)
Charlie Rose -Charlie Rose Brain Series Episode Two (November 24, 2009)
Charlie Rose – Charlie Rose Brain Series Episode Three (December 22, 2009)

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It is not too late to start this challenge today, and I highly recommend it.

Actually the correct quote is:

I am on Day 16 of this challenge, but you can start today.

There is no deadline to begin your 210 days. You would simply finish 209 days from today. So you have not missed out. Start today, in fact right NOW!

Are Affirmations Enough?
One thing that is striking me as I follow this challenge and it provokes a question:
Is simply affirming (repeating, declaring) something enough to change your life?

The answer is: No.

So when I declare: I am driving my faith by my words now, I am telling my brain to speak ONLY words that will build my faith.

This means that during the rest of the day I will be alert to speak faith words and avoid every conversation and comment that could be detrimental to my faith.

So what then is an affirmation? King David made many strong affirmations in the Bible. One of the outstanding ones is found in Psalm 103:2

“Bless the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all of His benefits”.

David made this affirmation in a time of great stress in his life (and if you remember David had a lot of those times in his lifetime). This was much more than an affirmation, it was a command to himself.

He was commanding his brain: You are going to bless the Lord whether you feel like it or not.

This is what an affirmation really is. So when I say: “I am driving my faith by my words now” I am telling my brain to send me positive instructions to put into action today! Instructions that will lead me to fulfill my why!

Are your words driving your faith today?

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