In the last newsletter I talked about discovering what you want and getting to the real underlying reason why you want it. In that exercise you should have been moved and inspired by what is possible for you. You should have found that you want what you want for the feeling that you think this thing will provide for you once it is here. And that feeling should have been one of love, joy, freedom, appreciation, connection, knowledge, or power (empowerment). Once you see what is really in it for you, you should have felt inspired.
To help you take this new vantage point and make it part of a stronger neural network connection in your brain so you can start to remap your brain for success (this is called neuroplasticity) and create an even stronger and more positive RAS filter, you want to add to what you have come up with already.
You should have some clear language that defines what you want and why you want it. From there you want to start to find present or past experiences where you had this same feeling–that feeling being what you have acknowledged as your why. For example, let´s say you determine that you want what you want (a lean and toned body, perhaps) because it will provide for you a sense of appreciation and empowerment. Try to look into your present or past experiences for instances when you had the experience of appreciation and felt empowered. These instances do not have to relate to your body. You simply want to find evidence that you have been successful with these emotions before. If you have been successful with your body in the past, you can use that as a resource as well. The more you can tie your goals into your past successes, the better.
When you find thoughts that feel the same way as you felt when you discovered why you want what you want, you will help to create a bigger neural net surrounding what you want with facts that already exist. The more thoughts and emotions you can connect to this desire, the more you will change the mapping of your brain and what your filter looks for. In changing the hardwiring of your brain you are also deactivating the old neural connections. The neurons you don´t use will no longer be needed and will be pruned off (this is called apoptosis). The neurons you do use will be enhanced and grow. So the more you practice thoughts about what you want and why you want it and the more evidence you add of having had this success before, the more those thoughts will take over the old thoughts surrounding what you don´t want and what doesn´t work.
Once you create this neural net of thoughts, all you have to do is revisit it daily for about five minutes to help it become bigger and stronger. The more you practice this new line of thinking, not only will you re-inspire yourself, but you will be changing your brain to look for success. You can also bring these thoughts up when you are getting ready to exercise. When you activate these thoughts and get yourself inspired by what you want, why you want it, and the evidence that it is possible, you put yourself in a state that will help you maximize the positive benefits your exercise has to offer. Not to mention, your intention behind your exercise will be toward something very powerful. Where your mind goes your body follows.
One last thing you can do to continue to clean up any negative thoughts you might have surrounding your current perspective as to where your body is as you move toward what it is you want is to an exercise I call Closing the Gap. To close the gap all you do is sit down with your eyes closed and take notice of your neutral body. Then turn your attention to what it is you want and why you want it, and find the thoughts that support what you want and how you want to feel. Once you notice the sensation that goes along with this thinking, turn your attention to your current body situation. If you notice that there is a big difference between the two points of focus, you may have work to do to clean up how you are currently viewing your body. One way to do this is to first identify the emotion you are feeling and then ask yourself why you feel this way about your body. To take this one step further, you can ask yourself what you are making your current body situation mean or say about you. Once you determine your interpretation of your current situation, you have a story that can be changed. The best way to change this story is to reach for a slightly better story. To do this you can review the article I wrote in a previous newsletter called How to Make Peace with Where You Are (http://thethoughtdiet.com/layout3/newsarticles/april09howtomake).
