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ARE two ways you can use slotras.
One is to change your state in preparation for a task you are
about to do, as illustrated in Build Up To It When Using a Slotra. The other
way is training. Repeat things to yourself you would like to
be in the habit of thinking.
Repeat phrases to yourself as a form of
training. One good place to practice your slotras is in your
car. You can say them out loud with as much feeling as you want
without scaring other people. Repeat things you would like to
get in the habit of thinking. Over time, those phrases will feel
more natural to you and come to mind when you need them.
Even this idea isn’t new. Napoleon
Hill and W. Clement Stone suggested it in their book Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude.
They called phrases you repeat to yourself “self-starters.”
They recommended you say these statements to yourself over and
over rapidly. One of the self-starters they recommend is, “Do
it now! Do it now! Do it now!”
They suggested saying a statement to yourself
fifty times in a row every morning. And what happens? That thought
comes into your mind when you need it. You have practiced thinking
it. It has become comfortable and familiar and comes into your
mind easily.
Whether you use this tool for a task you’re
about to do, or to train your mind to think differently in the
future, the tool is easy to use and works beautifully. As Napoleon
Hill wrote:
Follow the instructions, no matter how
abstract or impractical they may, at first, appear to be. The
time will soon come, if you do as you have been instructed, in
spirit as well as in act, when a whole new universe of power
will unfold to you.
You can change your state. You can turn
despair into determination, wishy-washiness into resolve, anxiety
into courage, anger into compassion. This is not one of many
basic tools. This is one of very few basic tools, and this is
one you’ll find extremely useful.
You can take over your own thoughts any
time. You are not the victim of what goes through your head,
or at least you don’t have to be at any moment.
One thing this tool can be used for is
to put your focus on a purpose, or the task at hand. Concentration
is important. The statement, “I’m going to kill the bear,” would
not only give the men courage, it would focus their minds on
a clear purpose.
Figure out ahead of time what you want
to be going through your mind in a particular type of circumstance.
Practice the thought when you don’t need it. This makes
the thought easier to think when you do need it. Practice
the thought. Make it smooth. Make it natural.
Create-a-Slotra-Exercise
1. Think of a situation where you’d
like to feel more focused or motivated, or to feel differently
than you usually do in that situation.
2. Imagine being in that situation, feeling
the way you want to feel.
3. Now ask yourself, “What would someone
have to be thinking in that situation to feel that way?”
What would you have to think to feel that way?
4. Make that thought into a good slotra.
And then, of course, practice that slotra
often. You should be using this tool — practicing a new
thought — several times a day. Make it a habit. Always have
a slotra to practice. It only takes a minute, and you can do
it walking, driving, shaving, eating, etc. Practice a new slotra
three times a day for a month. More if it is really important.
This tool gives you more control over your state of mind, which
means your life will go the way you want more often.
To slice a tomato without a knife is not
easy. You might even feel it is impossible. To change your state
of mind without this tool is not easy, either. You might even
feel it’s impossible.
The possibility of changing your thoughts
is of enormous significance. The difference between someone who
is ineffective and has a bad attitude and someone who is effective
and has a good attitude is simply their mental habits.
That's what makes the difference: What kind of thoughts they
think most of the time.
What Would You Like to Feel?
A lot of “positive thinking”
books of the old days concentrated on being cheerful and enthusiastic.
But there are better states of mind for many situations. How
about determined and focused. Or motivated. Open and relaxed.
Curious and attentive. Kind and affectionate.
My point is: Don’t aim for cheerful
and enthusiastic necessarily. Think about what state you really
want to be in, and create your slotras to make that state happen.
Enthusiasm is not good for every situation.
And you want your slotra to make that state
happen. If you’re trying to create a slotra that makes you
feel motivated, for example, your slotra should NOT be: “Be
motivated.” Your slotra should make you feel motivated.
The statement "be motivated" doesn’t motivate.
Niether does "I want to be motivated." Do you see what
I'm getting at? What thought will actually make you feel motivated?
Make that into a slotra. What thoughts put the fight in
you? What thoughts make you want to try? What thoughts fire you
up?
“The world needs this!”
“They can’t keep me down!”
“I will come through. I won’t let her down!”
Whatever works.
Robert E. Peary, the first man to reach
the North Pole, tried and failed many times before he succeeded.
He had a motto he repeated over and over, especially after his
trip where he lost several of his toes: “I will find a way
or make one.”
Imagine yourself with a goal that means
everything to you. Imagine that it is very difficult. And then
say that to yourself. Can you feel the determination the slotra
gives you? Peary was extremely persistent in accomplishing his
goal. He tried again and again, overcoming tremendous odds and
finally reached his goal. Usually history books don’t explain
why someone is determined. But I’ll tell you why:
He had a good slotra. Why did others fail or die? They didn’t
have a good enough slotra, or they didn’t have one at all.
What many people don’t realize is
that determination can be generated. It’s not like
you are either determined or not. You can create a state
of determination; not for all time, but here in this moment.
Just as you can’t make your spouse feel loved once and for
all, but you can definitely do it in the moment and most any
moment you choose.
You’re looking for a slotra primarily
that aims your attention or changes your emotions. Or both. Having
an important reason to succeed is motivating — and it allows
for strong interpretations of events (that is, interpretations
that make you strong, determined and motivated, as opposed to
interpretations that make you weak, demoralized, or afraid).
Having an almost continual focus on your
clear aim allows your thoughts to be preoccupied with (and always
returning to) something positive, something future-oriented,
toward accomplishment and action. This is the most powerful,
positive way to protect yourself from negativity.
It’s not a coincidence that the most
undemoralizing book in history (Think and Grow Rich) was written during the
Great Depression — which could fairly be named The Great
Demoralization.
The point of all of this is to use your
slotras to aim your attention in a way that creates a positive
frame of mind. And to use this tool every day, even several times
a day. The content of your mind makes a huge difference in how
well you can overcome obstacles. Use the tools at your disposal.
The main tools to use are:
Antivirus For Your Mind
Slotralogy
The article above is a chapter from a book
entitled, Slotralogy. Click
here to check it out on Amazon.
Read the next chapter: Slotralogy
and Positive Thinking
This article is part of a series on Slotralogy.
Read the first section here: Slotralogy
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