By Phil Rosenbaum
Have you ever wanted to accomplish something, but you inevitably came up with a reason for why you couldn’t get it done? This, of course, is not unusual. For many of us, the cause may stem from the fact that we received messages, likely early in life, that we would never be able to have what we truly wanted. These early messages are actually stopping us from achieving what we would like to do.
The late Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, psychologist, author, and motivational speaker, wrote a book titled Excuses Begone! in which he explains how people use excuses to stop themselves from being successful. He believes everyone can be successful, but they let excuses prevent them. Even if one is unaware of these beliefs, and they lurk in the subconscious part of the mind, Dr. Dyer believes one must become aware of them before being able to confront them.
In his book, he lists eighteen of the most common excuses that people use to stop them from having what they want:
1) It will be difficult
2) It’s going to be risky
3) It will take a long time
4) There will be family drama
5) I don’t deserve it
6) It’s not my nature
7) I can’t afford it
8) No one will help me
9) It has never happened before
10) I’m not strong enough
11) I’m not smart enough
12) I’m too old (or not old enough)
13) The rules won’t let me
14) It’s too big
15) I don’t have the energy
16) It’s my personal family history
17) I’m too busy
18) I’m too scared
Do any of these resonate with you? Fortunately, these beliefs can be changed. Dr. Dyer encourages people to challenge these thought patterns and to go after what they truly desire. He states, “…there is nothing standing in your way of living at your highest levels.” In his book he describes several principles to help people eliminate these excuses. One of the principles, for example, is to become more aware of what you are telling yourself and then to become passionate about overcoming the excuse. Dr. Dyer lists several affirmations you can use to counteract each excuse. One such affirmation to counteract the first excuse, “it will be difficult,” is to say, “I have the ability to accomplish any task I set my mind to with ease and comfort.” Another affirmation he mentions for the excuse “I can’t afford it” is “I am connected to an unlimited source of abundance.” (Of course, doing the required work is also necessary.) And finally, for the excuse “I’m too old (or not old enough),” you can replace that belief with “I am an infinite being. The age of my body has no bearing on what I do or who I am.”
It has been said that we use affirmations all day long without realizing it. Unfortunately, many of these affirmations are hurtful and self-limiting. What is needed to counteract these negative affirmations is to continually repeat positive affirmations throughout the day. Since we think these negative affirmations so often, we need to state the positive affirmations every bit as often to counteract them. It will take some time to reverse them, but it can be done.
A very successful hypnotherapist in England, Marisa Peer, had a client who was suicidal. The client did not believe she “was enough.” Ms. Peer had the client continually repeat the affirmation “I am enough” all day long, orally and in writing, even when she was taking a shower. The client followed the advice, and in a short period of time, she had totally changed her way of thinking and was no longer suicidal. This demonstrates how powerful affirmations can be.
The use of hypnosis can also help you to eliminate the unhealthy affirmations and replace them with much healthier ones. In addition, with hypnosis, the affirmations will work faster and be more effective. If you want to “get rid of the excuses,” hypnosis is an excellent technique to help you do so.
If you would like to learn more about hypnosis and the many ways it can help improve the quality of your life, please call Phillip Rosenbaum at 248-688-6469.
Now is the best time to take Dr. Dyer’s advice and say, “Excuses begone.”
