365 STEPS TO SELF-CONFIDENCE
Now take the Thought Stopping technique a stage further. As you
detach yourself from an unwanted thought, simultaneously shake your
head, stamp your feet, pinch yourself, slap your thigh or bang on a table
etc. Be sensible: obviously there are times and places when this is
inconvenient, or even dangerous, so use your discretion.60Try this alternative form of Thought Stopping. When you notice a
disempowering thought, have a good snigger to yourself: just laugh at
its nonsense. Say, ‘So you’re the thought? Ha! Ha!’, or ‘Oops! There
goes another one!’ Then allow yourself a warm inner smile.61Make yourself very comfortable, either sitting or lying down. Close
your eyes. take a few deep breaths and imagine there is a little person
sweeping up the doubting, anxious, useless, self-deprecating thoughts
into a pile of dust in the centre of your head. When they’re all swept up,
‘blow’ the dust out of your mouth and ‘watch’ it disperse into the
atmosphere.
Affirm to yourself that the negative thoughts won’t trouble you
again. Notice how you feel. This works particularly well when you are
stressed or anxious.62When you first use the Four Step Formula you will encounter resistance.
Your subconscious wants to hang on to existing habits, because this is how
it’s designed to operate. If it tries to sabotage your progress for instance, by
making you feel as if you’re lying to yourself, don’t let it!
It takes about a month to change a thinking pattern permanently, so
keep at it, be patient and don’t castigate yourself if you slip up. There’s
no point in replacing one negative thought with another.63