whether you are aware of the specific thoughts that cause specific
results or not. When you want to upgrade your computer’s perfor-
mance, you can buy better hardware or better software. The anal-
ogy falls apart here, because brain transplants exist only in science
fiction. Yet while upgrading your mental hardware is not an op-
tion, you can upgrade your mental software—your thoughts—
whenever you want.(See the solutions presented in Table 9.1.)Lying to Yourself
Your mind differs from a computer in that it possesses the ability to
distinguish between truth and falsehood. Any new information that
comes into your mind is automatically compared to what is already
there in a test of validity. Some of the information already in your
mind is clearly not beneficial, but nevertheless it is perceived as
true, given the evidence of your experience. In other words, your
computer already contains some software, programming in use for
many years. These may be thoughts that no longer serve you, but
any method that deals with your mind cannot work very well unless
it helps you deal with what is already there. If you don’t believe your
affirmations enough to see them as reasonable possibilities, then
you are lying to yourself.
For example, no one’s mind would argue with the statement, “The
sun will rise tomorrow.” Conversely, almost no one’s mind would com-
pletely accept the statement, “I am certain to win the lottery tomor-
row.” Such statements are too near the extremes of credibility (almost
completely believable or almost completely unbelievable) to be useful
as affirmations. The challenge then is to formulate affirmations in162 Mental Flexibility for Peak Performance
TABLE 9.1 Common Problems with SolutionsAffirmations
Lying to yourself. Use affirmation preambles.
Relying on Use the interactive method,
repetition alone. example at end of this chapter.
Desire to control. Forget about howyou will get what
you want; instead focus on
receiving your desire.