I am one who believes that REAL change occurs from within ourselves first and that once we decide to accept this principle, our lives – and minds (and hearts) – can become clear of all the “baggage” we have been dragging around with us over the course of our lives. Self esteem issues, guilt, regret, resentment, and so much more can be released so that we can finally live the lives we always wanted. I know from personal experience how difficult it has been for me to arrive “at clarity” on this point and now that I have I can report that my life is beginning to finally “take off”! It only took me 38 years to get to this point of consciousness but can you do better? Absolutely! What I would like to propose to you is that it does NOT have to take this long for us to finally “take control” of our lives because we CAN take control of HOW WE THINK today!

I will share with you some key ideas that will enable and empower you to do this in your own lives and free yourself from the bondage of old, outdated beliefs and ideas about yourself that no longer serve you but inhibit your growth – and expansion. It is my belief that the current state of affairs with regards to the high drug use in this country, the obesity epidemic, and the onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes are due in part to “how we think” about ourselves and that medicine alone CANNOT “cure” these challenges. This is why I am a proponent of positive change “from within” first so that we can address the underlying “causes” of these potentially life ending challenges.

The Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind is the “controller” of our experiences and actions. We behave from its instructions and the result is that we create the world as “others” wanted for us when we were children and young adults. Programming of our subconscious occurs very early in our lives and continues unabated throughout our early adult years. It is not until we reach a “crisis point” later in our lives that we begin to realize that control of our thinking created by our parents, teachers and “the others who cared about us” began long before we became “conscious” of their effect on us. I reached this point in 1982 when my wife left me at the age of 35 and I did not find a path to healing until 3 years later in 1985 at the Church of Religious Science in Huntington Beach, California. This spiritual path was critical to uncovering “the real me” and I am still evolving to this very day.

I bring this idea forward now so that I can state that we will ALL arrive at a “crisis point” in our lives whether it be earlier like me or later like my daughter who is facing significant health issues in her mid 40’s, but arrive at it we WILL. Changing my mind about myself was difficult and for many years seemed an impossible task but I welcomed the challenge and through my own spiritual journey have found the “essential me”. This is what I want for you – to find your “essential self” – and free yourself from past guilt, pain, and regret. I never want to carry these burdens again and I know I won’t because I take time each day to “check in with my thoughts” and mostly find them to be encouraging, loving – and most of all hopeful and grateful (the starting point of my day).

Keys to Changing Our Thinking

AFFIRMATION

The struggle to changing our thinking is embedded in the previous programming of our subconscious minds earlier in our lives. “Replacing” this programming is worth the effort and one of the keys to doing this is the practice of affirmation. I will say that eventually with time and a new belief in yourself that you will see results that will amaze you. I will share two affirmations I use every day in my meditation and prayer work. They are only examples and come from my experience with religious science (you can develop your own) but remember an affirmation can be as simple as “I am loved and loving”.

“Today I am standing on the threshold of new experience. Possibilities extend before me and I accept their magnificence. Through my spoken and accepted word, I co-create with divine intelligence the plan for my life. Here and now I am open to the greatness yet to come and I am ready for a miracle”.

“Today I accept that the light of God’s love is in, through and around me. I feel its presence in everything that I do. I experience clarity in all things as this light guides my way into the unknown”.

There is REAL power in our words and thoughts CAN be changed through repetition. I am living proof that all of this works and is possible because I have practiced this discipline since 1985 and I have continued this practice every day since. It is the most important part of my day. Meditation (“going within my mind”) and prayer are the tools I use to stay “centered” throughout my day. You CAN do this too if you make up your mind to do so!

VISUALIZATION

I visualize my future and what I want to accomplish in that future so that I can DEFINE what I want to do – and be. I AM a speaker and a writer and I want to make a difference using these gifts so I am diligently preparing for my contribution to life through writing – and eventually speaking. I use visualization as the powerful tool that it can be by “experiencing” my future work NOW. I speak to audiences with clarity because I have already written about the issues that are important to me to share with people going forward in my life. I know WHO I am, WHY I am here, WHAT my message is, and the change I WILL bring to people of all ages in this future that I now love so much.

I have described in my book “Healthy Aging & You” a PATH forward for anyone who wishes to make significant changes in their lives and finally free themselves from the “shackles of the past” where most of us live our lives – or in trepidation over a future that has not yet occurred. I believe in the power of change and embracing change NOW – not later! I will NEVER go back to my old way of being. It is a waste of energy and more importantly a waste of precious time – time that is fast diminishing. VISUALIZE yourself as you want to be and with affirmative ACTION you too WILL become who you want to be! Finally, as Satchel Paige (the great African- American pitcher) once said: “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you”!

IN SUMMARY

The power of thinking is undisputed by any expert worth their reputation. My intention is to serve as an example to people that positive thinking CAN and WILL change the course of people’s lives – especially for those that desire it with all their hearts. Meditation, affirmation, and visualization are three keys to “changing our thinking and changing our lives”. Facing crisis in life is a part of living and dealing with crises intelligently and thoughtfully can provide the necessary steps to creating REAL change in our lives that WILL make a REAL difference!

I see a world changing rapidly and with great change comes the potential for great progress if we will only THINK about our lives from the perspective of what we EACH can do to insure that the change we are experiencing is helpful and constructive – and not destructive. This is my mission: To be a  participant in change in order to help secure a positive result for the many who desire it. We ALL play a role in life. What will your role be? You can start today to determine the answer to this question and I wish you the best on your new journey! Travel well.

Originally published on Healthy New Age. Reprinted with permission from Nicholas Prukop.

Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.

If you need help in designing a fitness plan, you can contact Nicholas Prukop via email at runningnick@sbcglobal.net or read his inspiring book Healthy Aging & YOU.