It has been an interesting month since I last wrote to you. The majority of it was simply too personal to share and that is why you haven’t heard from me. In the past week, however, I’ve had an insight that I want to share with you.
When I first started my positive thinking experiment, I fell victim to the notion that it would be easy to incorporate all of the wisdom that I was reading about in the books. All I had to do was to follow the directions and live happily ever after. It hasn’t been the case.
While it is true that the formula for positive living is simple, it is also true that the process to get to that point isn’t always easy. In fact, there are times that it requires a great deal of hard work to transform one’s life! It is like hiking in the mountains. To get to the top, I simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. But in the process of putting one foot in front of the other, I will encounter all sorts of hazards and obstacles in my way. There may be times that I am not even sure that I’m headed the right way! The reward of being on top of the mountain, though, makes the work to get there well worth it.
With so many resources available on how to live a positive life, I’ve often wondered why more people aren’t living up to the promises of success made by the authors. Now I think I know why. Transforming one’s life takes a lot more work and focus than people are willing to do.
Dear Friends,
Way back in February, I mentioned that I used to make affirmation tapes and listen to them on my commute and as I was falling asleep. The process to create the tape involved putting the cassette into a tape player and hitting the “record” button. To make extra copies of the tape, I had to put it into my boom box (remember those?) and record the tape onto another cassette.
Most of us don’t use cassette tapes anymore so the option of pushing the “record” button on a tape player is not available to us. But thanks to modern technology and some cost-you-nothing audio recording software, it is fairly easy to record affirmations to listen to on your MP3 player. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be updating your affirmation recordings fairly often to suit your needs.
(Note: If you are a Mac user and have Garage Band through iLife, you can stop reading right now and just use it. Really. I’m just focusing on the PC because more people have them. Poor things. And, if you are a Mac user and don’t have iLife, I encourage you to get it. I love it and use it all of the time.)
What you need:
Computer
Microphone headset (unless you are a stickler for sound quality, it doesn’t have to be fancy–you can get one, such as the Cyber Acoustic headset, for about $10 that will usually work just fine for this purpose)
Audacity software (there is no charge for this software and it is available for both PC and Mac users)
List of affirmations you want to record
Glass of water or other refreshment to quench thirst
Meditative music (optional)
How to record:
I’m using the PC version of Audicity for this “How To.” I’m pretty sure that the Mac version is fairly similar in its operation.
1. Download Audacity and the LAME MP3 Encoder to your computer (I’m pretty sure that LAME is an acronym and not a description). Install both of them.
2. Plug your headset into your computer and open Audacity. Near the top of the recording screen, you will see a row of buttons that resemble the old buttons on a tape player. In fact, they function in the same way.3. Press the red “record” button and do a “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3″ to make sure the software is picking up the audio from the microphone. You will see a audio box pop up in the recording screen with the sound graph. Press the yellow “stop” button4. Use the purple double arrow to the left to return to the beginning of the audio. Press the green “play” button. If you hear yourself, you are good to go and can click the “x” in the left hand corner of the audio box to get rid of it.
If you do not hear yourself, make sure your microphone isn’t muted.
Check the “Sounds and Audio Devices” in your computer’s Control Panel to make sure that your headset is the designated input and output (and/or that the computer hasn’t muted your headset)
Call the neighbor kid, who is a whiz at computer games, in to help you figure out why it isn’t working
5. Press the red “record” button and start reading your affirmations. The advantage of the computer over a tape is that you can record as long as you would like. Just know that the longer the recording, the larger the file size will be.
6. If you need to stop to take a drink of water, just press the blue “pause” button and it will stop recording until you hit the button again to un-pause it.7. When you are done recording, press the yellow “stop” button.
8. Go to file and save your recording (Save As…).
You now have two options. Export it “as is” as an MP3 file or add music.
To export it as an MP3 file, go to File–>Export as MP3. You will get a warning that Audacity will save your file as a mono file instead of stereo. Click OK.
The first time you use the “Export as MP3″ command, you will be asked for the location of “lame_enc.dll.” Go to your C drive–>Program Files–>Lame for Audacity and open the folder. Select “lame_enc.dll,” then click “open” and “ok.” You are then good to go from now on.
Choose where you want to save your file.
You will get a box asking you to fill in some information about your MP3 file. I fill in the file name under title, my name, and the year. Click “OK” and it will start saving it. Note: If you have a long recording, it can take a while to export it. This is where I go off and doing something else while the computer does its thing.
You now can burn your file onto a CD or import it into your favorite MP3 player software.
To add music…
If the music is in MP3 format, you basically just have to drag and drop the music into the recording screen by clicking on the music file and dragging the file into Audacity. You will see a screen indicating that it is importing the music file. You can also import music by going to Project and selecting “Import Audio” from the pull-down menu (see below).
If the music has been saved in an iTunes format, you will need to convert it into MP3 format before you can import it into your recording. If it is just music you saved on iTunes from your cd collection, you can go to “Advanced” and select “Make a MP3 version” from the pull down menu in iTunes (make sure MP3 encoding is checked off in importing preferences or else the option will not show up). If it is “protected” music–purchased through iTunes–you will be jumping through some hoops. Click here for an article that gives you a few work around options.
iTunes MP3 Preferences Menu
If your music is shorter than your recording, you can simply highlight the music, copy it and paste it at the end so that it will replay. Of course, you can also import another song.
If you want to make either your voice or the music softer than the other, highlight what you want to be softer and then use the “Effect” pull down menu and select “Equalization.” You will see a pop-up screen in the middle with a bar going through the middle. Lower the bar and click “Preview” to see if it is as soft as you would like.
Save your file and you are ready to follow the steps above to export your recording as an MP3 file!
The seven basic fears which appear most often in our minds are (1) the fear of POVERTY, (2) the fear of CRITICISM, (3) the fear of ILL HEALTH, (4) the fear of LOSS OF LOVE, (5) the fear of LOSS OF LIBERTY, (6) the fear of OLD AGE, and (7) the fear of DEATH. ~Napoleon Hill, The Master-Key to Riches (revised)
Dear Friends,
If we watch financial services commercials for any length of time, we will begin to notice that they are actually selling “peace of mind.” If we use their services, we can relax and enjoy life because we will know that our money is safe, sound, and will be there when we need or want it for important life events.
But peace of mind extends beyond the financial realm. When we feel secure in our relationships, we are able to achieve a level of emotional intimacy and belongingness (yes, that is actually a term) that isn’t present when we don’t fully trust others. If we receive a scary health report from our doctors, we may lay awake at night wondering what our future will be like (and how long our future will be!).
Napoleon Hill, in his book The Master-Key to Riches tells us that as long as we have fear in our lives, we can never be free nor rich in its fullest sense. He goes so far as to warn us that fear is the “harbinger of evil” and must be rooted out and the cause of the fear eliminated.
Last week, we had several days where Murphy’s Law seemed to reign supreme. Before my Positive Thinking Experiment, some of the events would have sent me into a tailspin. Instead, it was only rocky as I refused to give into the fears that were knocking at my mental gate. By Friday, when the final act of the crazy week involved arriving at school and not being able to turn the key so that I could turn off the ignition, I was laughing about the absurdity of the situation (AAA came but the guy didn’t want to get out of the truck but then offered to tow me to the repair shop–um…I can drive it myself–and, it turned out the shop was only a half block away…and finally taking it to a locksmith who sent me to his other shop and they had it repaired in no time and I made it to class 15 minutes before it was over…most people have trouble getting their car started…me? I couldn’t get it to turn off!).
As bad as some of the news was last week, I was glad that we found out and can be proactive rather than reactive when/if it comes to fruition. I am amazingly calm and have peace of mind that we can handle whatever lies before us.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt summed up the impact of fear on our lives eloquently in his first inaugural address:
“…let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
If we live by his wisdom, we will be able to take bold action to overcome roadblocks in our lives and achieve what we used to think was the unachievable.
When I started my Year of Positive Thinking Experiment, I had no idea how my life would change. In many ways, a lot of “baggage” is being released and I find myself in a position of being forced out of a self-made rut. That’s a good thing!
This week, my life gave me the final push out of the rut and I realized that I have kind of been content to just continue along in the rut. The rut was my comfort zone. Even though I would create 90-day goals, as I looked through my journal, I’ve been making the same 90-day goals for several years! Now, though, The Mister and I are the process of figuring out our next adventure in life, so to speak. I must confess that having him with me makes leaving the rut and comfort zone much, much easier and less scary.
While searching for a vintage educational film on a different topic for my Modern Retro Woman blog, I came across this wonderfully campy film from 1950 by Coronet Instructional Films. I think The Universe sent it my way today as a friendly reminder. In this film, high school student, Nick, becomes motivated to “start looking ahead” in his life. The message to me is that it is still important to keep looking ahead.
To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. ~William Shakespeare
Dear Friends,
Turning 50 this past January was an unexpectedly amazing event. When I shared my sense of liberation with other “women of a certain age,” almost all of them said they also felt liberated when they turned fifty. I have struggled to articulate what exactly has changed but it is as if a veil has been lifted and I can now be more true to myself and who I am. My relationship with myself has become deeper and richer.
I’ve also noticed that relationships with others have changed, too, since I started the Positive Thinking Experiment and have developed a deeper relationship with myself. It seems like I’m not afraid to take ownership of my contribution to a relationship, good or bad. For example, I’m less likely to swallow my emotions and am more likely to gently confront a person who is upsetting me. The result is that I’m not stewing in frustration anymore. We resolve the issue and are able to then move forward. (That is not to say that I don’t upset other people…just the other day I needed to apologize to a student. Not easy but I needed to do it. The conversation ended with a hug so all is good again)
Napoleon Hill, in The Master-Key to Riches, tells us that harmony in personal relationships is third on his list of the Twelve Riches of Life. But he is quick to point out that we can’t have harmony with others if we aren’t in harmony with ourselves. I don’t think he is encouraging us to be narcissistic “navel gazers,” but I think he is encouraging us to really know ourselves and be our true selves with others. His discussion on this topic only lasts one paragraph so I’m having to make some inferences but I’m also guessing that he would not think the current “I’m just being honest” trend of tearing others to shreds in the name of “helping” someone would encourage harmony.
Getting to know your “true self” begins with an examination of personal values. Once we know what we stand for then it becomes the foundation for our relationships.
My dear friend Meggin “gave” me this mantra on my birthday, “Don’t mess with me, I’m 50!” And, you’d be surprised how those words of advice have helped me create harmony in my relationship with myself and, in turn, has enriched my relationships with others.
Do you have any examples of when you weren’t yourself in a relationship?
He spent his health to get his wealth, and then with might and main he turned around and spent his wealth to regain his health again. ~Author Unknown
Dear Friends,
Health had been on my mind a lot this past month. I had a cold and a cough that just didn’t want to go away. Fortunately, the cold part wasn’t too bad and was gone within a few days. It was the coughing part that was wreaking painful havoc on my throat and lungs. Unfortunately, the cough medication designed to provide some relief also made it a bit hard to write to you because it made me feel a bit “out of it.” I am finally able to talk without breaking into a coughing fit and have been medicine free for several days.
Napoleon Hill, in The Master-Key to Riches, tells us that sound physical health is second on his list of the Twelve Riches of Life. Being healthy is not just an absence of illness. It means that we have a “health consciousness” mindset that focuses on being as healthy as we can be by eating right and having a commitment to physical activity.
I can tell you from my own life that if I’m not being diligent about what I’m eating and making sure I get some physical activity into the day (other than going from my desk chair to the refrigerator), I start feeling like Star Wars gangster Jabba the Hut. However, when I’m getting most of my calories from plant sources in their natural (or relatively close) state and exercising, I am much more productive, my mood is elevated, and I have fewer “senior moments.”
Way back when I was an undergraduate student, scientists thought that we were born with all of the neurons that we would have in our life. However, they have discovered that exercise actually helps our brains develop new neurons (the process is called adult neurogenisis). Why does this matter? It matters because it helps with our cognitive processing ability (in English: It helps the learning and memory area of our brains work better). Eating right and exercising may overcome cognitive decline and the new neural development may be why exercising is a way of treating mild depression without medication. I say “may” because there are still lots and lots of unanswered questions. But the research is hopeful.
When I was in graduate school, I essentially abused my body. Despite the ability to remain thin, I was eating a lot of processed and junk food. Exercise was not in my vocabulary. I was not getting enough sleep and my stress levels as I wrote and defended my dissertation were off of the charts. In the end, I was so exhausted and physically and emotionally burnt out that it took a very long time to recover. I no longer take my health for granted.
There is an Arabic proverb that says, “He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.” I don’t just hope for good health. I maintain a mindset of health that encourages me to eat right and exercise. If I keep that up, I will be rich.
All riches, of whatsoever nature, begin as a state of mind, and let us remember that a state of mind is the one and only thing over which any person has complete, unchallenged right of control. It is highly significant that none of us has control over anything except the power to shape our own thoughts and the privilege of fitting them to any pattern of our choice. ~Napoleon Hill, The Master-Key to Riches (revised)
So, how do we ensure that we are sending out positive signals? When I was in graduate school, I read something that helped me visualize how the process works (I wish I could remember the name of the book–if you know, please let me know). Radio signals are sent out on various frequencies from slow/lower to quite fast/higher. We can think of slow frequencies as being heavy–like trying to run through waist-deep mud–and fast frequencies as light–like being able to fly through the air. Often, if we take a moment and are still, we can actually feel our own frequency signal. If it is too low, we will attract the low frequency of others. By mentally turning up our radio dial, we can increase our frequency so that we can send out a positive mental attitude signal and receive positive signals in return.
It isn’t always easy to maintain a positive mental attitude. Being physically congested for the past few weeks has made everything in my life seem congested, too. However, I have tried to focus on the positive mental attitude of ideal health and getting the rest that I need(ed) to achieve that health instead of fighting against the cold.
Mr. Hill reminds us that our positive mental attitude is the foundation for achieving riches. What signal is your mental radio antenna sending out today?
We do not learn to value our blessings till we have lost them. ~Johann Herder
The news from Japan is heart wrenching. Like many people thousands of miles away from the devastation, I am stunned by the photos and videos. It is almost too overwhelming for me to cope with; I can only imagine that my reaction is a tiny tip of the iceberg for the people who are there and trying to live through the aftermath of a 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami.
How does one focus on staying positive while witnessing such tragedy?
We cope by acknowledging the profound sadness we are feeling for our fellow humans while also celebrating the myriad little and big blessings that are showing up–people being found still alive, people coming together to help the Japanese, modern search and rescue techniques, and advances made in medical treatment. We can even be thankful for the way the wind is blowing that will help dissipate the leaking radiation over the ocean thereby reducing the calamity caused by the nuclear meltdowns at the power plants.
More than ever, I am grateful that I am very conscious about what I let into my mind. Yes, I have followed the events in Japan but I haven’t been connected to the media as if it were my umbilical cord. As a result, I’ve been able to process the information in chewable bites, so to speak. I’ve noticed that some people with whom I interact are in a frenzy and are especially reluctant to believe, according to everything I’ve read, that the radiation danger is virtually non-existent for those of us in The States (frankly, I think we are in more danger from chemical-laden frankenfood than we are from radiation from any source). It does not make the situation in Japan any better by working ourselves into hysterics. We need to be level-headed so that we can be ready when any opportunity to help arises.
During lunch, yesterday, I was reading Napoleon Hill’s The Master-Key to Riches (the updated, easier to read version). He admonishes us that gratitude is a key practice in attracting all of life’s riches. By following Mr. Hill’s advice, we value our blessings now…not when they are gone in the blink of an eye.
What are you grateful for today?
Dr. Julie-Ann
PS: One thing I am grateful for is that this cold that has kept me down for a couple of weeks is just that…a cold and not something more serious.
Dr. Murphy tells us in his short two-chapter book, How to Attract Money, that it is our right to be rich. The main theme of the book is “abiding in the consciousness of wealth.” But sometimes we just need a little reassurance when we are having “one of those days.” Here is a snapshot of affirmations from his book that will help us remain in the “consciousness of wealth” (he suggests choosing one or two affirmations and repeating them in our minds when we are relaxed and/or feeling drowsy, such as right before we fall asleep at night):
Money is forever circulating freely in my life, and there is always a Divine surplus
I am prospering every day
I am growing in wealth and in wisdom every day
Every day my wealth is multiplying
I am advancing, growing, and moving forward financially
G*d is prospering me
I wish for every man who walks the earth, what I wish for myself. The sincere wish of my heart is, therefore, peace, love, joy, abundance, and G*d’s blessings to all men everywhere.
Infinite Intelligence governs and watches over all my financial transactions, and whatsoever I do shall prosper
The overshadowing Presence which guides the planets on their course and causes the sun to shine, watches over all my possessions, home, business, and all things that are mine. G*d is my fortress and vault. All my possessions are secure in G*d. It is wonderful.
I walk in the consciousness of the Presence of G*d all day long. His fullness flows through me at all times filling up all the empty vessels in my life.
And finally, Dr. Murphy suggests this all encompassing affirmation/prayer be said daily:
G*d is the source of my supply. That supply is my supply now. His riches flow to me freely, copiously, and abundantly. I am forever conscious of my true worth. I give of my talents freely, and I am wonderfully, divinely compensated. Thank you, Father!
When I was in graduate school, I made an audio tape of me saying my affirmations 5 times each. I listened to the tape on my way to school/work, on the way home, and as I was falling asleep. I found them to be very helpful in changing how I viewed myself and my place in the world. I’m not sure why I stopped using them on a regular basis. This journey has made it clear, however, that I need to reactivate that habit and tap into the power of my subconscious mind.
Have you used affirmations that you felt made a positive difference in your life?
Dear Friends,
