This is a terrific post from my friend Linda Pucci.  Linda helps people get clear about what they want and helps them move toward it.

The key to your success is in what you think about, in what you say to yourself and others, in what you believe, and in what your attitudes are about yourself and others.

The truth is that no matter how great a company you work for, or how great your product or service, we all hold the power to “make it” or “break it” in that business (and in our lives).

We create what we think about. 

Our brains are designed to help us find more of what we are thinking about, so we are constantly scanning our environments to try to find and create what our thoughts reflect.  Anything we think about, our brain tries to find for us. That’s why your thoughts are so very important.

The Law of Attraction, Quantum Physics and the ways our brains are designed help create those things upon which we focus our attention.  Many of you have heard me talk or write before about the importance of focusing on what you DO want, rather than on what you DON’T want.  The reason is that we may as well be creating the outcome we want rather than the outcome we don’t want.

Since your brain doesn’t process negatives directly, it is important to state your intentions in a positive form.  If I say to you “Don’t think about elephants,” you have probably just created an elephant in your head that you must somehow get rid of.

To get what you want, leave behind those thoughts about what you don’t want.  “I don’t want to feel so overwhelmed” only helps solidify overwhelm before it can take it away.  “I don’t want to be poor” means you have to create that focus first before you try to get rid of it. “I’m want to lose weight” first creates it before you can begin to tackle trying to get rid of it.  And often, once we’ve thought of it, it becomes doubly hard to get rid of it.  What happens when you think about that hot fudge sundae you are trying to avoid eating, or that cigarette you are trying to stop smoking?  Thinking about them makes you want them even more because by thinking about them, you’ve created them in your head.  Now you want to find them.

In addition to creating what we think about, we limit ourselves or empower ourselves by what we believe.  When we form a belief–any belief–we do everything possible to prove that belief is “right.”  We ignore evidence to the contrary, distort evidence to prove the belief true, and generalize from one situation where the belief is true to other situations.  The belief often goes out of awareness.  Sometimes, we may not even be aware that we hold the belief.  If that belief is one that limits us, it is like a bad computer virus; it chugs away under the surface, messing up our best laid plans.

Our beliefs are one of the primary ways we sabotage ourselves–and it is largely unconscious.  When you hold limiting beliefs, such as “I can’t…” or “I’m not good enough…” or any one of the millions of beliefs that can limit you, you keep yourself from succeeding. The key to success is between your ears.  If you change your beliefs, and how you think about things, you can change challenge and failure into success. Really.

You might think you have always had that belief, or always had difficulties with self esteem. Guess what? Any belief can be changed.  If your beliefs no longer serve you, make the decision to change it.  If your limiting beliefs have formed into an identity that is not working for you, change your mind, and change your life.

Challenging limiting beliefs that no longer work for you can be as easy or as difficult as you think it will be.  If you think because you have held a limiting belief for a long time that it will be difficult to change it, that belief about how hard it will be to change will make it difficult to change. (Remember, we help create what we think about).

The first step is to decide to use your brain to create the changes you want in your life. Then, identify the thinking that is not helpful to you.  What thoughts or beliefs get in your way?

Next, think about what would be a more effective belief or thing to think about.  Begin to challenge your old beliefs and thinking and replace them with new ideas about what could be possible. When you do, you will be on your way toward building a different outcome–and more success!

Linda Pucci is a life coach, trainer, and expert in helping people find and develop their inner resources for life and business. Learn more from Linda at www.innerresourcecenter.com.