“Prathusha’s Pandora” –
Your brain is built to reinforce and regulate your life. Your subconscious has something called “Homeostatic impulse” which regulates functions like heartbeat and breathing. This homeostatic impulse is very important in maintaining the balance in your physical system. Likewise it does have an important part to play in your mental system, as well.
Your mind is constantly filtering and bringing the information and stimuli to your attention, by doing this it actually affirms your pre-existing beliefs. Your mind also presents you with repeated thoughts and impulses that mimic your past actions. That’s why what you think is very important and that’s why we say “WHAT YOU THINK IS WHAT YOU BECOME”.
Your mind is a realm in which either you can dwell in your past and get stranded in negativity or you can re-train your mind with positivity and make it your ally and not your enemy. So, if you ask me what is the first step to train your mind? I would say, it is WILLINGNESS and the effort that we make every day to recite the auto suggestions.
My childhood was not filled with teddy bears and chocolates. I lost my father when I was 6 years old which made me a scared little girl who fears everything that comes her way. The tantrums didn’t stop with that, then came my step dad who obviously hated me. If I had to ask something of my dad I would either get it done through my mom or I would rehearse the lines several times before asking him, otherwise I would shit my pants at the sight of him. Maybe that’s the reason I was scared to talk to strangers, especially men. I was broken beyond repair and had zero self-esteem.
After meeting Lee Lovett my life totally changed; like it took a whole new path. As an obedient student I followed all that Lee said. I did my Auto Suggestion Treatments (AST’s) twice a day and at that point of time my positive affirmations attacked only my stutter. So, it would be like “Every day in every way my speech grows better and better”, “I love to say my name Prathusha Ravi”, “When I panic calmness floods through my body”, “I’m a fluent speaker”, “I’m brave” and so on. Within months I was able to overcome my stutter and I realized it when I hosted an event successfully in my former firm. I was standing on the stage with a mic in my hand — I was obviously having seizures out of fear and I felt very nervous. I remember a friend of mine asking if I had PARKINSON’S. But when anyone asked if I was nervous, I would say No!!! I’m not nervous, I’m actually very excited. Nervousness and excitement both send the same signals to the brain, but it does makes a huge difference!! Nervousness sends negative signals whereas excitement sends positive signals.
Having dealt with stuttering, next I targeted my anger. I was highly introverted and I had severe anger management issues!! The good thing was that I didn’t express anger on others, but just on myself. I used to harm myself. Then Lee said that we should renounce anger in all its forms because anger is a punishment that one gives to themselves. Then I upgraded my AST with a new positive affirmation which said “I renounce my anger in all its forms” and I also learned the ART OF FORGIVING and that allowed me some PEACE. Now, I have completely become unresponsive to anger.
Then I slowly upgraded my AST’s which said “I’m the best speaker in the world”, “People love the way I talk and they admire me in every way”. The fact is I have crooked teeth, they are not perfect, and there were times when I was ashamed of it and I never used to smile with my mouth open. But now I have come to terms with my imperfections and I really feel that IMPERFECTION IS WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE. After all, a baby is born as a result of an erroneous DNA. Even though I’m planning to get braces in near future, at the same time I’m not ashamed to smile with my mouth wide open. So, it is like “I know that I’m imperfect, I accept it, I’m not ashamed to show it but at the same time I’m working on it and that’s how I improve”. Slowly expand your horizon by attacking your problems one by one with positive affirmations and that’s how you grow!!
Identify your resistance. When our subconscious mind allows the flow of the old stuttering habits and holds us back from becoming a speech cop then ask yourself “why did I join WSSA in the first place? And why am I allowing my old habits to win?” then you will find the answer. Lee often says that “sometimes the best way to unlearn a habit is by not using them”. So, don’t allow yourself to stutter… and it solves half the problem.
You know, sometimes we just have to speak our success as a present fact and not as a future plan. For example, If a person wants to become a CEO, then his AST should be “I’m the best CEO in the world” and not “I will become the best CEO in the world”. It doesn’t work that way, you know!!
I also remember our hypnotist, Monica, saying that we should always reinforce ideas into our mind in the form of positive sentences. For example, she said instead of saying “I will not forget the keys”, it is better to say “I will remember the keys” because in the first sentence the term “FORGET” is getting reinforced but in the second sentence the term “REMEMBER” is getting reinforced. So, when you frame your AST’s it is very important that you use positive sentences.
