Definitely Maybe
Drs Bil & Cher Holton
A long time ago, we used to sign a song that began with the words: "School days, school days, wonderful golden rule days.
Remember those Three R's? There is another set of three R's which can change your "sort of - kind of" into "Absolutely Positively:" Recognize, Refute, and Reprogram.
Recognize: Before we can change anything, we have to become aware of what needs to be changed. And our "sort of - kind of " tends to wear costumes that make it hard to recognize. For example, how about the phrase "yeah, but?"
"Yeah, buts" are strong negative affirmations. (I am filled with glorious heath and energy -- yeah, but do I feel so lousy? OR yeah, but I've just been diagnosed with cancer. Here's another one: I am a money magnet, and have plenty to share and spare -- yeah, but how am I going to meet my bills this month? I am one with God and all is well -- yeah, but God seems to be sleeping this week!)
"When, then games" are words we use to procrastinate. (For example, I believe that what we give comes back to us multiplied -- and when I get that new job, then I'll start really tithing! I believe that God is my source, and when I start getting my retirement income, then I'll be able to have fun!)
Mismatching words and actions occurs when we say one thing, but our actions don't live up to or model what we say. (In dance, when we count steps - triple step, triple step, rock step - but our feet are doing all kinds of weird steps that have nothing to do with our words!
Refute: To refute means to refuse to give any power to the attitudes and comments of other people. Essentially, it means not allowing other people to control our life experience. (For example, we can make statements such as: There is no way your attitude will change my attitude!) We can also refuse to give power to the world of appearance in terms of lack, or illness, or fear. (For example, we can say, "I refuse to give power to this situation" OR "This perceived health challenge has no power over me.")
We normally call these statements denials -- which doesn't mean we deny they exist. We are simply declaring to be not true; to declare as utterly false. We use denials to put our error thoughts where they belong. Denials give us the opportunity to talk back, refusing to give power to something or someone 'outside' of us that seems to be in a place of control.
Reprogram : A denial without an affirmation is a very dangerous thing! So we must fill the vacuum created by denials with powerful affirmations what we know to be truth. In the Gospel of Luke 11:24-26, Jesus tells the parable of the man who was cleansed of an evil spirit. However, the spirit returned, finding the "house" swept clean, and so it moved back in, with seven of its buddies, more wicked than he. This reminds us of how important it is to reaffirm our beliefs and reprogram our thinking, by following up denials with powerful affirmations!
In her classic, Lessons in Truth, Emilie Cady states: "to affirm anything is to assert positively that it is so, even in the face of all contrary evidence. Deny the appearance of evil; affirm good. Deny weakness; affirm strength. Deny any undesirable condition, and affirm the good you desire."
The critical ingredient for success is to claim your affirmations with power -- with faith! When you use a lackadaisical approach, you are simply wishing. When you affirm in a manner that says "Without a Doubt," from the strength of your Christ consciousness, you are speaking with a voice of knowing faith and Truth!
Our granddaughter graduated from Daisies - the pre-Brownies group. As a graduation gift, the leaders gave each girl a little book filled with pictures capturing the events they had participated in. We were struck by one of the pictures. The girls were lying on the ground, in front of a fire truck. The words above the photo were "Stop, Drop, Roll." Our granddaughter explained that it was a phrase the firefighters used to tell us how to handle ourselves if we ever get caught in fire.
It really connected with us and so we applied it to the 3 R's: STOP - Recognize the maybe's that dilute your spiritual growth and happiness; DROP - Release error thinking and behaviors by denying their power; and ROLL - Reaffirm the transformative power of the beliefs, the Truths, of spiritual principles! Put the 3 R's into practice so you take the Maybe out of Definitely.
Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Stop by their website at ( http://www.unityspirituallifecenter.org/ Unity Spiritual Life Center and register to receive a free 4-week e-course.
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