Change Your Thoughts With Tapping
Written by Lindsay Kenny
You can change your mind to change your life. Thoughts are arguably among the most powerful tools we possess to affect change in our lives.
How Our Thoughts Affect Us
Many books have been written on the power of our thoughts, and how profoundly they affect us. My purpose in this short article is not to convince you of the power of your thoughts, but rather to teach you a simple way to change them. There are many books, essays, articles and quotes on the power of thought and the benefit of changing them. One of my favorites is the book The Secret. I also love the documentary style movie of the same name, and highly recommend the book, which came after the movie. There you can read the quotes and tips over and over.
The classic book from 1902, As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, based on a bible verse, is full of great ideas and quotes about the power of thought. I’ve summarized some of his choice quotes below.
Please forgive the politically incorrect gender references. This was written before the power and importance of women was truly recognized. Just change them to suit yourself.
•Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.
•A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
•Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them your world will at last be built.
•The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears.
•Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought.
•Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.
•As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make himself strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
What You Can do About Negative Thoughts
Once you understand the power of your thoughts, then changing them is simple and easy. However, most people allow negative thoughts to sabotage their lives and poison their relationships, especially the one with themselves. If you wonder whether your thoughts are predominantly negative or positive, you have to only look at your emotions and your reality. They are a reflection of your thoughts, not vice versa. If you’re feeling lousy, chances are you’re thinking lousy thoughts. If you keep having crummy things happening to you, it’s likely that your thoughts are crummy. Look at your own life for a reality check.
Here’s the good news. It’s not your fault…kind of. We don’t deliberately choose negative thoughts. They just pop into our heads, and most of the time pop right back out. We have somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day! Most are random, some are positive, but too many are negative.
The bad news is the negative ones can easily become habitual, then fester. They make us worry more, or get angrier or become more impatient or fearful. Left unchecked, those thoughts become limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs start reflecting in our reality, since what we predominately think about is what we attract.
While we can’t always choose our thoughts, we can control negative ones by changing them immediately.
EFT Exercise to Help Eliminate Negative Thoughts
You’re trainable! If you’re willing to do just a little work, then you can change your thoughts, change your mind and change your life. Here’s a simple way to stop negative thoughts before they become limiting beliefs.
Step 1: Make a list
Write down 10 or more negative thoughts you commonly have such as:
1. I can’t do this
2. I never have enough time
3. I’ll probably screw it up
4. This is going to be so hard
5. I can’t get going on this
6. I never have enough money
7. I’ll never get this done
8. I can’t forgive her
9. I’m an ugly cow
10. What a loser
11. I’ll never let go of this…
12. I probably won’t get invited anyway
13. I can’t afford that
14. I won’t get that promotion anyway
15. They just don’t like me
16. What’s wrong with me?
17. This probably won’t work
Note: If you’re not a list maker or just can’t think of any negative thoughts until you get them, then perform this exercise as the negative thoughts arise. You just need to be hyper-vigilant about noticing what your thoughts are.
Step 2: Tap on negative thoughts
If you are new to tapping, please see How To Tap.
On the karate chop (KC) point:
- “Even though I often have these negative thoughts…and others I can’t even remember, I’m proud of myself for changing them to positive ones.” Do this three times.
Then on the tapping points do simple reminders such as:
- EB- My negative thoughts
- SE- This negative thinking
- UE- Often expecting the worst
- UN- Thinking something’s wrong with me
- CH- This negative chatter
- CB- Unintentional negative thoughts
- UA- Intentional ones
- LP- Habitual negative thinking
- TH- Enough already
Do another round saying things like:
“I want to change these thoughts, I want to think positively, I want to expect the best, I deserve the best, I want to let go of this negative chatter.”
Then do another sequence of tapping – two rounds or more, venting your thoughts and telling yourself you that want to eliminate negative thinking. Choose to forgive yourself for the thoughts. It’s a bit like reprogramming your subconscious (the source of negative thinking). You’re kind of “changing your mind.” Get it?
Step 3: Make a list of 20 possible counter-thoughts
1. I allow myself to do this
2. I have more than enough time
3. I allow myself to do this right the first time
4. I choose to make it easy
5. I choose to make it easy to get started
6. I have more than enough money
7. I have more than enough time to do this
8. I choose to forgive her
9. I’m a beautiful person inside and out
10. I deserve prosperity
11. I allow myself to release this anger
12. I choose to find something else interesting to do
13. I can afford that, but choose to save my money
14. I’m the best person for that job and allow them to see it
15. People who matter like me. I choose to be oblivious of the rest
16. I have only positive thoughts about myself and others
17. I allow this to work
If you have negative chatter on the positive thoughts, stop and tap them away. “Even though I don’t believe this will work, I allow it to work.” (Refer to step 2)
Last step
Now, for awhile be super conscious of your thoughts. Every time you have a negative one, simply counter it with a positive thought. If you’re not sure what positive thought to use, just make it the opposite of the negative one. For instance, change “I’ll never get this done” to “I allow myself to finish easily.” Change “I never have enough time” to “I choose to have more than enough time.” Change “I can’t stand her” to “I love and accept the good things about her.”
One last thought…..
As a Man Thinketh opens with this still-timely poem:
Mind is the Master-power that moulds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.
