I am always on the lookout for new ways to spark “mental quakes,” to invoke self-induced shifts of perspective. I am continually seeking ways to leap forward into new and empowering paradigms.
One way is to remind myself every morning, “Today is a new day and I am a new Nathan, totally free to make new choices, new decisions.”
Another way is to think about what I would like to create in my life, what behavioral changes I would like to be able to achieve, what personality attributes I would like to enhance or eliminate, what habits I would like to create or drop.
I then write a script, a character description, as if it were a part in a movie or play or TV drama. I pretend I am the author or the director with total freedom to create the character who will embody the changes I seek. Once I have fully fleshed out that part in my mind, run the camera of my mind’s eye, seen it in the projection room in my head, once it is real and detailed to me, I audition for the role!
I pretend I am an accomplished method actor, exceptionally skilled at stepping into the “skin” of my character. I choose to become the part and the character. I find this helps immensely in creating new roles, new strengths, new skills, new paradigms. It helps me believe that it is possible to create the change I desire.
Just like going into the gym once and doing a few reps does not give you a ripped body for life, I find that repetition is a vital key to creating behavior change. Desire and commitment are important components in creating lasting change. Auditioning for the role of your new self is a fun way to make an interesting mental game of the process and to spark your energy and creativity.
Closing Quote:
“‘Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus, Our bodies are our gardens; to which our wills are gardeners…” —— Othello, Act I, Scene III by William Shakespeare