CONQUER STRESS

The Overthinker’s Guide to Peace and Happiness

Mental Health Series: Vol. 1

By: Nicole Gauder

Conquer Stress: The Overthinker’s Guide to Peace and Happiness

Published by Nicole Gauder

Copyright © 2022 by Nicole Gauder.

All right reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any way or by any mechanical means without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover design by Iwona Dufaj

ISBN  978-1-7386302-1-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7386302-0-2 (eBook)

CONQUER STRESS: THE OVERTHINKER’S GUIDE TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS

NICOLE, GAUDER

BEINTRUTH.COM/NICOLE-GAUDER

Dedication

This material is dedicated to You!

Table of Contents

For My Readers

Introduction

Chapter 1      Stop Overthinking  and Find Mental Peace

Chapter 2     Turning Your Negative  Thinking into Potential

Chapter 3     Turning Your Problems  into Potential

Chapter 4     Overcoming Negative  Thought Patterns

Chapter 5     Challenging False  Limiting Beliefs

Chapter 6     Five Popular Toxic  Beliefs and Their Cures

Chapter 7    Twenty Empowering Beliefs to Help  You on Your Way to Happiness

Chapter 8     Stop Stress in its Tracks!

Chapter 9     Stop Negativity Right Away!

Chapter 10     Stress Reduction  Through the Imagination

Chapter 11     A Blueprint for  Stress Management

Chapter 12     Changing Negative  Thought Patterns

Chapter 13     Using the Magic  of Your Mind

Chapter 14    Unlocking the Power of  Your Subconscious Mind.

Chapter 15    The Truth About  Pleasing Others.

Chapter 16    Following Your  Heart to Happiness.

Chapter 17    A Dozen Ways to  Enhance Your Happiness

Chapter 18    Finding Peace During  Challenging Times

Chapter 19 Everyday Happiness: Experience  the Happiness You Deserve

Wrapping Up

About The Author

For My Readers

C

ongratulations on taking the time to invest in yourself by picking up this book and proceeding with an empowered step forward along your journey towards your peace and happiness. Stress is part of life, and it can show up if you are not careful with your thoughts. Once you know how to conquer the stress that life’s challenges seem to bring on, stress will no longer have the negative impact on your life that is holding you back from your peace and happiness.

I suggest reading through the book once before completing the tools to get a good idea of the material you are working with.  The tools are added if you want to take your personal journey towards peace and happiness even further.   Note that you do not have to complete the tools to gain results from this material.  The same goes for the chapter reflection areas. They are simply added to take you deeper along your journey should you choose to with more reflection. The tools can be downloaded and printed here.

It is not a coincidence that you are reading this book. It has aligned with you for a reason. You are now about to find out that reason. May you gain the awareness, inspiration, and fresh perspective that this material is intended to offer you along your life journey. There is no need for overthinking, and stress in life. You have the Power and Potential to perceive your so-called stress in a new way. Imagine being happy, peaceful, and stress-free. There is no reason you cannot be happy. The secret is to align yourself with the happiness that you seek. If you feel you are stressed out in life it is because you are aligning with stressful thoughts. This does not have to be the case. You are about to go deeper into how you can take back your power and overcome the chaos of the mind which brings on the stress that you feel. Life is too precious to be anything but happy.

HAPPPINESS IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!

Wishing You All the Best with Your Happiness and Success.

Sincerely,

Nicole.

Introduction

Let the Journey Begin

Y

our mind is going a mile a minute, and you have a million thoughts swirling around in your brain. You can’t seem to find clarity; you want to pull your hair out and stress is on the rise. You are not alone! According to mental health America, 19.86% of adults experience a mental illness and some sort of stress in 2022. Equivalent to almost 50 million Americans. Although that number can be overwhelming, the good news is that stress is something you can conquer with the right awareness. You have the power to experience the happiness that you deserve. Happiness is your birthright, and no person, situation, or circumstance has the power to replace your happiness with stress unless you allow it to.

Stress is brought on by mind and you have the power to overcome the stress that the ego makes you want to feel. Things such as overthinking, false beliefs, and ignorance etc. all contribute to the stress you feel in your life. When stress is apparent, other emotions with similar vibrations and frequencies such as doubt, anger, jealousy, resentment, and any other negative emotions that stem from the ego can invade your mind. Bringing on more stress to your life experience.

You are usually never upset for the reason you think you are. The fact of the situation whether the situation that you are feeling stressed over be a pimple on date night, a person you are having difficulty getting along with, or it may be a bad day at work. Whatever it may be, the situation is not what is upsetting you. No matter what the situation, the situation is not where the issue lies. Misguided thought is where the problem lies.  It is how you think about the situation that matters and has you feeling drained and stressed out at any time. Nothing has any power over you unless you allow it to, and you have the power to direct your life in such a way that your experiences of negativity are minimal to none.

Your subconscious mind will accept any thought you give it. Your conscious mind chooses whereas the subconscious mind accepts what is planted into it. Since your thoughts are energy as is everything else in the universe, by guiding your thoughts you match energy which is guided back to you in like matter. If you think and feel happy, you will continue to attract circumstances into your life which will reap happiness for you. the same goes if you are unhappy, you will continue to attract things to keep you unhappy. As you change your thoughts, you change your life. Your thoughts and feelings are the energy which the universe matches and sends back to you. As you think, so shall you be and experience in your life.

We as spiritual beings having a human experience have a habit of over-analyzing and then on top of that we tend to lean towards negativity in our thinking. Sadly, we have been programmed to think negatively from things like tv, the internet, ads, media in general, etc.

Both overanalyzing and negative thinking are detrimental to living a happy, fulfilled life of inner peace. The mind is a very powerful tool. It can also be your worst enemy if you let it take control of your life.

For those who have found true peace and are living in harmonious alignment with life and all that they desire, they have realized how to tame the mind and its illusion thoughts. For the average person when a situation comes their way, they tend to over analyze the situation. Not only that, but they also tend to lean towards negative thought patterns which are detrimental to a clear, peaceful, and consciously aware mind. Example: Your boss tells you that they want to talk with you after work. What is your instant thought reaction? For many people, it is something negative such as “Uh Oh!”, “Oh no, what did I do?” Or something like, “I hope I’m not in trouble”.

This is where the mind starts running a thousand thoughts through your head to make sense of why the boss could possibly want to speak with you. Once this overthinking has begun, thoughts can start to go “downhill” and get negative. Now you are aligning with negative energy patterns that bring up feelings such as stress, doubt, worry, fear etc.

When it comes to a person who has grown past the mind and lives a peaceful, happy life, they know that no matter what comes their way, it is what it is and that is that. They know not to overthink anything but to let it be as it is. By letting things be as they are with no judgement of what they could mean according to your perspective, you allow things to be as they are. You are then able to be neutral of opinion and not negatively impacting your mind and thought pattern.

By allowing things to be as they are, you have less chance that stress, worry and feelings of such will creep in. This removes you from the cycle of overthinking and aligning yourself with negativity and puts you in the space of peace and acceptance.

Once you accept that everything is as you make it, you will learn to deliberately think in a certain way so overthinking and stress are things of the past.

The best part is that you are powerful and full of potential. It all begins with your thought process and alignment, and you are in control of that. The rest will fall into place, you are about to learn how within the following pages.

“As you think so shall you be and

experience in your life.”

Chapter 1

Stop Overthinking

and Find Mental Peace

A

re you overthinking to the point of paralysis and fear? Is your mind filled with so many thoughts that you don’t know what to do next or how to handle it? If overthinking is causing you to struggle, you’ll be glad to know that it’s possible to find mental peace again. To rid the stress in your life and find the peace and happiness you deserve, it is critical that the habit of overthinking is over and done with. You can learn to calm your mind, achieve greater focus, and find the direction that is right for you!

Although it is easy to say calm the mind, stop your thought process, take it easy with your thoughts, it takes the right awareness and practice to learn to tame the mind. You can begin to use the following techniques to help quiet your mind and experience greater peace along your journey to peace and happiness.

1. Avoid obsessing about completely silencing the mind. You may wish that you could stop your thoughts altogether. However, this isn’t the best tactic for dealing with overthinking.  The more you try to stop thinking, the more your thoughts will flow. The opposite of what you want actually starts to happen. As thoughts come, let them pass. You do not have to subscribe to every thought your mind produces. Stay here and now.

2. Understand that you’ll always have thoughts. All human beings have thoughts. Recognize this is a normal process. Although you can learn to silence your mind in certain situations, you can achieve great peace by learning to take control of what you think, instead. This gives you the power of deliberate creation when you get good at it. Make your thoughts work for you not against you.

3. Avoid judging your thoughts. It’s tempting to get upset if you have negative thoughts or emotions. You may be quick to judge and try to squash them. Let them come and go, do not give your attention to them. Where attention goes, energy flows. Instead of judging and criticizing your thoughts, accept them for a normal human habit. Acknowledge them and then move on. Learn to appreciate your mind. This will help your mind calm down because you won’t be fighting internally with it. This also assists you in creating the peace and happiness that you want to experience in your life. Remember, you wouldn’t be able to appreciate the positive thoughts if you never had negative ones.

4. Try to stay present. Overthinking often comes because you’re worried about the future or regret something that has already happened. You allow stress and anxiety to take over. You start imagining different outcomes, with most of them being negative, and you start living in fear. In the present moment there is nothing wrong, only what the mind makes of it. If you stay in the present moment, fear can’t take over, and overthinking isn’t an issue. You’re able to focus on what you have to do each day to survive and thrive without the mind taking over with a million thoughts a minute, which are sometimes negatively aligned.

5. Be okay with the world. The word okay doesn’t mean perfection. It also doesn’t mean awful. It’s the balance between positive and negative. It’s the thin line between them that allows you to find mental peace. Being okay also means that you learn to accept what is happening in your life. Once you accept things as they are and do not allow the mind to label what you think they should be, you will be well on your way to experiencing peace and happiness in your life. Being okay may mean that you learn to love where you’re at and what you’re doing right now. You learn to appreciate what you have and the people around you. It’s important to find gratitude in the little things. You don’t have to pretend those negative things don’t exist, but you can avoid focusing on them. Center your attention on appreciating life.

Your thoughts can save you, but they can also destroy you. Your mind can be a busy place, so it’s important to learn ways to deal effectively with some of the thoughts. Strategies like these can help you deal with your overthinking so you can find peace while working along your journey to gain the peace and happiness in life that you deserve, and frankly, is your birthright.

Chapter 2

Turning Your Negative

Thinking into Potential

D

oes negative thinking seem to get the best of you?  If you are one to stress, chances are negative thinking does get the best of you since stress begins in thought. Problematic thinking does not have to affect you in a negative way. You have the power to feel peace through any problem/challenge that you face. It all depends on how you choose to perceive the challenge at hand, and then if you choose to react or to respond to the seeming problem.

When reacting to a problem you allow the problem to get the best of you. Chances are you react the same way every time a problem arises. This gives your power away and drains you of your vital life energy. You overthink a million ways of how bad the situation is and make it hell in your mind, you play it over and over in your mind, and therefore your experience becomes hell.

When you choose to respond to a problem, you empower yourself and have a chance to boost your vital life energy. You don’t have to accept all the negative thoughts swirling through your head, and you can think your way to a positive outcome, no matter what the situation. The way you think about something is what makes or breaks your experience.

Responding to a problem involves taking a step back and perceiving it clearly.  From there, choosing to respond accordingly while staying in a positive energy alignment is how you keep your power. By taking a step back and collecting your thoughts you give the million negative thoughts wanting to pop up, a chance to die down. It is through your perception and the power of choice that the problem no longer needs to be perceived as a problem but can now be perceived as an opportunity to grow along your path. You will have many opportunities to grow and expand as you develop mentally and emotionally. Keep in mind this can only happen if you diffuse the million and one negative thoughts trying to creep in and take over your emotional realm.

Often, you’re upset for the wrong reasons and let things hold you back that you should not. If you let your thoughts run rampant in a negative way, you will be held back from your positive alignment. Most of the time, you are not upset for the reason you think you are. You are upset or facing problems because you perceive them to be problematic.  You have the power to perceive things in a positive light, even things that seem negative and that stress you out.

When you can ask yourself what the problem is trying to teach you, you instantly create an opportunity to perceive the problem from a new angle and alignment. Focusing on the lesson allows you to keep your power where you would have been giving it away to negativity and problematic thoughts in the past.

There is always another way you can choose to perceive something. An example of this would be the caterpillar thinking the time of going into the cocoon is the end. Meanwhile the perception of the butterfly is a brand-new beginning. Same cocoon, different perspectives. Another example would be when it comes to water. You can choose to perceive water as refreshing and a thirst quencher. Or you can choose to perceive the water as something to drown someone with. Two different perceptions, and two different outcomes according to which perceptive is chosen. I know this may sound confusing, but it boils down to the fact that you have the power to be, do, or have anything that you want through the way you choose to think and be. This includes facing problems in such a way that they no longer affect you in a negative way. This is how you turn your problems into potential and begin to conquer the negative stress that overthinking can bring. You no longer have to live in a problematic mindset. You can control the way you think and feel as challenging situations or people show up in your experience.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“There is always another way you can

choose to perceive something.”

Chapter 3

Turning Your Problems

into Potential

D

o problems seem to keep creeping into your life? As you may already know, within every problem lies great opportunity.  What if you could turn your problems into potential? All it takes is a different perspective.

Change is often scary and can be difficult. We often resist change and continue to think “off-track” or negatively regarding life’s situation simply because it is what we know. If this, is you, you are not alone. The bad news is if you continue to do what you are doing and are thinking in a negative manner, you will not see the peace and happiness you seek to have in your life

What the caterpillar only knows as an ending, the butterfly experiences as a beautiful new beginning. Depending on your perspective is how you will experience your reality. Below are some questions to help you turn your problematic way of thinking into a way of possibilities and potential. If you are feeling stressed due to a specific situation, ask yourself the following:

If every problem possesses the seeds of its own solution, where is the opportunity in my problem, and what are some possible solutions?

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What is something good about this situation, no matter how small or insignificant?

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Does this situation have a positive aspect?

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Can I open myself up to my feelings a little more?

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What is something I can do to get in touch with my feelings and grow from this situation?

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Who can I turn to for support?

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What can I take from this experience?

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What can I learn?

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How can this experience help me to grow?

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How can I create faith for the future and strength to go on?

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Now that you have a method for turning problems into potential you can use it for any problem you face. Things are easier when you can be open to “opportunity thinking” to create potential rather than “problematic thinking” which only aligns with and creates more problems and stress.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“What the caterpillar only knows as

an ending, the butterfly experiences

as a beautiful new beginning.”

Chapter 4

Overcoming Negative

Thought Patterns

I

f you are not happy with your life, ask yourself why? Your beliefs are very significant when it comes to what you perceive in your reality. It is said “as you think so shall you be”, yet it should be worded as you believe so shall you be. Your beliefs are thoughts you have thought about over and over again. The more these thoughts are thought about they become habitual thoughts. It is these habitual thoughts that form your belief patterns.

What is holding you back from your peace and happiness? Chances are it’s limiting false beliefs restraining you making you feel stressed out. When it comes to beliefs some may be benefiting you while others may not be. Here we are going to focus on false non-beneficial beliefs. These are the beliefs which hold you back from the inner peace and happiness that you seek.

Beliefs form through repetition of thought. The more you focus on a thought the more it will become true for you. This goes both ways for positive and negative. In knowing that, to eliminate false beliefs you want to uproot them (find them) and then you want to replace them with thoughts that feel better. As you continually focus on these better-feeling thoughts, you will eventually begin to notice the change you seek beginning to happen in your reality.

This may not happen over night, yet the key is to rid yourself of the beliefs which are holding you back from your peace and happiness. You may be asking “where do I start?”, “how do I find my false beliefs?” You can find your false beliefs by asking the right questions... For example, you may not be content with where you are in life... You could then ask something like “why am I not where I want to be in life?”  As you observe the answers, you will notice that chances are, they are majority false beliefs. An example of a false belief response could be something such as “I am not good enough” or “I can't”. Or maybe even “I do not have enough money” etc. These are all false beliefs which have no power over you unless you allow them to. You want to rid yourself of these types of false beliefs and replace them with positive, more beneficial ones. In the same way you programmed yourself with false beliefs to begin with by constant thought of the beliefs, so too can you replace those beliefs with new ones.

When you have a false belief lingering in the background, you are putting out mixed signals to the universe. Therefore, it will give you back things to leave you feeling mixed up and confused. Eventually leading to stress build up in your life.  Once you discover the false belief you can flip it to a positive rather than the negative vibration that the false belief gives you which holds you back from what you are trying to do, be, or have, hence leaving you felling stressed and overwhelmed.

Let’s say you want to feel confident, but you have a false belief that your nose is too big, and you are self-conscious about it. So, you look in the mirror and tell yourself you are pretty. However, the ego, where false beliefs stem from, screams out, “no you’re not, your nose is too big”. It is this interfering false belief that is holding you back from the confident feeling you want from the thought of being pretty. In this case your false belief would be that your nose is too big.

Next you want to flip that thought. You can say something like “I love my nose the way it is”. “I have a cute nose”. “My nose is unique.” These types of thoughts will bring a more positive vibration (feeling) than the negative ones which judge your nose which leave you with lower negative vibrations.

It is small affirmations as such which are thought about enough, that turn into your habitual thoughts, feelings and eventually your being. Affirmations are a great way to start on your way towards a new way of thinking which in turn will bring you a new way of feeling and being.

You have the power within to create your reality by preparing your mind with positive thoughts which reap the right benefits for you. Now that you are equipped with the knowledge that you have, how will you choose to shape your destiny?

Have you ever caught yourself saying things such as “I can’t handle this”, I’ll never get this done”, this is too much for me!”?  If you have, these types of thoughts are not helpful and are unproductive to you. When you think thoughts such as “I can’t….” “That’s impossible”, “this is too much for me”, you bring on unnecessary negative energy that comes with the thoughts. That negative energy contains feelings such as anxiety, doubt, overwhelm, stress and much more. The more you think in a negative manner, the more you will feel stressed out and overwhelmed. This also goes for if you are taking on too much at a time.

Whether it is too many thoughts in your head about what to do next, the how, the where etc. Or being negative when planting seeds in your mind garden, both will lead to overwhelm and eventually stress. The key is to slow down, put things into perspective and move forward with clarity and ease before making your next move. When you find your mind spiraling out of control with either negative thoughts or too many thoughts, stop, take a breath, and ask yourself….

1. What Is the Actual Problem I Am Facing?

2. What is triggering my feeling of being stressed and/or overwhelmed?

3. How can I think about this situation differently, so it does not take away my power by having me feel overwhelmed?

4. What could I learn from this challenge?

5. How will overcoming this challenge empower me?

By slowing down your mind from all the rushed or negative thoughts, you allow yourself to gain a new perspective on the situation making you feel stressed.  By answering the five power questions above it helps guide you to gain a new perspective. A fresh perspective is usually all it takes to find the solution to even the most difficult challenge.

Sometimes all that is required is for you to take a deep breath and ponder on the right questions. Once you are relaxed and in the right mind state, it makes it easier for a solution mindset to form better fresh, positive outlook on the situation that is originally causing your stress.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“You have the power within

to create your reality”

Chapter 5

Challenging False

Limiting Beliefs

A

re limiting beliefs withholding you from getting what you want? Once you uncover a limited belief which is holding you back in life, you can begin to challenge it to gain clarity and move forward. Gaining clarity will help empower you in the right direction towards your inner peace. The following tool is designed to help you challenge your false beliefs and where they come from. It can be used any time, for any false belief that is not serving your best interest. If you think of the reason you are not happy and do not have, are not doing, or are not what you want to be, then ask yourself why? What is holding you back from having, being or doing everything that you want?  What is withdrawing you from your happiness?

Examples of some limiting beliefs are “I am not good enough”, “I am not smart enough”, “I could never do, have or be that”, all of these are examples of false limiting beliefs that you may be placing on yourself without even realizing it. Once you have figured out your limiting beliefs which are holding you back from your inner peace and happiness, answer the following questions for each.

The limiting belief which is holding me back from my happiness is…

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Where did this limiting belief come from in the first place?

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Whose idea was it originally, mine or someone else’s?

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In what ways does this belief limit me?

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What caused me to decide that this was true for me?

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Does this limiting belief really serve me?  What is the belief doing for me?

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What are the consequences of holding on to this belief for me, my family, and my health?

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What would I rather believe?

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How will things improve with this new belief?

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How will things worsen with this new belief?

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What is the best thing that can happen based on my old belief?

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What is the best thing that can happen based on my new belief?

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What might stop me from adopting this new belief?

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How will my new belief fit with my sense of self?

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**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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Chapter 6

Five Popular Toxic

Beliefs and Their Cures

E

ver think of something long enough that it made you feel bad or stressed out? Some beliefs have the power to stop you in your tracks. If you believe that you could never run a marathon, you’d never try. Some toxic beliefs can penetrate multiple areas of your life. These beliefs are more damaging than specific beliefs. Believing you can never learn to play the banjo doesn’t have the same negative impact as the belief that you’re too old to follow your dreams.

Rid yourself of the toxic beliefs that stress you out and limit your life:

1. It’s too late, or I’m too old. Sometimes it is too late. You’re probably not going to start playing in the NBA if you’re 45 years old. But the number of things you can do is far greater than the number of things you can’t.

- Colonel Sanders didn’t settle on a chicken recipe* until he was 49 years old. Yet, you most likely know who he is, chances are you’ve eaten his chicken.

- Betty White’s famous roles came to her at the age of 51, where she appeared on the Mary Tyler Moore show*. Then at age 63, she starred in the Golden Girls*, and she was 88 when she joined the cast of Hot in Cleveland*. Avoid jumping to conclusions regarding your age. You can do a lot more than you think.

2. Failure is bad. Failure is normal. If you’re living, you’re also failing from time to time. The trick is to fail in the right way and make good use of it. Failure is nothing more than an undesired result. Without seeming failure there is no room for a lesson and growth. Time to perceive failure in a more positive and beneficial way.

- Take the opportunity to learn from your failures and adjust your approach. If one way doesn’t work, try another. If you continue to improve your method, how can you possibly fail over the long haul? It’s all a learning opportunity and steppingstones for your growth.

3. The past equals the future. You have an amazing ability to change and adapt. Just because you’ve been lazy, made poor choices, been uneducated, had poor social skills, or self-destructed in the past doesn’t mean the future can’t be different. The past only affects you if you permit it. You can choose to drop the past and live in the present. The present moment is where you create your future.

4. I’m not smart, good with money, good with people, educated enough, special, or fill in the blank. No one is good at everything. You can learn to be good at whatever skill you’re lacking. Don’t know how to save money? Read a book. Not good with people? Take a class. Lacking in real estate knowledge? Find a mentor.

- Successful people are often surprisingly ordinary. You don’t have to do anything spectacular to have spectacular results. You can find or create whatever you currently feel that you are lacking.

5. People will criticize me, laugh at me, or think little of me. You’re right. They will. This isn’t an inaccurate belief, but it’s harmful to be concerned about the opinions of others. No matter what you do, there are people that won’t be impressed. And there’s always someone ready to make a negative comment. Why do you care?

- You don’t have time to worry about such silliness. You no longer have to accept the opinions of others, so let go of the peer pressure. Other people’s opinion is only that, their opinion. You do not have to make their opinion your truth.

- Please yourself and avoid worrying about anyone else’s opinion. As long as you are not deliberately hurting others in a negative way when doing so, you are fully entitled to take care of yourself.

A toxic belief could be holding you back from the peace and happiness that you deserve. These negative beliefs are difficult to recognize because you’ve been carrying them around for so long. Do a personal inventory and evaluate all your beliefs that inhibit you. How do you know they’re true? What are they costing you? Get rid of them and proceed to bring your dreams to life! You have the power to change your life from negative to positive. The Power has been in you all along.

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*The Mary Tyler Moore show created by James Brooks and Allen Burns aired from Sept 1970 to March 1977

*The Golden Girls show created by Susan Harris aired from September 1985 to May 1992

*Hot in Cleveland aired from June 2010 to June 2015

*Colonel Sanders founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain in 1974

Chapter 7

Twenty Empowering Beliefs to Help

You on Your Way to Happiness

A

re your beliefs getting in the way of your happiness? Your experiences are shaped by your thinking. Even obstacles have a value when you understand how to find it. You can develop convictions that will help you to feel happier and achieve more, regardless of the situation. The goal is your empowered alignment. Consider the following empowering beliefs that you can start using today to transform your life through the power of positive thinking.

Empowering Beliefs to Make Your Heart Smile

1. I understand my potential. You can achieve amazing results when you put your mind to it. Feel excited about reaching your true potential. You have so much to offer this world.

2. I count my blessings. List each thing that you have to be grateful for. Remember to include smaller items, like warm socks or sweet apples. Expressing your appreciation reminds you of how rich you are.

3. I learn from mistakes. You can make setbacks work for you by focusing on the lessons that they contain. Messing up one job interview can teach you how to ace the next one.

4. I find meaning in adversity. Tough times can be the most rewarding phase of your life. Know that you can emerge from any challenge with greater wisdom and courage. Look back at the obstacles you’ve already overcome and reassure yourself that you can handle what’s ahead. You’ve got this!

5. I embrace change. Accept that life is a series of changes. Focus on the present moment and prepare yourself to adapt to whatever circumstances come your way.

6. I dream big. Expand your wish list. Setting demanding but attainable goals gives you adventure to look forward to each day. This will help you feel accomplished.

7. I practice forgiveness. Lighten your load by clearing away any resentment you’re holding onto from the past. Set reasonable boundaries while you respond with compassion when others disappoint you. Pardon yourself too. Life is too precious to be holding onto grudges.

8. I give generously. Sharing your blessings makes you more powerful and joyful. Volunteer in your community and speak kindly to each person you meet today. Buy a coffee for your co-workers or give your receptionist a flower. When performing acts from the heart, it is natural to feel happy.

9. I am a good person and am doing the best with what I have. Accepting and loving yourself helps you maintain a positive alignment in life. Loving yourself allows you to be open for your desires to unfold in your life.

10. I am a survivor and can conquer anything put in my way. With this confidence you allow yourself to be open to solution thinking rather than problematic thinking. You can have, be, or do anything you want with the right belief system.

Empowering Beliefs to Make You Strive

1. I take responsibility. You are in charge of your life. Hold yourself accountable for the outcomes you create. Celebrate the fact that you have the power to determine your own future. You are a powerful co-creator that can be, do, or have anything you choose.

2. I apply effort. Figure out your definition of success so you know what is worth working for. Give yourself credit when you’re making progress rather than comparing yourself to others.

3. I leverage my strengths. You have your own individual strengths that you can draw on. Figure out what you’re good at and what you want to do. Let that knowledge guide your choices.

4. I listen to feedback. Ask for feedback so you can enhance your performance and show others that you respect their point of view. You grow faster when you gather solid input that you can translate into action.

5. I ask for help. Expand your capabilities by building a sturdy support network. Carpool with other parents. Divide up household chores with your spouse and children.

6. I connect with others. Moral support counts too. Surround yourself with loving and encouraging family and friends. Participate actively in your faith community. Join a club with members who share your interest in whatever it may be.

7. I recognize opportunities. Stay alert for promising openings. You may meet a new friend while you’re standing in line to buy your morning coffee.

8. I try new things. Be open to experimentation. Go kayaking one weekend instead of playing tennis. Bake your own bread or knit a scarf. You may discover hidden talents.

9. I am a powerful co-creator that can have what I want. Being aware of your power to manifest and how to align yourself with what you want, you can speed up the momentum of the thing you want to appear in your life.

10. I rise like a phoenix in the face of adversity. Remember, as you think, so shall you be. You have survived this far in life and have made it past everything thrown at you so far. You’re still here! You’ve got this.

An upbeat attitude and positive alignment increase your happiness and productivity. Question your old assumptions so you can replace them with a new sense of certainty about yourself and your future. Adopt empowering beliefs that build up your confidence and prepare you for greater peace and happiness. Start today. You’ll be glad you did!

Chapter 8

Stop Stress in its Tracks!

Is stress getting the best of you and keeping your happiness away?

S

tress stems from your thinking thoughts that do not benefit you. Once you think of a thought, it brings on a feeling. It is that feeling that you will choose what to do with and that becomes your emotion, (energy in motion), that you send out to the Universe, which then sends you back like energy to do with as you wish.

Let’s say you have a big interview coming up to land the position of your dreams. Naturally your nerves may be on edge, your hands may be sweaty with the simple thought of the interview, and this starts to lead to stress. You start thinking thoughts which are non-beneficial to you, such as, “I will never get this position”.  “I just don’t have what it takes”, “there are so many others out there who are better for the position”.  All of the thoughts above are going to bring on a certain feeling matching the energy behind the thought. In this case with the dialogue of the sentences, the feeling or feelings that may be brought up are feelings such as doubt, fear, worry etc. It is these non-beneficial thoughts and focusing on the negative that is bringing your realm down to a lower vibration and making you feel stressed out.

Once you are vibrating at a lower vibration, it is easier for negative energy, such as stress and all that comes with it, to seep in. As mentioned above, it is natural for you to get nervous when something is a huge deal to you. This is what usually brings on feelings such as anxiety and stress.

You begin to overthink everything instead of just letting what is simply “BE” what it is.

So, you have an interview. One of the biggest of your life. That is the fact. What you choose to do with that fact is what makes or breaks your reality and brings on happiness, or stress. Instead of all the negative thoughts from above that you planted before your interview, try planting thoughts in your mind that will empower you and benefit the outcome you are looking to achieve.

If you are happy with the stress, by all means, stay stressed out and in a low vibration.

However, if you are ready to step out of the rut of stress and begin living in a positive light with the inner peace you deserve, then try readjusting your thought process when stress normally occurs.

Since it all begins with the thoughts you feed your mind, you have the power through conscious thought to deliberately create the way you feel and are vibrating at all times.

This takes a bit of effort, but it is possible and very doable. During the next few days, listen to and observe your inner self-talk. Take note of when you catch yourself spiraling into a negative thought field.  This will give you an indication of where you are vibrating. If you are vibrating at a high-frequency base, you will most likely not catch too much negative inner self-chat.

Whereas if you are vibrating at low energy, you will most likely catch a few, if not many, negative thoughts passing through your mind during your self chat and you most likely will feel negative feelings.

This is the beginning of observing your inner self talk to start to reduce and eventually be able to conquer your stress. Since as mentioned above, stress begins in mind, to conquer stress, you must begin in mind.

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“Once you are vibrating at a lower vibration, it is easier for negative energy such as stress and

all that comes with it to creep in.”

Chapter 9

Stop Negativity Right Away!

D

oes negativity seem to take over your mind? Negativity does not need to exist in your life. You can choose to perceive negativity as an opportunity for growth and expansion, therefore leaving it with no power to stress you out in life.  Negativity stems from the ego. When you give into ego, you are left feeling negative feelings such as stress, frustration, anxiety and more, these negative feelings leave you drained of your vital life energy.

The good news is there is a way to overcome the negativity that is seeping into your life. The key is to become the observer behind your thoughts. By doing so, you give yourself the power to choose how you will feel and respond to your thoughts instead of them taking your power away from you by controlling your life through negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, frustration and so much more. This tool is designed to help you gain a new perspective when the ego has you perceiving something negative and has you feeling frustrated, stressed out and any other negative feelings that the ego brings about.

How is negativity interrupting my thought pattern(s)?

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What am I perceiving negatively?

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Is this fact or simply my opinion?

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Could I be wrong?

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Why am I so sure about the conclusion I have reached?

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Is this way of thinking useful?

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What evidence is there to dispute my thinking?

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How else can I look at this situation?

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What could this situation be trying to teach me?

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Am I avoiding something that needs addressing?

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What are some of my strengths that I might I be overlooking that can help me through this negative thinking?

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Are my thoughts giving me power or pushing it away?

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Chapter 10

Stress Reduction

Through the Imagination

Do you know that you can use your imagination to assist you in reducing stress levels in your life?

T

he imagination is a very powerful tool right within you to help you reduce stress. Where attention goes energy flows. Thoughts and feelings are energy. The energy you align with is what you will manifest in your life. You give momentum to the thoughts you habitually think. This momentum speeds up the manifestation of your reality.

If you constantly feel stressed out, investigate the thoughts and feelings you are feeding your mind. Your mind is a screen that you can imprint anything you want onto. When you put something in your mind’s eye and think about it enough, you will start to feel better and eventually with enough momentum it will appear in your physical experience.

It may begin with a picture in your mind’s eye of a seashore at dusk.  You picture the waves rolling over the shoreline…the sand in the foreground…the sun gently setting in the west.

You might imagine sea gulls gently flying past and children playing along the shore.  This is the image you might take with you as you begin your stressful job everyday. Or perhaps you envision white blood cells swallowing up the cancer cells in your system.  You imagine the cancer cells slowly disappearing, with healthy cells taking their place in your body.  You even imagine your doctor saying, “You’re cancer-free”! With a big grin on his face. You then feel the feeling of being of perfect health. With enough momentum backing it, this feeling of perfect health aligns you with your perfect health.

Guided imagery is used in a variety of different settings.  Its primary purpose is to allow you to imagine relaxing images to calm your mind and refresh your body (to re-align your energy) when stress begins to arise. You can achieve deep relaxation if you envision a peaceful scene and add controlled breathing to that vision Nearly anyone can learn to exercise his or her imagination this way.  It costs nothing, and it can benefit you greatly in terms of lowering your stress level and re-aligning your energy with a more empowering feeling such as happiness, gratitude, or love.

There are certain exercises that you can benefit from when trying to reduce your stress level. One of the most popular relaxation exercises is the peaceful scene.  You imagine a place of comfort, the kind of place you would go to if you were in trouble and needed solace.  For many people, this is a beach or a forest.  You then imagine what the experience will mean for your senses - what you will see, what you will hear, what you will feel, and perhaps what you will smell.  You become a part of the scene, aligning with it, drinking in the tranquility. You can return to this scene whenever you're stressed out and a feeling of relaxation should occur.

Another well-known imagery exercise is the feather.  Imagine a feather drifting along a mountain…by a river…and over a field.  Picture yourself as that feather. Notice how light and airy you feel as a feather.   Imagine that you don’t have a care in the world, you have nowhere you have to be, no appointments to make.  You’re just a feather enjoying your place in the sun.

Or picture yourself as a drop of water in the ocean.  Gently sway back and forth as the water moves peacefully along the shore.  Let nothing worry you.  Your only goal in life is to be happy.

But what if you try imagery and it doesn’t seem to work?  The trick may be practice.  The more you imagine your quiet place, the easier it should be to get there.  You may have to try it for a week before you can determine if it is too difficult for you.  Also, it is vitally important that you maintain deep breathing throughout the exercise.  It is no surprise that pregnant women often practice relaxation exercises every week. Where should you practice this imagery?  The good news is you can do it practically anywhere.  However, you should choose a place where you’re comfortable, such as your bed, an easy chair, or a couch. Whatever works best for you.

At times, it may be easier to do the exercise if you’re outside rather than inside, although it would also be appropriate by the fireplace.  Try engaging in imagery for five minutes before you go to sleep or five minutes after you wake up.  Imagery is a skill like any other; you must do it consistently in order for it to be effective. Initially, you might be skeptical about imagery.  You might have a difficult time with your imagination, and you might be uncomfortable at first.

To be successful with imagery, you need to be committed.  Continue your imagery, even when you feel like quitting.  This way, you should be able to get past any trepidation you might have.  In time, the imagery will become entirely natural to you.

Whenever you encounter a stressful situation, you can simply move back to your peaceful place…imagine yourself as a wave of the ocean…or picture yourself as a feather.  While it may seem corny, it is a highly effective method for reducing your stress level and realigning your energies towards the happiness you seek.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“Your mind is a screen that you can

imprint anything you want onto”

Chapter 11

A Blueprint for

Stress Management

Do you feel like your life is being taken over by stress and you can’t seem to find peace?

Y

ou sit with your hands clutched to the steering wheel, your stress level rising by the minute.  You have exactly ten minutes before you have to get to the day care center, and there’s an accident blocking traffic. After you pick up Jolene, you’ll have to go to the supermarket, the dry cleaner, and the library.  Then it’s time to rush home for dinner, bathe Jolene, put her to bed, then collapse onto your bed.

You may find that your days are highly stressful—and your nights might be as well.  The good news is that there are techniques you can use to bring your stress level under control.

One of these is rehearsing your behavior.  Say, for instance, you are preparing for a job interview.  You can role-play, with your spouse playing the part of the interviewer and you portraying the interviewee.  This way, you can practice your answers to likely questions.  Knowing what to expect in advance can help you keep overthinking to a minimum and control your stress level.

Another effective technique is to re-frame debate.  For example, suppose you have had a disagreement with your co-worker.  You’re worried that you will never be able to enjoy camaraderie with your co-worker again.  As a result, your stress level has hit the roof.

You’ll be much better off if you see the disagreement as a challenge, you must simply work your way through it.  Look at the debate as a discussion between two intelligent people.

Try your best to see the other person’s perspective.  In this way, you’ll be engaging in problem-solving rather than complaining, and your stress can be reduced because of it.

A powerful stress management technique you can use is learning to control your anger.  It is often not a particular situation, but your reaction to it, that causes your stress level to climb.  When you find yourself becoming angry, redirect your energy.  Think of something relaxing, such as a forest or a seashore.  Let the waves or the trees carry your anger away.  The old saying, “Don’t go to bed angry,” is a motto you should live by.  The less anger you experience, the less stressed out you will feel. You might also try to stop your negative thinking.  Whenever a negative thought comes to mind, say “Stop!” to yourself.  Or imagine putting a stop sign in front of your negative thought. The idea here is to put an end to negative thinking—to, in effect, put it on the shelf so that you don’t have to worry about it.  You’ll be surprised how relaxed you feel, once you stop engaging in negative thinking.

Another stress reliever is to find ways to boost your self-esteem.  Being hard on yourself can produce a great deal of stress.  Once you recognize that you are a person worthy of love, you will be better able to cope with the stressors that come your way.  Exercise is one route you can take to feel better about yourself.  It’s a proven fact that individuals who exercise have better outlooks on life. You may also want to set goals for yourself.  Perhaps you’ve always wanted to write a book.  Now is your golden opportunity.  Or maybe you’d like to run a marathon by the end of the year. Whatever it may be, go for it, what is holding you back?

The important thing is to set realistic goals and commit to them.  Once you reach your goal, you will likely feel on top of the world.  As you make progress toward your goal, you could find your stress level subsiding. Stress relief is an on-going process.  You can’t expect to reduce your stress-level permanently in one day.  However, by taking the steps listed above, you might find yourself better able to deal with stress on a daily basis.

Remember that you may not be in complete control of what happens to you on any given day, but you can control your response to it.  By focusing on the positive, putting an end to negative thinking, and setting goals for yourself, you should find your stress level declining.  With less stress to worry about, you’ll find that life is more enjoyable.  You will have aligned with happiness and peace. Even that daily commute to the day care center might become more tolerable.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“Another stress reliever is to find

ways to boost your self-esteem.”

Chapter 12

Changing Negative

Thought Patterns

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re you stuck in negative thought patterns? It is easy to get bogged down by negative thoughts, especially for overthinkers.  When this happens, getting back into positive alignment with your thought process is important. This tool is designed to help you focus on your ability to plan and control the worst-case scenario and cuts to the reality of your concern. By gaining insight on the fear that is withholding you from your happiness, you can move forward in clarity and power while designing your ideal life towards the peace you seek. Only you can break the chains that are holding you back. When feeling negative emotions such as worry, doubt, and anxiety, which all bring on stress, ask yourself the following questions:

What is making me anxious or worried? Specify the situation.

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What evidence do I have?

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State the worst thing that could possibly happen:

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Is the above life-threatening?

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If the worst were to happen, how would I resolve it?

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To improve upon the worst possible outcome, list the specific steps I will take:

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If I take these steps, how would I feel about the outcome?

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What can I learn from this experience?

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Imagine yourself in the future where this issue/problem is resolved. Describe the situation in as much detail as you can. The more detail, the better. What are you doing? What are you hearing? What are you seeing that tells you the problem has been resolved? (This method can be used for any negative thought pattern you wish to change.) You have the ability to use the magic of your mind to conquer the stress that the mind likes to bring on.

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“It is important to get back into positive alignment with your thought process.”

Chapter 13

Using the Magic

of Your Mind

Are you letting overthinking and negativity interfere with your happiness?

U

se the magic of your mind to take your life from negative to positive. Life doesn’t have to be stressful. Nor do you have to overthink everything. When you do think about a challenging person, or situation, you can deliberately direct your thoughts in a positive way.

In life there will be challenges along the way. However, though the power of your mind you can take your life from where it is right now, if you are not happy with it, and turn it around and have it where you want to be. You may be thinking sure, I’ve heard all this fluff before. And you may be right, maybe you have been told fluff in the past but this I tell you is true: You are the only thinker in your mind, if you do not like the way your life is, you have the power to change it. The mind is capable of magical things once understood and used right.

A good start is to perceive things which are of benefit to you and your life energy. For example, you may not have received the job you had applied for, and this made you upset, frustrated, and disappointed. Unfortunately, you by default reacted to the situation, leaving you feeling stressed out rather than thought the situation through, brainstormed a new way to look at it, and then chose to respond. You have the power to choose right now how you want to think and feel. And through your thoughts you can think and feel your way out of problematic situations.  Often, there is a lesson within the seeming problem. Things such as stress, and fear do not have to be perceived as negative or hurtful. They can be seen as opportunities to grow and expand into a better wiser individual.

Problems can be transformed into potential when perceived and handled correctly. Negativity does not have to drain you of your energy or make you feel stressed out. The choice is yours as to how you will accept the situation you are experiencing. Once you firmly plant a thought into your subconscious mind, it has to accept it, and as it accepts it, that is what is true for you. Why not start planting positive empowering thoughts in your subconscious and watch how fast you knock stress right out of your life? A problem becomes a problem in thought only. The only problems to exist are those that the mind has made up.

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“You have the power to choose right now

how you want to think and feel.”

Chapter 14

Unlocking the Power of

Your Subconscious Mind.

A

re you using your subconscious mind to your advantage? The subconscious mind is extremely powerful and provides you with the ability to have all that you desire, including the peace you seek in your life.  Your subconscious mind helps to control your heartbeat without you having to ask or remind it to. It assists with circulating your blood and deals with digestion just to name a few.

Your subconscious never sleeps, it is always ready to work for you. When you sleep, you breathe and your heart beats without you having to think about it.  This is done through your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind holds up the fort when your conscious mind is at rest.

Your subconscious mind doesn’t argue with you. Whatever you firmly plant in your subconscious mind will eventually manifest into your reality. You can use your subconscious mind to turn your feelings of stress, into feelings of peace and happiness.

That’s right, your stress needs no longer affect you negatively. You have the power to choose what you plant into your subconscious mind and what you believe. It is your beliefs which help in creating your reality. Examine your beliefs and other things that may be holding you back from living the happy life you deserve.

Your conscious mind is the gatekeeper of your subconscious mind. Its main function is to protect your subconscious mind from fraudulent impressions. Whatever you believe strongly to be true in your conscious mind is what will be embedded in your subconscious mind. For example, if you see a problem as a challenge or stress and you let it drain you of your energy, you will feel defeated. However, if you ask yourself the right questions you can work yourself into a fresh perception and see things in a new way.

If you think thoughts such as “I can’t do this”, “I am not good enough,” etc. it is such things that you are planting in your subconscious mind, that once thought enough times, will eventually become your truth. You are perceiving yourself as not being able, and not being good enough therefore eventually you will enhance this feeling within yourself and slowly those two statements will become true for you. Whereas when you think thoughts in a positive alignment such as “I can do this”, “I am good enough”, it is these things that you will eventually become. Your conscious mind accepts the truth of you being good enough and that you CAN do this, and you will continue to be successful and happy in your alignment in life.

Whatever your mind can conceive, you can achieve!  Once you think a thought long enough it will become a belief, it is these beliefs that will shape your reality. These beliefs are formed by how you perceive your reality. Once you see things in a new way and in a positive manner, you empower yourself to take control of the problem and work out a solution rather than staying stagnant and feeling defeated by your problem. Your subconscious can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on what you want to feed it. What are you feeding your subconscious mind?

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“Your conscious mind is the gatekeeper

of your subconscious mind.”

Chapter 15

The Truth About

Pleasing Others.

Why is it that you can please others so much yet still feel empty inside and stressed out?

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ruth is that it is good to make others happy and see them smile in their hearts. However, what if you are pleasing everyone else and forgetting to tend to your own needs? This is where stress starts to creep in when pleasing others while forgetting about yourself.  This is where confusion kicks in. Here you are helping others and putting yourself out there to be of service, but you seem to feel empty and less fulfilled than you had assumed. Maybe you are even beginning to feel frustrated or stressed in life?

These types of negative emotions are normal when it comes to putting yourself on the “back burner”.  You may begin to feel invisible and somewhat worthless. You may get stripped of some of your self-esteem. All of this is avoidable if you just take out some of that energy that you are giving to others to make them happy and to have, be, or do something that will also make you happy.  Although life is about everyone’s life we touch along the way and how we make them feel,

the key to being successful at being of service and pleasing others, is to not forget about your #1-star player – YOU!

You cannot fully be of service to another if you are not powerfully and positively aligned in your own life. If you are not aligned and fully happy in your life, the ego will kick in and start to have   you feeling of low energy and unhappy. Before you try to reach out to another, ask yourself “Am I in a Good Place?” If your answer is yes, ask yourself – “Am I truly Alright with the decision I am about to make for another?" If you answer no to the questions, then regroup your consciousness and see where needs to be worked on. Maybe it’s your time and you have to take more of it for yourself, or maybe you are in a negative mood because you did not get the raise you inquired about at work.

The point is, if you are not in a positive powerful alignment, do the necessary work on yourself before you move forward and help others.  By helping others without taking care of yourself, you will eventually dig yourself into an emotional rut which is of no benefit to anyone. It is to everyone’s advantage especially yours that you offer your kindness and service to others when you are happy with yourself and where you are in life. Anything less can lead to you feeling stressed while trying to do good. You owe it to yourself to be happy in the process of making others happy. It All Starts Within You!

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“Do not forget about

your #1-star player

– YOU!”

Chapter 16

Following Your

Heart to Happiness.

A

re you following your heart in life? When conquering stress, it is important to follow your heart when it comes to finding your peace and happiness. The truth is sometimes the hardest thing to do is to follow your heart. However, in those times, you will know whether your decision is the best for you or not. You may ask, “well, how do I follow my heart in the first place?” That’s a great question!

You can figure out if you are following your heart by your feelings. Your deep, long, rooted feelings. What I am speaking of when I say deep, long, rooted feelings are the underlying feeling(s) that you have deep in your gut when you make decisions. An example of this is you may feel like staying home from work and that thought may feel good but look to the underlying feeling that comes with the thought.

Chances are your instincts are screaming out “no way am I not going to work today! How the heck am I going to pay my bills?” Therefore, the underlying feeling is not happiness, but anxiety about where your next paycheck will come from if you don’t go to work. This is the underlying feeling spoken about. It is your inner guidance system steering you in the right direction. This inner guidance system will never steer you wrong. This is your Inner Truth. When it comes to following your heart, you want to make sure you are not settling for temporary relief. Example: you are craving chocolate like crazy therefore, when you get your chance at some chocolate cake, you eat half the cake. Of course, it was delicious, and you most likely felt happy to fill your craving.

However, after devouring the cake, chances are, if you are like most, your mind drifts to thoughts such as “why did I eat that?” “Now I’m going to put on 10 pounds!” “I’m so weak, why did I break and eat so much cake!?” These negative thoughts bring on feelings of worry, guilt, and doubt, not happiness.

Now let’s look at ways to find actual happiness by following your heart and not the temporary happiness that the ego gives the illusion of. What feels good to you as a person? Deep down what feels right for you? This is how you follow your heart to your truth and happiness.

In this example, you have ten dollars left until your next paycheck, but you see a homeless person and it rips at your heart strings!  You know you only have ten dollars, but also know that the homeless person needs the money more than you. Although you feel very uncomfortable giving your last dollar away, you decide to give the homeless person five dollars to put towards their day. Not only that but you took twenty minutes out of your day to sit with the person and get to know them and their struggle.

You offer a helping hand not only with the five dollars you shared with the person, but the time you took out from the kindness of your heart to acknowledge the person’s value even though they may not have as much as you do is priceless. You may walk away temporarily feeling slight poverty. I mean you just gave away half of all of your profits until your next check. However, the feeling of worth and acceptance you gave that person by simply taking the time to treat them like a human being cost more than any amount of money in this world can buy. Now you notice a really happy feeling inside. Although at first, the temporary feeling may have felt like you may have made a wrong choice by giving half your money away, your inner truth realizes that the impact you had on the homeless person was far more important than anything money can buy.

This realization is the root of true happiness. Following your heart to what is true for you will align you with the fulfillment, peace, and happiness you seek. Now it may not be sharing your earnings with a homeless person, it could be feeding a stray animal, or doing for someone less fortunate than you.

There are many things you can do to feel fulfilled, empowered, and in your truth while following your heart. Following your heart to true happiness is key, not temporary happiness that will fade and vanish with the deed itself such as with the work example or cake example above.

Happiness is not far away. In fact, it is in the small random things that you will find true happiness dwells.  How will you choose to follow your heart to your true happiness?

**CHAPTER REFLECTION**

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“This inner guidance system

will never steer you wrong.”

Chapter 17

A Dozen Ways to

Enhance Your Happiness

A

re you as happy as you could be? Everyone that isn’t happy wishes they were. Those that are already happy would like to be even happier. A life filled with happiness is a worthwhile goal and readily achievable. A life lacking happiness is a constant challenge. Happiness isn’t just about the big things. There are many small items that color your life and subtly add to or subtract from it.

If you’d like to add more happiness to your life, try these tips:

1. Realize that money is great for solving problems but does little to increase happiness.

Need new tires on your car? Want to make a career change? Money is a great solution. However, happiness is found elsewhere once you have enough money to meet your basic needs. More money doesn’t make you happier.

2. Sleep at least 7 hours each night.

If you think you’re thriving on 5 hours of sleep, think again. Every study on the topic has shown that every measured performance metric improves when sleep is increased to a minimum of 7 hours.

3. Give at least one sincere compliment each day.

Focus on the positive in others. You’ll feel better and receive the same consideration.

4. Be mindful.

Let go of regret and worry. Your life is happening right now. You surely don’t want to miss anything. Nothing is wrong in the present moment other than what you make it.

5. Eat a healthy breakfast.

Feel good about yourself by getting the day off on the right foot. This way you feel vibrant and energized. You’ll also be more likely to eat a healthy lunch.

6. Spend regular time on a hobby you love.

Work is required for most of us. Hobbies are optional. Spend part of your free time on activities you do just for fun.

7. Be grateful.

You probably have more good things in your life than you realize. Focus on those good things and your mood is sure to brighten. You can download your free gratitude journal here.

8. Find middle ground.

Happiness is rarely found at extremes. The middle path is the sweet spot.

9. Focus on regular improvement instead of perfection.

If being perfect is necessary to feel happy, you’re setting yourself up for stress to be able to seep in. Be happy with small, consistent improvement.

10. Try something new.

You probably haven’t read your favorite book, eaten in your favorite restaurant in a while, or met your favorite person yet. A fresh experience is good every once in a while.

11. Take a 10-minute break each hour.

Not only will you get more done each day, but you’ll also have more energy to enjoy yourself at the end of the day.

12. Get things done.

Procrastination is a happiness killer. Consider how much stress would be removed from your life if you got the essentials done on time.

Chapter 18

Finding Peace During

Challenging Times

A

re you lacking peace in your life? Creating inner peace is a choice. Each day, we’re faced with the choice to create peace or create stress. This can be a challenging task on a good day. On a bad day, it feels impossible. The constant ups and downs in life are a given. They’re largely uncontrollable. But you can control your response to them. You can learn to feel peaceful in challenging times.

Find the peace you need to thrive:

1. Give yourself the advice you would give a friend. It’s difficult to make decisions when you’re emotionally compromised. But the path forward is more obvious to you if someone else is struggling. Imagine that your friend has the same challenge you’re facing. What advice would you give them?

2. Ask yourself what you’re learning from this experience. Are you learning the importance of saving your money? Are you learning not to overextend yourself? Are you learning how to deal with the death of a loved one?

- Every hardship provides a lesson. Determine what you can learn from the experience.

3. Write in a journal. Let your emotions flow out onto paper. There’s something cathartic about writing. It feels like the emotion is leaving your body and taking residence in a new location. Sometimes it is good to ask the right questions to gain clarity around your goals and desires. If you want to take your personal journey to peace and happiness even further here is a guided weekly journal to help you with a clear mindset daily.

- After unloading your negative emotions, use your journal to gain clarity through daily guidance towards your happiness and fulfillment. Remember there are no wrong answers. Just write anything that comes to mind.

4. What are you afraid of? If you’re feeling out of alignment with your happiness, chances are, you’re afraid of something. What is it? Defining your fear will make it a little less scary. Ask yourself what’s the worst thing likely to happen

5. Practice mindfulness. We make our challenges more challenging by continuously churning through them. You think about your issue while you’re in the shower, driving to work, eating lunch, talking with friends, or watching TV. You never get a break.

- Mindfulness is simply paying attention to your environment and the task at hand. If you’re eating dinner, your mind should be on eating, not thinking about your difficulties. It’s challenging to control your thoughts, but the peace you experience can’t be beaten.

6. Tame your mind first. It’s a common mistake. You focus on solving your challenge first. Then you believe you’ll feel better. This is logical, but slow and challenging. Get your mind under control, and then your problem is easier to solve. You’ll also feel better faster. Quiet your mental noise first and then search for solutions.

7. Remember all of your previous issues that turned out okay. Think about the challenges you’ve faced in the past. You survived and moved on. You’ll get over this, too. Believe that everything will work out for the best.

- What was the worst thing that happened to you during your elementary school years?

- High school?

- Early 20’s?

8. Look for helpers. Whether there’s a fire, an earthquake, or a homeless family, there’s always someone helping. There are people available to help you, too. Look for the helpers and you’ll find them.

Feeling stressed is a typical response when life takes an unexpected turn. Our responses to hardship are habitual. Habits can be altered or broken. New habits can be created. Avoid the belief that your negative feelings are happening to you like bad weather. You can choose your focus and manage your thoughts. Align with peace first and then solve your challenge.

Chapter 19

Everyday Happiness: Experience

the Happiness You Deserve

A

re you choosing to be happy? Happiness is a choice you make. Great accomplishments are unnecessary, but there are things that make happiness more likely to occur. Answer the questions below to gain greater self-awareness of your own circumstances and build a life that is joyful and fulfilling for you.

How do I define happiness? How will I know when I achieve it?

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How does my ego get in the way of my happiness?

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Which of the people in my life are supportive and helpful? Which are not?

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How happy am I in my career? Is there something I can do to make it better or should I look for something else?

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What can I do to be more mindful throughout the day?

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What do I lack in my life that makes happiness challenging to achieve?

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How negative is my self-talk? What can I do to make it more positive?

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Wrapping Up

In the end you can be your best friend or your worst enemy. The best part is the power of choice is yours as to what you will feed your mind to align with in your life.  Stress is part of mind. The thoughts you think, bring on certain paired emotions which is energy in motion. The energy that you put out is the energy you attract back to you. The more you think thoughts of negativity, the more you will align with stress and more negativity.

Same goes for if you keep your mindset positive. You will find that you will observe more things showing up in your experience to be positive about.  Its all about how you choose to align your thoughts. You are the only thinker in your mind. You are the only one that can bring on or conquer stress which wants to pop up in your life experience.

The key is to guide yourself out of the false limiting beliefs that are stressing you out and holding you back from your peace and happiness. Keep in mind that you are usually not stressed or upset for the reason you think you are. Chances are you are perceiving it a certain way and that is why you are stressed. Stress cannot exist unless you allow it to. You have the power to rise above stress and think your way to peace and happiness. Don’t let a chaotic mind hold you back from happiness which is your birthright. Any external situation, person or thing that can trigger you to be stressed has power over your thoughts and emotions. To continue to stress over the same negative thought around a situation person or thing is self-inflicted mental slavery. Imagine thinking a negative thought or many negative thoughts all day, that feels bad. Why do that to yourself?

You are worth more than to let your thoughts get the best of you and stress you out. The mind can be very stressful with its illusions if you allow it to be. While some people are growing tall, others are growing wise and learning to conquer the negativity and the stress which negativity brings on in life. Through your power of choice which type of person do you choose to be? Will you continue to grow tall, or do you choose to grow wise as well and work your way to the peace and happiness that are your birthright?

Time to rise in your power and take back the peace and happiness in your life. You deserve to be happy and enjoy life. Wouldn’t it be nice to have thoughts of peace and happiness? Imagine feeling peace and happiness in your life. What’s stopping you? Your mind is a very powerful tool when used right. Now that you are equipped with the tips and tools to guide yourself out of the stress and into a happy alignment what will you choose to do next?

If you enjoyed and/or benefitted from this material and feel it could help someone else, feel free to head over to amazon and leave an honest review. Remember with the power of your mind you can conquer the stress that is trying to take over your life. You are now equipped with the right tips, tools, and techniques to enhance your journey towards peace and happiness. Wishing you all the best with your success. You’ve got this!

About The Author

Nicole Gauder is a spiritual alignment specialist, mental healer, and certified Advanced Law of Attraction Practitioner. For over a decade, she has been a spiritual counselor who provides her clients with the tools, tips, and techniques they need to take their lives from where they are to where they want to be.

A lifelong animal lover, Nicole loves reading and is passionate about enlightening others to the higher truths of life. Nicole’s mission is to empower, inspire, and align people seeking spiritual growth and to provide them with the right knowledge and resources to make them consciously aware of their own potential, so they can live the life they truly desire and deserve. Drawing on a wide range of techniques, Nicole helps her clients identify their goals, release limiting beliefs, and create lasting change in their lives. You can visit her online at www.beintruth.com/nicole-gauder

Table of Contents

For My Readers

Introduction

Chapter 1

Stop Overthinking and Find Mental Peace

Chapter 2

Turning Your Negative Thinking into Potential

Chapter 3

Turning Your Problems into Potential

Chapter 4

Overcoming Negative Thought Patterns

Chapter 5

Challenging False Limiting Beliefs

Chapter 6

Five Popular Toxic Beliefs and Their Cures

Chapter 7

Twenty Empowering Beliefs to Help You on Your Way to Happiness

Chapter 8

Stop Stress in its Tracks!

Chapter 9

Stop Negativity Right Away!

Chapter 10

Stress Reduction Through the Imagination

Chapter 11

A Blueprint for Stress Management

Chapter 12

Changing Negative Thought Patterns

Chapter 13

Using the Magic of Your Mind

Chapter 14

Unlocking the Power of Your Subconscious Mind.

Chapter 15

The Truth About Pleasing Others.

Chapter 16

Following Your Heart to Happiness.

Chapter 17

A Dozen Ways to Enhance Your Happiness

Chapter 18

Finding Peace During Challenging Times

Chapter 19

Everyday Happiness: Experience the Happiness You Deserve

Wrapping Up

About The Author