Twelve Steps to Freedom of Mind

Thanks to John Sabados for another helpful article.

In recovery from gambling, your thoughts can either be your friend or your enemy. How you think at any given time, what thoughts are being listened to and which thoughts you need to keep or ignore will determine how easy or hard your recovery is going to be. Recovery from compulsive gambling is not an easy road and having these negative thoughts running through your head, whether it's connected to your past or fears of the future is only going to slow things down. Take a few minutes a day to have a meeting with your thoughts, step back from a situation sort them out, take what you need to keep you positive and once you learn from any negatives, put them to sleep.

Try these twelve steps to help you along. Practice this for a period of time, and after a while - it will come naturally.

TWELVE STEPS TO FREEDOM OF MIND

STEP ONE = INVITE YOUR THOUGHTS:

Take a few minutes of your day to invite your thoughts for a chat. Sit them down in the board room of your mind and ask them to speak. As a chairperson of your mind take note of everything that is said. Be careful to listen to every word as it can make a difference in your decisions later on.

STEP TWO = ASK FOR HONESTY:

Ask your thoughts to be honest about their feelings. If in doubt, invite your "Higher Power" to be present (whether that be your God or a Spirit of your higher self) to make sure you feel at peace with everything that is said. It is important that your thoughts come clean to you about everything they intend to do.

STEP THREE = TIME TO RECOGNISE:

Quietly listen to everything your thoughts have to say. Then ask yourself to recognise the difference between the bad thoughts and the good thoughts. Which thoughts are positive that will do good in your life and which thoughts are negative that intend to slowly degrade you; taking away your dignity, pride, self-worth, faith and confidence.

STEP FOUR = BAD THOUGHTS:

You will know which are the bad thoughts. They are the ones constantly finding excuses for their own doing. Thoughts of blaming everyone else around them for all the so-called bad luck happening to you. They will be telling you to give in when despair hits and constantly trying to convince you that there is no other way. Thoughts draining you of every ounce of energy you may have.

STEP FIVE = GOOD THOUGHTS:

They are thoughts that will keep reminding you of all the positive things in your life. Thoughts telling you not to give in, because life in all forms is precious. They will be arguing with you; telling you to stop and look around you and telling you what you are doing to yourself when sidetracked to a negative side. For all it's worth, they will not give up on you and continue fighting.

STEP SIX = DIVERSION OF THOUGHTS:

Having these thoughts telling you different things can be confusing and so often being that you are zapped of all the energy, it's easy to give in and take the negative road. The way out of that is to concentrate on your good thoughts. Tell them, instead of convincing you about all the positives, they should turn their focus on the negative bad thoughts and start eradicating them.

STEP SEVEN = BE ON GUARD:

Now that you have made yourself the General of your good thoughts, stay on guard with strategies to combat the bad thoughts. Place barriers and alarm

systems around your mind to alert you whenever those bad thoughts are trying to convince you of anything negative. Surround yourself with good thoughts to protect you.

STEP EIGHT = SEEK AND ARREST:

Appoint some of those good thoughts to seek out the bad thoughts. Arrest them before they enter your mind. When some of those bad thoughts try to

infiltrate your mind, be ready to combat them, by being firm in your convictions to stamp them out before they have any impressions on you.

STEP NINE = REPLACE BAD WITH GOOD:

Everytime your good thoughts recognise a bad one, you will know it. Be ready to replace all the bad thoughts with all good thoughts in an instant. Don't

give them time to explain to you, why they are bad and what reasons they need for you to do things their way. They will only take you back to the beginning over and over again.

STEP TEN = TAKE ACTION:

Now that your army of good thoughts is getting stronger by the day, use them to better your life; emotionally, physically, financially and faithfully. You will feel the energy coming back to you as your

life is getting back into order. The restful sleep will return. Your health will get better. Your love for life will come back again as you look forward to tomorrow with happiness.

STEP ELEVEN = CONFIRMATION:

Keep telling yourself everyday how good it is to be alive and happy. Confirm your actions with a smile. Your heart is in a place of peace once again. Every minute of the day is important to you as well as everyone around you. Every breath that you take is a breath to keep your soul alive and to realise just how lucky you are to be able to see these wonders of the universe.

STEP TWELVE = DAILY MEETINGS:

Do not forget to have your daily meetings with good thoughts. Talk over your strategies to stay in good mental and physical shape. Do not allow those bad thoughts to rule you again. Some people do it through prayers to God. Some

do it by talking to their spiritual self and some just by talking to others. Whichever way you find it comfortable - it is well worth it.

John Sabados - Copyright © 2003 - January 30, 2003

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