A long time ago, we used to sign a song that began with the words: “School days, school days, wonderful golden rule days.
Remember those infamous Three R’s? There is another set of three R’s which can help you recreate your life:” Recognize, Refute, and Reprogram.
Recognize: If we want to recreate our life, we have to start by becoming aware of what we aren’t happy with. And sometimes, it is hard to recognize. For example, think about the phrase “yeah, but?”
“Yeah, buts” are actually powerful negative affirmations. (I am energized and healthy — yeah, but how come I feel so lousy? OR yeah, but I’ve just come down with the flu. Here’s another one: I attract abundant riches, and have plenty to share and spare — yeah, but how am I going to make my car payment this month? Wherever I am, God is and all is well — yeah, but God seems to be taking a vacation right now!)
“When, then games” are words we use to procrastinate. (For example, I believe that what we give comes back to us multiplied — and when I get that new job, then I’ll start really tithing! I believe that God is my source, and when I start getting my retirement income, then I’ll be able to have fun!)
Mismatching words and actions occurs when we say one thing, but our actions don’t live up to or model what we say. (In dance, when we count steps - triple step, triple step, rock step - but our feet are doing all kinds of weird steps that have nothing to do with our words!
Refute: Deny any power of other people’s attitudes to affect you. (I refuse to allow our attitude to have any affect on my attitude). Deny any power of appearance of lack, or illness, or fear to affect you. (There is no lack in my world. OR This perceived illness has no power over me.)
We normally call these statements denials — which doesn’t mean we deny they exist. We are simply declaring to be not true; to declare as utterly false. We use denials to put our error thoughts where they belong. Denials give us the opportunity to talk back, refusing to give power to something or someone ‘outside’ of us that seems to be in a place of control.
Reprogram : Whenever we deny power to something, it is extremely important that we follow up with a strong affirmation! We must fill the void created by denials with powerful statements of Truth. In the Gospel of Luke 11:24-26, Jesus shares a parable about a man who cleaned his house and eliminated an evil spirit. However, when the spirit returned and, finding the “house” swept clean, decided to move back in, and brought along seven of his cronies, all more evil than he. This is just a reminder to us of how critical it is to solidify our beliefs and reprogram our thinking, by following up denials with powerful affirmations!
According to Emilie Cady, in Lessons in Truth, “to affirm anything is to assert positively that it is so, even in the face of all contrary evidence Deny the appearance of evil; affirm good. Deny weakness; affirm strength. Deny any undesirable condition, and affirm the good you desire.”
The critical ingredient for success is to claim your affirmations with power — with faith! When you use a lackadaisical approach, you are simply wishing. When you affirm in a manner that says “Without a Doubt,” from the strength of your Christ consciousness, you are speaking with a voice of knowing faith and Truth!
When our granddaughter graduated from the pre-Brownies group, Daisies, the leaders celebrated the event by giving each girl an album filled with pictures capturing the events they had participated in. One of the pictures showed the girls lying on the ground, in front of a fire truck. Above the photo were the words “Stop, Drop, Roll.” Our granddaughter proudly told us that it was a phrase the firefighters used to remind a person what to do if they ever caught on fire: Stop, Drop, Roll.
It connected with us as a reinforcement of these 3 R’s: STOP — Recognize the “sort of-kind of’s” that dilute your spiritual growth and happiness; DROP — Release thoughts and actions that are out of sync with Truth by denying their power; and ROLL — Reaffirm the transformative power of the beliefs, the Truths, of spiritual principles! Make the 3 R’s a regular part of your life, so you change your “sort of-kind of” into ‘”Absolutely Positively!”.