Affirmations: how to turn hypochondria to your advantage

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loiterer

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Recently I stabbed myself with a knife at work. Days later it occurred to me that I hadn't had a tetanus shot in over 10 years. That night I looked up the symptoms of tetanus on the internet and over the course of several hours managed to convince myself I had contracted this disease with only a 25-50% survival rate. I even had stiffness and spasms starting to appear in my neck.

Never mind the rest of that tale. The upshot was, I didn't have tetanus.

However, I became interested in the power of my own mind to convince itself so firmly that I had tetanus that I had actual physical symptoms. I thought, wouldn't it be good to channel that power into something positive?

Oh yeah. Affirmations. Of course I'd read about them. Not my thing.

Still... before going to sleep, I lay in bed and told myself that writing was fun (which it hasn't been at all, lately), that I was full of ideas, etc. I spent a minute or so thinking about how much fun I would have writing tomorrow.

I had forgotten all about this when I woke up. However, I had this unfamiliar overwhelming urge to sit down and write, which I had to ignore as I had an appointment. I spent the next few hours immersed in ideas for a story, even pacing around town for half an hour for no reason except to think. When I finally got home, I wrote, and it was an enjoyable and worthwhile experience instead of something to be endured or avoided.

So I'm going to try this affirmation thing again tonight.
 

Elladog

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You could also try reminding your subconscious not to stab yourself with knives anymore...
;)
 

Bartholomew

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loiterer, your post reminds me of a book my fiancee made me read called "The Secret."

Can you plant an affirmation in someone else's head? I want my kids to have an overwhelming urge to clean up after themselves.

Have you tried striking terror into their hearts?
 

loiterer

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loiterer, your post reminds me of a book my fiancee made me read called "The Secret."

Brilliant! I envison a great work, part memoir, part motivational tract, where I tell of how my negative thinking caused me to repeatedly stab myself with knives and end up in the emergency department, only to, AT THE VERY POINT OF DEATH realise that my immense internal thought-power could be harnessed to provide for my selfish consumerist wants, bringing me a future of untold riches and success and chat show appearances!

Is that sort of what you meant? :D
 
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