“It boils down to choosing the thoughts you think and choosing the food you eat. And if you can be wise in both areas, you have perfect health” – Louise Hay

While it’s also wise to believe that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to all of life’s problems, this might actually be it.

I’m writing these words while eating popcorn and thinking ‘what if no one reads this blog!’ – contradicting myself as I write 😅 but don’t jump to conclusions just yet, because the popcorn I’m eating is butter- and sugar-free and the thoughts in my head have been majorly joyous today!

Louise Hay has been one of the few people whose words I use every day, particularly her famous affirmation:

“All is well, everything is working out for my highest good, and out of this experience only good will come, and I am safe.”

Not one day passes without me saying this sentence at least once, or writing it in my journal. By now, I have repeated it so many times that it has become a solid belief, and it gives me a type of reassurance like nothing else.

For those who do not know Louise Hay, this is your cue. I’m not here to write a blog about her, but she was one of the strongest believers that what you feed your mind feeds your body. To her, positive affirmations can reprogramme the subconscious, even out of a state of disease.

I know that many people have lost hope in affirmations, and certainly, repeating them all day won’t change anything. Hay’s philosophy wasn’t just about repeating words; it was about changing mindsets from states of helplessness to empowerment.

Some of her famous affirmations are:

• Every thought I think is creating my future.
• As I say yes to life, life says yes to me.
• I am divinely guided and protected at all times.
• Deep at the center of my being is an infinite well of love.
• I am healthy, whole, and complete.
• Loving others is easy when I love and accept myself.

I’m completely with you. In the midst of a hectic day, a chaotic environment, a stressed heart, and an anxious mind, these affirmations are more of an annoyance than a relief. Nothing actually works in such a state… maybe a well-rolled joint 🚬, but that’s not the point.

The point is that in such a state you need to take a deep breath anyway. Maybe even two or three. Slowing down and calming the mind is the first step to anything good… even before a joint.

Try this yourself: take three deep, slow breaths now (for a relaxing breath, your exhale should be longer than your inhale) then try saying one of the affirmations above with conviction three to four times. How does it feel?

You see, it’s all true. You ARE a miraculous being; you ARE divinely guided and protected at all times; there IS an infinite well of love inside you; and you HAVE the power to create your experience of the world.

It might start small, like creating a bowl of popcorn or a cup of soothing tea, but when you keep stacking good experiences – choosing the thoughts you think and the food you eat – the more you will step into your power.

Did you just say “it is easier said than done“? – You’re right. But it CAN be done.

How, you ask? – You need two things:

1. Know, and believe, that you are not your thoughts
2. Learn to watch them

“The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated.” – Eckhart Tolle

My story

The first two years after moving to Germany were the hardest. My plans to create a warm and peaceful life hit a stone wall. I was faced with a situation I had zero control over, or at least that’s what I thought. People around me were making decisions that directly affected how happy I was on any given day, and I couldn’t bring them to see my side of things.

At one point, I felt so helpless that I decided to just give up. I no longer wanted things around me to get better, nor did I believe they ever would. I retreated, but I also remembered that I could still change how I looked at things outside and what I told myself about them.

So I decided, every time I caught myself thinking a depleting thought, I would replace it with a phrase. My chosen phrase was in Arabic, but in essence, it meant: “I’m letting it be as it is, it’s okay.”

There were many times I forgot to watch my thoughts and followed the trail of negativity to the end, but every time I noticed and became aware, I dropped the thought and said the words—adding more if needed.

With time, it became easy to catch myself thinking and to look at the thoughts as passing clouds, and I chose which to give attention to and which to let go. I’m not saying this became my state of mind 24/7, but I certainly have clearer skies now, and I have more control over how I experience the world. It’s not only empowering; it’s liberating!

I guess what I want to say is that if I could do it, you can. The more you realise that your world lives inside of you, and not you inside of it, the clearer it becomes that you are actually in control. Your perspective, your response, your reaction, and your decision of what to do and where to be in the moment are all yours to shape. You just need some training.

Sending you lots of love ♥️