Absolutely Positively
Drs Bil & Cher Holton
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 Three R's? There is another set of three R's which can change your "sort of - kind of" into "Absolutely Positively," and they are: Recognize, Refute, and Reprogram.
Recognize: Before we can change anything, we have to become aware of what needs to be changed. And our "sort of - kind of " tends to wear costumes that make it hard to recognize. For example, how 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 procrastination devices. (I believe that what we give comes back to us multiplied - and when I win the lottery or get that big contract or promotion, then I'll start really tithing! I believe that God is the source of all good, and when I buy that new home, then I'll be really happy!)
"Mismatching words and actions" occurs when what we say and what we do don't match. (For example, when we dance, we count steps -- triple step, triple step, rock step -- but quite often our feet are not moving in sync with our words!
Refute: We refute when we refuse to give any power to other people's attitudes. (For example, There is no way your attitude will change my attitude!) We can also refuse to give power to the appearance of lack, or illness, or fear. (For example, we can say, "There is no deficiency in my experience." OR "This perceived health challenge 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: If we deny power to something without also adding a strong affirmation, we are in a danger zone! We must fill the void created by denials with powerful statements of Truth. In the Gospel of Luke 11:24-26, we read a story about a man who was cleansed of an evil spirit. However, when the spirit returned, finding the "house" swept clean, it moved back in, and brought along seven of its buddies, more evil than he. This reminds us of how critical it is to reaffirm our beliefs and reprogram our thinking, by following up denials with powerful affirmations!
In her classic, Lessons in Truth, Emilie Cady states: "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 secret is to claim your affirmations with power -- with faith! When you use a "sort of - kind of " approach, you are simply wishing. When you affirm "Absolutely Positively," from the strength of your Christ consciousness, you are speaking with a voice of power and Truth!
Our granddaughter graduated from Daisies - the pre-Brownies group. As a graduation gift, the leaders gave each girl a little book filled with pictures capturing the events they had participated in. We were struck by one of the pictures. The girls were lying on the ground, in front of a fire truck. The words above the photo were "Stop, Drop, Roll." Our granddaughter explained that it was a phrase the firefighters used to tell us how to handle ourselves if we ever get caught in fire.
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!."
Drs. Bil & Cher Holton are Spiritual Leaders at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC, where they practice positive, practical, progressive Christianity. Stop by their website at (
http://www.unityspirituallifecenter.org/ ) Unity Spiritual Life Center and sign up to receive a complimentary 4-week e-course.
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