State affi

rmations in the present tense. Avoid saying, “I want to

quit smoking.” Th

is states your desire, not your intended result. In-

stead, state, “I enjoy the lifestyle of a non-smoker.”

Affi

rmations must be positive. Avoid using negative words. For

instance, “I don’t want to gain more weight” should be phrased as,

“I look great in my new suit.”

Th

e next important point of affi

rmations is that you must repeat them

aloud several times a day. You must drive this message deep into your

subconscious and replace the other thoughts that occupy your brain with

it. Th

e most eff ective way to do this is through repetition. Th

e more of-

ten you repeat an affi

rmation the more your subconscious goes to work

to produce it and make it become a reality.

Here is an example. When I was in my thirties, I decided to quit smok-

ing. I created several affi

rmations that refl ected the outcome I imagined.

“I am a nonsmoker.” “I enjoy a smoke-free life.” “I live the lifestyle of

a nonsmoker.” “I enjoy living as a nonsmoker.” I repeated these affi

r-

mations several times a day, long before the deadline I had set. A few

months later I did quit, almost fi ve months sooner than I had original-

ly intended. I also continued to repeat these affi

rmations for the fi rst

month or two afterward to help me get through the withdrawal period.

Affi

rmations helped me picture myself as a nonsmoker. Th

ey helped my

subconscious mind make it a reality. For someone who smoked for more

than twenty years, this was a challenging picture to create.

You can use affi

rmations to develop self-confi dence in selling. Create a

variety of affi

rmations such as

“I am a successful salesperson”

“I am confi dent and comfortable on sales calls”

“I enjoy selling”

“I like helping people make buying decisions”

“Selling is a rewarding career”

“Selling is an honorable profession.”

2.

3.

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