NEW AGE TOOLS
Introduction to New Age Tools
On this page you will find some very powerful, and very simple to use, tools for personal development and goal achievement. With one exception (PAs), all of these tools have been successfully used by many millions of New Age people around the planet for decades, and I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of every one of them, since I have been using them in my life on a daily basis for many years. Some people prefer to use other terms such as "holistic" or "alternative" to describe these tools, but I personally love the term "New Age" to describe practices that contribute towards our personal development. It doesn't really matter what label you use, the most important thing is to actually put into practice the things you know you need to be doing. What follows is a simple introduction to the tools that are most commonly used by New Age people, that is, people who consciously work on having a healthy mind, body and spirit, and who are committed to being the best that they can be. Much of this material has been extracted from my New Age Values book. The New Age tools included on this page are, in this order:
PAs / Positive Acknowledgments
Affirmations
Visualization
Meditation
Inspirational Books
PAs / Positive Acknowledgments
Affirmations
Visualization
Meditation
Inspirational Books
PAs
Positive Acknowledgments
PA is a term that I created many years ago, which stands for Positive Acknowledgment, and it is another way of saying "compliment." You can give PAs to others, to yourself and to the Universe. I am focusing on giving them to others here, because while all of the other tools on this page are designed to help you be the best person you can be and to achieve your goals, it's also very worthwhile to get into the habit of giving positive energy to others. We all love receiving compliments, and giving them is also one of the great joys in life. Here are some of the many ways that you can give a PA to someone:
Tell your family, friends, schoolmates, workmates, etc, how much you appreciate them.
Compliment the checkout operators, etc, who give you friendly service.
Thank the bus drivers, taxi drivers or ticket sellers who are friendly towards you.
Compliment buskers when they are playing nice music.
Give a PA to the customer service people who do a good job.
Give surprise PAs to random people on the street.
Getting Started with PA Emails
I started sending regular PA emails to people in April 2009, and have been doing this from Monday to Friday as a strict discipline for quite some time now. I get a lot of satisfaction from doing this, knowing how much these Positive Acknowledgments boost people's mood and self esteem, and it is very gratifying when they reply and say thank you.
This is so simple and so much fun. Just send an email to someone you care about and tell them how much you appreciate them. Easy! Go on, have a go. Start sending PA emails right now. It feels really good, and the recipient will also feel great. Don't wait until they are gone to tell people the positive things you want to say to them. Tell them now :)
It is my deeply heartfelt desire that PAs will gradually become as well known and widely used as the other New Age tools on this page, such as affirmations and visualization, and you can help make this dream a reality by giving someone a PA right now, or at your first opportunity today. I promise you it will feel good!
When time permits, I will also write on this page about how to give PAs to yourself, but you don't need to wait for my suggestions to start doing that! Just remember that, as the classic song says, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."
Tell your family, friends, schoolmates, workmates, etc, how much you appreciate them.
Compliment the checkout operators, etc, who give you friendly service.
Thank the bus drivers, taxi drivers or ticket sellers who are friendly towards you.
Compliment buskers when they are playing nice music.
Give a PA to the customer service people who do a good job.
Give surprise PAs to random people on the street.
Getting Started with PA Emails
I started sending regular PA emails to people in April 2009, and have been doing this from Monday to Friday as a strict discipline for quite some time now. I get a lot of satisfaction from doing this, knowing how much these Positive Acknowledgments boost people's mood and self esteem, and it is very gratifying when they reply and say thank you.
This is so simple and so much fun. Just send an email to someone you care about and tell them how much you appreciate them. Easy! Go on, have a go. Start sending PA emails right now. It feels really good, and the recipient will also feel great. Don't wait until they are gone to tell people the positive things you want to say to them. Tell them now :)
It is my deeply heartfelt desire that PAs will gradually become as well known and widely used as the other New Age tools on this page, such as affirmations and visualization, and you can help make this dream a reality by giving someone a PA right now, or at your first opportunity today. I promise you it will feel good!
When time permits, I will also write on this page about how to give PAs to yourself, but you don't need to wait for my suggestions to start doing that! Just remember that, as the classic song says, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all."
Affirmations
Affirmations are positive statements that you use to help you make positive changes in your life and to achieve your goals. You can use them verbally, mentally, in writing, or in a multitude of ways that you find useful. Simply state your goal as a fact, in the present tense, and use all positive words. The great key to success with affirmations is repetition. It’s like mental weightlifting, and the cumulative effect of thousands, then millions of affirmations, gradually transforms you into the amazing person you always knew you could be. Sondra Ray has some great stuff about affirmations in her books I Deserve Love and Rebirthing in the New Age. Here are my "Guidelines for Creating Your Own Affirmations."
1. Affirmations are positive statements using positive words.
2. Affirmations are in the present tense.
3. Affirmations are statements of fact.
4. Affirmations are specific.
5. Affirmations are simple.
6. Affirmations are only for the person using them. (They are never used to change other people!)
In case #6 is not automatically assumed by you, I urge you most strongly to consider just how much you hate attempts by others to change you - and rightly so. I hate it also. I don’t tolerate it in the slightest in my life, and I never try to change anyone else. Once you’re ready to use them for yourself only (unless specifically requested, or unless you know with 100% certainty that you are affirming what the person wants), then Guidelines 1 to 5 will ensure that you succeed.
By employing those 5 Guidelines literally, you are safely programing yourself for success. The minute you start using negatives such as I am NOT sick, poor, unhappy, etc, you are creating serious problems for yourself, because you’re using negative energy, which can only produce negative results. Use positives!
Use all positive words and phrases, such as I AM healthy, happy, successful, loving, beautiful, etc, and you are using positive energy, which can only produce positive results for you. You can use affirmations for any specific goal, personal growth improvement, or any positive thing in life that is important to you. Your subconscious mind accepts all input literally, and converts it into reality. The key to success is repetition. The key to success is repetition.
SAMPLE AFFIRMATIONS
Happiness
I choose to be happy about all of the wonderful blessings in my life here and now.
Health
My body is strong, flexible, fit, healthy and youthful, and is becoming more so every day.
Money
I deserve to have a permanent abundant supply of money, and I now choose to create this for myself.
Ideal Job
I do work that I love, and I am paid very well for doing a great job.
Studies / Exams
I am relaxed and confident, and I perform at my best when I study, and in exams.
Self Love
I love and accept myself exactly as I am here and now.
Loving Relationship
I am now willing to have my ideal loving relationship with the partner of my dreams.
Relaxation
I breathe deeply, and I am calm and relaxed here and now.
Creativity
I know that I am very talented, and I now allow my creativity to flow freely and beautifully.
Sport
I always train and perform at my optimum level, and I love succeeding.
Overall Success
I am extremely happy, healthy and successful.
The key to success is repetition. The key to success is repetition.
1. Affirmations are positive statements using positive words.
2. Affirmations are in the present tense.
3. Affirmations are statements of fact.
4. Affirmations are specific.
5. Affirmations are simple.
6. Affirmations are only for the person using them. (They are never used to change other people!)
In case #6 is not automatically assumed by you, I urge you most strongly to consider just how much you hate attempts by others to change you - and rightly so. I hate it also. I don’t tolerate it in the slightest in my life, and I never try to change anyone else. Once you’re ready to use them for yourself only (unless specifically requested, or unless you know with 100% certainty that you are affirming what the person wants), then Guidelines 1 to 5 will ensure that you succeed.
By employing those 5 Guidelines literally, you are safely programing yourself for success. The minute you start using negatives such as I am NOT sick, poor, unhappy, etc, you are creating serious problems for yourself, because you’re using negative energy, which can only produce negative results. Use positives!
Use all positive words and phrases, such as I AM healthy, happy, successful, loving, beautiful, etc, and you are using positive energy, which can only produce positive results for you. You can use affirmations for any specific goal, personal growth improvement, or any positive thing in life that is important to you. Your subconscious mind accepts all input literally, and converts it into reality. The key to success is repetition. The key to success is repetition.
SAMPLE AFFIRMATIONS
Happiness
I choose to be happy about all of the wonderful blessings in my life here and now.
Health
My body is strong, flexible, fit, healthy and youthful, and is becoming more so every day.
Money
I deserve to have a permanent abundant supply of money, and I now choose to create this for myself.
Ideal Job
I do work that I love, and I am paid very well for doing a great job.
Studies / Exams
I am relaxed and confident, and I perform at my best when I study, and in exams.
Self Love
I love and accept myself exactly as I am here and now.
Loving Relationship
I am now willing to have my ideal loving relationship with the partner of my dreams.
Relaxation
I breathe deeply, and I am calm and relaxed here and now.
Creativity
I know that I am very talented, and I now allow my creativity to flow freely and beautifully.
Sport
I always train and perform at my optimum level, and I love succeeding.
Overall Success
I am extremely happy, healthy and successful.
The key to success is repetition. The key to success is repetition.
Visualization
Visualization is the act of holding in your mind a picture of the goal you’re aiming for, seeing and experiencing it in real-life detail with all of your senses, and knowing, believing and trusting that it belongs to you and is becoming a reality. Shakti Gawain explains the process in beautifully inspirational ways in her classic book Creative Visualization, which also explores affirmations.
Meditation
For those of you who want to begin meditating right now, or to perhaps learn a new method or a variation on an old one, I provide the following easy, proven, successful methods of simple meditation: The first is to simply sit or lie down, close your eyes, centre your body, relax, and focus on your breathing. You are now meditating! Ignore any thoughts that come to your mind, and calmly return your attention to your breathing whenever you need to. If you like, also be conscious of the fact that you are breathing in and out the Universal Life Force. It’s that simple! If you want to, you can add a mantra or affirmation, which you think with each inhalation and exhalation, such as peace, love or positive choice, which I’ll be using for the rest of this lifetime. Use mantras or affirmations that you like, and that you find easy to meditate with. The easier it is the better. You can do these meditations for as long as you like, virtually anywhere and anytime, and you will find yourself blissing out in your own inner sanctuary.
A short time meditating, even a few minutes, when done as a daily discipline, positively impacts your whole day. If you’re now about to begin this practice, I acknowledge you for doing so, because as well as benefiting yourself, you are also generating peace and love for the rest of humanity, and the whole Universe. Once you’ve made the decision to meditate every day, you are on a new level of life, and you feel the benefits after one day, then after each week, year, decade, etc, you continuously reap the rewards and savour the immense satisfaction that naturally accompanies such a positive habit.
You can explore a whole new wonderful world of meditation through a vast range of New Age methods, groups, books, magazines, videos, etc. A few well respected places you may like to explore are Siddha Yoga, Buddhist classes, Transcendental Meditation, Eckankar and Hare Krishna. Wherever you go to learn to meditate, or to share the experience with others, you are always going to the same lovely destination. Ultimately, all forms of meditation take you to your inner self - to the eternal, tranquil, pure essence that lives within you - the Force.
A short time meditating, even a few minutes, when done as a daily discipline, positively impacts your whole day. If you’re now about to begin this practice, I acknowledge you for doing so, because as well as benefiting yourself, you are also generating peace and love for the rest of humanity, and the whole Universe. Once you’ve made the decision to meditate every day, you are on a new level of life, and you feel the benefits after one day, then after each week, year, decade, etc, you continuously reap the rewards and savour the immense satisfaction that naturally accompanies such a positive habit.
You can explore a whole new wonderful world of meditation through a vast range of New Age methods, groups, books, magazines, videos, etc. A few well respected places you may like to explore are Siddha Yoga, Buddhist classes, Transcendental Meditation, Eckankar and Hare Krishna. Wherever you go to learn to meditate, or to share the experience with others, you are always going to the same lovely destination. Ultimately, all forms of meditation take you to your inner self - to the eternal, tranquil, pure essence that lives within you - the Force.
Inspirational Books
Inspirational books contain the secrets of the Universe, and the keys to creating a life full of happiness, health and success. Of course they will only benefit you if you actually read them. Reading some inspirational material every day is an amazingly powerful way to keep yourself operating at your highest level. They say leaders are readers. There are thousands of brilliant New Age books available, by thousands of wonderful and original authors. In mainstream bookshops you’ll find them in sections under headings such as New Age, Personal Development, Self Help, Metaphysical and Spiritual. For a much wider variety, and the luxury of consulting staff who are familiar with and into the subject matter, go to your local New Age shop. As a starting point, I recommend the Adyar Bookshop in the heart of Sydney. I’m sure they’ll gladly advise you on how to find similar bookshops closer to your home, whether you’re in another suburb, city, state or country.
The following list, published in the original 1.1.2000 version of my New Age Values book, contains a few of the New Age authors and books that I have personally read and thoroughly recommend to you:
Stuart Wilde
The Force
Affirmations
Miracles
The Trick To Money Is Having Some!
Louise Hay
You Can Heal Your Life
Richard Bach
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Illusions
One
Sondra Ray
Loving Relationships
Rebirthing In The New Age (with Leonard Orr)
I Deserve Love
John Keyhoe
Mind Power
Shakti Gawain
Creative Visualization
Wayne Dyer
Pulling Your Own Strings
Your Erroneous Zones
You'll See It When You Believe It
You can find more titles, and brief descriptions, on my Recommended Books page.
You can also find free downloadable books on my Free Books page.
The following list, published in the original 1.1.2000 version of my New Age Values book, contains a few of the New Age authors and books that I have personally read and thoroughly recommend to you:
Stuart Wilde
The Force
Affirmations
Miracles
The Trick To Money Is Having Some!
Louise Hay
You Can Heal Your Life
Richard Bach
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Illusions
One
Sondra Ray
Loving Relationships
Rebirthing In The New Age (with Leonard Orr)
I Deserve Love
John Keyhoe
Mind Power
Shakti Gawain
Creative Visualization
Wayne Dyer
Pulling Your Own Strings
Your Erroneous Zones
You'll See It When You Believe It
You can find more titles, and brief descriptions, on my Recommended Books page.
You can also find free downloadable books on my Free Books page.
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU
You have taken a positive step by checking out this page, and I give you a big PA for that. Now I challenge you to translate what you have seen into ACTION in your own life. If you have already done so, congratulations. If not, when are you going to leave the old you behind and start doing the things you know you need to do? You are either a loser who is terrified of change, like the billions of sheep who comprise the mediocre majority, or you are a winner who is willing to put your money where your mouth is and make a positive change here and now.
Please let me know what my challenge has inspired you to do, after you do it, by email.
