If your life could use a change and you want to give it a kickstart - no matter how big or small - would you believe me if I told you it would only take thirty seconds or less to begin? Now, let's put that question aside for a moment while I give you another one. What did Henry Ford's immense wealth, President Kennedy's vision of Americans setting foot on the moon, and Michael Phelps overwhelming win at the 2008 Olympic Summer Games have in common?

Answer: They're colossal achievements that happened because somebody made of flesh and blood like you and I thought about it.

Flashes of Thought in Less Than Half a Minute Can Carry You To The Moon

Although I have no way of measuring it, I'd be willing to bet it took President John F. Kennedy less than half a minute to envision American astronauts landing on the moon, less than half a minute for Henry Ford to imagine how Ford Motor Company would net him a huge fortune, and less than half a minute for Michael Phelps to have the idea to win 8 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Now of course, prior to those flashes of thought there was probably some preparation, but if you've ever had an "aha" moment you know those kinds of inspirational flashes can happen in less than half a minute. And guess what? You can start the process of changing your own life in half a minute or less by having the same kinds of inspirational flashes of thought that Henry Ford had. There, that wasn't so hard was it?

You might be saying, "Whoa, now wait a minute." I've tried this positive thinking stuff before, and it didn't work out. Plus, you might be saying to yourself "but I can't do it because I'm too short", "I had an abusive childhood", or "I don't have enough money." But that's applying your thinking in the wrong direction. If you commit to doing whatever it takes, you'll start to live your ideal life, even if it doesn't feel like it at first.

Fortunately, you don't have to take my word for it. Author James Allen - a man whose work people like Tony Robbins, Vic Johnson, and countless others credit with their success - says in his book As a Man Thinketh, "suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction." So start directing your thoughts in the right direction and do it consistently. But how do you get thoughts going in the right direction consistently enough to start making a definite change? It's easy. Just remember…

Why Your Mind's Sponge-like Ability Can Help You Or Hurt You Get Flashes of Insight in 30 Seconds Or Less

If you want to start getting brilliant insights, the key step to take is to lift your attitude and keep it elevated in a positive direction consistently. Think of a sponge. It soaks up whatever liquid you pour on it. If you run a dry sponge under water it starts absorbing the water. Now the sponge is wet with water. If you squeeze it, out comes the water. If you pour orange juice onto a dry sponge, then it would start absorbing the juice. If you squeeze it, out comes the juice. The human mind works on the same principle. If you pour positive thinking over it constantly, it gives you positive thoughts when you "squeeze" it. If you pour negative thinking over your mind, you start getting negative thoughts out. So your mind is a tool that can be harnessed to help or hurt you.

But we want to use it to help you. The simple trick I've found over the years to keep my attitude elevated consistently is this: read and listen to inspirational material. When I first started doing this, I felt more motivated and noticed my thoughts becoming more positive. I started exercising more regularly, taking up challenging activities, and little by little, the changes started happening. As Zig Ziglar says, "You've got to be before you can do and you've to do before you can have." My actions made the changes possible, but it was the thoughts that jumpstarted the actions. Pretty soon, I started having regular flashes of insight as to what my life could become. It led to me completing my first marathon. I had an insight one day that I would complete a marathon no matter what. Nine months later, I crossed the finish line in much better cardiovascular shape than when I started. As James Allen said in As a Man Thinketh, "Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become."

Having flashes of brilliance to change your life forever only takes 30 seconds or less. Staying positive will ensure these flashes keep coming.

If you want to continue on your journey of healing from child abuse, please visit http://www.zentactics.com/mental-health-articles.html.

Author's Bio: 

Adam Appleson has been actively involved in using self improvement techniques to promote psychological health and goal-oriented success for the past 11 years. He is the founder of ZenTactics.com, a website with advice written especially for survivors of abusive and dysfunctional families.

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