My son went deaf.
This happened several years ago when he was around 6 years old. There was no explanation, no one could tell me why. They just told me it was “genetic.”
This was a huge trial for me and my family, and especially for my son. He really doesn’t like anyone to talk about it or bring attention to it, because he doesn’t want anyone to look at him differently, but this was a huge trial for our family.
I had been trying to run my online business and I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to shut it all down and walk away from it for several years because I just couldn’t focus on anything else at the time.
We had meetings with doctors, meetings with speech therapists meetings with his school, tests, evaluations, and finally, we learned that his hearing was progressively getting worse, to the point where they informed us he was now a candidate for Cochlear Implant surgery to try and give him an opportunity to hear again.
Of course, these surgeries always come with risks, and you can be certain that I read all the good and all the bad. I wanted to know everything.
3 Reasons Why You Need to Start Practicing Mindfulness Today
One of my biggest concerns was the possibility of him losing the remaining hearing he did have because that was one of the possible risks.
He still had some level of hearing in the lower ranges, and I didn’t want him to completely lose everything.
I fell to my knees in desperation. I needed a bit of guidance and direction. I needed a place to vent. I hoped for some answers. I hoped for peace of mind.
Now, I personally have a belief in God and I do believe in the power of prayer.
But, whether you share that belief or not, I want to give you 3 reasons why prayer, meditation, mindfulness, or whatever you choose to call it can help you not only get through trials, but can also help cognitive function, as well as act as a direct conduit to the law of abundance and manifestation through words of affirmation.
1. Prayer relaxes and calms you, allowing you to think more clearly and overcome trials.
What happens when you get stressed out? Your heart can race, your blood pressure can rise, you can get agitated and short-tempered. You may do or say things that may not be rational. In those moments, it is so important to take a moment to recenter yourself and get calm, cool and collected.
For those who have a belief in a higher power, take this opportunity to get down on your knees and pray sincerely for strength and comfort, and then take 10 minutes to just listen and breathe, meditate and slow yourself down.
If you don’t believe in prayer, then don’t call it prayer. Call it mindfulness or meditation. Speak your concerns to the universe, or just to yourself.
If you are in a place to do so, say your words out loud. Let out your true feelings.
Cry if you need to. Evaluate what you can do personally to get yourself out of a bad situation and into the place where you want to be, and then affirm out loud, or in your head, what you are going to do to move forward.
2. Science says mindfulness makes the brain function better.
Don’t just take my word for it. There are many scientific studies that show the overwhelming benefits of mindfulness practices, such as prayer or meditation.
Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuropathologist (Yes, I had to look this word up.
This is the practice of studying how the brain responds to spiritual activities such as prayer, meditation, etc), and top research director at Philadelphia’s Myrna Byrd Center of Integrative Medicine studied the brains of spiritual leaders while they meditated or prayed.
He concluded that “The more you do a practice like meditation or prayer, your brain physically gets thicker and it functionally works better.”
So even science can’t deny the power of this practice. There was also an 8-week study at Harvard that confirmed that mindfulness practices can actually rebuild the grey matter of the brain. So, if you are concerned about losing cognitive function as you age, then take this seriously.
It basically saves and even restores your brain. That alone is reason enough to start!
3. Daily Affirmation and meditation can help you overcome limiting beliefs and manifest your dreams.
If you got a chance to listen to the amazing talks from the Million Dollar Mastermind this year, (Lnkw.co/MDM2020) then you heard from the amazing Setema Gali.
I was privileged to be a part of his amazing Shield Maiden program and he taught me about the importance of connecting to God or the universe daily through meditation or prayer and what he calls “Conscious Self-creation.”
I plan to do a recap of Setema’s presentation soon, so stay tuned for that.
You may be more familiar with the term “Affirmations.” You probably remember the old Saturday Night Live Skit called “Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley,” where the nerdy guy sits in front of a mirror and repeats to himself, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone, people like me.”
Sadly the mainstream world likes to make fun of affirmations and mindfulness practices, but the reality is, there is immense power in voicing your intentions out loud to the universe, or to God, or to whatever being you believe in.
Our minds are no different than a computer, so whatever you program in, is what will come out.
Make it a habit every day to write down at least 5 things you want to manifest for yourself in the present tense as if it has already happened.
And use your time of prayer or meditation to speak those out loud. Think bigger than feels comfortable. Here are some examples:
“I am a 5-star wife/husband/parent.” “My business generates 6 figures a month in profit.” “I have a best-selling published book.” “I have a dream relationship with my spouse.” Etc….
Write to them, speak to them, and repeat them daily. This is the best way to program your mind to believe what you tell it.
Of course, if you consume any of Ryan Stewman’s content, you know he practices this and believes in prayer, meditation and affirmation and has said what a difference it has made in his life and business.
But there are so many other successful people who attribute much of their success, wealth, and health to making this a daily routine.
Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Will Smith, Bill Gates, Jennifer Lopez, and many other successful men and women have talked about the power of using it daily.
For my son’s situation mentioned above, prayer and meditation were what helped me ultimately to calm myself, recenter myself and think clearly enough to realize that the Cochlear Implant surgery was the right thing to do.
My deaf child can now hear again and I can be grateful every day that I have learned even more mindfulness techniques to combine with a prayer that will impact the rest of my life and my business.
Even though I took years away from my business, and I’ve had a lot of demons and trials in making a business comeback, I know that anchoring myself daily through prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and conscious self-creation has allowed me to see outside myself and see the infinite possibilities.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with amazing people through this process, and see incredible growth that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
My income has increased, I co-authored a book that will be released soon, I was chosen as the only female blogger for this very blog, and I’m just getting started back on my journey.
My mind has opened up to infinite possibilities that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen possible, and it’s incredibly powerful.
When I get lazy or let the FOA creep in and stop me, there is a definitive difference in my attitude, my confidence, and my success.
If you’re not already practicing mindfulness, prayer, meditation, or whatever you choose to call it, commit today to make it a habit every day.
Take note of how it impacts your life, your relationships, and your business by calming stress to help you overcome trials, increasing your cognitive function, and assisting in manifesting your greatest desires through daily affirmations.