Is the power of positive thinking enough?

As a Life Coach, it is very tempting to attempt to help a paying client as quickly and easily as possible.  often this means using “the power of positive thinking,” the Law of Attraction and affirmations as tools to clear out your client’s blocks to achieving his or her stated goals. There’s only one problem with this approach: these methods seldom work in the long run.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with positive thinking per se, the key factor in all this is how does positive thinking affect the subconscious decision-making process of the client?  If the client is open to coaching – and has already seen results from positive thinking approaches – then your efforts will pay rich dividends.

On the other hand, if the makeup of your client is predominately contrarian, i.e, one that follows the rebel archetype, then you will not only NOT see the results you are hoping for, your client will also leave you because his or her results ended up being less than stellar.

A contrarian, by the way, is one who needs to argue inside about everything he or she sees or experiences. I know this because I was one of these folks!  As a child, I found it difficult to do as I was told, and often got into trouble for doing the exact opposite of what was expected of me. I remember, for example, getting thrown out of Kindergarten music class for playing “violin” with my two sticks, instead of simply beating them together like everyone else. I was not convince that percussion was better than melody, but my teacher obviously had other ideas.

Is your client a contrarian? If so, you have to understand this right off the bat and be able to help this person in spite of his or her tendency to sabotage things. So what IS the answer to the obstacle of the power of positive thinking? Here are some of the more powerful ways to work WITH the contrarian:

• Understand that this person before you is a divine being who has already made a decision about the direction in his or her life. This decision may be subconscious, but it is, after all a prime directive, or guiding decision!
• Consequently, because the decision-maker is divine in origin, there is nothing “wrong” with them, and there is nothing that needs to be “fixed”! So don’t argue! With a contrarian, even the simple act of suggesting a “remedy” or “fix” to his or her “problem” is an argument.
• Approach each session as a dialogue. You are simply there to facilitate the solution that ALREADY lies deep within the person. The more you can develop this understanding and approach, the more powerful will be your – and your client’s – results.
• Use Feedback.  By using muscle testing, group observations, or some other form of feedback, you get the person to see his or her OWN inner decisions, and therefore allow this inner being to change itself. And it will. According to physics, all things are affected by the mere act of observing it!

Only the one who made the decision can change the decision. The subconscious mind, or being, is a powerful entity in and of itself. He or she knows all your tricks and can counter all your efforts to change him/her. When you allow this being to change the hidden decision or prime directive, you allow transformation to happen . . . instantly!

So if you REALLY want to help your clients – and transform your own practice at the same time – then forget about “the power of positive thinking.” Find out about your OWN inner “contrarian” and how to work with him or her for powerful results. Otherwise, you’ll continue to beat that dead horse until you lose credibility with both your client AND your subconscious mind!

Find ways to harness the REAL power of positive thinking in your life and practice now! Download my free report: “The 7 Mistakes Life Coaches Make in Their Business . . . And How to overcome Them!” and start seeing some positive changes in days or weeks!