Suppose that the human mind is nothing more than a bio-computer and that the function of this computer is to get its owner exactly what he says he wants.. The computer mind takes what you say very literally. So, if you say you cannot do something, the mind interprets that as a command and makes sure you cannot do it. If you say you are confused and don't know what you want, the mind makes sure you have that experience.

That is why the harder we try to change, the very things we want to change persist stronger than ever. Think about it. How many times in a day do we give our minds negative commands? We say things such as "this is hard for me," or we complain that we don't have something we want in our lives. When the mind hears us making these declarations, it hears it as a command, not as a wish it wasn't so. If this is the way our computer minds work then we have to find a way to give it commands that get us what we want. Positive affirmations are a way to do exactly that.

There was a time in my life when I used to complain that I knew how to make lots of money, but I could not hold onto it - that I would manage to find a way to make it disappear and thus never seemed to have any reserves. Guess what kept happening? Finally this way of life and "my story" about it became untenable, not to mention scary. With the help of a coach, I began to use affirmations such as "I am a competent manager of my money and make good investments." Or, "I know how to educate myself and take actions that will result in building reserves." I would write these affirmations daily, look at myself in the mirror and repeat them every day until I started to really hear them and believe them.

I soon started to read books about money and shifted my beliefs about money. I joined DA (Debtor's Anonymous - a 12 step support program) where I learned how to create a Spending Plan and more importantly, how to follow it. By using affirmations I was able to create a life that I love to live and the financial reserves that allows me to take care of myself in the present and in the future. I now live in a state of abundance, not scarcity.

"Be careful what you ask for, you may get it," simply means that you must be careful about your language when you are giving commands to your mind. To be perfectly clear, phrase your affirmations following the Top Ten Tips below. To those of you who are skeptical about the theory, I know it seems strange at first, I ask you to consider the possibility that this version of how things work may actually result in the outcomes you always wanted. Some of you may want to talk with a coach to help you clarify what it is you really want and how to phrase your affirmations. It does take some practice. After all, you will be changing a lifetime of functioning one way, what I call "hard wired programming," and behavioral patterns. Experiment! I would love to hear about your results.

Ruth Zanes has been a Business, Career and Personal Success Coach since 1985. Her broad range of experience prior to coaching includes consultant, business ownership and corporate executive for some of the world's largest corporations. Contact Ruth at: http://www.unlimitedresourcesinc.com