“School days, school days, wonderful golden rule days. Readin’ and ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic””

Remember those Three R’s? There is another set of three R’s which can change your “sort of - kind of” into “Absolutely Positively:” Recognize, Refute, and Reprogram.

Recognize: Before we can transform anything, we have to recognize what needs to be changed. And our “definitely maybes” wear lots of disguises that make them difficult to recognize. We have to really listen to ourselves in order to hear it.

“Yeah, buts” are strong negative affirmations. (I am filled with glorious heath and energy yeah, but why do I feel so bad? OR yeah, but I’ve just been given a horrible diagnosis. I magnetize money, and have plenty to share and spare yeah, but I don’t really know where the money is going to come from to buy groceries this week! I am one with God and all is well yeah, but I sure don’t think God is doing His part!)

“When, then games” are words we use to procrastinate. (For example, I believe that what we give comes back to us multiplied — and when I get that new job, then I’ll start really tithing! I believe that God is my source, and when I start getting my retirement income, then I’ll be able to have fun!)

“Mismatching words and actions” occurs when what we say and what we do don’t match. (For example, many companies have excellent Mission and Values Statements up on their walls, but the day-to-day actions of the leadership are totally opposite what these statements proclaim.)

Refute: We refute when we refuse to give any power to other people’s attitudes. (For example, There is no way your attitude will change my attitude!) We can also refuse to give power to the appearance of lack, or illness, or fear. (For example, we can say, “There is no deficiency in my experience.” OR “This perceived health challenge has no power over me.”)

The denials we are talking about do not mean the same thing as the psychological term “in denial.” According to Webster, to deny means to declare to be not true; to declare as utterly false. Denials are our ability to put our error thoughts in their proper place. Denials are a way of talking back, refusing to give power to something ‘outside’ of us that seems controlling or restrictive.

Reprogram : If we deny power to something without also adding a strong affirmation, we are in a danger zone! We must fill the void created by denials with powerful statements of Truth. In the Gospel of Luke 11:24-26, we read a story about a man who was cleansed of an evil spirit. However, when the spirit returned, finding the “house” swept clean, it moved back in, and brought along seven of its buddies, more evil than he. This reminds us of how critical it is to reaffirm our beliefs and reprogram our thinking, by following up denials with powerful affirmations!

According to Emilie Cady, in Lessons in Truth, “to affirm anything is to assert positively that it is so, even in the face of all contrary evidence. Deny the appearance of evil; affirm good. Deny weakness; affirm strength. Deny any undesirable condition, and affirm the good you desire.”

The critical ingredient for success is to claim your affirmations with power — with faith! When you use a lackadaisical approach, you are simply wishing. When you affirm in a manner that says “Without a Doubt,” from the strength of your Christ consciousness, you are speaking with a voice of knowing faith and Truth!

When our granddaughter graduated from the pre-Brownies group, Daisies, the leaders celebrated the event by giving each girl an album filled with pictures capturing the events they had participated in. One of the pictures showed the girls lying on the ground, in front of a fire truck. Above the photo were the words “Stop, Drop, Roll.” Our granddaughter proudly told us that it was a phrase the firefighters used to remind a person what to do if they ever caught on fire: Stop, Drop, Roll.

It connected with us as a reinforcement of these 3 R’s: STOP — Recognize the “sort of-kind of’s” that dilute your spiritual growth and happiness; DROP — Release thoughts and actions that are out of sync with Truth by denying their power; and ROLL — Reaffirm the transformative power of the beliefs, the Truths, of spiritual principles! Make the 3 R’s a regular part of your life, so you change your “sort of-kind of” into ‘”Absolutely Positively!”.