Switchwords: How to Use One Word to Get What You Want. Liz Dean

feeling of unworthiness.’

      By taking the action of reciting her Switchwords, Kate found a tool to uncover this negative subconscious programme. She knew now what might have been blocking her wealth: she simply didn’t believe, at a deep level, that she was good enough to have it.

      Expressing a block can mark the beginning of recovery. Like a computer virus infecting our subconscious databank of memories and beliefs, a block can be deleted. This may take time, but simply acknowledging that the block is there, bringing the problem to light out of shameful hiding, can be a huge step forward. Kate began to see her block just as it was: an unwanted belief, an interpretation of the past that only served to stand in the way of her having the money she needed. Why would she block herself, after all?

      Dealing with shame

      Shame is a powerful barrier to the truth. If an experience is accompanied by shame, it’s something we often want buried. The fear of being shamed by others can be a huge motivator to cut ourselves off from the injured part that needs immediate attention and healing, pushing it as far away from our thoughts as we can in the hope that it will disappear or be forgotten. We may want to deaden the feelings of shame, as psychiatrist James Gilligan explains to Jon Ronson in Ronson’s book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed: ‘Our language tells us this. One of the words we use for overwhelming shame is mortification. “I’m mortified.”’

      Despite our best efforts, these suppressed memories and negative experiences usually remain and at some level drive our behaviour and attitudes towards ourselves; we may suffer from lower self-esteem or self-confidence than outward appearance suggests.

      Try this: The shame soother

      BOW-LOVE-RESTORE. BOW makes the feeling smaller, LOVE generates self-love and RESTORE brings confidence.

      Before trying her money Switchwords again, Kate then began to choose Switchwords to help her feel more empowered, addressing her issue about not being worthy of money and what it could bring her. She chose ELATE to turn a setback to an advantage, UP for confidence and BLUFF to dispel fear, experimenting with the Switch phrases TOGETHER-UP-ELATE and TOGETHER-BLUFF.

      Most of our blocks have a fear aspect, so working with Switchwords that address this can certainly help your manifesting. Switchwording brings about change, too, which can trigger fear. Losing weight, for example, means change, and many of us fear change deep down. Who would I be without my faults and problems? How would I be as a slimmer, more confident version of myself? How would other people deal with me changing? With this much going on under the surface, it’s no wonder we experience fear and resistance.

      Try this: The fear-busters

      BLUFF helps reduce and dispel nervousness, anxiety and fear; CHANGE helps you let go of negative thoughts. Use the master Switchword TOGETHER with BLUFF and CHANGE, such as TOGETHER-BLUFF or TOGETHER-CHANGE – this gets you into a state of ‘self-togetherness’ when fear is making you feel separate from yourself. Add BE for peace of mind: TOGETHER-BLUFF-BE, TOGETHER-CHANGE-BE. When you begin to feel the fear ebb away, try chanting SHINE to lift your mood. You might also like to experiment with the flower-remedy Switchwords for fear (see here): ASPEN, CHERRY PLUM, MIMULUS, RED CHESTNUT and ROCK ROSE. Try reciting them alone, or with TOGETHER or TOGETHER-DIVINE.

      A quick reminder

      Know the power your subconscious has over your everyday actions. Accept that this part of you needs to be communicated with in a way that’s different from conscious self-talk. Think of your subconscious as a friend who responds to authentic requests and doesn’t want to be ignored, overruled or suppressed; listen to your subconscious when it ‘talks back’, telling you why you might be blocking your manifesting.

      Three questions to ask yourself before you begin

      1. What’s my true goal?

      Consider your goals carefully before you begin Switchwording. Do you really need money, or is it love and support? Do you really need a relationship right now, or is self-confidence more important? Be mindful of what you wish for, so that when you choose your Switchwords they express your true goal. This is not the dream come true your ego wants – it’s the goal that will carry you forward through life on the right path. When your goals are authentic and you use the right Switchwords, the subconscious responds strongly and you get what you wish for. In this way, Switchwording addresses some of the ‘block’ issues of traditional manifesting (see the Introduction, here).

      You may think you need money, and you chant for it (FIND-DIVINE or COUNT, for example). But during your chanting you find your mental images are more about what money can bring: freedom, choices, travel, acknowledgement, long-term security, ability to financially support others or peace of mind.

      You may believe you should have a relationship, so you chant DIVINE-LOVE-CHARM-BE. You chant in the shower for a few days and find you’re visualising not a romantic partner but a pet you’ve always wanted and have never been able to have and love.

      Switchwords, therefore, can help release vital information we hold about ourselves in our subconscious. And this can be the beginning of a journey, or feedback loop, in which we can change the Switchwords we’re using as we get feedback from our subconscious about what it needs. We can liken this to speed monitors on roads – they appear under speed signs saying ‘Your speed is …’ as you drive towards it (and your speed will usually be higher than the designated 30mph, for example). The sign gives you instant feedback and you adjust your speed accordingly. It’s the same with Switchwords: when you say your words, you may find that your subconscious gives you feedback. This may come as an idea, an insight, an action you feel compelled to take, an event, a gift – and another Switchword.