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 WHEN
Dougal Robertson
was in his life raft and responsible for the lives of his family,
he often repeated a phrase to himself. It focused his mind on
his purpose. He originally heard the phrase from his wife right
after their sailboat sank. Dougal was sinking into despair when
his wife, Lyn, put her hand on his arm and looked at him. “We
must get these boys to land,” she said.
It was so simple, but completely clear.
And motivating. That’s the very definition of a good slotra.
The whole family used another slotra. Every
morning whoever was on watch said, “What’s the password
for the day?” And everyone else answered with feeling: “Survival!”
A slotra is not something you’re trying
to hypnotize yourself into believing. And it is not an effort
to sink a suggestion into your subconscious mind. And it is not
for the purpose of influencing the “ether” with your
“vibrations of thought.” It’s not an affirmation.
This is thought practice, pure and simple. You are trying to
practice thinking certain things so they become familiar and
comfortable and natural, and so your new way of thinking comes
to mind when you need it.
It helps your slotras feel comfortable
if you make them short, tight, and memorable, because most of
the time when you need a new way of thinking, you’re busy
doing something. It’s not too often you really need help
when you’re just sitting around thinking. You need help
in the middle of a situation, so you will not want to try to
remember anything complicated at a time like that. You need something
brief, preferably with some emotional punch.
Tweak your phrases or statements until
they exactly suit you, feel right, and fit you. Rearrange your
statements and try out different words, until it says exactly
what you want it to say, and says it the way you want.
It’s best if you only have one or
two slotras you are practicing at a time. Practice those for
as long as it takes to make them natural. You know you’ve
practiced enough when several times the thought automatically
comes into your mind when you need it. Then pick another one
or two to practice.
And when I say “practice,” I
mean literally saying your slotra to yourself over and over.
And say it with feeling, even if you’re just saying it silently
to yourself. Your tone of voice has an influence, even inside
your head. If you can get away with it, practice your slotras
aloud with feeling.
Dig that groove deep into your brain. Make
that pathway in your brain easy to go down.
Write your slotras on cards. Even have
them professionally printed or engraved. This will help you remember
to practice them. Repeat your slotras over and over, forging
them into powerful, naturally-occuring thoughts that will serve
you for the rest of your life.
I get some of slotras imprinted on military-style
dog tags and wear them around my neck. It’s a great
way to remind myself of the phrases I’m practicing. If this
seems a little fanatical, you don’t quite understand what
a huge difference your thoughts can make. The thoughts going
through your head influence your feelings and behavior at any
given moment. And your behavior will ultimately determine what
happens to you. Your thoughts are the rudder. They move the whole
thing.
Make sure they're moving you where you
want to go.
Read next: Build
Up To It When Using a Slotra
This article is part of a series on Slotralogy.
Read the first section here: Slotralogy
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