Inner Conversations

It has been quite some time since I last shared anything on here. For that, I apologize. It’s not that I haven’t been writing, or experimenting with ideas that I know you’ll find some value in. Instead, it has more to do with the fact that many changes have taken place in my life — positive changes, it must be said — and I know where these changes have come from, but I’ve had a lot of trouble finding the words to express these changes, and how they’ve come about.

Today, though, it seems Inspiration has blessed me with the creative stamina to put this essay together. To Inspiration, I say “Thank You”.

When I first started to really dive into Metaphysics, I was overwhelmed by the myriad of different approaches. Some of them resonated with me. Some of them didn’t. One of the approaches that most resonated with me was, as I’m sure you all know, that of Neville Goddard’s perspective.

To this day, he is my primary influence, and I continue to study him, and to use his ideas every single day.

Back in November, I was reading a lecture of his. Thanks to the good people at “realneville.com”, his lectures have been transcribed and uploaded in the PDF format. I highly recommend browsing this site, and downloading a few that sound interesting to you. The wisdom you will find is truly astonishing.

Now, I don’t remember the name of the lecture, but I remember that, in this lecture, Neville spent a lot of time talking about these things called “Inner Conversations”.

To this day, I’m still uncertain of how I should describe what an Inner Conversation actually is. To some extent, it’s simply a phrase that describes the numerous conversations we have with ourselves, within consciousness, every single moment of our lives.

That definition is both abstract, and vague, but I think it gets the main point across. Inner Conversations are thoughts. In their most basic and pure form, they are thoughts.

Neville’s point was that the Inner Conversations that we engage with, everyday, reflect and project themselves outward, into the canvas that is our lives. The thoughts we think the most, they are the ones that take form in that which we call “reality”.

Chances are, since you’re reading this, you’re familiar with this idea. It’s a very common idea that has been around for millennia. In recent years, it has been one of the defining principles behind modern “New Age” Metaphysics. Books like “The Secret” express this same idea, using modern-day concepts such as “vision boards”.

As a quick digression, vision boards aren’t really that modern or novel. Many people think they are, and to some extent, the way they are being used is certainly a bit novel — cutting up pictures of fancy houses and cars from magazines and pasting it on a cork board — but the idea of symbols having power is one of the oldest esoteric ideas. There is an entire facet of Occult Metaphysics devoted to the idea that symbols — or “sigils” — are, essentially, storehouses of energy that can rewrite reality as you know it.

However, Neville’s point was a little different. He wasn’t saying that thinking “negative thoughts” would lead to disastrous results, and his message wasn’t some impassioned cry for you to “think positive”, instead, it was a reminder: the thoughts that you think and nurture the most, by continuing to think them and allowing them to branch off into other, equally productive — or unproductive — thoughts, will gradually turn into the world you inhabit.

If you think something long enough, and if you tell yourself something enough times, that will become a part of your world. Part of this is just basic psychology, and the other part of it is pure Metaphysics.

Of course, by reducing this idea to “parts”, I am seriously downplaying the infinite complexity, density, and scale that this idea connotes.

Around the same time I was familiarizing myself with this idea, I stumbled upon a YouTube video with Abraham Hicks.

Now, for those of you who don’t know, Abraham Hicks refers to a wife and husband, Jerry and Esther Hicks, who claim to be channeling a deity known as Abraham. Whether this is true or not is, I suppose, irrelevant, since their ideas have seeped so deeply into the mass-culture, when it comes to Metaphysics, that all we can do now is evaluate their ideas.

Personally, I don’t find myself attracted to their particular brand of thinking. While I find the basic principles to be solid, when you get deeper into there work, there seems to be an unnecessary level of complexity, and a strange focus on never thinking “negative thoughts”.

In the past, I’ve spoken about my distaste for the idea that, if we think “negative thoughts”, we automatically damage the foundation of our life, and our wellbeing. Especially since the term “negative thoughts” is so vaguely defined, and, in many cases, is used as a weapon for manipulative salespeople to prey on those who are looking to improve their lives.

With that being said, however, the video itself was interesting.

If you think a positive thought for 17 seconds, that is equal to 2,000 hours of work. If you think a negative thought for 17 seconds, that is equal to 2,000 hours of work. By taking the time to think a certain thought for a specific period of time, you can transform your life.

Ultimately, that was the crux of their idea. On the surface, it’s a bit silly, since both of those numbers seems to have been pulled out of thin air, but as I was listening, I found myself intrigued.

I was wondering if their main thesis was correct. If, by thinking a certain thought or engaging in a certain type of thought, for 17 seconds, would the desired outcome reflect itself outwards.

Well, for the past three-months, I’ve been using that idea. Using it. Experimenting with it. Trying it. Writing about it. And, I have one conclusion to make.

Yes, it does. In fact, it is by far the most effective method I have found, in my own life, for bringing about what is desired, and what is desirable.

Just to give you an idea of the changes that have transpired within those three-months, I’ll tell you a little bit about my life, and the experiments I’ve been performing.

My first experiment was for six-days. I wanted a new job. Now, I work as a freelance writer, and I love it, but I wanted a freelance writing job that was long-term, paid well, and I wanted to work for a nice and friendly boss.

For six-days, I spent a few minutes — not 17 seconds, because I was actually having a lot of fun — having an Inner Conversation about my new job. It was in the past-tense, and I described how much I enjoyed my work, and my lifestyle. On the sixth-day, I was interviewed, and I am now working for a great boss, who pays very well, and I enjoy the work that I do, and I am very content with my lifestyle.

Then, the next experiment that I ran had to do with my confidence and my charisma. This was a pretty similar experiment, and it involved me thinking thoughts that had to do with qualities such as self-reliance, charisma, my general attractiveness, and my ability be charming.

Once again, the results were positive. In fact, I actually met several good friends during the course of this experiment, did some things that I would’ve otherwise been unwilling to do, and generally found myself receiving a lot more attention.

Finally, the last experiment that I ran consisted of a specific kind of lifestyle that I intended to create. This was a lifestyle that consisted of a good, solid career, where I earn $2,000 a month — keep in mind, I live in Asia, so I don’t need a lot of money — I have a nice home with a comfortable office, my girlfriend — I didn’t have a girlfriend when I began the experiment — and I have a great relationship, and I am constantly learning, growing, and experimenting.

This was a thirty-day experiment. I finished it up just a few days ago, as a matter of fact. And during this experiment, I spent about nine-minutes, everyday, engaging in an Inner Conversation about those things. Focusing my thoughts on them, and having a great time expressing those thoughts and those ideas.

During that period, I received a nice raise, putting my earnings past the $2,000 a month bracket. My apartment in Cambodia now has a nice office space, since the landlord had a desk and chair he didn’t know what to do with. And, of course, I have an absolutely fantastic relationship with my girlfriend.

All of the things that I desired, they came true. From this work, as well, other desirable things, things that I didn’t even think of, came true.

Why this is, I cannot say. All I can say is that it works, it works well, and that the possibilities are truly infinite.

How Do I Do This?

The process I am about to share with you is what has worked for me. Perhaps, it will work for you, just as it has worked for me and many others. Perhaps, it will not.

If it doesn’t appear to be working for you, that’s okay Experiment with the process. Use it in a different way. Be flexible, and adapt this process to your own needs and your own desires.

If, after you have used and experimented with this process, it isn’t working, then it may be best to use a different method.

Begin With An Intention(s):

When you begin, it is essential that you have an Intention. Or, better yet, several Intentions. These are going to be the focal point of the Inner Conversations that you will be performing.

For my most recent experimentation/performance, I chose a specific income goal/lifestyle, a new romantic relationship, and a nice office space in my apartment.

Feel free to choose whatever you like. As long as it means something to you. Many people, when they are starting off, choose Intentions that sound “easy”, but have no real meaning to them.

Please don’t do this. Instead, begin with something that is meaningful, and seemingly difficult to attain/allow into your life.

Think About What The Intentions(s) Means To You:

More specifically, think about the underlying desires behind each Intention. For example, in the case of money, money is a key, not a door. The door, in my case, was a specific lifestyle.

Focus on the underlying desires behind the Intentions that you have, and less on the specifics of each Intention. If you have a specific income goal, for example, focus less on that, and focus on the lifestyle that the money is bringing you, and the sense of security, prosperity, and freedom that you feel.

The same goes for love. Many people spend a disproportionate amount of time focusing on what their partner looks like, along with various quirks that they find endearing or that they would like to see in their partner. However, these same people often neglect how their partner actually makes them feel, and the kind of life they are living with that special someone.

Once you have thought about what your Intentions mean to you, make the choice to focus on those, when performing your Inner Conversations.

Lie Down In A Quiet Place And Set A Timer For 9 Minutes — At Least:

Whenever I perform my Inner Conversations, I always lie down on my bed. It’s soft. It’s comfortable. And my bedroom is relatively quiet, so I can focus and relax.

Then, before I begin my Inner Conversations, I set the timer on my phone for a total of nine-minutes. It can be longer, but it shouldn’t be shorter.

As for the significance of the number nine, to be honest, I just like the number. Aesthetically, it’s quite pleasing. However, it also symbolizes completions, so there is some symbolic value to be found.

Perform Your Inner Conversations:

Illustrating this particular step in the process is tricky, because there really isn’t any “one way” to do this, or to do it well. Instead, there are many ways you can perform your Inner Conversations.

What I do is I begin with a short statement. This statement goes something like this:

My Words, My Thoughts, My Feelings; These Are All Beacons Of Incredible Power That Enable Me To Create And Allow Transformations, Of Any Sort, Into My Life. I Accept This Power, And I Choose To Harness It, In This Exact Moment.

Then, I start off with a deep breath and I smile and say something like “I’m so grateful, and I’m so happy”. Which leads me to talk about what I am so grateful for, and the things that are bringing me happiness, in that moment.

Quickly, I become immersed in the conversation, and the feelings the conversation is bringing. Then, the timer goes off, and I either continue the conversation, because of how enjoyable it is, or I stop, get up, and do something else, while feeling a great sense of contentment and relief.

Perform These Inner Conversations For 9 More Days:

You can perform the Inner Conversations for longer than that. Much longer, if you want. But, ten-days is a good range to shoot for, since it allows these ideas to really soak into your consciousness. However, if you have bigger Intentions or bigger transformations that you want to allow into your life, making the choice to perform these Inner Conversations for thirty-days is a very wise choice, and by the end of it, your life will have changed in a truly dramatic and positive manner.

Some Final Thoughts:

Through the use of Inner Conversations, I have given birth to many changes and transformations in my own life. Many others have done just that, as well. It is my hope that you will find these ideas useful, and, at the very least, that you will use them and experiment with them.

If you have any questions, concerns, or if you just want to talk, you can reach me at “maxwellcakin@gmail.com” or “Maxwell Akin” on Facebook/Messenger.