Practice Clear and Simple Slotras

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-occurring 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 the next chapter: Build Up To It When Using a Slotra

This article was excerpted from the book, Slotralogy: How to Change Your Habits of Thought.