This week I’ve been listening to the audiobook The Vortex, by Abraham-Hicks, and am so in love with it that I could easily spend the next year writing posts just about this book. Today I want to share one of the tools they provide for shifting your thoughts. I particularly like this one for thoughts that are stubborn and resistant to thought work. I’m inviting you to try this one with me – pick one of your most resistant thoughts that is having a negative impact on your life, and let’s try playing with the Abraham-Hicks Focus Wheel process.
The thought I’m choosing might seem a little silly, but it’s having a negative impact on my life and I would like to change it. The thought: “I hate grocery shopping.” I’ve tried Katie’s The Work, and Brooke Castillo’s Self Coaching 101 model on this one, but it’s a very resistant thought. I can’t find evidence that instead I love grocery shopping. I recognize that having this thought is creating negative feelings and actions, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I still hate grocery shopping.
Here’s how the wheel works- begin with your original thought (“I hate grocery shopping”) and determine the thought about the situation that would feel incredible instead. I’m calling this your goal thought, and mine for this example is, “I’m excited to gather foods to nourish my body.” You need a sheet of blank paper, and you want to start by drawing a giant circle, a small circle in the center of it, and six lines to make spokes of the wheel (that cross like the numbers on a clock). In the center circle, write your goal thought. It’s a little easier to see this, so I’ve made a little graphic for you:
Once you have your wheel drawn, you want to start with the 1 o’clock position, and write down any believable thought that is closer to the goal thought that to your original thought. This is often the hardest part of the process. For example, had I tried, “Grocery shopping is a little bit fun” as my first sentence, I would never have gotten anywhere. It’s closer to my goal thought, but it’s not believable to me from the place of “I hate grocery shopping.” I could also have tried “Lots of people hate grocery shopping” which is believable to me and makes me feel a little better, but is never going to get me to my goal thought.
Once you get your first thought, you continue on to each section of the wheel, writing believable thoughts that move ever-closer to your goal thought. Abraham-Hicks recommend writing your goal thought over the whole wheel once you arrive at the “end” position. I didn’t do that, only because I wanted you to be able to read each step. Here’s my wheel:
Here are the thoughts in case they are too hard to read on the wheel:
| 1 o’clock | Sometimes one of the grocery stockers sings along to the blasting 80’s music, and that’s fun. |
| 2 o’clock | I do like looking at flowers in the grocery store. |
| 3 o’clock | When I have a list, the shopping is quick and fairly easy. |
| 4 o’clock | Picking out fruits can be kinda fun because they smell so good. |
| 5 o’clock | I do like seeing what is in season. |
| 6 o’clock | It’s interesting to read the labels, now that I’ve learned a little more about nutrition. |
| 7 o’clock | In fact, it feels pretty good to have the knowledge of what I want to eat and seeing how each food in the grocery store can fit into that plan. |
| 8 o’clock | It’s fun to play with the body compass ratings with different foods that I’m selecting in the store. |
| 9 o’clock | I do always seem to meet rather nice people in the grocery store, and I enjoy that element too. |
| 10 o’clock | It is fun to see if I can spice up my list with new and exciting choices that I haven’t tried before. |
| 11 o’clock | When I think about all the potential choices and selections, it can even feel like a mini-adventure of trying new things! |
| 12 o’clock | I’m excited to gather foods to nourish my body! |
You might find, like I did, that the first few new thoughts were very challenging, then a type of momentum built and it became much easier to find more positive thoughts. I’d love to hear how this worked for you – leave a comment with your original and goal thoughts below!
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Thank you for sharing this tool. I could use the negative topic for me… being in a relationship.
That’s awesome, Riss, thanks for the comment. I’d love to see you pick a really juicy goal thought, like “relationships are easy and flow to me effortlessly.” Or whatever appeals to you. Definitely this is a pointlessly negative topic!