according to the Milken Institute report on “Best Performing Cities” in 2011 and the National Association of Home Builders/First American’s list of improving house markets.   In the smaller metros of Texas, Tyler was 20th  in the nation with 4 other smaller metros in the top 25.  The Home Builders Association showed 41 markets as IMPROVING and 8 are in Texas and TYLER is one of these.  While markets were added, 9 were dropped.  This shows improvement in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least 6 consecutive months.  While Texas’ growth rate & advancement isn’t all that wonderful, we have managed to stay flat with a few small positives, but everyone else has more negatives, according to Dr. Jim Gaines, Real Estate Center Research Economist.

A good way to create positive self talk is through affirmations.  An affirmation is a positive statement that represents your desired condition or outcome.  Interesting enough, your subconscious mind does’t know the difference between a real experience & a vividly imagined  “mental” experience.   World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation & recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance.  They use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety & increase their expectation of achievement.  To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging & stated in the present tense.  By repeating an affirmation over & over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.  A positive affirmation might be “I take good care of my clients & they show their appreciation by referring their friends to me”.  Say in the present tense & say each morning & evening before falling asleep.  Feel the emotions associated with the affirmation.

In 1957 Earl Nightingale, speaker, author & co-founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corporation, recorded his classic motivational record THE STRANGEST SECRET.  It sold over one million copies and make history in the recording industry by being honored as the first Cold Record for the spoken word.   Nightingale, known as the “dean of personal development”, concluded that life’s “strangest secret” is the WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK ABOUT ALL DAY LONG.  Your belief system, like your computer, doesn’t judge or even question what you imput; it merely accept your thoughts as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Think thoughts of defeat or failure and you’re bound to feel discouraged.  Continous thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear are unhealthy and often manifest in the body as stress, panic attacks and depression.  At the core of Earl’s message, he reveals the incredible power of positive self-talk, belief and expectation.  What you vividly imagine and hold in your subconscious mind begins to out picture as your realty.  Your belief system not only defines your realty, but it also shapes your characted and determines your potential.