So many people ask me, “Bo, how can I break free from my bad habits?”
This question deserves an entire book. But if I only have 3 seconds to answer them, I’d tell them, “Change your Inner Movies.”
Why? Because habits start in the mind.
Before they become a habit of action, they’re first habits of thought. I believe that you cannot change habits of action if you don’t change habits of thought.
And what are habits of thought?
In one word, Beliefs.
So if you want to change bad habits, you have to first change the bad beliefs that support your bad habits. It’s impossible to change bad habits if you don’t change the bad beliefs behind them.
But where do your bad beliefs come from?
From bad movies.
Nope, I don’t mean bad movies from Hollywood.
I don’t mean movies shown at the big screen.
I’m talking about “Inner Movies” that show at the small screens of our minds.
You may not know this, but 24 hours a day, we’re watching inner movies. And these inner movies affect our destiny.
We All Have Favorite Movies
In my home, we have a huge library of children’s videos.
Last count, we almost have a hundred of them scattered around the living room. My eldest son is 9 years old–so that’s 9 years of collecting Barney, Veggietales, Magic Schoolbus, and Disney.
But here’s the funny thing. Even if we have almost 100 movies to watch, only 10 of those movies get watched again and again. Why? Because kids like watching the same favorite movies.
I don’t know how many times have I heard my little Francis say, “Daddy, I want to watch Barney Goes To The Zoo!” At our house, Barney has gone so many times to the zoo, he’s decided to live there.
Kids have favorite movies but adults have them too.
In our imagination, we watch the same Inner Movies in our mind all the time. But some of our favorite Inner Movies aren’t good for us.
What Inner Movies Do You Watch?
There are two kinds of inner movies stored in your brain: Good Movies and Bad Movies.
Good Inner Movies inspire you, encourage you, lift you up. They help you become a better human being.
Bad Inner Movies discourage you, pull you down, limit you, depress you, and fill you with shame.
Question: What kind of Inner Movies do you watch in your mind? That question is so important, it’ll determine your future. Because your thoughts aren’t just thoughts. Your thoughts become things.
Let me give you an example of a bad Inner Movie that people like watching again and again…
Title: Total Failure
Subtitle: This Is My Fate And I Can’t Do Anything About It
Replace this with a new Inner Movie instead…
Title: Total Victory
Subtitle: This Is My Destiny And I Love It
Where Do Our Inner Movies Come From?
I remember my friend “Sheila”.
Sheila’s father was a mean, negative, sarcastic person.
As a young girl, whenever she entered the house, her father would ask, “Anong kabalastugan ang ginawa mo sa araw na ito?” (What bad things did you do today?)
One day, Sheila brought an average report card and her father said, “Wala kang kuwenta. Walang mangyayari sa buhay mo.” (You’re worth nothing. And you’ll never amount to anything.)
And every single day of her life, Sheila would replay this horrible inner movie in her mind–that of her father saying these cruel words to her.
When I met Sheila, she was thirty years old, but she looked like she was forty. When I met her, she was a drug addict, a drug pusher, and a bum. Her father’s words were prophetic.
Perhaps you feel like Sheila. Perhaps you had parents who didn’t believe in you. Perhaps you came from a broken family. Perhaps your parents didn’t love you. And you made wrong decisions and messed up your life. And today, you think there’s no more hope for you.
I beg to disagree.
Sheila’s story isn’t done yet.
One day, Sheila joined the Light of Jesus Family.
Her transformation wasn’t overnight. But slowly, she changed her life. How do I know? For five years now, Sheila has been off drugs and living a happy life. She is now forty years old but she looks like she’s thirty. There’s a new glow in her face.
How did she change?
She changed her thoughts. She changed what she watched in the DVD player of her mind. Instead of replaying what her earthly father was saying about her, she replayed what her heavenly Father was saying about her.
That’s why I believe you can change too.
You can decide today to change your thoughts. To change your Inner Movie. To surround yourself with people who can lift you up instead of pull you down.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Are You Really Weak? Says Who?
Here’s an Inner Movie I watched in my mind for many years…
Title: The Rubber Man
Subtitle: Why Am I Sooooo Weak?
For almost 20 years, I was trapped in my addictions. And I really believed that I was weak. But it was all a lie. I wasn’t weak at all. I had God’s supernatural strength within me.
I overcame my addiction. I was strong after all.
You may feel you’re weak right now. You may have fallen so many times, you want to give up.
But declare these words with faith, “God didn’t create me to be a slave. God created me to be His child. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So I’m strong. I’m equipped. I’m anointed. I’m blessed. I’m favored. God is with me.”
Here’s the Inner Movie I now replay in mind…
Title: The Diamond Man
Subtitle: Why Am I Sooooo Strong and Beautiful?
Your Fears Can Create
The Very Thing You’re Afraid Of
This next Inner Movie is, sadly, a box-office hit. People line up for to watch Inner Movies like these…
Title: My Worst Nightmare
Subtitle: It Will Happen This Year
Why do people watch horror movies?
To feel fear. For some crazy reason, fear is enjoyable.
We replay scary scenarios in our minds because we want to feel fear. But our fears are not just feelings. Our fears can create our reality.
One day, I met a girl who told me, “Brother Bo, I don’t know why, but I’m afraid of losing my boyfriend. I’m afraid he’ll fall in love with another girl.” She became extremely jealous whenever he was with other women. It didn’t matter if the other woman was 95 years old or a walking zombie
I met the guy and it was clear that he loved his girlfriend. But as the months went by, he felt burdened by the relationship. She was suffocating him. Everytime they met, she was like a private detective, asking questions, sniffing his shirt, and checking his cell phone. And true enough, he finally left her and married someone else.
In other words, her fears created the very reality she was afraid would happen.
If you’re a person of fear, I strongly urge you to watch a new Inner Movie …
Title: My Greatest Dream
Subtitle: It Will Happen This Year
Expectation Creates Your Reality Too
Here’s the truth: Expectation is Preparation. When you expect great things to happen, you’re preparing yourself for those great things. So be excited with what God will do in your life this year.
So let me ask you…
Do you expect blessings in your finances?
Do you expect blessings in your family life?
Do you expect blessings in your health?
Do you expect blessings in your lovelife?
When you don’t expect great things to happen, you won’t see them even if these great things are right in front of you, jumping up and down and waving at you.
But some people don’t expect anything.
Because their favorite Inner Movie in their minds is…
Title: Why My Dreams Will Never Come True
Subtitle: The Depressing Story Of A Wasted Life
My friend “Connie” is always depressed.
Many times, she finds herself crying at night. Sometimes, she doesn’t even know why she’s crying.
Connie knows she shouldn’t be depressed. She knows she is such a blessed woman. But she is still depressed.
One day, she admitted to me, “Bo, I realized that I like feeling depressed.”
Again, this is absurd, but it’s more common then you think.
Connie has a painful childhood. So for people like Connie, when they’re moping, lonely, and crying, they feel at home. Because it’s what they’re used to. We all like to go home. But in order to feel at home, they recreate their childhood, no matter how painful it was.
So I urged my friend to watch a different kind of movie in her mind…
Title: Why My Dreams Will Come True
Subtitle: The Inspiring Story Of A Fantastic Life
Believe that God has fantastic plan for your life.
Many Are Poor Because
They Expect To Remain Poor
A lot of people watch the Inner Movie below.
I know I did. For years!
Title: Beggar Forever
Subtitle: I’m Poor And Getting Poorer
Once upon a time, I wanted to be poor.
I felt this was what God wanted for my life.
But when I got married and had kids, I realized that I was mistaken. God wasn’t calling me to a vow of poverty but a vow of generosity. In fact, I believe that God calls 99% of people to the vow of generosity.
So I created my small businesses and God is blessing them.
I was happy last week. There was this missionary family, friends of mine, who’ve been working in God’s vineyard for almost 20 years. I knew how much they sacrificed for God’s work. I felt God whisper to my heart, “Pay for their vacation.” So I bought them plane tickets to go away to a nice island and rest for awhile.
I felt happy I had money to do it.
But more than that, I felt happier that I had the generosity to give it to them.
Some people see generosity as a side effect of becoming rich.
The opposite is true. I see becoming rich as a side effect of becoming generous.
And in my mind, I watch this Inner Movie all the time…
Title: Generous Forever
Subtitle: I’m Rich And Getting Richer
Do you want to become wealthy?
The first thing you can do is to change your thoughts.
Every morning, declare this faith statement: “I’m rich and getting richer. I’m generous and getting more generous. God is blessing me with wealth. I’m a channel of blessing to others.”
Do You Value You?
And here’s another Inner Movie you need to stop watching…
Title: I’m Garbage
Subtitle: Why You Need To Throw Me Away
A wife came up to me one day and said, “My husband doesn’t value me.” I asked her, “Do you value yourself?”
Remember that you teach others how to treat you. If you value yourself, people around you will pick up that inner value that you have about yourself and will value you too.
I want you to watch this instead…
Title: I’m Gold
Subtitle: Why You Need To Treasure Me
Say this out loud, “I’m more valuable than the stars of the sky. I’m precious in the heart of God.”
Let me now speak to parents…
The Prayers Of Parents Are Powerful
You may be a mother or father whose child has left the right path. Who has rebelled. Who has abandoned their faith.
You may be watching this Inner Movie …
Title: My Kids Will Rot In Hell
Subtitle: The Horror Story Of My Family
I remember my friend Joey.
His entire world crumbled when he discovered shabu in the bedroom of his eldest son, Joseph. His son was 22 years old.
For 4 years, Joseph entered in and out of rehab, but it seemed like he was getting worse. His body was wasting away. He stole to support his habit.
During those dark years, my friend Joey would cry at my shoulder. He wondered if his son would die a drug addict.
But I told him, “God has a great plan for your son, Joseph. Far greater than you can ever imagine or think of. So don’t give up praying. Don’t give up believing. Don’t give up loving him with tough love. God is working in your son. We don’t see it. But He’s sending people to him. He’s speaking to him. He’s blessing him.”
And one day, it just happened. Joseph stopped taking drugs cold turkey.
Today, Joseph has been free from drugs for the past 7 years. He runs his own little business and has a wonderful family life. He’s also busy serving God in a prayer meeting.
Sometimes, Joey and I have coffee and chat about the past. He would ask me, “Bo, do you remember how I’d cried to you about Joseph?”
I’d smile, “Yes.”
“Who would have imagined that one day, that big problem would disappear like the mist?”
Friend, don’t give up believing for your loved ones. For your kids, or your parents, or your siblings, or your friends. God is working in the people you love. God hasn’t given up on them. You may not see it, but God is touching them, knocking at their hearts, blessing them.
Declare this faith statement: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
And watch this Inner Movie in your mind…
Title: My Kids Are Servants Of God
Subtitle: The Love Story Of My Family
Believe that the seeds of faith that you’ve planted in their hearts will one day bear fruit.
Make A Declaration About Your Future
Let me end by asking you to claim your destiny.
Using your words, proclaim your desired future.
Say it with faith.
“God created me free! I’m now free to serve God and serve God’s people. I’m focusing on new dreams, not on old chains. Because my future is brighter than my past, I fix my gaze on my future, not my past. Everyday, I’m getting new habits to replace old ones. These new habits will bless me and bless the world. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Because of God, I am a conqueror. I’m a champion!”
Friend, change your Inner Movies.
Because if you change your thoughts, you change your life.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS.Change your financial life this 2010. Join me for my transformational How To Be Truly Rich Seminar on February 6, from 8:30am to 12noon. For more information, click here.
PS2.Not Living in Manila? If you don’t live in Manila and can’t attend my seminar, you can get it online through my TrulyRichClub. When you become a Gold Member, you can get it free. Log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now!
