Introduction

When I started my journey to be a physician I would not have imagined that it would lead me to where I am today. My parents told me that I expressed a burning desire to become a doctor at the age of six. I wanted to help and heal people. It could be that my desire to become a medical doctor started with my love of watching Dr. Kildare and Dr. Marcus Welby on television. No matter the origin, my desire to be a healer persisted throughout my early years and I was determined to succeed.

I started the journey by attending a public elementary school in Chicago, Bryn Mawr Elementary, and later, South Shore High School.From there I traveled to the Ivy towers of Dartmouth College. Following my undergraduate studies, I returned to Chicago for medical school and residency at the University of Illinois. After my residency, I worked in an inner-city clinic and at the Cook County Correctional Facility, in order to fulfill my obligation with the National Health Service Corps.

Upon fulfilling my obligation, I started a private medical practice a few miles away from my childhood home. Initially the practice of medicine was both rewarding and challenging. I had daily opportunities to develop my diagnostic and treatment abilities. Additionally, my regular interactions with patients, and dealing with their physical, emotional and mental challenges, enabled me to grow as a person and as a physician. Eventually, however, I began to feel as if part of the equation was missing. I could diagnose their illnesses, prescribe the proper medication and provide advice on lifestyle changes for the purposes of alleviating their symptoms and controlling their ailments. Yes, I was helping, but rarely healing my patients.

I began to have second thoughts about how I was practicing medicine. I could not imagine that the father of medicine, to whom I took an oath, was content merely to manage diseases. Driven to acquire the knowledge to heal my patients as opposed to managing their ailments, I decided to venture out and explore the realm of alternative, non-Western, medicine. Alternative approaches to treating and curing diseases and physical conditions have been in existence for thousands of years. These approaches encompass a myriad of techniques, including the use of herbs, supplements, aromatherapy and physical manipulation.Evidence abounds that, prior to the evolution of modern medicine, the fathers of medicine used herbs and other modalities to heal the same diseases that we now treat or manage.

My new found focus led me to a course on herbal supplements. I learned how to use muscle testing (kinesiology) to select the most appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements to address specific deficiencies within the human body. The same course included a session on how to change thought patterns and emotions using affirmations, tapping and muscle testing. There is substantial evidence suggesting one could reprogram thoughts, emotions or beliefs by repeating specific affirmations over a period of twenty-one days, along with tapping certain parts of the body. At that time, I had more than my fair share of stress, and I was in need of some reprogramming. Therefore, I spent hour after hour, day after day, tapping, repeating affirmations and muscle testing. I nearly tapped a hole in my head! I was able to obtain some results using these methods but not at the pace that I desired.

One night while reciting the affirmations, without tapping, but just focusing on an issue, I realized that my perspective on that issue had instantly changed in a positive way. Initially I had muscle tested that issue and it was weak. Afterwards when I muscle tested the issue it was strong. To assure myself that this was no fluke, I tried another issue and, similarly, there was an instant change. These results made me reexamine the prior experiences I had with my patients and muscle testing. Previously, when I performed muscle testing on patients with various supplements I would get inconsistent results. One moment a patient would test strong, the next moment the patient would test weak,all while using the same supplement. I realized that by changing my thoughts, I could affect the outcome of the muscle testing. If I wanted the patients to test strong they would test strong and if I wanted them to test weak they would test weak. I became aware that I could affect the thoughts and emotions of others (with their assistance) much in the same manner that I was able to change instantly my own thoughts and emotions.

With these discoveries, my journey took an unexpected turn. Everyday for the next nine years, I spent literally four to twelve hours a day searching and exploring my inner self. My intention was to uproot every negative thought, belief, and emotion that resided within me and either eliminate it or change it to a positive. I would use various combinations of positive words and phrases in an attempt to make a permanent change. I used countless affirmations, targeting the Ego, the Subconscious Mind, the Conscious Mind, the Higher Self and others. I targeted anything within me that I thought would listen. After many years, I finally settled on targeting my “Inner Self”. I did not know that when I started the journey that I would have to relive and suffer through my darkest hours. I experienced emotions of sadness, depression, hopelessness, and fear. I thought and felt things that I would never have imagined were a part of me.

During the course of my transformation, I experienced many highs and lows. I would walk in the dark, inside my home in Hyde Park/Kenwood, for countless hours trying to resolve intense emotional feelings or remove negative thoughts and impulses, not having an idea from where they originated. I suspected that my family thought that I was losing it. In fact, the opposite was happening; I was coming into a state of clarity. Fortunately, I undertook my journey, and although my journey is not complete, I have finally reached a level of success and satisfaction and I feel that I am on the right path.

Over the years, I have helped thousands of people overcome many problems, ranging from depression, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress, phobias, low self-esteem, confidence issues, and various addictions. Fortunately, for them, when they repeat the affirmations the changes happen so quickly that they do not have to relive or experience any unwanted pain. Other than for someone who is completely out of touch with reality, I have not encountered a problem that I was not able to help or eliminate. I have been successful in helping people face to face, by telephone and through audio recordings and the use of written affirmations.

On numerous occasions, people have asked how it is that I can instantly make changes in thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Truthfully, I do not have a concrete explanation. I do know that when I have someone repeat an affirmation I can detect a subtle energy flowing through my body. When I stop repeating the affirmations, the energy flow ceases.The main challenge over the years was to find the right word and phrases that resonated with my inner self and made the appropriate change. I found that once I changed my inner self’s thoughts, feelings or beliefs mine would also instantly change. I found that if the words resonated with my inner self it would resonate with anyone’s inner self.

The affirmations in this book are for positive transformation. The intent of the affirmations is to make an instant and permanent change. If you decide to change the words, for whatever reason, chances are they will not work.
Within this book I have included a variety of topics: depression, anxiety, recovering from sexual assault, correcting behavioral disorders, increasing confidence, improving self-esteem, affirmations for children and teenagers, affirmations for parents, weight loss, tobacco and alcohol cessation, and many others. I recommend that you use as many of the affirmations as possible, in order to address the inevitable internal resistance and denial. There will be no harm in repeating any of the affirmations.

The purpose of this book is to eliminate as much negative energy within you and within our society as possible. The purpose is to help those in need of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual relief. To use this book effectively, choose a topic, and then silently, in your mind, repeat the affirmation a minimum of three to five times, and move on to the next affirmation. You will become more relaxed and detect a shift in consciousness. Some have reported warm feelings throughout their bodies. The majority of people experience a feeling of lightness, as if a load has been lifted. Along with the physical sensations, you will also detect a positive change in how you perceive the problem that you were addressing or that it no longer exists.

If you desire, you can return to any of the affirmations as often as you like. The words of the affirmations are empowered so that you can read the affirmations to anyone and when they repeat the affirmations as instructed, they will get the intended results. The affirmations can be read to any size group of people, all will get the intended results if they repeat the affirmations as instructed. You can even translate the affirmations into a different language for someone who does not speak English. I usually have people close their eyes while repeating the affirmations,to get into a more relaxed state, but it is not necessary.

I sincerely thank you for selecting and using this book. I am certain that you will find this book to be valuable and that it lives up to its name, “The Most Powerful Book of Affirmations Ever Written”. If you know of anyone who can be helped by this book please spread the word, for we are truly all in this together.

Dr. Sheldon T. Ceaser
April 26, 2013