From there — or as soon as you can manage — you’ll flip on a light, get your butt out of bed, find a mirror, and look at yourself while nodding your head, smiling and excitedly proclaiming “yes!” in your mind.

What good does this do?

1. It helps you avoid a negative frame of mind first thing in the morning.
2. It primes your day for opportunity.

I’ll expand on both.

(1) Imagine starting each morning screaming “no, no, no, no, no!” This is what we would call a temper tantrum.

No resists the truth of your circumstance, which can’t (and won’t) help resolve your problems. Yes accepts the level of the game you’re on, so that you can begin finding ways to complete it.

(2) When you start your day in a positive frame of mind, it can only snowball into more positivity.

This is known as priming — a psychological technique in which the introduction of one stimulus influences how people respond to subsequent stimuli.

AKA — when you excitedly say “yes” to yourself first thing in the morning (your first stimulus), you’ll be influenced to excitedly say “yes” for the rest of your day (subsequent stimuli).

You don’t have to use any words other than “yes”, either. While you could technically give yourself an inspirational pep talk about how awesome you are and what an incredible day you’re going to have, it isn’t necessary. (And if it’s not sincere it won’t help, anyways).

Instead, to make things simpler, you can just agree to whatever thoughts come to mind.

“I have so much work to do today.” → “And I’m going to give it my best — yes!”

“I am running so late, I’m screwed.” → “And that’s the reality I’m dealing with — yes, yes yes!”

“I really, really don’t want to do this.” → “And yet I’m choosing to do it anyways — yasssssss!”

You aren’t agreeing and saying yes to the things you don’t like — that would be lying to yourself. You are agreeing and saying yes to the things you do like and want!

You do like being productive. You do like having a good attitude. You do like challenges.

You do want to make money. You do want the people around you to be happy. You do want to be appreciated for your talents.

Again, it’s just yes — yes to this moment, yes to this day, and yes to this life! If you mean it, the process of waking up will have begun on the right foot.

Practice with me in the video below, or head to the next page for our second arousal hack.
– Ethan ॐ

P.S. Your mind will inevitably start judging what you see in the mirror. “Ugly.” “Gross.” “Pathetic.” “Miserable.”

This is normal, but insane.

Consider what if you said these things about one of your friends aloud? Do you think that would be very compassionate? Or accurate? Or helpful?

Sh*t-talking is a form of denial and rejection — AKA saying no. Instead, just nod your head and watch what more positive thoughts naturally arise.

P.P.S. It’s supposed to be a little weird. If you don’t end up laughing or cracking a smile at yourself, you’re taking this technique too seriously (meaning there’s a hidden no somewhere in your psyche).