A client was telling me yesterday that he was concerned about going from his new home in Paris next week to return to Israel to celebrate Jewish New Year with his family there.

He told me that he always has hassles from European airports when coming and going. “They always want to look at everything,” he complained. “And yet they know I live here and they have checked me enough times to know that I’m not a threat.”

I sympathised with him for all of two minutes and then suggested that he tell me the story again. And it was the same words as before – exactly, word for word.

“You know what?” I said. “Change your language – say ‘thank you” to the Universe for making your journeys easy and straightforward.”

“Yes, but …” he said.

“No buts – change your language and it will change your thinking about this,” I said. and repeated once again the little mantra about thanking the Universe for taking care of him.

“Then,” I said. “By changing your thoughts you will change your life. And you will have easy and straightforward journeys. It really is that simple.”

So, we rehearsed again and again what he would say to the Universe as he crossed the concourse at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Now, I don’t know how it will work for him, to be honest, because his anxiety is ingrained. It is his inner reality that somehow gets played out for him through the customs gates. It takes real effort to change this kind of habitual thinking pattern and belief system. Until he does, he will be a victim of the authorities that will constantly reaffirm his beliefs and keep him locked in. We psychologists call this “transference”. In other words, what we believe will play out in our life – how else are we going to be able to do anything about it?

I do know from personal experience that by changing my own thoughts I have changed old patterns and improved my life considerably. And yes, it does take effort, however, what does my client have to lose? And think about what he could gain from being anxiety free.

This idea can be applied to any area of our lives – from mothers-in-law, to lack of money, to fear of public speaking. By thanking the Universe and applying my simple turn around sentences, we can ensure that the outcomes are what we want rather than what we fear.

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