My day at work starts by greeting everyone with a firm handshake and a gentle eye contact while stating, “I feel great.” As I say it, I stand tall thrusting the chest out and chin up with the crown of my head chases the sky. This ritual empowers me all day long. My mind reverberates with courage and confidence. I feel and act like a “hero in a movie.” The beauty of it is each routine encounter becomes a positive, compelling engagement — an outstanding ploy of public relations and a formula for success. If you happen to slip into a bad mood or low spirits, saying this affirmation boosts your normal emotional wellbeing. Say this affirmation repeatedly loud and clear until your mind is resurrected back to your usual self. I am sure you will feel the difference.

Besides boosting your moods, this phrase leaves everyone you encounter feeling good. Our body language and psychic energy are highly contagious to others in the society. I have seen the effect it has on my wife and children. It is like music to my ears when I hear my eldest son saying “feeling great” with the same vigor as I do. Some of my employees use the same phrase as they greet others. The positive energy this phrase emanates uplifts others around you.

The recent discovery of “mimic neurons” explains how your emotions, feelings, and moods affect those around you. A child’s cry saddens and glooms the mother. A spouse’s bad mood worries a partner. Subordinates would approach their boss when he is in a good mood to ask for favors. Both positive and negative emotions are equally infectious. Exhibiting positive emotions and enthusiasm in the public is your intangible social contribution to the others in the society.

Below are some of the phrases I have heard other use while greeting. Coin your phrases that could evoke strong mental images and emotions. Let them imbibe every cell in your body.

“I don’t know what I would do if I felt any better.”

“Feels like I’m in heaven.”

“I am in seventh heaven.”

“I am on the top of the world.”

“I feel happier than a pig in mud.”

“I feel outstanding.”

“I feel peachy.”

“I feel handsome.”

“I am living the dream.”

“I am digging life.”

Principal’s gift:

My eldest son was a student at Lecanto High School, in Citrus County, Florida. The school’s principal popularized a phrase “better than terrific.” He gave a quarter to any student who greeted him with his favorite phrase. The students used his trick to earn pocket money. The vending machines never stopped clinking during school breaks, and the coins burned holes in the principal’s pant pockets.

One of my colleagues once called me a liar. “Hi Bik! How are you?” she said greeting me in the hospital. “I am feeling great.” You are lying, aren’t you?” she said. I reaffirmed that I was indeed feeling great. She could not believe that a busy physician like me could be stress-free and cheerful. Her comments annoyed me because that was the first time I have earned that distinction. Then I wondered if affirmations would work even if you have not yet believed in them. It appears they do with practice over time your subconscious will begin to eliminate doubts, hesitations, and self-limiting beliefs and gradually gravitate to your affirmation.

Mental conditioning requires reinforcing, self-affirming, self-talking, praying, singing, chanting, or meditating on your beliefs. The human mind is trainable to be an angel or a devil. Athletes focus and train mentally using affirmations and visualization techniques. People use this self-improvement technique for personal or business fields. Adolf Hitler used this mental conditioning method to brainwash his fellow citizens to carry out genocide. Tamil Tigers leader, Prabhakaran used this technique to create suicide bombers for the first time in human history. Al Qaeda, Isis, and orthodox religions use the same mental conditioning technique to brainwash their followers to commit inhuman crimes.