Letting go – an expansion of the marshmallow test.

You remember the marshmallow test, right? They put kids in a room with a plate holding 1 marshmallow. They told them they could eat it now but that if they could wait a short period of time and not eat that marshmallow, they would be given a second one.

The results showed The ability to wait was linked to greater self-reliance, confidence, and better coping mechanisms under stress as they grew older. 

And yes I know there is a lot of criticism about the test and its conclusions – what else is new ?

This was a test to measure the child’s ability to delay gratification. How many of us would pass that test today?

I wish they would do a similar test where the researcher would come right back in and take the marshmallow away. And see how that went.

But you could do your own study. Make it simple. Maybe even use a marshmallow

This should be a good place to start since marshmallows are probably NOT part of your binge food list – or maybe they are. Anyway, I don’t think missing them will be playing nasty on your craving centers. You always want to start something new with the greatest chance of success.

So buy a small bag of marshmallows but get the real ones not the baby size they sell. Some of this is a visual thing.

Add one or even 2 of them to your plate at a meal when you’re most likely to be the hungriest. That’s different for each of you.

Before you eat the meal sit there and contemplate eating that marshmallow. That’s why I want you to be the hungriest- so that contemplation will mean more. Do that for at least a minute and preferably two.

Then take the marshmallow off your plate but put it within sight. You may now eat your meal.

Note (preferably on paper or the computer ) what you felt if anything during that meal. Was it hard to a) remove the marshmallow and/or b) to leave it uneaten and in sight? What were your feelings. Go beyond “this is a stupid experiment. Why did I listen to Terrie”.

Next find a food you enjoy. Add it to your plate and contemplate eating it. Then remove it leaving it in plain sight

Log your feelings on this experience

You can also do this with snacks. If you normally eat ice cream in the evening, fill your bowl with the same amount as usual.

Then take a scoop out and put it back in the container. How did that go? Did you feel a loss? Deprived? Treated unfairly even though it was you doing it? Don’t worry you can keep your reactions to yourself.

You can take this even further if you live with someone. Fill up your ice cream bowl normally (be careful not to cheat knowing what’s coming). Then ask someone else to take “some” away and you can define that.

How do you feel now?

These are all lessons in letting go. As you think and experiment you might come up with other experiments. The idea is to practice letting go. As with anything else practice gives you the tools to help you through the same type of situation in the future.

Let’s manifest a fantastic week.

Here’s another quote by Abraham-hicks:

“Everything that you experience is a reflection of your vibration.

It’s all about vibration, and what I find people doing, including me sometimes, is that they figure out what they desire and set it down with all the specifics and they are good to go.

Then they make their affirmation or declaration and sit back and wait…..

And wait but not for long. Pretty soon they look and see that it hasn’t arrived and they’re wondering where their universal Amazon driver is.

“What’s taking so long? what did I do wrong? Maybe it wasn’t the right desire or I didn’t do it the right way. Or just maybe it doesn’t work because I KNOW I did it right.”

So they either give up or they go thru the process again.

Whats wrong here?

They have determined that such and such has to arrive by this specific time. Again it’s as if they know what’s right and what isn’t. They don’t leave that up to the universe.

They have also lowered their vibrations – their attraction power – by “worrying” it to death. “Where is it? Why isn’t it here?” These are negative vibrations. So once again they have been outlining.

I have two examples if I can get them in.

Back in 2013 or so a friend had fallen in love and they were looking for a house. They found the best one ever but at that point either they couldn’t afford it or it wasn’t available- -I don’t remember which. I worked with him about manifesting it. Jump ahead a couple of years and he’s giving me a hard time about “this stuff doesn’t work”.

I let him know that it does work by emphasizing that he and the woman had broken up thank goodness since she was horrible to and for him.

Had they gotten the house he would have felt obligated to stay with her or would have had a heavy debt for the house alone.

The universe knew what was coming even if he didn’t.

That’s not to suggest that any delay in getting your desire means something bad is going to happen. Just trust the universe’s timing.

The other example involves me. My brother was estranged from the family for almost 36 years.

I read The attractor factor by Joe vitale

One of the exercises in it had us write out a declaration. I wrote something about my brother coming back into my life. And I let it go since that hadn’t happened for all those years.

A few days later I got a call at work. When I answered the voice said “hey this is your brother”. I knew immediately who it was so this was not a goose bumps moment. It was a guy I worked with who said he’d adopt me and be my big brother. We’d had that going for several years.

But it scared me. I wondered if I had written “my brother will contact me”. If so, he sort of had. But not the brother I wanted. If I wrote that I hadn’t been specific enough.

I couldn’t wait to get home to find out what I wrote. Whew I had written my real brothers name.

Here’s the real goose bump moment. Within 2 weeks I got an email and in the subject line was “your brother” and it was from my real biological brother.

The lesson there is to be specific and then to let it go.

Here’s the quote again:

“Everything that you experience is a reflection of your vibration.”

Keep your vibrations high – in every realm of your life, not just the one you’re trying for.