Let me explain more concretely. Whenever we have a strong desire without tangential feelings of fear, sadness, remorse, etc., what do we experience? A surge of life, a re-charge. We say “I’m pumped” or “I’m psyched.” We feel power.

But when we have a strong desire accompanied by the negative emotions, that’s another story. Then our strong desire seems to churn inside us, causing anguish. In the first case, our life energy is infused into us from somewhere. In the second case, it’s being infused and at the same time being drained away. Hence no re-charge.

Negative emotions come from an attitude, a decision that has been struck by a very deep part of us, the subconscious mind. The subconscious decision behind a negative emotion like fear or sadness is something like “This won’t work,” “I can never have it,” “I’m sure to fail.”

Self-messages from the deep influence what happens to us in outer, material reality. If we’re engaged in combat, a self-defeating attitude determines that we lose. If we’re trying to create something nice, this attitude jinxes us. If we have a fabulous dream, a negative subconscious decision ordains that the dream remains a wish and never becomes reality.

Negative self-talk, which results from self-doubt on the subconscious level, also opens the door to being harvested. When the subconscious has decided that we can’t get what we want, that we will fail, that fundamental ruling relinquishes the reins that control our destiny, in spite of the positive thoughts we may be consciously thinking.

Self-doubt puts the outcome of any endeavor on the cosmic “freebie shelf,” where anyone who wants can come and take it over.

That’s the reason behind the expression, “Victory belongs to the most committed.” The individual with the least negative self-talk about a competitive outcome wins, because that is the person with the fewest internal obstructions to manifesting their desire.