Positive Affirmations, how do they work? What changes can I expect?

Affirmations are one of the tools you can use to radically change your life. There is nothing new age, mystic, trendy or fashionable about them. Affirmation is part of an ancient ‘ Secret’, re-discovered and brought back to the limelight by TV. film and press, transforming with it several people into very wealthy gurus.

Affirmations have been around since man found the use of language and there is no secret ritual to use them.

You can basically have anything you want! This tool, if used correctly, will help you change, grow, and heal yourself.

I want to introduce you to the basics of positive affirmation and positive thinking. Later on you may want to surf the web and find out more about this fascinating subject.

When you start the affirmations, give yourself at least a thirty day tryout period. Depending on the seriousness of the problem you may need more time and more affirmations to achieve your goals. Talk to your family and friends about your resolution to change and ask them for their support. If it is a radical change you are envisioning a life-coach will be very useful suggesting the best approach to use and to keep you motivated. This is a big step. Opening up to relatives and friends show your commitment to change and solidify your intentions.

Don’t get discouraged, impatient or put off if nothing happens in a week or two. Just remember that you didn’t become this way overnight.

Affirmations can and will transform your life patterns and perception.

Affirmations support your positive thinking and together they form a very powerful and effective tool. They function as ‘key words’ of positive messages ‘dictated’ directly to the self. You consciously connect and direct your positive thinking to areas of your life that you want to change or heal. It works as a reminder to the self, keeping positive messages at the forefront of consciousness.

The benefits of affirmations are medically well established and really work.

On the other hand negative thoughts are just as powerful. So be aware of your negative thoughts as they are in essence self-destructive ‘key words:’ psychological mechanisms that make your life rotten.

First,  let’s check how aware you are of your thoughts.     

Do you regularly have more positive or more negative thoughts running through you mind?

Only you can honestly answer that. So get ready.

If your subconscious is throwing out lots of negative thoughts then you must do some ‘brain-cleaning’ before moving into the desired new positive affirmation mode.

This may be very familiar to you, as your mind swirls with thoughts like: “I don’t like this, I like that, I feel great,  I hate him/her, I am afraid of, I don’t want them to see me like this, I am not sure about that, I feel rotten”.     

Your mind incessantly interprets your experiences as an internal dialogue. These thoughts are generated on a deep level by your beliefs which were formed and accumulated from the time you were born. 

We can’t control most exterior events of our lives but we do control how we interpret and react to them.

We create our own reality.

When we change our interpretation a change takes place in our reality.

So become aware of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, big changes will happen in your life.

Take a minute to think about why you are reacting to something or someone.

Get in touch with yourself. Accept the fact that these thoughts may have helped you in the past but they are out of place now that you have chosen to accept only positive thoughts and positive living.

While doing the new affirmations your mind will let go of the negative messages even if you are not aware if it.

Watch out also for resistance within yourself. With certain affirmations you may question, “What in the heck” – “are you kidding?”

It is ok, it is an old habit that is about to be changed. You grew up and had these thoughts for almost all of your life. Now it is time to form a new habit and you need lots of practice.

Let’s get started.

What would you like your life to be?

Think about it and write it down.

Fulfillment with your job, a happy family, better health, financial security?

Don’t hold back, go for it.

For the beginners the easiest way is to choose and write down two or three things you want changed.

For example, if you feel unloved and financially strapped, one of your affirmations could be: ” I am now ready to receive more love and wealth” and you may add  ”from the vast supply of the universe”.

If you also wrote down ‘low self-esteem’  the affirmation could be: “I am an awesome man/woman and I feel good about myself”.

Be creative, upfront and fearless. You are making a statement to yourself of your intentions.

Here are a few simple guidelines:

1- Present tense. Start all your affirmations in the present tense and have them already accomplished. You are telling your conscious mind that the affirmative action is taking place NOW and it is final. I AM HAPPY,  I CHOOSE JOY,  I HAVE CONFIDENCE. It is stronger and much more powerful than, I will be happy, or I am becoming happy, and so on.

2- How to phrase your affirmations. You can copy from an extensive list you’ll find on the Internet, use the examples below or simply write it down in your own words. Do it as plainly or as poetically as you speak. ” I am energetic and full of enthusiasm. I am safe, I am a prosperous man/woman. I attract positive people, I release my anger.” Make copies of it and leave it around the house, car and your office desk. The more you are reminded of the positive affirmations the more your mind will accept the new concept you are bringing forth. You will create a new positive reality and the universal energy will do the rest to connect this good energy to other positive energies.

3- Positive means Positive. Your subconscious usually focuses on the verb and relates it to past experiences. If you have fears, phobias or whatever, be careful with your choice of words. If you are afraid and say I am not SCARED, it will register I AM SCARED. The NOT was assimilated and ignored by your mind. Say instead I AM COURAGEOUS or I AM FEARLESS. Don’t use affirmations that have a negative attachment. You can comfortably use I ACCEPT, I CHOOSE, I DESERVE, I AM.  I developed one affirmation to counteract the negative thought that eventually peeks through, so I suggest you add it to the batch,  ”I ACCEPT ONLY THE GOOD AND THE POSITIVE.”

Starting as you wake up, say the affirmations out loud or in your head five times. Repeat the same process three to four more times during the day, the last one just before going to bed.

I suggest you end the affirmation session with a thank you  note. Gratitude will reinforce and validate the affirmations. Thank God, Jesus, a Spirit, the Force, the Universe or whatever you believe and feel comfortable with. 

Visualize your affirmations with feelings and emotion. See yourself exactly as you are stating.  It will add an extra psychological dimension and have a much deeper impact on your mind. Using this method of visualization early in the morning and at night will make your affirmations much more successful.

You can use affirmations to help build self-confidence, self-esteem, self-improvement and personal growth. It can also help conquer your fears and anger management. Affirmations have been successfully used to relieve anxiety and depression and are an excellent tool for weight control.

If you check the web under Positive Affirmations you’ll find a multitude of books and affirmations to help you.

Here are a few examples of affirmations by topics:

Love

“I am ready to love and to be loved”

“I am surrounded by love”

“I love and accept myself exactly as I am”            

“The love I give out returns to me multiplied”

“I am a loving, beautiful creative person and this is reflected in my relationships with others”

” I am now ready to receive more love, support and wealth from the vast supply of the universe”

“I see the beauty in my surroundings and I radiate joy and love”