Do You Affirm? The Power of Affirmations and How to Do Them
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To be honest, the first time I really heard of affirmations or the power of the mind and law of attraction was when the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne came out in 2006. I think my dad bought the book for me and I half ass read it. Back then I didn't have the belief in myself that I could make the changes necessary to really put the words into action in my own life. In the years to come I heard of affirmations here and there but again, wasn't ready to really put forth the effort to use them properly or at all even. Then I read the book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. In her book Loise talks about how turning negative thoughts into positive ones can begin to heal your body and your life and attract the things that your heart desires. It's that simple.
Doing affirmations is a way of subtly shifting your thinking from one direction to the opposite, typically negative to positive. It's a powerful tool because most of the time we are unaware that our thoughts are affecting our life in such a significant way and this allows us to change ourselves and thus change our lives.
Affirmations define our focus. What we think is what we believe and what we believe is what we attract into our lives. Some say this is coincidence but I truly believe in the power of the mind and metaphysics. "I think therefore I am" is a well known quote with a very deep and transcendent meaning.
We do have the power to radically change our lives. There are countless stories out there of people going from the deep end to living a beautiful, happy and fulfilled life for of joy, love and total acceptance.
So why are affirmations so powerful?
Think about this; we have thousands of thoughts going through our mind every single day. They often come and go before we know it and most of the time they are so habitual we don't even realize what they are. Good or Bad.
So many of our beliefs about ourselves are buried deep in our subconscious mind from years and years of experiences that help shape how we view ourselves and the world. If you grew up in a lovely, positive home and have lovely positive experiences you may be way ahead of the game here, believing deeply in yourself and your abilities. However, if the opposite is true then chances are you have limiting beliefs that have shaped your experience of the world and your belief in yourself.
An example of this is from my own personal experience. I had two parents who loved me but often our home was volatile and had a vibrational energy that kept us all on edge. I love my dad very much and understand now that he did the best he could given his own experiences but he was unpredictable which left me lacking the ability to trust and feel safe. Because of this I developed very limiting beliefs in others and myself and always held people at arms length. Until recently, I realized I had a hard time developing deep and meaningful relationships because I couldn't trust and I was scared they would hurt me and I would remain very detached. This, however, no longer serves me. I want relationships that are free and deep and filled with love and joy and a connection that is powerful and real.
So, I've been working on affirming that I trust in all and am open to knowing them deeply.
I will admit, it's been 30+ years of me thinking a certain way and sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's hard turning a negative thought into a positive one because I still, at times, find comfort in the old. However, I truly believe that it no longer serves who I really am and who I aspire to grow into and I persevere.
I've noticed my connection grow with those already in my life and those that are just entering it. I'm more open and vulnerable. It's subtle but profound in many ways. When I feel that familiar fear start to creep back in I simply say to myself: "I trust all and am open to knowing them deeply."
So how did I get to this point?
Have you ever tracked your thoughts?
This is a fascinating tool to begin seeing how you actually view yourself and the world. At some point in my life I started to see that I viewed the world and myself very negatively which I now know is because of my inability to trust and my unpredictable early years. However, I no longer want to be a victim of those circumstances and started to pay more attention to my thought process. What I saw made me sad because I knew at the core of my being that I wasn't those thoughts and eventually I just couldn't take it anymore. Something had to change and I knew it was me.
So, I began to turn my thoughts around. If I found myself saying to myself, 'why would they like me?' I'd turn it around and say 'they are a really interesting person and I want to dive deeper into getting to know who they are.' I make it exciting instead of scary.
How You Can Change Your Thought Patterns?
Start to pay attention to what you think. Begin bringing some awareness throughout the day as things happen and see what thought pops up. Try not to be judgmental or hard on yourself. Your thoughts are hardwired into your subconscious and it will take some time to rewire. I have to work on it every single day.
Begin to flip the thought on it's head. For example, if it's something like, "I have to lose 10 pounds," say "I love and accept myself the way I am." You may need to lose 10 pounds to be healthier but losing the weight isn't going to make you like yourself, those negative thoughts are still there until we begin to see more positively.
Another example is, "I am always broke and live paycheck to paycheck," which could become, "I have everything I need and am open to financial security."
Here are a few others that I love:
I am open and free and love all of life
I trust that I am exactly where I need to be
I am successful in whatever I do
I celebrate my individuality
I'm creative in my own unique way
Practice makes perfect. Doing this regularly will begin to reshape how you view yourself and others and will affect the things that come into your life.
Trust me, just try it and see.