Do You Affirm? The Power of Affirmations and How to Do Them

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.

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Okay, your turn! Do you affirm? Share one of your affirmations below in the comments for all to share and use!

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Why I Did Absolutely Nothing Yesterday

Well, to be fair, I didn't do absolutely nothing. I did studying and go to the gym and swam but for the most part, yesterday I gave myself permission to just do a whole lot of nothing. With running two blogs, a business, being in school, teaching yoga, running our household and now, training for a triathlon, I realized just how important it is going to be over the next few months to carve out some personal time and give myself some much needed TLC.

Does your to-list sometimes seem so long that you wonder if you'll ever have any special time just for yourself? Or, do you feel guilty when you do take a little time out in the day to give yourself some much needed attention?

The idea of self care is hard for a lot people. Our to do list is ever growing and with us all being so 'connected,  it's really hard not to respond to that email right away or get distracted by the constant dinging of our cell phones.

To be honest, I didn't even sit down at my desk until 2:30 in the afternoon and it felt amazing. When I did, it was for a breif moment to read an article I received in my inbox.

Usually, I get up in the morning, grab my phone as it is sitting on my nightstand, head down stairs and let the dogs out to 'use the restroom' then proceed about my morning. I'm typically already scanning through my inbox trying to read as many emails or newsletters I can, I make a cup of tea and head to my desk to start working on whatever is first on my to do list.

But today, today was a little different.I peeled open my eyes and instead of grabbing my phone, I rolled over and petted one of my pups who is always waiting patiently with her little wet nose resting on my side of the bed right next to my pillow.

I got out of bed around 6am (I'm an early riser by nature) but instead of cramming some of my self care non-negotiables throughout my day, I took the time to mindfully make my warm  lemon water with a dash of cayenne pepper then sat on the couch for my morning meditation which is anywhere from five to ten minutes. I  followed this by about twenty minutes of oil pulling. (I'll get to this in a future blog post but in the meantime, here is some useful information on oil pulling and why it is so good for you.) Then I proceeded to make and prepare my food to take with my to a local coffee shop to study.

You may be sitting here reading this asking yourself, "but I thought she said she did nothing?"

Here is the thing, all of the above are part of my ritual of self care which is something I am finally making the most important priority in my life. It's hard to put ourselves first, especially when we have so many other responsibilities to tend after, but try to look at it this way, if you are filled to the brim with self appreciation and gratitude then you are only going to be that much better and present for others in your life and that list of responsibilities.

This is something that has really hit home recently.

I've been a stay-at-home wife for the last year when my husband and I made the joint decision that it was more beneficial for me to stay home and help out with the family business and things around the home. Well, things have evolved a bit and about six months ago I took a huge leap of faith and decided to enroll at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and make my biggest dream come true. With all of this though came me in major meltdown mode on a regular basis and something had to give.

A big part of self care is realizing when something isn't working and making the appropriate changes necessary to be able to fully show up in your own life.

I began adding things to my daily routine that were geared around giving back to myself such as five minutes of meditation in the morning and, on most evenings, five minutes then as well. I added a daily green juice in the morning so that I starting my day  flooding my system with nutrients and the icing on the cake was signing up with IIN because it had been something I wanted to do for years now. I realized it was time I started carving out the life I have always wanted instead of just waiting for things to happen.

Yesterday day was a big step for me because there were moments when I got that twinge of feeling guilty, like I should be doing something more with my time, but I lovingly told myself that this was exactly what I needed to be doing so that I could show up in my own life.

Here are a few ways you can start to incorporate more self care into your daily routine. I know it can feel somewhat strange at first, even like you are being slightly selfish, but trust that it's exactly what you need to be do in order to be completely filled to the brim with energy and love to give to the world.

Meditate

Even for five minutes a day has been proved to radically change your life. Sit quietly, by yourself, for five minutes and just bring your awareness to your breath. Don't judge yourself if thoughts come and go, just release them and allow yourself to turn inward and focus on the breath.

It may feel awkward at first or like you aren't 'doing it right' but the more you do it the more you will crave those five minutes. And before you know it those five minutes are turning into six then seven and so on.

Start Your Day with Warm Lemon Water

Most people don't realize this but when you wake up your body is dehydrated after a a long night of sleeping. Too often though the first thing to touch our lips is a warm cup of coffee or tea. Instead, squeeze half a lemon into a tea mug or glass and fill it with 8 oz. of warm water, not hot water. Sip it over the course of whatever you need to do in the morning to get your day started. This feeds your body  which is composed of about 60-75% water and you brain, which is 85% H20.

Stretch

Have you ever watched a dog as they wake up from a long night of sleep or even a nap? The first thing they do is stretch. It's incredible because it's instinctual for them. Are bodies need to wake up slowly and by stretching, even a little, it singles the body to start the day.

Before you even get out of bed extend both arms over your head feeling the effects of the full body stretch. It doesn't have to be anything too big, your body is stiff and cold from sleeping all night. Maybe rotate your head from side to side, reaching the left ear to the left shoulder then on your exhale, roll down until your right ear is next to your right shoulder. Repeat these a few times and see how it feels in your body.

Repeat a Positive Affirmation to Yourself

Many people start the day with jumping right into negative self talk. That sets you up for a negative vibe all day long. Lying in bed, maybe while doing some stretches, begin by telling yourself something positive, repeating it several times. Here are a few examples:

I am a a strong and confident woman.

I am beautiful and happy just the way I am.

Today is going to be incredible.

Make it something that you could benefit from repeating several times. Our mind is an incredibly powerful thing and repeating something positive over and over about ourselves will begin to rewire the way we actually feel about ourselves.

Remember, it isn't selfish to give yourself the proper amount of time and care. How much that is will vary from person to person but I strongly encourage you to start today!

I'd love to hear about some of the ways you already incorporate self care into you daily routine. Share in the comments below!