Positive Affirmations

I thought I would talk to you a little about positive affirmations or self-affirmations as some people call them. I use them to keep my spirits up and to keep focused on what matters and I thought I would share this with you.

These affirmations are positive reminders or statements that are used to encourage and motivate yourself or others. Affirming yourself may seem a little odd at first as it’s a lot easier to affirm someone else than it is ourselves.

Phrasing the affirmation correctly is key. You can’t convince yourself of something that is not true or you don’t truly believe. For example, telling yourself “I’m financially abundant” when you feel broke isn’t going to make you attract money. 

According to Lisa Legault, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Clarkson University, New York “Self-affirmation is the process of reminding yourself of the values and interests ‘that constitute your true or core self. It’s taking stock of who you are and what you care about. You can think of it as mindfulness of the self—without the I’m wonderful component of self-esteem”. 

So, rather than trying to convince yourself that you’re beautiful when you don’t feel like that, self-affirmation encourages you to think positively about the important things in your life, like your family, career, or hobbies. This means reflecting on things that you know and believe are good about yourself and your life.

This is closely related to the ideas of positive thinking and self-empowerment. So, fostering a belief that a positive mental attitude supported by affirmations you can achieve success in anything.

There is no golden phrase or one size fits all affirmation. It has to speak to you and be deeply meaningful for you. As Florence Scovel Shinn (New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer) put it, “You will be a failure, until you impress the subconscious with the conviction you are a success. This is done by making an affirmation which ‘clicks’.”.

More specifically, an affirmation is a carefully formatted statement that should be repeated to one’s self and written down frequently. 

So, Wayne Dyer (American self-help author and a motivational speaker) said, “My favourite affirmation when I feel stuck or out of sorts is: Whatever I need is already here, and it is all for my highest good. Jot this down and post it conspicuously throughout your home, on the dashboard of your car, at your office, on your microwave oven, and even in front of your toilets!”.