Rethink Your Affirmations
“Affirmations don’t work”, That’s what I sometimes hear from people when there’s a discussion about affirmations. Their whole retort usually goes something like this: “Affirmations don’t work! I could say ‘I am a millionaire’ until I’m blue in the face and I still won’t have that kind of money.” Yep. That’s right. Especially with that feeling behind the words. The reason “I am a millionaire” most often doesn’t work as an affirmation is because frequently throughout the day the person’s mind is contradicting that sentence.
Let me set the record straight. Affirmations absolutely work! All day long we’re saying affirmations only, quite a bit of the time they’re negative. Anytime we say the same thing over and over or think the same thing over and over, that is an affirmation and it’s programming our subconscious mind. For example, if someone frequently says, “I’ll never get out of credit card debt,” that’s an affirmation and it’s programming their subconscious mind to keep them in debt.
What we want to cultivate is a daily practice of POSITIVE affirmations. A positive affirmation is a simple statement about something you desire. You say it as if it’s already so and then you repeat it and repeat it with emotion so it gets absorbed into your subconscious mind. It’s a combination of observing your thoughts and saying/writing a positive affirmation. So let’s say you hate your job. Whenever that comes into your mind, stop and notice what you’re thinking. Then say, “I choose to like my job.” Saying it out loud is even better than just thinking it. Then say it often even if you don’t believe it at first: “I choose to like my job.” And slowly allow yourself to feel the emotion of actually liking your job.
In addition to saying your affirmation, once a day write your affirmation seven times. Write it four times with your dominant hand, twice with your non-dominant hand and then once more with your dominant hand for a total of seven times. This will help it get absorbed into your subconscious mind. Again, the pattern is 4-2-1.
Then be on the lookout for little things at work that make you feel good. When that happens, even if you don’t like all aspects of it, repeat, “I like my job.” And don’t forget to tell your face how you feel: smile.
Want to live happily? Make your mental pictures ‘feel good’ ones. Use your conscious mind to plant the seeds of a happy you. I’m in the habit of saying, “I love my life.” And guess what? I keep loving my life!
Ellen Wood of Questa is an award-winning author as well as an artist using the name, Maruška. Her website is
www.howwtogrowyounger.com. Contact Ellen at ellen@howtogrowyounger.com.
