The mind is a powerful thing. We have the ability to create the lives we want by adjusting our thoughts. Although that may sound silly and simple, it’s actually quite sensible and difficult to do for even the most positive people.
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Affirmations are words or phrases that are used to affirm something – speaking it into existence, if you will. Many people practice affirmations without even knowing what they are.
“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”- “The Help”
Sound familiar? That’s a line from “The Help.” Though this line has taken a humorous turn on social media, it’s also given people the subconscious ability to learn and practice affirmations. Likewise, if you are familiar with the show “Being Mary Jane,” you’ll notice the main character, a highly successful journalist, has a mirror bordered with Post-It notes that include her favorite affirmations, from which she reads during every episode.
“Affirmations help you focus your mental energy on the positive things that you want. [As] you start to actively work on actualizing them, your actions start to be more conducive to these positive messages that you are giving yourself,” said psychotherapist Judi Cineas, from Living The Dream Inc.
“Yes, we can!”-Barack Obama
Repeating your affirmation three times in the morning and again before bed is a very standard practice for beginners. But, saying these affirmations alone won’t produce results. This is the tricky part. Many people give up if they don’t recognize change. It’s likely that they either didn’t believe what they were saying because they were still carrying negative thoughts or they chose an affirmation that didn’t suit them.
< For example, saying “I’m rich” won’t make you rich. But, saying something like, “I am learning to control my spending habits and make wiser decisions” can prepare you for a lifestyle where the “I’m rich” affirmation is more suitable.
Dr. Cineas says, “The best affirmations to practice are whatever you desire in your life. The things that you truly seek and are willing to work toward. While affirmations can help you see/attract resources that help you create the life you want, you have to be prepared to do the work. It is more than just saying an affirmation twice a day.”
“It’s the willingness to reach out and engage the resources and grab the opportunities that are being presented. If you are not ready to act, the opportunities can present [themselves] and you miss them or in some cases you don’t even see them,” said Dr. Cineas.
“I am the greatest”- Muhammad Ali
Another well-known example of the power of affirmations is the great Muhammad Ali’s “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!” Many people thought he was crazy, or conceited, for repeating his affirmations out loud. But, he wasn’t always talking to us. Muhammad Ali was great because he believed he was great and we believed it because he did. He accurately predicted many of his fights through affirmations.
“You are beautiful”- Matthew Hoffman, Founder of the You are Beautiful Project
Practicing affirmations can be difficult for many of us because we tend to be our own worse critics, but with patience and consistency we can overcome negative thinking.
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“One area in which most of my clients struggle is their relationship with themselves – their mind chatter is the worst. They think [and] talk about themselves in the most negative of terms, in a way they’d never dream of speaking to anyone else, even someone they dislike,” said Liza Baker, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.
“When you catch yourself thinking, ‘Ugh, I’m so fat!’ catch yourself and add something positive: ‘…but I have beautiful skin!’ Slowly, your self-criticisms will be caught before they even arise, and you’ll start praising your positive attributes instead of critiquing your less desirable ones. If we incorporate such affirmations into our daily life – catching ourselves in negative self-talk and flipping it into an affirmation – we can heal our most important relationship – with ourselves,” said Baker.
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