I use to think at first that affirmations were stupid! Of course, I have since changed my mind. I mainly changed my thinking about them because they have helped me change my thought patterns, my belief system and my life.
When we affirm something, it means to say positively, declare firmly, or assert it to be true. I think the concept of affirming something positive to be true is connected to another term, empowerment. To empower means to give ability to, or to permit.
Some of us received negative messages in our childhood. These messages created our belief system. Some of our belief systems as adults are harmful to us and just not true. We may have received messages of shame, or not good enough. Some of those messages may have given us alot of negative ideas about ourselves, people, and life. Maybe that life isnt fair, or people cant be trusted. Some of the messages taught us to be victims in relationships, or we may have created a belief system that we are just not lovable. We may have believed, thought and acted on these messages for years. The negative messages have become so embedded in our subconscious that we manifest them in our lives.They have become our truths, and therefore, our reality.
All day long we are affirming something to ourselves. One thing I have learned in my own healing journey and now teach clients in their journey, is that thoughts and feelings and what we manifest always match. Learning some new affirmations is how we change the messages. We can develop a disciplined ritual for these new messages. We can create a habit of repeating these new beliefs so often that we internalize them. As they become embedded in our subconscious, they will begin to manifest themselves in our lives. We can begin to change our belief system. Even God tells us to “call the things that aren’t as if they are” and “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen’, “as a man thinketh, so is he” are just a few.
We can change what we say so we can change what we see. If we emphasize and empower the good in ourselves, we will see and get more of that. If we empower the good in others, we will get more of that too. It’s all about the energy we create and give out. To empower means to give power to. What have you been giving power to? Negative people? Feeling hopeless or your problems? Maybe another persons problem and allowing that to dictate how you feel? (Us codependents are famous for that!) Worried about money or a job? Believing you will never have a happy, healthy relationship? Do you really want to continue to feed those negative emotions and feelings knowing your only going to create more of that same things in your life? Yes, we can accept our present circumstances at times when we are powerless, however, we also want to create and believe for something different to happen to us!
A positive new affirmations might be, “I am attracted to healthy, loving people. A healthy relationship is on its way!” Or one of my favorites is “I let go of all fear and doubt and life becomes easy for me. I am safe. God is in control”
If “not good enough” or shame is an issue, then a good one might be “It’s ok to be me. I am good enough. I am a loving, lovable person”
If finances are a worry, know that there is plenty to go around for all of us. Money is just energy and something we can attract. What is your belief system about money? You can change that by affirming “I am a magnet for money! I have more than enough! I am open to the abundance of the Universe! God delights in the prosperity of his children!”
Affirmations are a great start to shift thinking. Get some of your favorites. I suggest starting out with just a couple. Write them on a 5×7 card and carry it with you. Say it over and over several times a day. Visualize and feel what your saying. Look in the mirror and say them . I love mirror work! Notice what your body feels like when you say them.
Using affirmations does not mean we ignore problems. We need to identify problems, but we want to empower solutions. Affirmations aren’t a substitute for ignoring our situations. They aren’t a form of control. They need to be used with surrender, spirituality and letting go. If you have been use
to thinking and talking negative for years, it will feel strange to you at first. Be patient with yourself. Don’t give up! You will probably be tested when you try to turn negative beliefs into positive ones. Be consistent and don’t give up! You will start to see changes little by little. Affirmations are a great tool to begin to make positive changes about your beliefs.
Healthy Blessings,
Debbie Sherrick
Wellness Coach
Coda Coach
www.insideoutwellnesscoach.com