Have you ever wondered if you could make lasting changes for the better, or for the worse, depending on how you train your brain to think?
Most people know that thinking positively and having a positive mental attitude can create favorable outcomes in our lives, but it can be difficult to move toward becoming a different person. Our habits want to confine us. How can we become the person who pocesses qualities that may seem just out of reach?
There are many ways to change habits and how we think and feel, from working with a therapist or coach to making new year’s resolutions. Whatever course of action you take toward make changes in your life, lasting change requires an effective strategy and a strong desire to change.
An effective way to break bad habits, eliminate negative beliefs and thought patterns, and instill positive habits is by using affirmations. Affirmations are tools that use our words and intentions to create change. Words are connected to the vibrations of our thoughts; they are charged energetic bombs thrown out to take form. You are probably familiar with the saying “Be careful of what you ask for – you might just get it!” Thoughts come to us either from our ego, or intuitively from our spirit (or soul or whatever you may refer to as your spiritual essence.) When our thoughts and words are charged with feeling and intention, they have the power to create change in our lives.
Once we create an affirmation that describes a state of being or quality that we want to acquire, our affirmation, charged with intention and feeling, permeates the subconscious mind. Energy is lifted which then automatically influences the conscious mind, attuning the conscious mind and our affirmation. This allows for the breaking of unwanted habits and the instilling of desired changes.
Affirmations are positive statements that can change the structure and functioning of the brain. When used correctly, they will convey your desired messages, helping to take you in the direction you want to go in life. In addition to planting new patterns of thought in your subconscious mind, affirmations help you connect with the superconscious so that you can draw into your life its transformative power.
Practicing affirmations involves repeating statements with confidence and without a doubt that the desired change will take place. They can be said aloud or silently, while your intent is generated by the concentration and feeling that accompany your affirmation. It’s essential that you provide clear intention, belief, energy, concentration, and feeling to your affirmation while imagining that life with your affirmation has become a reality. This is what allows your affirmation to “sink in,” so that you get the best possible result from your effort.
When I use affirmations as part of a meditation session, as a 
group we sometimes decide on what topic to affirm before the session begins. Whatever the topic; stress relief, health, or a quality such as peace, etc., affirmations are usually constructed as positive phrases, in the present tense, starting with the words “I am…” or “I do…”
When affirming, we want to move beyond the facts, and use positive statements to create change. For example, if you want to break the habit of judging other people, rather than affirming that you will no longer judge other people, you might affirm a statement such as “I send love and goodwill to all.” If a particular situation is causing you stress, rather than affirming “I will not allow (situation or person) to cause me stress, you might affirm “I am even-minded and cheerful at all times. I know that joy is not outside of me, but within.” or “I relax from outer involvement into my inner haven of peace.” or “In stillness, I touch my inner strength.” The options are endless. The important thing is to use affirmations that speak to you, that you can easily feel strength in, believe in, and easily concentrate on.
Affirmations can be used before, during, or after your meditation practice, or anytime throughout the day. Before falling asleep and upon waking are good times to affirm. Write them on sticky notes and post them around your home or office. Mentally say them when brushing your teeth.
Practicing affirmations is an effective way to release thought patterns that are not working for you, and instill new patterns that will help you reach desired states of mind and outcomes in your life. With affirmations, we can be creative and have fun coming up with endless possibilities to help us move toward a more enjoyable life. In six months’ time, we will be on the road to living the life that we are creating now. Why not give affirmations a try?
I’ve done affirmations in the past but didn’t fully grasp the need to use feeling as I do now. thanks for the guidance.
Very informative! I have always heard about how effective they are but this clarifies so much compared to other blogs I’ve read!
I grapple with “ mind chatter”, and Felicia’s suggestions and guidance on how to corral and change my thoughts has been very helpful. I use affirmations during my meditation practice, and also throughout the day when I take small pauses, and repeat my affirmations to interrupt thoughts that are not productive to my well being.