Positive affirmations are a wonderful tool for effecting change in any area of our lives. Affirmations work, but if you’re new to affirmations, you may not know where to start.
Here’s a quick guide to seven key elements you can use to build good affirmations:
1. Styling. There are different types of affirmations: “I am healthy”; “My aspiration is to be healthy”; “I intend to be healthy.” Different styles may make more sense than others depending on how close you think you are to achieving what you say: for example, if you feel like you’re a long way from being rich, “My aspiration is to be rich” may work better than “I’m rich.” , which is much bolder.
2.Positive. Be sure to phrase your affirmations in a positive way. If you don’t know how to find a positive way to say what you want, look for the opposite of what you don’t want: For example, if you don’t want back pain, say “My back is perfectly healthy and fully supports my body.”
3.Present. Express your affirmations in the present tense: “I have perfect vision.” If you use “will”, as in “I will enjoy complete peace”, the peace you seek will remain in the future and out of reach.
4. Significant words. Use words that mean something to you and that fill you with emotion: feel the difference between “I’m healthy” and “I’m incredibly healthy.” Choose the words that feel uplifting to you. If you are bilingual, choose the language in which the statement “touches” you the most.
5. Belief. How much do you have to believe in your claims for them to come true? Merely 51% is enough to tilt you towards the positive side. It is also easier to believe in your affirmations if you choose words that appeal to you and create a positive feeling in you.
6. Repetition. Repeat your affirmations several times a day. It works well for me to read them in the morning when I get up, before I go to sleep, and in free moments that I may have during the day, such as when I’m waiting in line. You can write your affirmations on a piece of paper so that you can read them anywhere.
7. Let go. While doing affirmations because you want to create something in your life, the best attitude to have is one of detachment from the actual results: once you have read your affirmation, let it go, instead of maintaining a feeling of “need”. that states the statement.
Play around with different combinations of style, words, and repetition to find out what works best for you. It is very important that you customize your affirmations to fit your own preferences.
The “secret” to an early manifestation of what your affirmations say is to repeat them as if what you affirm has already come true. It is much more powerful to say an affirmation and feel like you have achieved what you say than to say it from a feeling of lack.
Learn more about building successful affirmations in Jennifer Shepherd’s eBook review Why Most Affirmations Fail: The Ultimate Guide to Affirmations.
