Can positive affirmations really help you become a better you? In this article, we will talk about what affirmations can and cannot do to empower your life.
Several years ago, my she-ro Michelle May, author of Am I Hungry, was presenting at a local conference for HR professionals. I very much wanted to meet her. She even offered me a discount code as being part of her mailing list to attend this conference.
But, I didn’t have the money to attend it. Yet, I bought my ticket the day before the conference, right after an outstanding invoice was suddenly paid in the exact amount I needed?
How did this happen? Michelle May was on my list of influencers that I wanted to meet and hang out with that I envisioned as part of my journaling practice 3-4 months prior to this actual conference.
One month before, when I saw her newsletter with the discount, I worked hard on my money mindset using various practices including positive affirmations.
It all happened in such a perfect way, and I even managed to accidentally sit at the exact same table she was the opening morning of the conference! I was running late, and randomly chose one table in a large room with one or two empty seats. I did not look specifically for who was sitting at the tables.
And, when I looked across from me- who was there but Dr. Michelle May? She even chatted with me throughout the conference and shared her phone number with me.
I created affirmations around what I wanted this experience to look like. And they empowered the vision I had created months before.
I’m not saying that every affirmation you do will manifest miracles, but it can create the mental path for you to step into your dreams. Before we dive into how, let’s define what an affirmation is.
What is an Affirmation?
Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts.
Affirmations empower the practice of positive thinking. The idea behind positive affirmations is you can create your own reality through how you talk to yourself today. The statement you choose as part of your affirmation makes your dreams more tangible.
Here is why this is important:
Most of us have no idea what our potential is and never will.
And that’s why affirmations help you pave the way, because we can’t dream of a bigger tomorrow until we think about our dreams.
Affirmations can help supplement and confirm the actions that you wish to take.
Some people I know have been incredibly successful at utilizing positive affirmations to reach their money goals, weight loss goals, or self-love goals. While that is not the path I took for my own weight loss journey, I respect those who apply these principles in a big, bold way.
Types of Affirmations
If you’re familiar with Louise Hay, or Abraham Hicks, you are probably already a lover of positive affirmations. However, are you aware there are several different types of affirmations?
Releasing/cleansing
I release negative thoughts or people from my life
I let go of my past
I release what no longer serves me
Receving/accepting
I welcome miracles/money/love into my life
I receive praise and joy daily
I receive abundance and money consistently
I respect my body through eating healthy and drinking plenty of water
I honor myself through regular self-care
I am/have statements (aka being)
I am at home in my body
I am strong/amazing/worthy/loved/enough
I am beautifully me
I am a runner/badass/successful/educated/leader, etc
I have enough
I have all I need to succeed
Acting/claiming
I deliver amazing value
I show up honestly and authentically
I take my time and savor my food
I care for myself as much as I care for others
My audiences love hearing what I have to share
My confidence is soaring
My life is a gift
My dog loves me
Global
Everyone I encounter today has my best interests at heart
God/The Universe is conspiring to help me every day
There is plenty for me/everyone
Everything is working out for me
The right message is coming through
All is well in my world
Activate your Affirmations
How do you go from your current state to a future state that you may or may not believe in? You learn the steps to activate your affirmations!
Steps to Activate
- Write it down or make it highly visual
- Tell the world, or at least yourself in the mirror
- Create daily practice of your most effective affirmations to support that future state
I wore a Road ID bracelet every time I ran during my half marathon training that said 13.1 on it because I needed that visual representation to carry me through the mileage. Even if I was just running two miles that day, I had that visual on my hand that I was already a marathon runner. P.S. I ran over 150 miles while training- so was already a multiple marathoner by the time I crossed the official finish line.
Interesting concept: Having trained with other runners, I noticed that while many runners are consistently hitting the trails, they may still NOT identify as runners. This could also ring true for models who make a living with their beauty but do not believe they are beautiful.
At the end of the day, you know an affirmation works for you if you have changed how you perceive your own identity.
If you’re working on a big goal and utilizing a positive affirmation to help make that goal more tangible for you, you have to believe it. How you represent that belief, whether it’s visual or written, is up to you!
Want to work on your own daily practice of affirmations? Start with Mirror Moments, a 10 day video series of action steps to love the woman in the mirror.
What Affirmations are Not
People might believe that a positive affirmation is all they need to empower their life, and then get upset when the statement itself does nothing. In order to prevent this “affirmation despair“, here are some things that affirmations are NOT.
- An affirmation is not a wish. Wishes could be “I will, I want, I try…”. As Yoda famously said, “you do or do not. There is no try”.
- Affirmations don’t describe your role or what you do. This is the difference between saying “I am a mom” versus “I am a fabulous mom who is loved by her family as I am”. Or, “I am educated” versus “I have all the skills and education I need to succeed.”
- Affirmations are not magical. They do not create your reality- you do. That means, you need to make affirmations a consistent practice (daily is recommended).
- Affirmations aren’t chill. Ideally, they make you feel something, whether it’s fear, nervousness, excitement, or even just peace.
- Affirmations are not silent. We have thousands of thoughts every day. Some of those thoughts are good for us and some of them are not so good for us. Verbalizing them makes them more real.
- Affirmations aren’t just about lack. You could manifest FUN, such as “I laugh in the face of danger”, “I dance my way through the day”, “I double down on fun today”. You get to create the kind of experience that you want to.