If you haven’t watched a Netflix documentary or read the book by the name The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, then I strongly urge you to drop everything you’re doing, right now (or maybe right after reading this article), and get to it. It will change your entire worldview. You will realise that every thought, word, and idea, carries a lot more weight than we have ever imagined. Every single invention began with a thought, and these thoughts were translated into words that then became something great, or not great.
Words are powerful. When you communicate, your words can not only influence others but can also transform your internal state on a deep and profound level. For this reason, affirmations should not just be an abstract concept, but a mandatory practice in everyone’s life.
Simply put, affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes.
One of the best things I ever heard was that every time you say “I am…” what follows should be positive. Never allow yourself to ‘possess’ negative traits. They may be temporary feelings, but never a part of who we are. Ever.
So, how do you affirm? You must say positive things in the present. I am wealthy, not I will be wealthy. I am happy, not I am working towards happiness. It’s now, not in the future.
Say your affirmations clearly, with assertiveness. Start in the morning as soon as you wake up. Say them out loud, and whenever possible, while looking at yourself in the mirror. Use applications such as I am, which will send you affirmations throughout your day. When you are done with an affirmation, take deep breaths, absorb the positive energy, and let go of any negative thoughts.
What are the benefits of using affirmations? Well, they are plenty. Here are a few that you can’t ignore.
1. Changes your negative thoughts to positive ones.
The weight of words is so deep, if only you pay attention. If you have practised affirmations for a while, when you hear someone you love speak ill of themselves, you almost get angry at them. Affirmations help you to rewire your brain to look at the positive side of situations.
You don’t have to live a life that is a result of negative thoughts that play over and over in your mind. It’s true that negative memories can hold you back, and prevent you from living a happy life. By using affirmations you can replace negative thoughts with positive ones, and start using your inner voice for positive change.
2. They set us up for success
Thoughts become things, so now imagine how much more powerful words are. Affirmations can set us up for success. There are numerous stories about people who visualized their futures and affirmed themselves in these thoughts, then actually realised these exact dreams.
Everything in our lives is a reflection of what we think and feel. We create our own lives with our emotions and feelings, and all this adds up to how we view ourselves. By taking control of our inner voice, we stop being the victim of what others say about us, and the fault-finding part of our mind that latches on to anything negative and repeats it on an unending loop.
3. Boost your self-confidence
Even the ugliest person in the world can affirm themselves to think otherwise, and to boost their self-confidence. The trick? To tell yourself over and over again that you are beautiful and you are worthy. Positive affirmations help you learn to be the best version of yourself, so you no longer have to pretend to be anyone else. When you tell yourself that you’re confident and capable, you’re more likely to embody those beliefs.
4. You concentrate on your goals
When your primary focus becomes how to become a better version of yourself, you are able to easily concentrate on your goals. Why? You learn that you are your primary business, and everyone else is their business. Goal achievement is helped by persistently keeping your mind focused in the “goal zone”. In short, positive statements make your behaviour more positive, enthusiastic and action-oriented.
5. Better relationships
‘I can’t get mad at how others treat me. I taught them. Either they observed how I treat myself or they reciprocate how I treat them. Everything is a reflection.’
If you have a good relationship with yourself, you will almost automatically have a good relationship with the people around you. Just think, if you tell yourself that you attract ease in all areas of your life, including your relationships with others, you’re more likely to walk into a social setting with confidence. Your friendships and romantic relationships enjoy an instant boost!
6. Allow you to influence your subconscious mind to access new beliefs
It is highly unlikely that anyone in this world has a perfect belief system. Either you believe you’re not beautiful, or that you’re unworthy, or that you will never achieve success. This could be caused by childhood trauma or even life experiences. To change that, you must access your subconscious and rewire that part of your brain.
Affirmations can help you alter subconscious thoughts. Repeating a supportive, encouraging phrase gives it power since hearing something often makes it more likely you’ll believe it. In turn, your belief makes it more likely you’ll act in ways that make your affirmation become reality.
7. Better health
Negative self-talk is stressful. If you have been around someone who is constantly complaining, then you understand that this energy is mentally draining. Now imagine if you’re causing yourself this mentally draining energy from within? The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. Effective stress management is associated with many health benefits.
Some of the health benefits of affirmations are increased life span, lower rates of depression and distress, greater resistance to the common cold, and better cardiovascular health.
Here are 5 Ways To Stay Positive When Things Aren’t Going Well
Also, check out these articles
The Power of Manifestation: How To Attract What You Want In Life
Self Care: 5 Lessons On Self Love We Should Learn And Implement
