The Power of Affirmations
The Joymaker: Article Five
Author Christine Denny
Hello again and welcome back to The Joy Maker!
Recently I have been re-reading some Louise Hay books and they have very much re-affirmed my belief in the power of affirmations.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with affirmations, this is simply the art of “Conscious Positive Self -Talk” or simply put, it is the art of ” affirming ” something in your mind.
And to this end, it is really important that what you are affirming in your mind, on a daily basis, is positive, productive, life affirming and nurturing to you.
Once you become aware of the thoughts floating about in your head, you will come to realise that you are constantly reaffirming certain ideas about yourself and the world around you. So the trick is to take control of exactly what you are cementing in the fertile grounds of your imagination, to create positive self-talk that is promoting a positive self- image. Because, as you will come to discover, often times this self-talk can be quite hurtful, negative and damaging. And quite frankly, you most likely would not put up with other people saying such terrible things about you.
For example, you may find yourself thinking things like:
- I am hopeless with money
- What’s wrong with me
- I am so fat and ugly
- I am such an idiot
- I am always useless with these things
- My mother was right about me
- I am a terrible cook
- I’ll never be any good at it
- I am a failure – I never get it right
- It always ends like this
- I never do the right thing
- If only I had chosen the other thing
…..and on and on it goes.
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
Well, the good news is that you have the power to take back control of these negative thoughts and subsequently your life. And with a diligent and sustained practice of ” affirmations” – conscious and quality driven affirmations that are aimed at changing this negative programming and self talk – you can get your life and ‘sense of self’ back on track.
But it is important to note here that it does take a sustained and dedicated practice to make change. And as much research has shown it takes daily practice to change old habits and patterns, so you will need to dedicate time to this endeavour.
It does take sustained effort.
It does take a willingness to recognise and counter these thoughts.
It does take a commitment to looking inward and noticing what your self-talk is.
But – You Can Do It!
First of all I want you to think about the most common negative comments about yourself that routinely enter your mind. And then turn them around to create a better, more life affirming thought.
For example:
- No-one ever helps me = I always meet amazing people who bring wonderful opportunities and experiences into my life
- I hate my body= I love my body and am beautiful just as I am.
- I hate my job = I love my job and it brings me great satisfaction, joy and possibility each and every day
- I can never get ahead financially = Money comes to me easily and effortlessly
- 5. No-one loves me = I am loved
In a recent workshop at The Victorian Dance Festival I invited the participants to repeat after me a number of affirmations. And many people came to me afterwards sharing how difficult they found it to say some of the affirmations. For many of the teachers in attendance the process of speaking some of these affirmations out loud was really confronting and it awakened in them a realization that there was a deep sadness, grief or anxiety within them.
So, I invite you now to work through the list below and say each of these affirmations out loud with a heartfelt tone and feeling. Say them slowly and carefully, with meaning and intent – and notice how you react to each one. You may like to play a peaceful, calming piece of music in the background as you do this. And I recommend you wait until you can do this in a private place where you can fully commit to the process without being interrupted. So tick off the check list below before you start!
- Private place – check!
- Time to commit to the process fully – check!
- Phone off – check!
- Music in the background – check!
And go!
I AM LOVED!
I AM BEAUTIFUL!
I AM RESPECTED BY MY PEERS!
I AM VALUED!
I AM SUCCESSFUL!
I AM WEALTHY!
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY LIFE!
I AM HEALTHY!
I AM ENOUGH!
Okay. So now I want you to write down how each of those affirmations made you feel.
What was your reaction to saying those things?
Were you able to say all of them with a glowing, reassured and rosy warm feeling?
Did you feel any anxiety or discomfort saying any of those affirmations?
Did any of those affirmations make you feel sad? If so – why?
By doing this exercise you may be able to discover areas of your self-talk and self-image that need a makeover perhaps?
You may also like to make your own list now, to combat the most commonly reoccurring negative thoughts that enter your mind. Keep this list to five things to start with and keep the list in a place where you will see it each day. Perhaps by your bed, on the nightside table or even posted up on your bathroom mirror or behind your bedroom door.
Then each morning and evening, simply take the time to look in the mirror and recite your positive affirmations at least 10 times each. And really try to feel an emotion of love and support for yourself as you do this. It will only take a few minutes each morning and night, but this one simple action can have long lasting benefits if you follow the practice regularly. And you may be surprised how much easier it becomes with time and diligent repetition.
And finally – I can not recommend strongly enough, the simple action of looking into a mirror each and every day – morning and night – and saying these three simple words: I LOVE YOU
I can tell you now, that for many of you, this will be incredibly confronting.
Many years ago, when I tried this for the first time, I burst into uncontrollable sobs as I realised two things:
A – I could not look myself in the eye and say this
B – I really wished that I could
For the simple truth is that we all crave SELF LOVE
It seems to me that we spend our lives seeking approval from the outside world – but what we really crave and seek is to find true and unconditional acceptance and love from ourselves.
So take the leap of faith with me and know that you are worthy of love. And you are worthy of the best love of all:
Self Love
Self Acceptance
Self Appreciation
And as a bonus, what you will most likely discover is that when you discover this ” self love” your ability to truly love others will manifest in ways you never thought possible and your heart will open to a world you never knew existed.
But it must come from within.
It can only come from within.
And this is a lesson I have only really started to comprehend and manifest.
So, I invite you to join me on this journey of self-love and bringing some Positive Affirmations into your life on a daily basis.
You can do it!
#thejoymaker #thejoymakerexperience #discoveryourbliss #selflove
Discover Your Joy
Christine
NOTE: All Christine’s Joymaker columns are general in nature and written from the perspective of personal experience, research and study. They are offered here as advice and support only. Should you be experiencing serious mental health issues, financial concerns or medical issues of any kind we highly recommend you seek assistance from a trained professional.
