The Power of Affirmations | 4 Steps for Powerfully Affirming Yourself
By: Jamila Gomez
It has often been said that whatever follows “I am”, you are. Whatever you say you are, have, and are capable of, it is so. These statements are affirmations. These are words that we speak boldly about what we truly believe about ourselves in the moment. If you’re anything like me, you struggle sometimes with speaking kindly to and about yourself. So I have to use positive affirmations. And so many others use them as well. However, they don’t always work for everyone. Ever wonder why that is?
Your mind believes what you tell it to believe; what it is programmed to believe. If you program it with truth, it will believe the truth. Likewise, if you program it with lies, it will believe the lies. And it can stem all the way from childhood. If you were told repeatedly as a child that you’ll never amount to anything, you will grow up with that embedded in your mind. If you hear that you’re stupid or ugly, you’ll spend much of your life thinking that. But what if you start thinking positive thoughts and speak positive words over your life?
In order to really start making positive affirmations work for you, there is an exercise that you can try. I have found it to be extremely helpful when I need that extra power, so I invite you to try this as well.
4 Steps for Powerfully Affirming Yourself
1. Grab some paper and a writing utensil. You may need more than one sheet, depending on how deep the level of negativity programmed within. Write down every single negative thing either you have said to or about yourself or that someone else has ever said to or about you. You don’t need to know word-for-word what they’ve said, but as long as you have an overall idea, write it down. Make sure you skip a couple lines in between.
2. Now, on the lines that you skipped, write down some positive declarations that combat the negative. If you have to google some positive terms, do that. You could also use Bible verses that speak to that particular feeling or thought. As long as it is the positive opposite of what you wrote at first, that’s the goal.
3. Speak the affirmation out loud every day. You can do this a number of ways. You can place sticky notes with affirmations on them in places where you will notice them every time and say what you see out loud. A good place to stick some notes is a mirror, preferably in your bathroom. When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you can say the affirmations to yourself.
4. Feel it in your body as you are repeating your affirmations. Stand firm with both feet planted on the ground. Speak boldly. Raise your hands. Move your body. Do something physical as you speak these words so that they really penetrate.
Once you begin to get the hang of affirming yourself out loud, you may be amazed at how much better you feel about yourself and how much of a better mood you are in. And again, these are only suggestions. And also again, it is not guaranteed to work for everyone. But try it for a while to see if it helps.
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