Affirmations changed my life, in the good kind of way, the kind of way that made my thoughts about myself and the world around me go from mostly negative to, well, way more positive than before.
There was a time when I would scoff at the idea of new and wonderful results in life coming from reciting positive affirmations to myself. I would chalk this sort of magical thinking up to some sort of myth, a myth made up by those types of people that walk around like glazed donuts, with an optimistic smile permanently wiped across their face coated in sugar sweetness that couldn't possibly be sincere.
It is said that the average person's thoughts are 80-percent negative. I was no exception, but I didn't ever stop to think that maybe this was a problem. It never occurred to me that my negative thoughts could be standing in the way of me getting everything I wanted out of life and possessing inner peace.
When I became a believer in the effectiveness of affirmations, I thought it was so miraculous that I deemed the healer who taught me how to use them a fairy. I made an appointment to see this fairy lady after watching a friend transform herself from pretty glum to a bright ray of sunshine over the course of the last year. I wanted whatever it was that she had. I wanted to glow, too. She told me what she'd been doing, and I dove in head first. I made an appointment the following week to start my own transformation process.
The first time I went to see Megan Gouldner in New York City, I walked into her space, and before I could even utter a complete sentence, I began unexpectedly and relentlessly sobbing for at least an hour of our two-hour appointment. Maybe I had more negative thoughts going on than the average person? Definitely more than I was aware of. How screwed up was I?
When the waterworks ceased and I had spilled out the most current negative thoughts that had been occupying my mind, Megan took me through a process to find my absolute most negative thought -- the underlying one in my subconscious that was most likely the culprit of all the others. We zeroed in on this thought, and the process to turn it around began. I learned that everyone has some sort of most negative thought about themselves beneath the surface. It may be "I'm invisible," "I don't matter," "I am wrong/bad," "I"m not good enough." It could be anything. I myself fell into the "I'm not good enough" category. I had always been a perfectionist and overachiever and had never figured that the reason I had this condition was because I never felt like I was good enough just the way I was. I was overcritical of myself and constantly driven to be more and do more. It was running me into the ground.
Megan and I spoke for quite a long time, and then she had me lie down and do what is called conscious connected breathing. This made connecting with my feelings an easier process. Using the breath along with the affirmations made the whole process more effective. When we finished our first session of the 10 recommended, she sent me out the door with two positive affirmations that countered my most negative thinking. I was instructed to write the affirmations down 10 times, morning and night. I was still doubtful that this would have any sort of an effect on me, but I decided that I needed to at least give it my best effort. I went home that night and wrote down my new affirmations. I did it halfheartedly and went to sleep, still not really believing. The next morning and evening I did the same, and by the fourth day I couldn't wait to wake up and put pen to paper and affirm to myself that I was good enough and that it was safe to be fully alive! I was actually starting to believe this and able to say them out loud, as well.
Over the course of our next nine sessions, we worked on whatever most negative thought I walked in with that week. Each time, I would leave with my new list of positive affirmations and go through the same process. Some took longer than others to really sink in, but surprisingly, it didn't take long for those around me to notice that something inside me had changed. I was very quiet about my decision to shift my mind from negative to positive, in fear of judgment from other people. It turned out that I didn't really even have to tell anyone what I was doing for them to notice. And the affirmations made me stop worrying what other people thought about me altogether. I felt like I had started to shine just like my friend. I felt good about who I was and unafraid to show myself to the world.
I was sad to end my sessions with Megan, but upon completion she'd prepared me to feel empowered to create my own affirmations whenever I felt the need. If I were dashing through the airport close to missing an important flight, I would cite over and over to myself that the universe supports me in all my endeavors. Of course it wanted me to make my flight! If I were feeling defeated, I would write down an affirmation stating that I'm strong enough for anything that comes my way. It became easier over time. I felt like I had been given the ability to reprogram my thinking and undo the false subconscious thoughts that had been building since I was born. I started looking at our universe as one big yes, as opposed to before, when I saw a lot of nos.
I am happy to say that today I am not a glazed donut, but I am an optimistic person who believes in my potential as a human being and has faith that I am always supported in life.
Follow Erin Henry on Twitter: www.twitter.com/erinjoyhenry
Walter E. Jacobson, M.D.: The Dangerous Power of Negative Thinking
Mike Robbins: There Is Good News... If You Look For It
Thank you so much for your comments. I have been out of the country and unable to respond. Some other wonderful books on affirmations can be found by Sondra Ray and at iafform.com.
Thank you again for reading.
Keeps you in the positive lane................ great.
"GODs Perfect Health perminates the nodes of my bodily sickness
In all my cells his healing light is shinning
They are entirely well for his pefection is in them"
3 monthns later, I gained normal heart function and size with just a slight left ventrical bundle block damage.
So I started blasting out affirmations, silently, but rapidly--as fast as I could think. I noticed the difference the first day!
Choose an affirmation for your particular need.
Sit with spine erect.
Close your eyes and gently focus your gaze and concentrate at the point between the eyebrows.
Then, Paramahansaji said, “take a deep breath and exhale it, three times. Relax the body and keep it motionless....
Cast away anxiety, distrust, and worry....
Repeat all of the affirmation, first loudly, then softly and more slowly, until your voice becomes a whisper.
Then gradually affirm it mentally only, without moving the tongue or the lips, until you feel that you have attained deep, unbroken concentration — not unconsciousness, but a profound continuity of uninterrupted thought.
If you continue with your mental affirmation, and go still deeper, you will feel a sense of increasing joy and peace.”
I have led a long and fruitful life, one that most people would be envious of, and yet I regret the opportunities missed because of cowardice.
On the other hand, there are a number of times when I wish I had said "No!", instead of "Yes". Life is like that. No use beating ourselves up over spilt milk.
There was a time in my life when I sunk so low that I thought I would never, ever, come back up. Connecting with myself, affirming myself, as you put it, wasn't just a way to improve things, it was the only way to stay alive. A conscious decision to try to climb out of the hole that I had dug for myself, and then to slowly, slowly, ascend, was the difference between an early death and life. That was a dark time, as dark as anything imaginable, and I am grateful for the time spent since then enjoying and living my life.
Sorry for the rambling.
You article is spot-on and talking about our need to think about ourselves and our lives in a different way – we are naturally happy, born happy with whatever future we create in front of us.
We need to (re)connect with our-self so we can (re)educate our-self.
Love it Erin – cant wait for your next one!
Craig Ing
www.craiging.com
www.blog.craiging.com
I have been applying the same principles into my for about a month now. I have to say that I am astonished at the way things are going, and how a simple choice to decide to focus on the things that I enjoy in my life and what I truly desire has improved me so rapidly.
I feel more positive power in myself now and I have been getting things done in record time. If you saw that movie Limitless then you know how I am feeling ;)
It is a very real concept. When we start to implement rituals like this into our daily life then things start to become effortless and fun. We move towards our ideal self with leaps and bounds. It is really just a matter of focusing on all those things we wish to have in our life experience.
More info about affirmations and daily rituals at: http://www.michaelstagg.com/2011/04/01/personal-development-plan-sample-put-a-personal-development-plan-sample-into-action-today/
Check out the link I posted above if you want so more info about positive affirmations.
There are other links on there as well to even more powerful teachings! Enjoy :)
Affirmhttp://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/spiritual.aspx?id=1507&terms=affirmation
Use the Power of Affirmation by Paramahansa Yogananda
Man’s word is Spirit in man....Words saturated with sincerity, conviction, faith, and intuition are like highly explosive vibration bombs, which, when set off, shatter the rocks of difficulties and create the change desired.
Each thought of depression or happiness, irritability or calmness, cuts subtle grooves in the brain cells and strengthens the tendencies toward sickness or well-being.
The subconscious idea-habit of disease or health exerts a strong influence. Stubborn mental or physical diseases always have a deep root in the subconsciousness. Illness may be cured by pulling out its hidden roots. That is why all affirmations of the conscious mind should be impressive enough to permeate the subconsciousness, which in turn automatically influences the conscious mind.
Strong conscious affirmations thus react on the mind and body through the medium of the subconsciousness. Still stronger affirmations reach not only the subconscious but also the superconscious mind — the magic storehouse of miraculous powers.
Scientific Healing Affirmations:
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/spiritual.aspx?id=109&terms=affirmation
“I relax and cast aside all mental burdens, allowing God to express through me His perfect love, peace, and wisdom. — Paramahansa Yogananda
“Teach me to feel that I am enveloped always in the aureole of Thine all-protecting omnipresence, in birth, in sorrow, in joy, in activity, in meditation, in ignorance, in trials, in death, and in final emancipation.”
Nancy Salamone
www.nancysstory.com
www.thebusinessofme.com
Being an atheist I don't believe in praying to something that doesn't exist but I'm really big on directed positive rational affirmations..... and found that with positive actions they do enforce and expand my chances of getting results.