Open for: Interactive Workshop on Visualizations and Affirmations
Power of Affirmations and Self-Talk
You become what you think about. If you improve the quality of your thinking you will improve the quality of your life. Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. Either you control your attitude or your attitude controls you. Attitudes are often a habit of thought. Thoughts always precede action, and action precedes results. The right thought patterns are more likely to produce the right results. Therefore, people must think in terms of the solution, not the problem. It goes back to perceptual set back in chapter seven. Thoughts have the potential of creating their physical equivalent; people move in the direction of their thoughts. The minute an idea occurs, the mind creates an image. When the conscious mind becomes aware of something, the subconscious mind wants to attract it. For example, the person who wants to lose weight and swears off pizza is likely to think about pizza several times a day. Unfortunately, in everyday language, affirmations aren’t always stated in the positive. Here is a list of the most commonly used negative affirmations.
Often-Used Negative Affirmations
- It’s going to be another one of those days.
- It’s just no use.
- It just won’t work.
- There’s just no way.
- Nothing ever goes right for me.
- I’m so clumsy.
- I don’t have the talent.
- I’m just not creative.
- I can’t seem to get organized.
- It’s just my luck.
- I know I’m going to hate it.
- I can’t seem to lose weight.
- I never have enough time.
- I get sick just thinking about it.
- I lose weight, and then I gain it right back again.
- Another long Monday.
- When will I ever learn?
- Sometimes I just hate myself.
- I’m just not good at that.
- I’m too shy.
- I never know what to say.
- I never get a break.
- I’m just not a salesperson.
- That’s impossible.
- I always freeze up in front of a group.
Because no two things can occupy the same space at the same time (theory of displacement), the first step is to recognize negative affirmations and eliminate them from our thought process and language. The subconscious mind will focus on and attract things as programmed. I once saw it explained like a bucket filled with water; the bucket is our brain and the water represents our thoughts. To get a self-defeating, limiting thought out of the mind, a person simply uses displacement, putting another thought in its place. Like stones heaped next to the bucket, new thoughts (with affirmations and visualizations) can be dropped in one by one, until negative thoughts (the water) have been displaced.
Twenty Characteristics of the Subconscious Mind
- It is your total obedient servant.
- It does all healing of the body.
- It does not reason or question your command.
- It will produce what you program into it.
- It files and remembers every experience of your life.
- It controls all functions of the body.
- The greater your belief in it, the better and easier it works.
- It never judges good or bad, right or wrong; it only obeys.
- It works 24 hours a day, your entire life.
- It can be programmed from an outside source.
- It sends answers, sometimes through hunches.
- It is the master mechanic of your body.
- It is a creature of habit.
- It is programmed by the spoken word, thoughts and mental pictures.
- It regulates your energy level,
- It works much better when order and peace prevail.
- It zeroes in on all goals or objectives.
- It is oblivious of time and space; it does not know time. Only you know time. You set the timelines.
- It is completely impersonal.
- The better you understand it, the better it works.
Rules for Affirmations
The following guidelines can be helpful in writing affirmations for success:
- Include the first person pronoun, “I.”
- Write affirmations in the present tense.
- State them positively.
- Keep them realistic and specific.
Examples of Positive Affirmations
- I radiate strength and purpose.
- I am patient with those around me.
- I constantly improve the quality of each focus area in my life.
- I am a great pro with super confidence.
- I am a superstar in life.
- I show warmth and concern to those I meet.
- I have a magnetic strength when I speak.
- I create a positive and loving home environment.
- I help people to be fulfilled and happy.
- I have an excellent, free-flowing memory with clear and easy recall.
- I am a confident and effective decision maker.
- I recommit to my goals until I get the results I want.
- I have unlimited inner strength.
- I have a relaxed and warm outward personality.
- I am honest with others and myself.
- I consistently plan my work.
- I am proactive in my behavioral patterns.
- I plan ahead to get ahead.
- I develop behavioral patterns that complement my goals.
- I use each minute before it disappears forever.
- I keep productive work available for free moments.
- I achieve the desired result with a minimum of time and energy.
- I am well organized in every phase of my life.
- I treat problems as opportunities to grow and be creative.
- What I choose to start, I choose to finish.
- I have a constant flow of new and positive ideas.
- I possess an abundant supply of energy and draw upon it at will.
- I am an excellent speaker, well prepared in my presentations.
- I am completely at ease in front of any group.
- I am easily able to relax and enjoy my free time.
- I identify and modify any weaknesses I may have.
- I meet people easily and enjoy each new association.
- I take pride in a job well done.
- I concentrate effectively on my goals and get results.
- My energetic starts make me an achiever.
After choosing the affirmations to work with, we can place them on separate index cards and display them in spots where we can see them every day, like the bathroom mirror or car dashboard. It is also helpful to say them aloud as often as possible or to put them on audiotape and listen to them at least once a day. I have come across old audiotapes of affirmations I made in previous years, hoping to motivate myself by listening to them again. When I play the tapes, I’m amazed at the no-brainer type of affirmations I was using back then. The affirmations have become such a natural part of my thought process it was hard to remember a time I needed to remind myself to think that way. This is a common occurrence to anyone who uses affirmations and visualizations to wrap his or her mind and emotions around new attitudes, beliefs and expectations. What seems difficult and unrealistic now will one day become natural and automatic.
Targets for Visualization
We should take time every day to visualize the way we want our lives to go. We should see and feel it completed. We should allow our mind to rehearse procedures and events until they are clear and comfortable. Some suggestions follow:
- Mentally rehearse the day before getting up.
- Mentally rehearse working through complicated procedures.
- Mentally rehearse presentations and interviews.
- Mentally rehearse handling stressful situations in a positive, professional manner.
- Mentally rehearse for competition.
- Mentally rehearse being a winner.