Good old positive affirmation statements. There was a big wave a year or so ago on Tiktok (you guys know not everything you hear on Tiktok is right, right? Or anywhere for that matter, right? Your lived experience is most important, right?) about how positive affirmations are old school and nonessential. I object. *Flips table.* Positive affirmations have helped me tremendously in becoming the best version of myself. They are what I started my entire self-growth journey with. They pulled me out of a misaligned career, relationship and unhealthy place (spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically).
A positive affirmation is a statement that is in the present moment, is positive, and is personal. I like using affirmations that I want to become. My first one was: I am confident. Why? Because I wasn't, but I believed my confidence was my baseline to every successful experience I could attract and have. I wanted to be me and I wanted to shine.
I have used an average of one affirmation per month for the past eight years and it has changed who I am and how I relate to myself and the world around me. I think the reason why people disagree with their efficacy is because they aren't committed. You're not just reciting a word or a sentence, you are committing to its lessons, its essence and its lifestyle.
Make your word your passcode, a note on the fridge, your computer background, your mantra in meditation. Move like it, eat like it, breathe like it, talk like it, act like it. Choose it even when the going gets tough. And most importantly, allow yourself to feel it. The words help rewire the mind, the feeling helps rewire the body. Get all parts of you on board and watch it all change.
Here are the 5 Benefits of Positive Affirmations I've Experienced:
1. Embodiment.
This is a do-it-before-you-experience-it kind of benefit (my way of saying "fake it till you make it") because you need to allow yourself to feel your affirmation/word before you believe you have it. The truth is, you do. It's all here. If you can dream it, you can do it (are you sick of these cheesy phrases yet?). If you can imagine it, it's within. Not only did I realize this through affirmations, but I also actually watched myself become them.
2. Lessons.
Your affirmation statement is an incredible teacher. It guides you to situations of practice, it asks you to step up and it pushes you to your greatness. Even if you fail, your affirmation will be there to show you another way next time. It's kind, affirming and commanding all at once.
3. Self-Awareness.
Once we look at ourselves through the lens of our affirmation, we begin to notice nuances we may have never noticed before. Your words, actions, beliefs and habits become exposed in the light of this new affirmation, for it's a new direction. Who are you on that path? Who have you been? Who are you becoming?
4. New Beliefs.
A key thing that affirmations do is they help change your beliefs. You know that classic Ghandi quote:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Well that, my friends, shows us it all starts with an affirmation. Change that belief. Sure, more work may pop up from there (I got you), but this does a good chunk of the heavy lifting and sometimes all of it. Repetition, commitment, belief, destiny.
5. Resilience.
Resilience is a benefit I didn't expect, but man, is it a potent one. When I work with an affirmation, I feel strangely protected. The direction it gives me makes me feel guided, supported, clear. I've found that delicious combo gives me a resilient edge I didn't know I could have. I know what I want and where I'm headed so even the gustiest of winds can't knock me off my path.
If you're brand spankin' new to positive affirmations, I encourage you to make a practice of listening to a loop of them daily. I did this for four years straight every morning to shift my negative self-talk to kind, loving words. I am forever changed and I offer this to you 100% free. Get the free positive affirmation loop here.
