Okay, whether you are a first-timer or this is just a reminder, it is all good!  Because although I am far from the former, I quite often forget about these little gems and could use a good reminder myself!  In fact, my own recent remembering (again) is what inspired me to make this post.  So here goes!

Definition according to me:  An affirmation is a sentence that we stick into our brain.

Ouch!  That sounds painful!  Well, I can certainly understand your concern, but I assure you that it doesn’t hurt a bit.  And not only is it surgery and pain-free, it is actually super-easy, really fast, and very beneficial!

You see, part of our brain records thoughts; both thoughts from us and thoughts from others that we accept as our own.  Once added to our brain-database, these thoughts then play for us over and over again and they become beliefs.  In turn, these beliefs then affect our behavior.  Yikes!

You could have been told in elementary school by some kid that “you can’t be part of our group.”  And you may have accepted this and recorded the thought of “I can’t be part of the group.”  And you may be all grown up now and wondering why you shy away from working in groups!  Well, this thought may still be playing around inside of you and causing you to feel uncomfortable working in groups!  Double yikes!

Now that we have this understanding of how thoughts get into our brains and affect our behavior and ultimately our lives, let us re-visit the affirmation definition from above:  a sentence that we stick into our brain.

See what I am getting at?  Let’s intentionally put thoughts into our brain that will help us!!!

Okay, so how do we do this?  So easy!  Literally write it out.  As in, pen and paper.  And while I am writing it, I say it out loud to myself and make sure that I feel it.  That’s it!

Here are some examples of affirmations to get you started:

• I am healthy
• I have everything I need
• My life is perfect
• The world that I live in is safe
• Today is a great day
• I create abundance all around me

If you wanted to counteract the negative thought from the example above, you could use:

• I am part of the group
• It is safe to be part of the group
• I am accepted by everyone
• My contributions are worthy

Those are just a few examples, but your affirmations can literally be around anything!  Just take a look at your life and what you want to create!

Additional tips:

• Keep them simple and straightforward.  “I have the most amazing job that makes me happy every second of every day” can easily be shortened to “My job is amazing” and/or “I am always happy at my job.”  Simple = easy for the brain to understand.   🙂
• Talk in the present. Word it as if you already have it.  If you say “I will have…” then your playback will always be talking about the future.  Drop the “will” and say “I have.”  This sends the message that you can have it right now.
• Always use positive words.  The brain does not understand words like don’t, won’t, can’t, not, etc., meaning that if you write out the affirmation, “I am not sad,” then the “not” is going to be ignored and you will be left with “I am sad.”  Obviously you don’t want this.   Also, rather than using a negative word like “sad,” why not write out “I am happy” instead?  This puts a positive in your head rather than a negative.   🙂
• Write out/say your affirmations first thing in the morning and/or before bed.  The good thing about morning is that it sets the tone for a good day!  Before bed is also good because it goes right in for processing while you sleep.  I think both are great.  If you only have time for one then that’s okay too.  Do what works for you.  You will see benefit either way.   🙂

I started writing and saying affirmations a few years ago.  They have helped me to re-program some pretty big stuff.  From time to time I forget about them.  But they always come back to me in times of need.   🙂

I would love to hear about everyone else’s experiences with affirmations or thoughts about them.  Or if you are a first timer and decide to try them out, please share how it goes and what you notice!  Questions or concerns are also welcome, as always.   🙂

Beautiful, bountiful blessings to all of you amazing, deserving beings!

~Spread LOVE~

~Tanni