Using affirmations can be one way to assist you to have positive self belief. An affirmation is the act of affirming by way of writing, speaking aloud or silently to yourself what is it you want to accomplish and have manifest in your life. Mohammed Ali (a boxer) was known for his affirmation, "I am the greatest." Some examples of positive affirmations you can make to assist in the growth of your self esteem are:
- I am brave and decisive.
- I am enthusiastic and energetic.
- I am happy and honest.
- I am loving and loved.
- I am worthy of acceptance and love.
- I am able to handle anything that comes my way.
- I am successful and prosperous.
- I am fit and healthy.
- I am describing of the best that life has to offer.
- I am enlightened and wise.
- I am a positively thinking person.
- I love to eat and drink only the things that are good for my body and mind.
- I am confident.
It is not recommended that you solely use affirmations as the means of achieving a more positive self image. On its own, it would take a long time for an affirmation to be effective in bringing about the change you need. Affirmations are, however, a great way of reinforcing the positive changes you have already decided to make in other ways. They will also provide you with additional fuel to achieve your goals when you can say the affirmation with both heart and feeling.
Affirmations will not, however, work where you do not believe what you are affirming to yourself.
For example, you have been regularly saying the affirmation, "I am fit and healthy." However, when you look in the mirror, your eyes plainly tell you this is not the case. Using the affirmation in this situation:
- Sends your unconscious the message that self deceit is fine; and
- Does not reinforce with your unconscious your desire to become fit and healthy as every time you see yourself say, "No, I'm not."
A more effective affirmation in this situation would have to say to yourself, "I am becoming fitter and healthier every day." At the same time you should also be taking steps to ensure you are becoming fitter and healthy.
Where there is a large difference between where you currently are and where you are aiming, it is suggested that you slowly change your affirmation.
For example, you wish to clear your credit card debt and have sufficient money to ensure you have a comfortable retirement. You start by affirming, "I accept that I am now in the process of becoming a debt free self funded retiree." You slowly change the affirmation a word or two at a time over a period of weeks until you are affirming, "I am a debt free self funded retiree."
Other Tips For Using Affirmations
- Keep them short
- It helps if you can say them with emotion
- Make sure they cover all the points you really want to affirm
Source by Petris Lapis