Without looking up a definition, I’ll try to create one…

Affirmations are positive statements that help us envision and create a new reality. We underestimate the power of our thoughts. We’re creating all of this with our minds, so we best be choosing peace.

Instead of saying, I want to lose weight. All that does is put you in the wanting mode. Choose affirmations like: I am losing weight. I am becoming thinner. It is easy for me to shed extra pounds. I am at my ideal weight. I love to exercise and eat healthy. I am beautiful.

Affirmations are most effective when they’re personal, specific, and in the present tense. Starting an affirmation with “I am” is very basic and incredibly powerful. Try a quick exercise. Which feels better?

I am smart.

I am stupid.

Hopefully, I am smart feels better. When I say them, there’s still a tendency for the “I am smart” to bounce off me instead of sinking in, my inner critic likes to contradict compliments. In all honesty, I am smart, so it’s funny that my first instinct is to question it. When I say “I am stupid” it feels like I’m hitting myself with a baseball bat. Not good.

Sometimes it’s in the wording, if smart doesn’t feel right, choose intelligent, gifted, talented, or creative. If there’s negative energy around a word because it’s tied to an event or person from our past, it won’t serve us to make it one of our common affirmations. An affirmation should feel light and free.

How did I start practicing affirmations? Why are they an important part of my life? I have my friend, Will, to thank for that. I didn’t even know what they were. He and his cousin, Liz, invited me to join their affirmation group. They sent original daily affirmations to each other through email. You could also send quotes or music videos, as long as it was positive and motivational. I also bought my first affirmation card deck, Louise Hay’s Wisdom deck.

Affirmations opened my eyes to the amount of negative self-talk going on in my head due to years of being unaware or unconcerned with my mental chatter. It wasn’t until the very fabric of my reality changed that I actually began repeating them all day long. They helped me fight back against the panic attacks and reclaim my peace of mind. I will always be grateful for beautiful thoughts and caring friends! 🙂

Shine on,

Julie