There are various opinions and schools of thought on the use of affirmations. There are some who refer to affirmations as ‘New Age’ thinking. Others who say “Nothing is going to happen just because you hope it happens.” For those who are in this camp – there you are – you have been recognized!
The reality is that affirmations are part of what Anthony Robbins (as in Tony Robbins of the famous walk on the hot coals events) teaches and is referenced in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP). Well known classic books discuss the concepts and benefits of positive affirmations – Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles.
The use of positive affirmations helps us to create a positive mental attitude.
In actual use positive affirmations are written out and placed in a location where the statement will be seen first thing in the morning each day. This will trigger us to say the positive affirmation out loud each day to begin our day.
For those who require a little more scientific support feel free to research the topic of ‘how much of the human brain is utilized’ question. Read through the information and take note of the part which refers to:
Perhaps the broadest, most mysterious question is how diverse regions of the brain collaborate to form conscious experiences. To date, there is no evidence that there is one site for consciousness, which leads experts to believe that it is truly a collective neural effort. Therefore, the idea exists that humans have untapped cognitive potential…
Add into the mix the fact that we – all humans – learn best through ‘spaced repetition’. This is especially true when the senses are brought into play. Where reading an item is combined with hearing the item read and potentially watching the item presented via a video. Multiple repetitions and multi-sensory.
An affirmation may be on a specific topic. Affirmations may be from a book or another written work which is meaningful to us. Should one desire to create their own affirmation, keep in mind that it needs to be present tense, positive, personal and specific.
Here are a few affirmations to get you started:
- I love and approve of myself
- I matter and what I have to offer this world also matters
- I breathe in calmness and breathe out nervousness
- I am aligned with the energy of abundance
- I play a big role in my own career success
- I choose to fully participate in my day
- I let go of worries that drain my energy
Feel free to work with these or find others you connect with better. You may wish to craft your own positive affirmations.
Write out a few of these and place the index card or PostIt note where you will see it to read aloud first thing in the morning each day. Write out another index card in order to carry it with you in order to read out loud a few times each day. Stick with this process for at least sixty to ninety days. At the very least, you will feel better each day when you start your day.
Do you have a personal favorite positive affirmation? Place it in the comments.
Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified executive coach who resides in Stamford,CT.
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