Understanding Affirmations (How To Create Affirmations)

Editor's Note: This article was originally published 18th March, 2020 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and competence.

Source: Jackcanfield

In How To Avoid Bad Omen; How I Got To Avoid The Ones That Almost Got Some Of My Days, I wrote I was going to show you how you can create Daily Affirmations.

Being a fan of affirmations since the year, 2019 has been of tremendous benefit. Squarely, I have taken time to observe how my day go when I say the affirmations scripted in my journal in the morning and when I don't say it.

Most days to a conscious point, are more fruitful than the days I don't say. Even if I am faced with detours, it's easier to go through it, when my affirmations have been said earlier that day than when it hasn't been said.

Someone once approached me and asked, "why are you always calm or even wear a happy look even in the heat of what make others depressed and disappointed?" (paraphrased) I didn't say a word. I just smiled. This is one of the benefits of saying my daily affirmations.

Here is something to note: not saying affirmations daily doesn't mean your day will go bad. In fact, your day will be great. But with affirmations, your mind has been fashioned to go through the day with the conviction that whatever storm spurs up, you will come out of it stronger, which makes it easier for you to make progress rather than getting all depressed.

Before I was stripped off the fabric of ignorance, there were mornings when I woke up realizing I couldn't complete the previous day's task on my to-do list. Hence, I wore myself out by resenting my incompetence thus affecting my potential to be productive that day. But with the knowledge of affirmations, I wake up every morning not only neglecting the previous day's inefficiencies but also building up capacity for what the day has in it pocket for me.

Before showing you how to create Daily Affirmation, lets get to know what affirmations are.

Affirmations are conscious, powerful and positive statements that aims at changing your mindset about unhealthy, demeaning and negative thought patterns.

WHY YOU NEED AFFIRMATIONS

1. The Mind Works on The Principle of Repetition.

Affirmations work because they have the ability to program your mind into accessing and believing the repeated statements. The more you repeat it, the more your subconscious mind captures it and find expression in it and whatever your mind find expression in, you become it reality. Hence, it influences your subconscious mind to access new beliefs.

RELATED ARTICLES:

THE EFFECTIVE PRINCIPLE TO CHANGE YOUR MINDSET.

UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF YOUR THOUGHT

7 SUCCESS AFFIRMATIONS

2. It Prompts You To Action.

Affirmations motivate you to act. And when you act on your goals and start seeing results, it further boosts your desire to continue acting on your goals.

3. It Helps You Focus.

When you consistently remind yourself how great your potentials to be successful are, it helps you concentrate on your goal; to be successful. And goal achievement is helped by persistently keeping your mind focused in the benefits of achieving the goal.

4. Changes Your Thought Pattern.

When you keep telling yourself you are "creative" even when everyone says you are not, your mind tend to give no space to nurture any negative comment about your creativity. Hence, it changes your negative thought patterns into positive ones. And it helps you feel positive about yourself and boost your self confidence.

FORMS OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

1. Processing Positive Affirmations: These are positive statements often with the "ing" ending verbs. They are reality-based statements that encourages and reminds a person that some things take time or go through processes nonetheless, it's worth it.

Examples are:

"I am healing"

"I am learning and applying the strategies of financial freedom."

“I am learning to accept myself as I am”

2. Very Positive Affirmations: These are positive statements that are direct and complete. Unlike the "processing positive affirmations," It does not employ the use of processing words.

Examples are:

"I am creative."

"I have the potentials to create wealth."

"I know I am loved."

THINGS TO NOTE WHEN WRITING AFFIRMATIONS

1. Use Words That Are Typical To You: Be yourself when writing your affirmations. You can be as silly or as serious or as plain as you like. You can write in your native tongue. Just be you!

2. Be Specific And Avoid Vague Statements: Be as specific as you like about what you want to manifest with your affirmations, but don't try to define how these things will show up in writing the affirmations.

Example:

Instead of writing; "I am attending seminars, reading books, taking courses on financial independence on week days"

Simply write; "I am learning strategies to financial freedom on week days."

3. Be Intentional and True to Yourself: Think about what you would really like to change about yourself and your life, and be confident about affirming your truest desires.

HOW TO CREATE DAILY/MORNING AFFIRMATIONS

Step One: List Your Negative Attributes.

List out what you consider to be the negative attributes about you as a person, or how you cope with life, or the situation you are in (home life, work life, academics, relationships etc) It could be an attribute you see yourself having (like inconsistency, procrastination, failure, etc). This list could be made from your own conclusions or from external criticism.

Step Two: Rephrase The Negative Attributes In a Positive Statement.

This stage involves identifying and expressing the (positive) opposite of the negative attributes you listed.

Stage Three: Repeat Your Affirmation Regularly.

Writing your affirmations or recording it in an audio format makes it readily available to say it at anytime of the day because there is no rule to limit how often you should say your affirmations.

Always say your affirmations (silently or verbally) as often as you can, daily. You can say your affirmation repetitively while doing something like walking, cooking, working at the office, reading a book, etc. If possible, you can stand in front of the mirror just to say your affirmations because this offers you the advantage of seeing your facial expression and adding emphasis in front of a mirror.

Note: You can use variety of tools to develop your affirmations. One of the tools I use is the Bible. It often helps me to affirm God's promises to me and also reminds me of who God says I am regardless of my inefficiencies.

EXAMPLES OF AFFIRMATIONS

"God's grace is sufficient for me so that in all things and at all times, I am equipped for every good work." 2Corinthians 9:8

"I am Smart. I am Amazing. I am Innovative. I am an intellect. I am Confident. I am Successful. I am a Conqueror. I am a Wealth Creator."

"Today, I won't be conscious of anyone who defines me negatively."

"The LORD is my sun and shield; he will favor and honor me today." -Psalm 84:11

"Today, I won't let the circumstances of life make me feel less of myself & future. Though it may not seem like it now, I will be patient and consistent."