How To Think Positive: Do Affirmations Work?

There's been a real drive over the past few years in regards to positive thinking, particularly since the Covid outbreak. As a result, mental health awareness has improved and more people are taking their own self development more seriously.

Whilst there has been a positive shift in people taking responsibility for their mental health, perhaps there's been too much emphasis on the mind alone. Rituals including affirmations, goal setting, practicing mindfulness, and visualising what we want are widely considered to be great ways to shift our thought patterns - from a negative mindset to a positive mindset. But do these activities keep us stuck in our head?

And do they actually work?

These strategies certainly help, yes... but people are finding they've used all of these tools before and still not maintained massive transformation in their mindset?

Have you found this to be true?

If the answer is yes, then perhaps you're missing the crucial element needed to achieve real transformation.

Energy.

Simply put, your energy must align with the life you desire to create (your soul's purpose) and strengthen your emotional home in a positive way. As a result, you will feel the positive energy across your body.

For example, affirmations are great if they truly mean something to you - that you 100% believe what you are saying to be true without a doubt. You have that feeling of unwavering certainty in your body, and manifesting that affirmation is an absolute must. You believe it will be done, no matter what.

For example, if you are affirming 'I am a millionaire' and you're not a millionaire, your mind will know you are lying to yourself and therefore continue to strengthen the limiting beliefs that are stopping you from uplevelling in your life. Everytime you say you're a millionaire (but you're not) you will feel the recurring disappointment or shame in your body, and continue to live life from a place of lack as you don't have the millionaire bank balance. You'll be stuck in a loop of negative energy across your body, which will eventually feel exhausting and limit your ability to take action.

The good thing is that if we want to be millionaires, we can be. What matters is setting the intention in our mind, then getting out of our head and applying energy to the affirmation.

Let's look at this a bit closer.

Using our millionaire example from before, let's set our intentional affirmation (without lying to ourself). Instead of affirming 'I am a millionaire', we can say 'I am not a millionaire right now, but I am learning and taking the necessary action to become one'.

Can you feel the energy shift? From a heavy lie to an optimistic possibility?

Once we have designed our powerful affirmation, we need to continue to apply the same energy when working towards our end goal - in the form of massive action. What massive action? Well, we may need to consider the following when creating our action plan:

• Why must I achieve this goal? What is the cost to myself and others if I don't?

• How do I need to show up every single day?

• What daily habits must I do to achieve my goal?

• What does my lifestyle look like? Do I like this new lifestyle?

• Who can teach me how to reach my goal?

• How long am I going to give myself to reach my goal?

These are just a few examples of things we would need to consider. We must remember though that things worth doing don't necessarily come easy - the higher the level, the bigger the devil. Each of our journeys require us to overcome obstacles. This is where we grow spiritually as a human. It's not about what we have in the end, it's about what we learn and who we need to become in the process.

One of the best ways to reach a goal quicker is to be coachable and work with a mentor (someone who has achieved what you want to achieve), so we don't make the mistakes we are likely to make if we try doing it alone. If you'd like help with life issues (relationships, stopping smoking, money, self confidence etc) then reclaim your inner power and book in a 1:1 coaching session with me today.

As an added bonus, here's a few common affirmations that do not usually work well (unless they're true to the person saying them), then reframed with better wording:

• 'Money flows easily to me'

  I am taking daily action to increase my income.

• 'I am powerful'

  I am exercising my body, and feeding it nutritious food, to stay strong and healthy.

• 'I am enough'

  I am taking the time for self care because I know I am enough, and worthy of this time for myself.

• 'I am loved'

  I am spending time to strengthen my relationship with myself, and relationships with those who make me feel happy.

You will notice affirmations are more powerful when they include intentional action too. It provides a personal clarity to what we want, and how we intend to achieve the outcome.

We need to stop saying one day, and make today our day one! We need to decide what we desire is a must, no matter what.

Then, if we give ourselves the grace of time we will create the purposeful life we are happy to lead by compounding our intentions, and leave a legacy we are proud of.