One of the most frequently asked questions in our current society is… “How can I make effective and positive changes in my life”? Even if your life is going well right now, there are likely areas you’d like to improve on or unreached goals you’re trying to achieve.
Our fundamental beliefs and attitudes are hidden in our subconscious mind. In order to change those beliefs and create the changes we seek, we need to remove old negative beliefs and replace them with new, positive ones. There are several ways to achieve this. One of the simplest is the use of positive affirmations. In case you’re not familiar with this term, positive affirmations are basically simple sentences that you say to yourself over and over again. The purpose is to flood your subconscious mind with new positive beliefs so that they replace the old negative ones. This is how your beliefs are formed in the first place. Your mind was filled with information that was told to you by others or told to yourself.
Let me provide some examples. People in your life may have told you that you were foolish or incapable. The more you hear that, the more you believe it. You not only believe it, but you live it accordingly. On the plus side, you can constantly hear from people that you are beautiful. The more you hear it, the more you believe it and take steps that enhance your beauty. Even if things aren’t true, your statements (whether intentional or not) can make them true. On an extreme level, this is true for people with eating disorders. They are not fat, and no one has told them that they are. However, they lead themselves to believe that they are eating too much and take negative actions when it comes to eating.
Most of our beliefs have been caused unintentionally. We use affirmations every day, and most of us don’t even realize it. On the negative side, we can mostly blame ourselves for the negative beliefs we hold. On the plus side, we are in full control of what we affirm to ourselves, and we can use affirmations to consciously change our beliefs.
I have shared the great news. We can change our beliefs using positive affirmations. However, there is one more hurdle to face. In many cases, the negative beliefs we hold are so ingrained in our subconscious that it takes more than a few positive words to unearth them. Also, our subconscious is very reluctant to give up core beliefs. In some cases, people have found that using affirmations not only didn’t help, but created an even more negative situation than before.
How can the use of positive words make a situation worse? As mentioned, the subconscious is very slow to release established beliefs. As an example, let’s say you’re struggling with money. It is because you have a core belief of lack that has been ingrained in your subconscious. You try to change that by stating… “I am wealthy and have abundant resources.” Your intention is good. You are trying to change your belief. The problem is, while you’re saying that, your subconscious comes back with ideas like “who are you kidding? Have you seen your bank account lately? What’s up with that stack of bills?” Or, if you’re trying to get healthier, claim that you look and feel great. However, your subconscious reminds you how bad you feel and that you are still overweight. As you remember these negatives, they come back to light and you focus your attention on them (with even more frustration) and more negatives follow.
The good news is that there are ways around this, and affirmations can be used to change your thoughts and ultimately your life. The following are three ways that I have learned to use affirmations effectively and have created very positive changes in my own life:
• Keep them short – Some people use longer, more detailed affirmations that help them sink into their minds more quickly. I have a hard time remembering the longer ones, so I prefer quick and easy. I have also learned to use short affirmations that my subconscious mind cannot discuss. If I seek more money, I do not affirm “I am rich.” Instead, I just repeat the word “wealth” over and over again. If you’re looking to feel better, just repeat “Health” or “Energy.” To maximize the efficiency and power of these words, do this hand in hand with point #2, which is…
• See it and feel it – When you repeat your one word affirmations, immediately see the image in your mind. Form a picture of what wealth, health, happiness, or whatever means to you. Hold that image as you say the words over and over. Plus, it captures the feeling. What would wealth or the perfect body feel like to you? Keep your focus there as you speak your words.
• The final key to overcoming the negatives is to flood your mind with affirmations. It took a long time for positive affirmations to work for me. I followed the first two steps correctly. I just didn’t do it enough. It is a simple fact that the more you use positive affirmations, the faster you will see positive results. I am not exaggerating when I suggest that you repeat the affirmations hundreds of times a day. Can be done. Just take 5 minute blocks a few times throughout the day, when you’re stuck in traffic, showering, during commercials, in the checkout line, or whenever.
Positive affirmations can be a great tool to change your core beliefs and lead you to the life you want. By following the guidelines above, you can prevent negative thoughts from getting in the way, and can instead eliminate them completely. I can certainly say that this process works. Enjoy the blessings!