Have you heard of affirmations?  From the Latin word affirmare, affirmation means to assert.  It is also a term to describe a form of autosuggestion used to produce desired results in various areas of our lives.

The link between our thoughts and our reality is stronger than you may know or even realize.   The thoughts and feelings going on inside you are what manifest in your life.   Our subconscious mind is very powerful.  It is working hard all the time to make the thoughts and desires we have come to fruition, so it is important that the thoughts we have are positive, centered thoughts so that our lives match our thinking. With affirmations you are harnessing the power to influence yourself in a positive manner.

A good way to begin your use of affirmations is to make a list of things, people or situations that you want to draw into your life.  Or you can state situations that already exists, that you want to be mindful of, such as gratitude for a certain person, situation, etc.  Group them into sections such as family, career, finances, and social life.  Then purchase a package of index cards (I like to get a multicolor pack and have a different color for each area of my life) and write each affirmation, as concisely as you can, on a separate card.

State your affirmations, written or verbalized, in a positive way.  Repeat each one four or five times, then move to the next.  While it is fine to use affirmations from a book or website, I’ve always had the most success with affirmations that I craft myself, for my specific needs and desires.  Repetition is a big part of making affirmations successful.  Try to sit quietly twice a day and go over your cards.  Also be mindful throughout the day of repeating these positive statements in your mind, especially if have or feel a negative thought coming on.  You can also get a notebook where you write out your affirmations, twenty or more times for each one.  It is recommended that you use a maximum of 6 affirmations at a time, say per week, in order for them to be most effective.Believing what you say in your affirmations is significant in their ability to work for you.  Say your affirmations out loud, slowly and add creative visualization to pack an even more powerful affirmation punch.  Remember that your subconscious mind is like a magnet and attracts whatever you focus thought and energy on into your reality.

Remember to exercise patience, as affirmations don’t ‘take’ overnight.  You will find that as you use affirmations you will notice a change in your thoughts, to a more positive, productive random (and conscious) thought pattern.  Although you may not notice it for a while, you truly are gaining control of your thoughts and feelings with the routine use of affirmations.  Affirmations can help shape your future reality.  Take the time to figure out what you want out of life and use affirmations create the life you desire and deserve.

Photo Credit © Oleksandr Kalyna | Dreamstime.com

Tags: desires, feelings, gratitude, positive, power, reality, thoughts