Do Affirmations Work?

Before asking 'do affirmations work?' we need to be clear what we mean by an affirmation


The definition of an affirmation is the 'declaration that something is true'. Many people use the declarations to improve and progress their lives.


But when  it comes to improving and progressing your life do affirmations work? The answer is - yes they can have a big impact and yes they can be great as a tool to help you on your journey to improvement in many areas. However, you need to know how to use them to create this impact as they can also be virtually useless if used incorrectly


Do Affirmations Work? Not like this! Do you ever remember doing lines at school?

I will not run in the corridor;I must not throw chewing gum at the teacher when his back is turned;I must not use chalk to write 'kick me' on peoples backs.Did they ever stop you from doing these things? I doubt it, and if they did it was likely to be down to the telling off you received or the fact that you were writing them whilst all of the other kids were out in the sunshine playing, rather than the lines themselves.


However, lines are affirmations and if we were to conclude here and ask 'do affirmations work?' the answer would be no. For the purpose of this article they are perfect for showing when affirmations do not work. They have the two critical elements that make them useless... in fact worse than useless as you will see.


The reason for affirmations is to influence your subconscious mind, which is responsible for your automatic behaviors and responses. For example, if I wanted more confidence I may repeat the affirmation 'I am highly confident in all situations'. When I continuously repeat this affirmation I am hoping that it seeps in to my subconscious and it starts to believe this.


The first issue about the above 'lines' affirmations are that they use the word 'not' and the subconscious finds it difficult to register the meaning of such negative words in a sentence. For example, what if I say to you 'do not think about pink elephants!' What is the first thing that comes in to your mind?


So your subconscious, if it is taking any notice (read the second issue) will actually be storing the lines as:

I will run in the corridor; I must throw chewing gum at the teacher when his back is turned;I must use chalk to write 'kick me' on peoples backs.Not the desired outcome!


So, do affirmations work? It doesn't seem like it so far!


The more feeling associated to an event the stronger the message that is passed from the conscious mind to the subconscious mind. For example, if you are watching a sporting performance you may watch your team make 100's of  passes throughout the game. It's unlikely that your subconscious mind will be able to recall many of these a year or week or even a day later. But what if with the last play of the game your team snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. Not only will you remember this the next day but you may even remember it for the rest of your entire life due to the emotional message that was passed from your conscious mind to your subconscious.


How much emotional message was passed with the 'lines' affirmations? Somewhere between zero and none I would suggest. So with these declarations, do affirmations work? No... but wait.


Do Affirmations Work? They most certainly do!  


Affirmations are fantastic at putting you in a resourceful state, to be at your best in a moments notice and to begin to change your natural behaviors for the better. However you have to remember the two key factors in making affirmations work.


Firstly, phrase them positively. After all your outcome should be one of positivity so even if you want to stop thinking a certain way, or stop acting in a certain way, or stop doing something you don't want to always do in a certain situation, phrase them positively! For example the three lines could have been;


I will walk with poise and confidence every time I am in the corridor;I will be on my best behavior at all times when I am in the classroom;I will treat all of my peers with the utmost respect and treat them how I would like to be treated.Now that is the fundamental. Do this and then ask the question 'Do affirmations work?


Almost!!

Now for the final factor. Try to remember 'the body leads and the mind follows'.


Before doing affirmations try and think of a time where you felt great. Feel how you felt and try to recreate the great feelings in your body. Now think of what you would like to improve and create the affirmation. Maybe you are going to a party and you are a little apprehensive. You could use the affirmation


'I am confident in all situations and I am excited about going to the party this evening'.


This is an okay affirmation. To make it a great one, you need to feel the affirmation in your body.


If it is possible, say the affirmation out loud.


Whilst you say the affirmation visualize yourself being perfectly confident at the party. Interacting, smiling and seeing others around you smiling also.


Make big bold gestures when saying the affirmations. Feel the meaning of the words you are saying. Feel the energy of the words pulsating through your body. Make the emotional connection for your subconscious. Embed the actual meaning of the words into your subconscious and make them a part of you.


Then when I ask you Do Affirmations Work? Your answer will be an unequivocal YES THEY DO!

Author: Mark D Bowden

Inspiration for Success

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but you think you can't
If is almost certain you won't

If you think you'll lose, you're lost
For out of the world we find, 
Success begins with a fellow's will--
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man
But soon or late then man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can

~Author Unknown

A Bright Start

"We can get a right start only by accepting God as He is and learning to love Him for what He is. As we go on to know Him better we shall find it a source of unspeakable joy that God is just what He is."~A.W. Tozer

Look for the bright start of your life, seek God in everything you do, and let his brightness shine through you...

Know that he is behind you to catch you fall, beside you to help you when you stumble and in front of you to guide your path...


"The way of right living people glow with light, the longer they live, the brighter they shine" ~Proverbs 4:18

Challenge Yourself Today!

Challenge yourself today and everyday

Say Hey you will not play with your fears today

You are your biggest competition

Let your fears and haters be omissions

No goal to small or insignificant 

And no goal to insurmountable that they can't be done

Make yourself accountable for getting your goals are number one

Make sure when you going after your dreams you try to make it fun

Look for something positive in each moment of each day

Even if one day maybe harder than the last no that this too shall pass

Say something nice to yourself even if nobody else does

It will take time and effort, blood, sweat and tears

But it will make you stronger to conquer your fears

The power of your persistence will get you there

So challenge yourself today to get from here to where you dreams are

No matter long or how Far!

Family Traditions

Pass down the traditions and legacy of hope, health and happiness.
Leave this world remnants of your Love and Laughter.
Give your children and grandchildren a Legacy of wealth of knowledge.
A sense of self, purpose and prosperity.
Don't just pass down the trapping of material wealth. 
Pass down the trails of memories of love, laughter and the lessons of living life.

Start your family traditions today, leave them with a Living Legacy!

Your Dreams Are in Arms Reach

Each moment is an opportunity to reach your dreams. No matter how daunting it may seem.

Each day begins a new page in your book of life that only you can write.

With passion, persistence, and  perseverance your dreams are within arms reach.

Each step you take and every mistake you make brings you closer than you think.

Each word you master, each book you read, each lesson you learn takes you higher in your ability to earn. 

Its your time to shine, leave the fear and doubt behind...block out the speeches of the preachers of doom and gloom

Armed with your confidence and conviction set the date because no matter what age its never too late! 

Reach out! Reach out! Move closer! Mover closer! Step by Step! Its easy as that! 

Hooray! look down now and see how far you have got! Yes, you've made it, straight to the Top!

How to Develop Self Confidence

Sometimes, life gets rough as we face different painful situations and we may find ourselves stuck on our down moments. These are the times where you can lose your self confidence and question whether you made the right decision. We are torn down however we don't need to be in that situation a long time. We need to get back on track, pick the pieces and move on. This indicates a need to get self confidence back, to keep moving forward and to build a better self image. 

We can make our friends our role models and model how they carry themselves after a tragedy. Some of our friends recover their self confidence right after experiencing something painful. Ever wonder how they do that? They are still standing because they believe in themselves that they can be successful again.

When you believe in yourself, you recover your self confidence so that you are ready to achieve your goal. As they say, you will not recognize success unless you meet failure. You can use self confidence in any areas of your life like relationships, business, success, love and career It is a great way to rebuild your self image in these areas.

Here are some ways to get self confidence: 

 Posture: You need to have the right posture, when you stand or sit. This promotes a positive outlook in life. Practice good posture so you can tell yourself that you can do whatever is required to be successful. It will put you in the right mindset that you can accomplish your plans.

Positivity: Always think positive, even when you are in a difficult situation. You can gain self esteem by thinking that you can pass this test. We face many problems each day and this can make us angry, frustrated and embarrassed however, thinking positive can drive all those negative feelings away.  

Avoid negativity: When you avoid negativity, you can clear your mind of obstacles and this will provide great solutions to your problems. You can have self belief when you avoid being around negative people. Additionally, avoid hearing criticism, rumors and rejections by avoiding the people who love to talk about these. 

When you achieve self confidence, you will be able to create great solutions to your daily problems. It can be as simple as deciding whether to wear closed shoes or not. Decisions are one of the things that a person is afraid to make when they don't believe in themselves. Believe in yourself and you can achieve your goals.