„We can not become what we want by remaining what we are“ - Max Depree
A few months ago, I had the urge to change the way I feel about myself and I knew something needed to change for that.
I started to write affirmations and I integrated them into my morning routine.
I wanted to be stronger than the little voice in my head, that constantly criticizes me and looks for my flaws.
Every day we are telling ourselves unconsciously affirmations, which are mostly negative like „I am not good enough“, „I am not talented“, „I am not efficient enough“ or „I am too this… I am too that…“.
I know it too well when you stand in front of the mirror and almost immediately the negative voice starts to talk.
This negative self-talk impacts the way, how I feel about myself, it disempowers me, limits me and in some ways holds me back.
I wanted to take my power back and not let my negative self-talk rule me, this is why I started changed my affirmations to the positive and integrated them into my life.
You and I have the power of choice and we can choose what we believe is to be true.
Here are some ways that has helped me in that process:
What you think you become
If you want to change your self-talk, you first have to become mindful of the things, that you are telling yourself.
Simply start to observe your self-talk and try to see which affirmations are most dominate.
Once you become aware of your thoughts and self-talk, start to replace them with empowering thoughts.
I like to come back to a self-chosen mantra if I feel that I am getting caught up in negative thoughts, I try to stop myself and say „I am good enough“, for example.
Journaling
I collected a list of affirmations in my journal book that I keep ongoing back to and read out loud.
Additionally, I am writing any affirmations that come to my head, when I journal.
Try to list your negative affirmations and replace them with positive affirmations, for example, change „I am not looking good today“ to „I am always beautiful“.
List on the Wall
I pint a list of affirmations visibly on my wall, it helps me to see the list right when I wake up.
When you first awake, your subconscious mind is the most receptive, and it’s one of the best times of the day to say affirmations, which can over time rewire your brain.
Here are some of my personal affirmations:
I am good enough
I am beautiful
I am lovable
I am talented
I am exactly where I need to be
I am doing my best
I trust
I trust that everything that happens is for my highest good
I am living abundantly
I matter
I am deeply connected to myself and others
I let go of all my fears
I love and accept my body and my appearance
I read my affirmations out loud on a daily basis, as cheesy as it may sounds to tell yourself these affirmations, you will feel the shift in your well-being if you practice them consistently.
Imagine that you are planting seeds, if you water them, they will grow and you want to make sure that you are planting the right seeds.
You will notice that the voice in your head will get louder and will try to fight your new affirmations.
There is a quote by Buddha, which inspires me: „All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made of our thoughts.“
Feel
The most important is to connect your affirmations with an emotion, by doing that you supercharge the effect of your affirmations.
If your new affirmation is „I am loved“, then remember the time when you truly felt loved, feel it in your body and connect the feeling with your affirmation.
Finally, I would suggest you to collect a list of affirmations that feel good to you and match your values.
Ask yourself: „How do I want to feel?“, „What do I want to change?“ or „How can I empower myself?“.
You can say the affirmations to yourself, either out loud or silently, whenever you feel like it.
Another powerful tool is to listen to affirmations, there are plenty of youtube videos (I will attach my favorite video links below).
Affirmation Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNS70QJh4Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZssjZnsN4Gg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz16YqpWkz4
Try out different videos and feel which ones resonate with you.
It is a daily process and it is not about perfection, some days will feel easier and other days will feel harder.
The one thing that counts is your commitment and decision to change your life to the better at any given moment.
… remember you are always loved, always guided and always protected.