Each week we will be sharing a new affirmation. The introductory information will remain the same, but if you are new to affirmations, please check out the first two sections on “What is an Affirmation?” and “How to Practice Your Affirmation.” If you regularly read our weekly article or already do affirmations, feel free to skip to the section titled “Read Today’s Affirmation.”
What is an Affirmation
Many have heard of affirmations, but if you haven’t tried them yet, you are missing out! Simply put, an affirmation is a statement you use to affirm yourself – you know, to say something positive. There are many different types, and as long as they are positive, there really is no wrong way to do an affirmation.
Affirmations can be a simple phrase, a list of related statements, or a focused paragraph. All of these work well depending on the situation you are working on, the time you have, and your intention – your intention being the most important part of the equation.
Do Affirmations Work?
According to an article by Catherine Moore, Psychologist, MBA in PositivePsychology.com “There is MRI evidence suggesting that certain neural pathways are increased when people practice self-affirmation tasks (Cascio et al., 2016). If you want to be super specific, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex—involved in positive valuation and self-related information processing—becomes more active when we consider our personal values (Falk et al., 2015; Cascio et al., 2016).
The results of a study by Falk and colleagues suggest that when we choose to practice positive affirmations, we’re better able to view “otherwise-threatening information as more self-relevant and valuable” (2015: 1979).”
So the bottom line is yes – affirmations work. It’s not a magic bullet. You do have put in the time and effort to practice them regularly. Do some research and find the affirmations that resonate with you, then begin to put them into practice. You can begin your search with the affirmation for today.
How to Practice Your Affirmation
Here is how to practice today’s affirmation. It is not original – but it is so good, I had to share (with permission of course and the promise to keep the originator anonymous). If you are comfortable with the idea, I like to recommend that people do this in front of a mirror. Read the affirmation a phrase at a time, then pause after each phrase. Take time to look yourself in the eye and then repeat the phrase back to yourself aloud. When you are finished with the affirmation, take time to breathe and reflect.
Finish your time by answering the self-reflection questions below. You can answer them any way you like, but I prefer to have a journal where I can have both my affirmations and the answers to my questions together. You may be surprised when you look back at them one day and discover the answers may be totally different.
Read Today’s Affirmation
I avoid focusing on the trees so I don’t lose sight of the lush, beautiful forest before me.
I have a panoramic view of life. My eyes focus on the beauty of the whole. In order to see the bigger picture, I take a step back from where I am.
When I want to see something different, I simply reposition myself. When I look objectively from far away, I see that there is a purpose larger than me.
Stepping back helps me appreciate life as a whole. Like a forest, life is a combination of experiences. Just as some trees are more majestic than others, so are my experiences. I take the good with the bad and end up with a beautiful result.
I value each tree as a part of a whole. There is something I can get from each tree, but I look beyond it to catch a glimpse of something greater. If I fix my eyes on the individual trees, I miss out on the majesty of the forest.
One tree by itself is amazing as it is, but it is no comparison to a lush forest. I do not settle for a single tree when there is a beautiful forest that I deserve to enjoy.
I stay away from having a narrow view. Each day I take action to enlarge my vision. I look for things that may be hidden from me.
My ambitions are the binoculars that help me bring the larger image into focus. When I look through the eyes of ambition, my dreams feel close to me.
The forest has much more to offer than a single tree. I avoid focusing on the trees because there are experiences beyond my imagination awaiting me in the forest.
Answer the Self-Reflection Questions:
1. What do I need to do to reposition myself and have a better view?
2. When was the last time I took a step back to look at my life objectively?
3. How can I enlarge my vision today?
I hope you enjoyed this issue of Sunday Serenities. It is my mission to help provide you with the tools you need to have a more peaceful life so you can:
Find your purpose – find your joy!
Would you like copy of Improve Your Mindset? Just click on the link – it’s my gift to you.
Did you find a few more ideas of your own? If so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments, and as always please reach out with your thoughts.
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Email: info@SerenitiesNow.com
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Serenities Now LLC is a holistic health practice that will help you find the tools you need to bring calm to your chaos, take back your control, and break through your barriers, so you can become your best self ever.