Sunday Serenities – A New Affirmation to Start Your Week

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

It is easy to treat others respectfully when I focus on love.

I endeavor to go through life with love at the forefront of my mind.

My days are more peaceful when I confront situations with a positive, loving outlook.

By example, I show those I interact with that I want to be treated in a loving way. I speak and act respectfully to set a positive example. I know that approach can help others learn how to be respectful towards me and others as well.

When focusing on love, it is easy to be respectful to others.

At times, I have disagreements with friends, but love helps us reach common ground.

Instead of forcing my opinion on others, I first try to understand their point of view. Sometimes that loving approach helps me to see a flaw in my own argument.

When I think about love, I am able to respond constructively and respectfully in difficult situations.

When I am offended by someone’s words or actions, I avoid overreacting. Although I feel hurt, responding in a negative manner only worsens the situation. Instead I focus on loving them for who they were created to be.

Today, I display a genuine love for others, even strangers. I am aware that all of us are human beings that deserve to be loved and respected. I attempt to show love in the same way I want to be loved.

I understand that I will never look into the eyes of someone who isn’t unconditionally loved by our Creator. That includes me.

Answer the Self-Reflection Questions:

How can I show my love for others?
What example situations can I share with my kids so they learn how to love others?
When have I shown love to an acquaintance or stranger?

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.

You can also connect with me via –

Email: info@SerenitiesNow.com

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