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 at 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 choose to see goodness.
“Goodness and beauty surround me wherever I look. I choose to focus on the positive aspects of life.
“I feel happier and more secure when I pay attention to signs of progress and success. I know that there is order in the world. I trust myself to find solutions to the challenges I encounter.
“I clear away obstacles that would darken my view.
“I let go of judgments and preconceptions. I forgive myself and others. I indulge my curiosity.
“I notice the good qualities in others. I ask myself what I like about my friends and coworkers. I give a thumbs-up to the stranger I see holding a door for other shoppers or picking up litter on the sidewalk.
“I recognize my strengths. I assess my talents and accomplishments. I engage in meaningful work and look for opportunities to gain more knowledge and skills.
“I celebrate uplifting news and events. I am inspired by examples of kindness and heroism.
“I search for beauty. I walk around my local park to admire the birds and flowers. I visit an art museum to reflect on the paintings and sculptures. I decorate my home with new pillows and paint.
“Today, I direct my attention towards the positive attributes of each creature and experience that crosses my path. My world is brimming over with goodness.”
Answer the Self-Reflection Questions:
- How does seeing the good in others enhance my relationships?
- Where can I find the silver lining in a challenge that I am currently facing?
- What are 3 things I like about my life right now?
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!
Hi Sue. Nice piece! Personally have heard of affirmations but I haven’t tried them at all! I am definitely going to put in time and effort to practice them regularly and see if it works and I believe it will. This article is indeed very helpful to me. Thank you so much
Thank you – I appreciate your comments. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about affirmations. I find them so helpful. You will too if you continue to believe they are. Best wishes.
We do believe in the value of affirmation. We used to be one of the facilitators in the marriage encounter program in our parish. And we can still recall certain research that we used to reference indicating that a couple giving out at least five positive affirmations to each other in a day have a happy marriage.
Thank you for this beautiful article and for sharing the tips on how everyone can practice affirmation.
Thank you – I love that research! It makes perfect sense that sharing positive affirmations would improve a marriage – or any relationship. I appreciate your comments.