Affirmations

Do you affirm yourself to yourself?

One of the most difficult tasks for me to undertake was affirming myself to myself.I always thought it was silly and wouldn’t do anything for me.I owe that thought to a Saturday Night Live skit back in the early 90’s.I forget who the comedian was, but he sat in a rocking chair with his sweater and looked into a tall mirror.The punch line was always “and by golly, people like me.”To be perfectly honest I thought I had a healthy love for myself.I was self confident and didn’t need any more of it.

Then one day I took a long look in the mirror and realized all the negativity I had regarding me and who I was.I really wasn’t the person I thought I was; nor was I the person I wanted to be.So I started to change.

In the beginning I had to force myself to read affirmations.SNL kept creeping into my head.I learned more and more how many “successful” people affirmed themselves on a daily basis.I figured if it was good for those people I looked up to, then it ought to be a good thing for me to.

Affirmations need to be personal; they’re aboutyou after all.You can’t copy another’s affirmations list and expect it to have the same effect.Certainly reading another’s list can be helpful when creating your own list; but your list needs to be your list.

Anything you want in life, be it a closer relationship with God, your spouse, or your kids, a better way of life (however your define that), more money, a new car to replace the old one, or changing the person you are into the person you want to be, write it down in the present tense.“I am” should start each line.“I am” is a powerful statement of personal choice and identity.You’ll know when you have the right statements as they will resonate with who you are.All you have to do is listen.