Introduction to Affirmations

[Bisket]

The Power of Affirmations
By Remez Sasson

Positive affirmations are positive sentences repeated many times in order to impress the subconscious mind and trigger it into action. These sentences describe a situation that we desire to happen, and are repeated many times, with conviction, attention and feelings.

Imagine that you are swimming with your friends in a swimming pool. They swim fifteen rounds, something you have never done before. As you desire the respect of your friends, you want to show them that you can make it too. You start swimming, and at the same time keep repeating in your mind: "I can do it, I can do it...". You keep thinking and believing that you are going to complete the fifteen rounds. What are you actually doing? You are repeating positive affirmations.

More than often people repeat negative sentences and statements, concerning diverse situations in their lives, and consequently bring upon themselves undesirable situations. Affirmations work both ways, to build and to destroy. They are a kind of a neutral power. It is the way we use them that determines whether they are going to bring good or harmful results.

Affirmations are similar to creative visualization. The repeated words build mental images and scenes in the mind. The words help to focus on the aim, object or situation one wants to achieve or create. Frequent repetitions make the subconscious mind accept them, and then it influences and affects the way one thinks, acts and behaves.

The conscious mind, the mind you think with, starts this process, and then the subconscious mind takes charge. This means that the most frequent thoughts that pass through your mind, ultimately affect your life and your destiny.

Affirmations work like commands that are given to a computer. They influence us, other people, events and circumstances. It might seem strange to you, but they do also influence the people we meet, our circumstances and the events we encounter.

Sometimes they work fast, but more often they need time. Repeating positive affirmations a few minutes, and then thinking negatively, neutralizes the effects of the positive words. You have to refuse negative thoughts, otherwise you will not attain positive results.

We often repeat affirmations, without even being aware of the process. We use them when we tell ourselves that we can't do something, that we are too lazy, or when we believe we are going to fail. The subconscious mind always accepts follows what we tell it. It is the same principle at work when we say to ourselves that we can do it, or we cannot, when say we are going to succeed and when we keep saying that we are going to fail. It is the same power working both ways. Why not choose the better way?

How to Repeat Affirmations

It is better to repeat affirmations that are not too long. A short sentence is quite enough. They can be repeated, when your mind is not engaged in something in particular, such as when traveling in a bus or a train, waiting in line, walking etc, but do not affirm while driving yourself or crossing a street. You may also repeat them in special sessions of about ten minutes each, several times a day.

There should be no physical, emotional or mental tension while repeating them. The stronger the concentration, the more faith you have in what you are doing, the more feelings you put into the act, the stronger and faster will be the results.

It is very important to choose only positive affirmations. If for example you desire to lose weight, do not say, "I am not fat, I am losing weight." By saying this sentence you are repeating to your subconscious mind that you are fat. The word "losing" also evokes negative images. It is better to say, "My body has an athletic form, and weighs the right and healthy weight". Such words evoke positive images in the mind.

It is important to affirm using in the present tense, not the future tense. Saying: "I will be rich", means that you intend to be rich one day, in the indefinite future. You are actually telling yourself that some day you will be rich, never now. It is better and more effective to say, and also feel, "I am rich now", and the subconscious mind will work overtime to make this happen now, in the present.

As to results, sometimes they may come fast, and at other times may take more time to manifest. Achieving results through the power of affirmations depends on how much time, energy, faith and feelings you invest in your affirmations, on how big or small is your goal, and on how strong is your desire.

By using the power of affirmations you state what you want to be true in your life. You see reality, as you want it to be. For a while, you ignore your current circumstances and your doubts, and concentrate on a different reality.

Positive Affirmations
- I am healthy and happy.

- Wealth is pouring into my life.

- I am flowing on the river of wealth.

- I am getting wealthier each day.

- My body is healthy and functioning in a very good way.

- I have a lot of energy.

- I study and comprehend fast.

- I am getting A's in my exams.

- My mind is calm.

- I am calm and relaxed in every situation.

- My thoughts are under my control.

- I radiate love and happiness.

- I am surrounded by love.

- I have the perfect job for me.

- I am living in the house of my dreams.

- I have good and loving relations with my wife/husband.

- I have a wonderful satisfying job.

- I have the means to travel abroad whenever I want to.

- I am successful in whatever I do.

- Everything is getting better every day.



You're supposed to just concentrate on 1 or 2 for a certain time period until you get the results you desire. It can take at least 30 days to penetrate your subconscious with the affirmations you want, so you have to have some patience to go along with this.

Anybody have stories on affirmations directly affecting their lives?

[pwherr]

Hypnosis works. This a form of it.

[Grizzly Joe]

Affirmations only work up to a certain point... when the tornado hits...

[Bisket]

well technically this is a form of self-hypnosis, with the goal being the changing of the subconscious mind. Haven't read up much on professional hypnosis yet.

[Romanowski]

im a big fan of applied psychology like this

[captaincapper]

I think I can push out this turd, I think I can push out this turd....AAAAAAhhhhhhhh hurray I pushed out a turd! Wow positive thinking sure is smelly.

[Grizzly Joe]

Originally Posted by captaincapper

I think I can push out this turd, I think I can push out this turd....AAAAAAhhhhhhhh hurray I pushed out a turd! Wow positive thinking sure is smelly.

Bran flakes work even better hehe...

Well, affirmations are great when everything is going great, but sometimes life can throw something at you that brings you back to reality, that's all...

[Romanowski]

theres nothing esoteric about this, this is science

its much more about your emotional state while doing the affirmations then the actual words

if you say them while jogging for example, they will stick much more

just keep in mind your brain will work very hard to keep you happy, even if it means a long term net loss

example every bad habit you have will be rationalized internally to focus on what it does thats positive

say smoking, while obvious to all its detrimental for your health, your brain will rationalize it

by touching your lips with your fingertips your brain sees that as nurturing

by taking deep breaths, albeit with smoke, therapeutic

the main goal of these "affirmations" is to create new brain pathways, new ways to rationalize...

to visualize you have already obtained your goal, and by doing so you begin to think of the ways you got there

another goal is to ask the right questions, because your brain will be forced to find answers

with the same goals and good intentions you may ask yourself two different questions

why do I always lose my baseball bets?

how can I win baseball bets?

although both seemingly with good intentions, only one will produce results as your brain turns

teh bad rap to all of this stems from that the secret movie, that would seem youd win the lottery with this thinking

its not so, obviously

[Davydave]

This is pretty much what "The Secret" was about.

[Bisket]

the secret is garbage in a lot of ways, but deserves credit for bringing this to the mainstream.

[Bisket]

Another site explaining how affirmations become true

http://www.self-improvement-mentor.c...ions-work.html

[thinkingdog]

Originally Posted by Bisket23

the secret is garbage in a lot of ways, but deserves credit for bringing this to the mainstream.

Just curious as to why "The Secret" is "garbage in a lot of ways". I found the slick packaging of the Secret's positive affirmations to be entertaining, if not compelling.

You seem to have some decent knowledge on this subject and would like to know what you saw as trash. Was it some sort of perversion of the subject matter to make the information more palatable to the lowest common denominator? Or was the intrinsic message somehow miscommunicated?

[Bisket]

It's just that there are much better sites/products to look at in the field of law of attraction

The actors in the film said that a lot of their stuff was edited.

[thinkingdog]

Does anyone have any anecdotal proof (themselves or someone they know) where the laws of attraction or affirmation have caused a profound change in their lives?

[uva3021]

the underlying flaw in this entire frame of thought is survivorship bias, things are only affirmed after they have been realized, and when something is not affirmed, your brain rationalizes the insignificance of that particular object or reason for your affirmed desire