Three Keys to Using Affirmations
I’ve been using affirmations for 30 years and writing and recording them for 25 years. They are one simple, powerful tool to change the way you think. As we all know, what we think we become.
Here are three easy, but necessary steps, to make the most of your affirmations.
Repeat– you’ve had the negative thoughts or circumstances you’re trying to overcome for some time in your life. Saying a couple of affirmations once or twice is not going to overcome them. You must give your positive thoughts equal time – time to work. Use your affirmations daily and continue using them until you begin to notice a change in your thinking. Despite many sources that claim that 21 or 30 days are magical threshholds, I’ve not discovered that. It varies from situation to situation. I know an affirmation is working when my affirmation becomes and auto-response in my mind to the kinds of negative thoughts I’m trying to replace.
Believe – saying empty words that you don’t feel or that fail to address the area of your life you’re ready to improve is worthless. You must repeat your affirmations often and you must work to believe that what you’re saying is true for you. There will be moments and days when you don’t believe. That’s OK. Don’t give up. Affirmations only succeed when you break through that initial resistance. That resistance is called cognitive dissonance and it is a natural part of the process.
Act – I’ve often said that affirmations without action to follow them are just wishful thinking. Saying you want to be a great tennis player to yourself will never happen, if you never pick up the racket and hit the court.
