Positive Affirmations
Speak Positive Change Into Your Life

Positive affirmations are a powerful way to bring positive energy into your life and can result in life-changing results in any area of your life. They are an important aspect of positive thinking and are critical to the development of a positive mental attitude.

What we say is, in a lot of ways, a true reflection of our thoughts and beliefs. Our words are simply thoughts that have been vocalized. Therefore when we speak we are confirming our thoughts, which gives that thought more "power" or presence than a thought that is not vocalised.

People that generally speak negative things have a negative mental attitude and those that speak positive things have a positive mental attitude and thinking pattern. No doubt, like me, you have come across people that are unbearably negative. It seems that they can see the negative aspect of any situation and always fail to find anything positive about anything. This is because their minds have been programmed by years of bad habit to seek out, notice and speak about negative aspects of things.

This goes to illustrate the point that our mental attitude is often a big factor in determining our perception of reality and this goes on to determine our failures and successes in life.

What Are Positive Affirmations?

Let's go back to basics a little: the word affirm in "positive affirmations" can be defined as "to declare positively or firmly; or maintain to be true." An affirmation is therefore a statement of something as a fact.

A positive affirmation  is a statement of something positive about yourself or another person, said with utmost conviction, belief and emotion. That is my definition, though I am sure there are many others around.

Just as our words are revealed thoughts and our thoughts influence what we say, so the reverse is also true. Our words become thought and what we say ultimately can influence what we think and change our mental attitude in the particular area we wish to address. It is said that if you say a lie long enough you will come to accept as fact yourself. In essence your mind comes to accept the reality of what you speak.

This change in your thinking ultimately manifests itself in changed habits and behaviour.

Positive Affirmations To Influence Other People's Behaviour?

Have you ever noticed that if you tell someone something positive about them, they will behave in a manner that fits what you say about them? Tell your child they are smart and well behaved and praise them for it long enough and they will become that way.

Tell your spouse how ugly, fat and lazy they are and they will ultimately behave that way towards you. So our words are very suggestive and carry a lot of power in influencing other people's behaviour.

Therefore positive affirmations can also work in influencing other people positively. Just praise someone or thank them for something positive you would like them to have often and they will come to be and do what you say in most circumstances.

But it is important not to be manipulative in this and to only say those things that are to the benefit of the person concerned, and not our own benefit.

For example, if you would like your child to perform better at school you can say something like: "That was such a wonderful essay you wrote the other day, I really enjoyed it. You are such a great writer."

Or to a husband: "You are the greatest husband anyone could ever have. Thank you for being there for me." Believe me; he will not want to disappoint you if you keep saying that to him.

Now remember that there are limits to how far this will work as the other person's will is also involved here.We cannot fully control other people's thoughts and actions - ultimately that is their responsibility. But we can influence it to happen in a positive way.

Construct Your Affirmations "Positively"

Be careful in constructing your affirmations that you not put negative statements into them as this reduces their power and may actually have the undesirable effect of bringing about the negative result.

For example, do not say:
"I am not a liar and I will not tell a lie today."

Rather say:
"I am an honest person and I always tell the truth in any circumstance."

Reinforcing the positive makes your mind focus on the positive and brings about the positive in your life. So do not say what you do not want but rather say what you want.

Repeat Like A Parrot

It has probably taken you years of bad habits to develop your current negative behaviours and thoughts. Therefore, changing them is no easy or quick matter. They key to harnessing the power of positive affirmations is repetition. Many people give up after a few days or so and conclude it does not work. But, for any positive affirmation to really take hold in you and begin to bring about positive change can take a minimum of 3 weeks according to my experience.

So stick to it and keep saying those positive affirmations. One day you will realise you have changed, and then you will be totally amazed at the fact that you did not even notice the gradual change.Stick with it for at least 3 months for maximum results.

The Power Of Sticking To One Thing At A Time

It is important to work on one thing at a time. Trying to change everything about yourself overnight will only lead to frustration and disappointment.

Focus your energy on one thing at a time. Once you make progress in that area you can move on to the next positive affirmation.Persist and you will succeed.

A Good Dose Of Emotion

As human beings we are very emotional people. In many ways a lot of our decisions are made from an emotional point of view rather than a logical one. Ask any good marketer: we make our buying decisions emotionally and then justify them logically most of the time. It is therefore important that you get emotional about what you are saying.

Emotion is the catalyst that will give power to what you are saying and enable it to be fully embedded in your psyche. Without emotion, you positive affirmations are dead. Think of emotion as the water necessary to germinate and nurture the words you plant.

Keep It In The Present

Your positive affirmations must be written and spoken in the present tense, not future tense. If you use future tense it will always be for "then" and not for now - and "then" never really comes right? We are always in the now. So keep it present tense.

Here's to the new and more powerful you!

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