Contributor: Alexander of alexandersvitych.com.
Last week I carried out an experiment. Every day while commuting by metro to work, I self-tuned myself by saying repeatedly: “Today I am going to have a great day. I have enough time for all my tasks. Work comes and goes. The day is calm and smooth.”
Each day of that week went indeed calm and smooth, and I had time to accomplish all my tasks without any rush or stress.
Then, on another day I did not repeat that positive confirmation. And the day turned out to be hectic, stressful and energy-consuming.
Does this mean positive affirmations are crucial for a balanced and harmonious life?
I don’t think so.
Or, to be more precise, I believe they are just one of the factors that influence our lives and adjust the flow of our days. Besides, positive thinking and positive attitude are different things.
Yet perhaps positive affirmations are not fruitless either. At least two useful things that I took for myself are:
- They calm down your mind (eliminating “inner talk”);
- They assist with focus and concentration.
I still believe that action is the most important ingredient of the recipe–the fifth element, if you wish. The so-called “law of attraction” that has been advertised throughout the world is bollocks if not accompanied with action. However, using positive affirmations is not entirely wrong either.
But let me repeat myself–only if backed up with acting, making and doing.
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I have altered my beliefs in affirmations over the years, for the better, I believe. When i say a prayer or make an affirmation now, I try and mostly succeed to let it go. That means no more reoccupation with worry and fear. i simply know it will all work out fine, so I mostly quit worrying and stop fearing. I believe that this is “action” – this removal of worry. Other than that, I try to simply do what ever I feel led to do. So, yes, action is necessary, but action can, sometimes, not be physical.
I look at affirmations the same way. No repeating it over and over for me–it doesn’t feel good. If I want to manifest something I’m not able to have a feeling of ease about, I dig deeper and look for a way to gently put the issue in a more positive light in my mind, but repeating stuff I don’t believe in doesn’t help at all. For instance, it’s easy for me to say “I am beautiful,” and to feel good about that. But I don’t feel as much ease when I say, “I look like a supermodel.” 🙂