How to Create Meaningful Change with Positive Affirmations

How many times have you heard quotes like “You are what you think” or “What you think you become”? We even have a sign hanging in our office that says: “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”

I remember in chiropractic school, I came across a book by Louise Hay, called You Can Heal Your Life. It was full of positive affirmations that I loved reading. However, I was still full of negative self-talk in my normal life. I was always a positive person in the world, but I really had a talent for beating myself up in every way.

The practice of transforming your thoughts

It wasn’t until I really started practicing yoga and meditation, that I began to understand and feel that by transforming your thoughts, you can transform your life. I still love that book. It got me thinking about transforming thoughts into a more positive outlook.

However, I now understand that it really takes dedicated practice. Now don’t get me wrong. We all have bad days or especially tender issues or buttons that trigger us back to our negative self-talk. But the really wonderful thing is that after practicing for a while, you begin to realize that this negative talk doesn’t have to be your reality and you have the power to change it.

It is so true that the way we perceive the world and the way that we think about things affect our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Our thoughts are too important to ignore!

Our thoughts shape our lives

Thoughts about ourselves, our relationships, our jobs, and the world, really shape what we eventually see as the truth. They also shape the feelings that we have and the choices that we make. All of us have a tendency to beat ourselves up with our thoughts or put ourselves down in our mind. For some, positive thinking is natural and negative self-talk only rears its ugly head during particularly vulnerable or stressful times. For others, thinking about things negatively is a first instinct.

How positive affirmations can change your thinking … and your life

One way to begin thinking more positively is to use positive affirmations. An affirmation is simply positive self-talk. It is a statement spoken in the present as if it is already true. So, for example, you might be stressed about money and have negative self-talk that says “I will never get out of this mountain of debt.” You could turn that statement into, “I am worthy of abundance. I make choices about money that reflect self-love and self-worth.”

To start using positive affirmations, your first have to listen to yourself. Notice patterns and situations where you recognize negative self-talk or negative beliefs. You can even write down the negative talk or belief you recognize in yourself in a journal. Then, think about the situation and ask yourself how you could change that belief into a positive statement.

The next step is to write down the positive statement. It may feel uncomfortable, unbelievable or even impossible. For example, you may notice that you are saying “I am so stressed and tired, but I cannot afford a vacation.” Perhaps you change that to “I rest and take excellent care of myself while I am very productive at work, and I have created the space and opportunity for a vacation in June of 2016.”

This may seem impossible, but when you subconsciously create the opportunity for a better outcome, you automatically start creating it. When you recognize very important areas of your life where you are using negative talk and you feel this is a real issue for you, take the positive affirmation for that area and post it someplace you can see it (like on your bathroom mirror). Or you can take a few moments every morning to meditate on this statement.

Watch change unfold

Once you begin recognizing the negative talk and realizing it isn’t true, you will be more open to creating a new truth, and it starts by simply saying it. You never know the amazing ways in which you may be inspired. And your inspirational thoughts inspire actions and choices that lead to better outcomes.

As the statements become more natural to you, you will start to believe what you are saying. When that happens, the world becomes an amazing opportunity for living the life you truly desire.

If you would like to take a look at some great positive affirmations by Louise Hay, check out her website.

How do positive affirmations help you? Please comment below.

Dr. Sharman