Those of us in the Self Help and Mental Fitness industry love nothing more than coming up with so-called secrets to personal success and achievement. While each “secret” carries a great deal of weight and, in its own way, can help us along our route to self improvement, there is one good, old-fashioned, often overlooked truth: Positive thinking can work wonders.
I know you have heard of affirmations. They are short and to the point sayings or quotes that people repeat to themselves with varying degrees of frequency. These sayings serve to “affirm” what it is they hope to accomplish in their life.
The individual who is trying to stop smoking (or another unhealthy habit), for example, may use one of the following positive affirmations:
- My health is more important to me than this.
- I am getting healthier every day.
- I am getting stronger every day.
- I am strong.
- I can do this!
We all know how powerful positive feedback is, but we can’t always get it from the people around us. After all, they’re all busy on their own road to self improvement. The good news is, we can be our own cheerleading squad. We can, if we will commit to it, provide our own positive feedback. The trick is to be very careful what you say to yourself. Watch your thoughts like an overly protective mother watches her child on a playground.
As a mother worthy of the title overly protective parent, I can tell you a hawk doesn’t have any better vision!
When negative thoughts creep in, chase them away with positive affirmations. Make your mind a steel trap – one that keeps positvie thoughts IN and negative thoughts OUT. To a very real extent, we create our world within our mind before we create it anywhere else. If it is the birthplace of things that will take root in our life, shouldn’t we want the environment to be as positive as possible?!
The next time you begin to think negative thoughts about yourself, force the thoughts to stop. Replace them immediately with positively affirming thoughts. I’ve always taught my daughters this about thoughts: Never say, to yourself, things you wouldn’t dream of saying to another person. You would never (I hope!) tell another person, “You’re fat (or worthless or old or skinny or….).” Never say them to yourself. Critical, ugly words are emotionally crippling – they act upon your psyche just as a dropped hammer would act upon a toe.
A person’s spirit can be just as broken as a bone, but it takes far longer to heal. You would never consider breaking someone else’s spirit, right? Starting today, always be just as careful with your own.
Positive affirmations and positive thinking work wonders in a person’s life. If you are one of the individuals who have their doubts, do me (and yourself!) a favor: Try it for yourself. Grab a few of the affirmations listed below and memorize them. Use them throughout the coming days and see, for yourself, how comforting and inspiring they are.
After a few weeks pass, I promise you this – you’ll never leave your house without them again!
Favorite Positive Affirmations:
- I can do this.
- I’m a finisher.
- I persevere.
- I am getting healthier everyday.
- I am growing each day.
- I can do anything I set my mind to.
- Nothing is too hard for me.
- I’m tough!
- I am living out my dreams
- I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
- I always find a way.
- Nothing gets in my way.
- I am getting closer and closer to my goal.
- I have a wonderful life.
- My family loves me.
- I am important.
- I am in control.
- I am successful in everything I do.
- I can change the world!
- I’m headed in the right direction.
- I love my life.
- I’ve got a great attitude.
- Life is fun.
- I’m hopeful about the future.
- I like me as a person.
- I know what I want and how to get it.
- Look out world!
Make each affirmation count double,
~ Joi
*** The poster above says, “THINK SMART. Every answer you seek lies within you. Learn to appreciate the questions first. They will guide you to great discoveries. You can do anything. Think big.” I love this poster’s attitude!
