Affirmations are an amazing and powerful way to bring about the life we want to inhabit. Sometimes people struggle to find the right affirmation, however, and don’t find the affirmations that they use to be effective. Affirmations are meant to change our thinking at a fundamental level, and that’s an essential part of how and why they work.
An affirmation states the desired reality as present right now. Someone told me she was using affirmations regularly, such as, “I am open to possibilities for creative work that supports me and feeds my soul.” That sounds like a nice goal, but what she actually stated was not about the work she wants, but about her openness to possibilities. If that’s what she affirms, that’s what she will continue to receive. She needs to state what she wants as the present reality: “My creative work supports me and feeds my soul.” Or “I love the work I am doing right now, and it supports me abundantly.” Say those out loud, and you can feel how different they are. Just thinking the latter two, I can almost feel the work in my hands, itching to be done so it can go out and support me.
Some people worry that affirmations are a form of denial. Maybe this person has a job she hates, and it seems like a lie to say she loves her work. Louise Hay said that we state the reality as we want it to be, and the world will arrange itself around that. It might seem implausible, but there’s no harm in trying, to see what will happen. It’s possible that this affirmation won’t lead to a different job, but other things might change about the job that will make it more agreeable to her.
Regarding denial, there is a pitfall that is important to avoid. While it’s possible to misuse affirmations to repress unwanted feelings, they can also assist us in working through our internal resistance. Often a new affirmation brings up emotions and thoughts that we didn’t know we were carrying. They must be integrated in order for the new reality to set in. Maybe the person above feels unworthy of abundance, and whenever she says that last affirmation, she feels uneasy. She could explore that feeling and find the thought she would like to change. Then a new affirmation might be, “I am worthy. I am loved. I am supplied.”
It’s also important not to limit the possibilities. Since my profession has been banned for the last two months because of COVID-19, I’ve been struggling to get my unemployment benefits. It’s tempting to affirm something like, “The Texas Workforce Commission gives me the money they owe me,” but often abundance comes in unexpected ways. It’s better to leave it open, perhaps with, “All my needs are always met,” or “Every imaginable resource is available to me right now for the fulfillment of my Divine purposes.” Those are both affirmations I’ve used quite a bit, and coincidentally, I’m finding that it’s been surprisingly easy to get by. It turns out that lack of money isn’t my biggest problem, though for many years I thought it was. Now I feel that what holds me back is more likely an uncertainty about what I want, or fear of making a poor choice, or of having to give up something I still want in exchange. Maybe it’s time for me to give myself a new affirmation, like “I move forward with confidence, grace, and ease. I always make the right choice.”
What affirmations are you using? How have they helped you?
Rachel Creager Ireland, LMT 