Today’s Affirmation
Empowerment Affirmation: I embrace the power and beauty within me and water it every day!
When you search the Internet for information on how to create affirmations you find that there is an overwhelming predisposition to phrasing affirmations in the first person – that is using I, me, my, or mine in the affirmations.
There is a good reason for it. Traditionally, affirmations were used by people a narrow subset of the population – people in recovery, super salespeople, or elite athletes. The formula preached by the affirmation gurus who worked with these groups was to write your affirmations in the first-person and sit in front of the mirror (Stuart Smalley style) and repeat your affirmations until – by sheer will – you believed them.
No one can deny that many people used this technique to great effect. The fact is, however, that most people are too busy or find performing this ritual kind of cheesy. The parody created by the Stuart Smalley character on Saturday Night Live, in my opinion, only served to make affirmations “nerdy” and cause people who could use them to shy away.
Today people who want to change their habits, reshape their thinking, or condition their minds for success get their affirmations by listening. My own 20 year experiment with affirmations has found that repeated listening (both with intent and passively) is every bit as effective as the mirror talk.
Listening to affirmations provides the added benefit of being able to augment first-person affirmations with second-person affirmations – affirmations using you or your. The importance of adding ‘you’ to affirmations is that it allows you to tap into one of the greatest powers of affirmations – thought substitution. Thought substitution is a process by which you replace an existing negative thought or belief with a positive one. It is one of the most important benefits of using affirmations.
Most of the negative self-talk you seek to overcome with affirmations originated from outside of you. Other people planted the thoughts and you internalized them and made them part of your thinking. These thoughts are almost always phrased (even in your own mind) using ‘you’ because that is how you originally absorbed them.
For instance, your mother said, “You are so stupid,” when you were 10 years old. For whatever reason, you internalized that thought. Over the years, whenever you mess up you hear the phrase, “You are so stupid,” in your mind.
So, using this example, you create a first-person affirmation that says, “I am smart,” to counter the old thought. The affirmation will be somewhat effective in countering the old thought, but it will not replace it. Oddly enough, there is something about the thought substitution process that requires a one-for-one switch for maximum effectiveness.
The “I am smart” affirmation plays a role in affirming our own belief in our intelligence. However, the old thought, “You are so stupid,” is still floating around in your mind and you wind up with two conflicting beliefs.
What I have found resolves this situation is to complement the first-person affirmation with a second-person version that can – with repetition – actually replace the old thought. The most effective means is to listen to or repeat the affirmation in the first-person affirmation several times and follow it with the affirmation in the second-person several times.
The result is that you are simultaneously planting a new internal thought, “I am smart,” and replacing the old external thought with a substitute thought coming from the outside that confirms, “You are smart.”
Try adding the power of ‘you’ to your affirmations!
Follow your bliss! Experience your bliss! Become your bliss!
Ray
Ray Davis is the Founder of The Affirmation Spot and focuses on empowering minds to think positively, achieve goals, and live dreams. He is author of the ebook The Power to Be You and the forthcoming The Power to Be You 2: 1001 Power Thoughts for Daily Life.
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Let’s face it. You live in a multi-tasking rich world. You juggle multiple projects at work or school. You have to get the kids to soccer practice and dance practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Tae Kwon Do on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Or is it the other way around? You care for your aging parents. You take the dog for a walk. You try to be a part of your community.
Today I am sharing 25 miscellaneous affirmations. Each follows the first person, second person formula. I’ve written before on the importance of using first and second person affirmations.
However, audio affirmations open up a whole new realm. Listening is more passive than speaking or reading and you are used to hearing people speak to you in the second person.
He was cut from his high school basketball team. I don’t know if that high school basketball team was unbelievably talented or the coach just wasn’t a very good judge of ability. Can you imagine arguably the greatest basketball player ever cut from his basketball team? The coach was presumedly an expert.
Disney latched on to the new sound technology in Hollywood and created a third Mickey Mouse film with sound called Steamboat Willie which debuted in New York on November 18, 1928.
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Time to Be Who You Came Here to Be – The Affirmation Spot for Friday January 2, 2009
January 2, 2009 — Ray DavisToday’s Affirmation:
“This year I am absolutely committed to being the person I came here to be.”
(This is the official TAS affirmation for 2009. Click the affirmation to hear the mp3 version)
Literally trillions of events in the history of this universe had to happen just right for you to be here. If any one of them had happened another way, then no you.
In my book, that makes your existence rather significant.
That begs the question. Why are you here? What are you here to be?
More than likely you know the answer to that question. It’s hidden or forgotten somewhere deep inside of you, but it is there. You’ve had inklings of it throughout your life. There are those things you just love doing and experiencing. There are places you just love to be. Perhaps at one time you dreamed of doing those things or being in those places.
Somewhere along the line your dreams and reality collided. You gave up on the dreams to live in “reality.” “They” told you your dreams were not realistic and you bought it. My question to you is do your dreams and your reality have to be conflict? Can your dreams become your reality?
The great thinkers and spiritual teachers of our species have been clear and unequivocal in their conviction that our dreams can be our reality. Few things have been more universally taught.
That’s not to say that you can blink your eyes “Genie-style” and your wish becomes your life. It may take work. There may be challenges. You might have to make hard choices. None of the great sages ever promised otherwise.
Are your dreams worth it or not?
The joy and jubilation created by the new year will pass and “real life” will begin again. The momentum you need to make the changes you are promising yourself this year need to be boosted by something inspirational, if they are to survive.
Your dreams fit the bill perfectly. Suspend your disbelief and start walking in the direction of your dreams. As you get in better “dream shape” pick it up to a jog. By the end of the journey, you will be in full sprint towards your dreams.
Soon you will be embracing your deepest dreams and spending your days living your dreams instead of…well…dreaming about them. Belief and commitment are the only price of admission.
It’s time to “show up” and be the people we came here to be in 2009! Are you with me?
Stay awesome!
Ray
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