The Power of Affirmation

Create It, Speak It, Learn It, and Believe was the introduction to the workshop. The subject: Affirmation. By definition an affirmation is a positive statement or declaration of the truth or existence of something. For me the power of affirmation was a life changing experience.

In 1989 I had the opportunity to take part in a series of personal development seminars. I attended this particular workshop in which we were assigned the task of creating a personal affirmation. It had to be original, something we could learn, repeat and most importantly, believe. For years I suffered from feelings of inadequacy; continuously berating myself with negative thoughts and damaging self talk. I remember asking how one begins to assess themselves in a positive light. The facilitator answered, "You are already in a positive light, just close your eyes." We were instructed to close our eyes and to look at ourselves through our mind's eye - to see ourselves from within. This was called a, Closed Eye Process. As we sat with our eyes closed the facilitator explained the process of building a positive affirmation. A few minutes later we were asked to opened our eyes and begin the creative process.

Create - Compile a Who Am I List
My first step - I started listing what I believed to be my best attributes and qualities. I used as many positive adjectives as possible. As I reviewed my list I made note of the qualities I already had as well as the ones I aspired to achieve. I also listed the qualities I admired in others.

Speak The Words Out Loud - I read aloud the words that describe me - allowing them to reverberate in my mind. I began to feel the impact of each word. The facilitators further explained, "If you are using the word strong, imagine feeling stronger in your minds eye. If you're aspiring to be strong envision yourself becoming stronger and more empowered. Embracing positive imagery is part of building a solid affirmation."

Bring the Words to Light - Phrase them in a sentence form, for example: I am a strong and empowered woman/man. Always begin your affirmation with, "I AM" to create a personal bond with the words.

Make it Concise and Memorable - Learn your affirmation by repeating it over and over until your inner self hears it and believes it. It's easy for us to believe negative thoughts about ourselves. Replacing them with positive self talk enables us to reinforce our inner strength. Make your personal affirmation a part of your daily routine.

Believe - Your mind and body believes what you tell it whether it's positive or negative. For example: If you tell yourself, every winter I get a terrible cold, you'll probably contract a cold. Mind and body instinctively work together and may [possibly] have the ability to create a tangible illness. Instead, envision yourself healthy and strong rather than sick and vulnerable therefore replacing the negative self talk with positive self talk. Your affirmation may change your physical well being.

My seminar experience was over twenty years ago. I'm still a firm believer in the power of affirmation. And on occasion when self doubt or negative self talk attempts to enter my thoughts, I recite the original affirmation I created at that life changing seminar, "I am a courageous woman, compassionately understanding, loving myself, always!" I truly believe it has been responsible for my career success, good health and high self esteem.