Three Steps to Using Positive Affirmations Effectively

Affirmations are statements of beliefs that affirm something to be true. Affirmations can be positive or negative. For example, you can think that you are fat. The statement is declaring this to be true for you. Likewise, you can think you are beautiful. This statement as an affirmation is working towards as a positive belief. The use of affirmations are becoming more and more popular, particularly with the rise of excellent teachers such as Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, and the like. And once The Secret movie came out, the use of affirmations sky-rocketed.

However, there are effective ways to use positive affirmations. Over the years, I've noticed some simple misconceptions when it comes to using them. Here I'd like to share a few steps with you that I've implemented in my own practice with them. I hope you find them helpful.

Step One. Stay in the present moment. It is important to stay in the present moment when using positive affirmations. Quite often, we discuss success, joy, and other positive aspects of life in general conversation as something of the past or something that might happen in the future. Ultimately, this habit finds its way into using positive affirmations when initially using them. For instance, when affirming success in business, we would say something like, "I am a successful business person." This is in the present moment. Whether or not, there is a physical manifestation of this statement at the present time doesn't matter. The positive affirmation as a new thought and belief in the present moment will help the statement manifest itself in the physical realm eventually. So, be sure to keep all positive affirmations in the here and now.

Step Two. Be sure the positive affirmations are actually positive. After noticing patterns within myself and my clients over the past couple of years, it has come to my attention that we tend to say a positive affirmation with good intentions, yet the words themselves negate the new belief. For instance, saying, "I am not a loser" is negating the belief of being a winner. The Universe responds to the words and the belief behind the words. Instead of thinking in terms of 'loser', think in terms of 'winner'. "I am a winner." This is a positive affirmation that is truly positive.

Step Three. Writing positive affirmations is just as powerful as saying them. Many books and other resources teach that saying positive affirmations every day is an excellent way to achieve the transformation of your thoughts and beliefs in order to change your life. I agree. However, I have also learned through my experience that writing is just as powerful as speaking. If you are a blogger, you may find that blogging your positive affirmations each day is an excellent way to keep your thoughts and beliefs on point about your life. You're doing something you love to do and adding that extra boost by typing in positive affirmations. How cool is that? The same goes for my fellow Twitter community. It's just enough space to type in several positive affirmations on a daily or regular basis without having to worry if you've met your quota of saying them that day. Use the resources you have available and are more prone to use on a regular basis anyway.