If you already know the power of positive affirmations, you’ll truly appreciate this story.  If you have yet to learn about positive affirmations and why they’re vital to include in your life, this is a must-read!

“Affirmations are statements going beyond the reality of the present into the creation of the future through the words you use in the now.” – Louise L. Hay

positive-affirmations-world
Yesterday morning, I was inspired to decorate my house with positive affirmations. I wrote off abut 10 simple notes of truth that give me confidence and remind me to stay positive and create a powerful life. They are posted in random places that I visit almost every day: my refrigerator, the front door, the bathroom cabinet, my world map and vision board to name a few spots.

It may seem silly to write down positive affirmations like I choose to see the light I am in this world, or I believe I can change the world with the work that I do. But hey if you can’t write them down, let alone say them out loud, how can you believe them to be true?

Our beliefs are just learned patterns that we have developed over the years. Our upbringing and family life, school time with teachers & peers, work-life & co-workers, and constant inner dialogue have all played a role in shaping our beliefs.  Some of these may be supporting and nurturing; others may be roadblocks in our paths to achievement and happiness.

Positive affirmations are a way to change those destructive invalid expressions into encouraging and supportive truths. Continually repeating affirmations with conviction will slowly start to chip away any “truths” that don’t serve you. You’re reprogramming your mind, giving it a nice cleanse (almost like a “brainwash” but cleanse sounds so much nicer doesn’t it?)

“Positive affirmations are a way to change those destructive invalid expressions into encouraging and supportive truths.”

The nice thing about affirmations is you can bring them to any aspect of your life. Career, relationships, self-worth, love, abundance, you name it and you can create an affirmation to manifest positive change in that area. Prone to anxiety and fear? Try “I let go of my fears & worries that drain my energy.” Needing some self-love? “I am healed, whole, healthy.”

I had the chance to put positive affirmations to the test shortly after writing a few as I engaged on my run around Diamond Head. Then, I got to the uphill portion, turned up the volume on my iTunes,  and started going for it. It’s a steady climb and it doesn’t take long before my heart rate kicks up. And then my mantra came to me.

Out of nowhere, I found myself repeating, “I love the uphill push.” Shortness of breath- love it. Legs burning- love it. Heart pumping- love it. The more I repeated it, the more evidence I found to believe it was true. Running uphill pushes my body mentally and physically. It gives me a challenge. Also, it switches up my mundane routine of running around Palolo or Kapiolani Park. It throws me full force into my breath. The views will be beautiful. Think of how amazing you’ll feel once you are at the top.

Before I knew it, I was there. I reached the top and the hill behind me looked minor.

As I kept running, I recognized what a strong parallel running uphill is to facing a tough situation in life. From the bottom, the situation may look huge. You may not want to deal with it, so you may stay at the bottom. You might even start, but believe it’s too hard and turn around and walk down. OR, you can stay steady and keep moving up. You have options. Positive affirmations, (“I love the uphill push”) are just a tool to help you keep at it. To be brave and confident in your decisions. They are to remind you and give the belief that the view is so much better from the top.

4 tips for writing out your own positive affirmations:

1. WRITE IDEAS:

Take some time to write down the areas in your life you would like to improve and ideas of how you want your life to be. Look at each of them and write down a few positive statements for each category.

2.USE PRESENT TENSE:

Remember they must be positive and in the present tense. You are bringing what you want into your life now at this present moment.

3. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO WANT:

Focus on what you do want, not what you don’t want. Once you’ve written them out, practice saying them with belief and passion every day.

4.WATCH FOR CHANGE:

Begin to notice how these positive affirmations manifest your needs and bring change into your life.

Do you practice positive affirmations?

Share some of your favorite, most powerful, positive affirmations below.