Positive affirmations are daily statements that we make to ourselves that help us align our lives by focusing our thoughts in positive directions.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple switch from “glass half empty” thinking to “glass half full” thinking.

Affirmations are thoughts in our mind—what we say to ourselves and they are extremely powerful.

We want to use them in a way that works for us, not against us. Affirmations are especially powerful when we repeat them over and over.

They can be very motivating!

Many successful people have used affirmations to help them overcome fears and to position themselves for success.

When you use positive affirmations, you are re-wiring your internal programming to over-write the negative, harmful thoughts. 🧠

Positive thinkers aren’t foolish people who are blind to the real world and its problems.

They’re fully aware of the good and the bad around them, yet they make a conscious choice to focus on what is good. Read my personal experience here.

Our minds are constantly bombarded with words, images, thoughts, impressions, and fearful reactions.

As the super command center of your life, the mind must deal with all this input and make sense of it. 😕

When the mind is overwhelmed with negative thoughts, the body and spirit are both compromised.

Medical science has countless studies showing that persistent negativity is harmful to the immune system, nervous system, and overall health.

Negative people are more prone to high blood pressure, heart attacks, immune system disorders, anxiety, and depression. Constant negative input over time pulls down your spirit.

It’s a slippery slope from constant negativity to major depression, where you believe that you are helpless and hopeless.

Your subconscious mind is activated with affirmations, either positive or negative.

Because the world already sends so many negative messages, you must counteract them by using positive affirmations.

This will help you overcome the negative affirmations your subconscious is receiving throughout the day.

What you can do to start thinking in a new way:

Keep an open mind.  We sometimes don’t act on positive thoughts because of opinions. Try to keep an open mind about events that happen and people who come into your life.

Acting in a positive way toward something or someone you’ve already formed a negative opinion about can open our minds in a way that helps us to listen and better understand an ocean of possibilities.

Use Reframing. The way to avoid that terrible image of living a compromised life is to take on the world from a positive perspective. If you have a wonderful painting that begins to look shabby because of the old, splintered frame, then change it. Place the painting inside a new frame and instantly the picture looks brighter and more valuable. 

That’s a metaphor for reframing responses to situations. You cannot control the situation, but you can control your response to it.

Keep a gratitude journal. They have some amazing ones that include inspirational messages or quotes on each page to give you a springboard for your thoughts. Write down things you are grateful for at the end of each day so that you get a good night’s rest and wake up feeling peaceful.

Work on finding gratitude in negative situations, too. It’s hard, but it helps in turning your life around and making it one of wonder and amazement rather than disappointment and frustration.

Re-read it from time to time. Make a special time, like on Sundays, when you review the previous week and remind yourself of all the things you are grateful for.

Positive affirmation mantras. Each person will have different ones, but you basically make them your mantra for living.

Say them in front of a mirror, whisper them to yourself throughout the day, or mentally recite them as you lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. The key is to engage in some sort of positive talk with yourself each day.

Stay strong in your positive affirmation. Your affirmation should support your goals and dreams; be said in the present tense (I am XX); be said in a positive manner (free of negative words); be simple and easy to remember; be uplifting and inspiring.

Use visualization. First thing in the morning when you awaken, picture the kind of day you’d like to have and begin speaking positive affirmations. Think about and visualize your day’s goals as realities. See yourself performing at your best. See the situations that you’re facing working out exactly the way you want them to. Join my vision board email challenge here.

Make a word cloud. Make a list of positive affirmations and make a word cloud at www.worditout.com. You can also browse word clouds others have made while you’re there.

Document everything about your thinking and goals so that you create a path that you can refer to when you need it to reaffirm goals or become motivated.

Catch yourself feeling negative, then turn it around

Remember to praise yourself or give yourself a reward for making a positive choice. What you don’t see is that your mind, body, and spirit are cheering you on because you have found the power of positive thinking.

For example, parents and preschool teachers are advised to catch a child doing the right thing and praise the action.  You can do the same for yourself.

Affirmations are a simple tool that offers a big return. Positive thinking generates power while negative thinking drains power.

Which do you want in your life?