Have you ever met someone that takes the power of words to the extreme? You say, “I feel sick,” and they say, “Don’t speak that into your life!” Siiiiigh. Those people might come to mind when you hear the words daily positive affirmations. Their extreme examples might even cause you to believe that affirmations are a bunch of malarkey.
But believing that would be a mistake! Because words are powerful. And the words used in daily positive affirmations can, in fact, change your whole darn life.
What Are Daily Positive Affirmations?
Daily positive affirmations are assertions, statements that something exists or is true, even if it’s not. Something like…
- “I’m healthy and happy. I treat my body well.”
- “I followed my dreams to become a successful entrepreneur.”
- “I’m an avid runner, and have run several marathons.”
- “(Speak your goal here, as if you’ve already achieved it.)”
The idea is that you’re speaking these statements until they become a reality.
The Science: Why Daily Positive Affirmations Work
So how can false, seemingly make-believe statements drastically change your life? By revolutionizing your mindset.
And how can simple words change your mindset? By physically rewiring your brain.
Sound like more malarkey? Nope. It’s science!
Every thought that you have follows a “neural pathway” in your brain. And the more you think a specific thought, the wider and deeper that pathway becomes. The wider the pathway becomes, the more likely you are to return to that thought again, until you eventually embrace it as the truth.
For example, imagine you have a thought that you don’t like the way your body looks. The first time that you ever think it, it will feel extremely impactful. The second and third times, the thought will come a little easier.
By the 38th time, that negative thought will be ingrained in your brain thanks to a widened neural pathway. Now when you eat healthy or unhealthy foods, exercise or don’t exercise, try on clothes, or do anything related to your body, you’ll naturally have the thought that you don’t like your body.
The issue is that when you accept that you don’t like your body, you’ll begin to mistreat your body. And as you continue to mistreat your body, you’ll grow to dislike it even more.
When you accept that you’ll always be stuck at the job you hate, your job performance will slowly decline. The actions resulting from your thoughts will keep you from promotions and raises, and make sure that you never do leave the job you hate.
Your most persistent thoughts tend to be self-fulfilling.
Enter daily positive affirmations. Because in the same way that negative thoughts can take hold in your mind and influence your actions, so can positive thoughts.
Imagine starting every morning by saying, “I love my body. I treat it well by eating healthy foods and staying active.” The more you practice saying those words, the wider and deeper those positive neural pathways will become. And the deeper the pathways, the more you’ll find yourself naturally defaulting to that positive thought. You’ll soon find that you believe those words, and your actions will begin to reflect that self-love.
Examples of Daily Positive Affirmations
So what kinds of affirmations should you use to revolutionize your mindset and change your life? You can speak general affirmations or specific affirmations, depending on what negative thought patterns you’re attempting to overcome.
Some general affirmations might include:
- “I experience peace and joy daily, regardless of my circumstances.”
- “I’m excellent at finding solutions to every challenge.”
- “I’m capable and confident in my abilities.”
- “I live in the present, and am confident in my future.”
- “I love every part of myself, both the unique and the ordinary.”
When you’re facing a specific challenge, or reaching for a goal, daily positive affirmations will equip you with the thought patterns you need to ensure your success. These affirmations will speak as if you have already met your goal, or overcome your challenge. For example:
- “I look forward to exercising every day. It fills me with energy and joy.”
- “I’m in the best shape of my life.”
- “I am thrilled to finally own my own business.”
- “I’ve been freed from anxiety and depression.”
- “I am a supportive and loving spouse.”
- “I’m patient with my children.”
How to Use Daily Positive Affirmations
The key to daily positive affirmations is that they have to be practiced daily, and perhaps more often when you’re first beginning. You have to think the positive thoughts more often than the negative thoughts in order to build that positive neural pathway.
I suggest writing down your personal affirmations and reading them before you get out of bed every morning. When you’re trying to overcome negative thoughts that are deeply rooted, or that you’ve held for years, you might also consider reading them again in the middle of your day, and once more before you go to bed. The more often you read them, the more quickly you can rewire your brain and thought patterns.
Soon you’ll find that you default to those positive thoughts without even realizing it. And when you truly believe and embrace those truths, you’ll begin to live as if it was true, and your actions will in fact, make it true.
Wrap It Up
Daily positive affirmations can help you to physically rewire your brain and thought patterns. By regularly speaking affirmations, you will begin to default to those positive thoughts instead of your previous, negative patterns. And as you accept those truths, your actions will follow, to begin to make the life you want a reality.
Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” What world will you begin to create today?
P.S. Ready for some daily affirmations of your own? Nab our free worksheet HERE for 70 affirmations – from self-esteem to success to health – to get you started!
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