Using Positive Affirmations as an Aid to Self Improvement

Using Positive Affirmations as an Aid to Self Improvement

By Roy Thomsitt

Tip! You can be certain that little will ever be achieved without action � sustained, determined and committed action.

One of the terms you may have come across in your reading or listening about positive thinking is "positive affirmations"; but what is a positive affirmation?

An affirmation, according to a dictionary definition, is a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something. In self improvement, affirmations can be used in silent, verbal, or written communication with yourself. This is normally done in the form of a positive affirmation, a communication to your subconscious that a certain truth already exists; a truth that relates to you personally, and whose realization is beneficial to your personal well being.

You could say that the use of positive affirmations is a form of autosuggestion, or even self hypnosis. However, if you want to make practical use of affirmations in improving any aspect of your life, then none of that really matters. The fact is that using positive affirmations is simple to do, and the technique can be applied in different ways and at different times to suit your life style. While it helps to have some understanding of the mental processes that might take place, and of expert interpretations of what affirmations actually are in the spectrum of self development, it is not essential.

Tip! The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better. ~ Barbara Pletcher

What Aspects of Self Improvement Can Positive Affirmations Be Applied To?

The answer to the question raised in the heading could be answered in one word: "any". Positive affirmations can be applied to any aspect of your personal life you wish to improve, so if you are considering self improvement in any form, whether to career success, business success, improved health, or the removal of bad habits, then positive affirmations should be considered part of your armoury.

When Should You Use Positive Affirmations?

With positive affirmations, you are making positive statements to your subconscious, with the expectation that your subconscious mind will absorb those affirmations and treat them as reality. Repeated often and firmly enough, those statements should become the reality of your conscious mind and the physical work around you.

As with any form of communicating with your inner self, such as with meditation, the ideal time to make use of positive affirmations is when you can set aside a period and a place where you can get peace and quiet, sufficient to relax totally without interruption. Those who are already experienced in meditation will find it easy to achieve the ideal conditions for using positive affirmations. In fact, integrating your affirmations into your meditation sessions is a practical option worth considering, especially if you are pressed for time.

Tip! To start your day out on the right foot and stay in keeping with your self improvement plan this is practically a necessity. You need the energy this will provide you with to accomplish your daily tasks.

However, as with meditation, the ideal is not always easy to fit into your busy life, so you may need to compromise. Here are some suggestions on how to build in positive affirmations into your:

1. I find positive affirmations effective at night time, just before sleep. Once you have mastered the skill of not falling asleep too quickly, when you have gone to bed for the night is a good time to fit in some positive affirmations. As you relax and unwind, start mentally going through the positive affirmations you want to feed to your subconscious mind.

Tip! Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you sleep alone, or have an understanding partner, then you can say the affirmations out loud also. If not, instead of just thinking of each affirmation as you say it, hear yourself saying it so you get the benefit of the sound without having to make any noise to disturb your partner.

You can repeat your affirmations any time you want. It is a mental process, so as long as you are conscious, it can be done. Any spare minute alone can be utilized for positive affirmations, or you can even repeat them mentally when you are in the company of others, such as on the bus or train to work. What is important is that you repeat the affirmations regularly.

Tip! Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living; profits make you a fortune. ~ Jim Rohn

Other Tips For Self Improvement Through Positive Affirmations

You can increase the likelihood of positive affirmations working for you by adopting some or all of the following tips:

1. At the same time as you are repeating your affirmations, incorporate visualisation to accompany each affirmation. For example, if your affirmation is "I am a successful manager with my current employer", then visualize yourself actually performing that role in your work environment.

2. Write down your affirmations, and leave them in places where they act as a reminder, such as pinning them up by the mirror in the bathroom, or on a Post-It on your work desk.

3. Repeat your positive affirmations daily.

4. Make the affirmations as detailed as possible, so that your subconscious is left in no doubt what you mean. For your example, if your affirmation is "I am living in a new house" it is very vague. A new house could be in an undesirable neighbourhood in a part of the country, or world, you would no want to live. Be more precise, and add details of the type of house, key features, and location.

Tip! Just being aware of the incredible capabilities of our subconscious minds can help our self improvement � if we decide to pay attention to our hunches and intuition and act on them.

5. Make use of the present tense, as the example I give in 4. above. "I am" is far more convincing that "I will be", "I will" or "I might".

Those are just five additional suggestions to help you get the most out of using positive affirmations as a route to self improvement. There are many more tips that may help you, but in time and with practice, you will find what suits you best, and come up with your own "tips".

Tip! This one step -- choosing a goal and sticking to it -- changes everything ~ Scott Reed

This positive affirmations article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website.

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