The Secret Power Of Affirmations: Rewrite Your Inner Story
Power Thought Affirmation Cards By Louise L. Hay
Introduction
You are programmed from birth to know how to be, what to say, and when to say it. As a child, you were a sponge for everything you heard and saw around you. Since you didn’t know anything else, you absorbed everything you witnessed and became a reflection of your adult role models. How you think, feel, and respond completely shapes the type of life you experience on a day-to-day basis.
But what if, by the time you’re an adult, you’re not enjoying your life as much as you’d like to? What if every day feels like a struggle just to get through it? What if you’re so tired of how things always turn out that you’re desperate for any kind of change?
The next two questions everyone asks are:
“What do I do?”
“Where do I start?”
Why This Happens in the First Place
There isn’t just one way to view or experience a situation. There are multiple perspectives, and no two people see and hear things in the exact same way. Your personal perspective is shaped by your belief systems—the way you think and why you think that way. This is, of course, tied to your emotional responses.
Your programmed, automatic thoughts trigger your emotions, and—voilà—your unique outlook on the situation is born! Often, this can lead to a negative or unpleasant experience, but it doesn’t have to. The situation itself is neutral; how it impacts you is a reality that exists only within you, not in the situation itself. When you begin to change your belief systems—in other words, reprogram your mind—you can start to change how you experience the situations around you.
One Simple Tool to Get You Started
There are many tools to help shift negative belief systems that may be holding you back, but one of my personal favorites is affirmations. A few years ago, when I decided to make big changes in my life, I was guided to start with myself first. As I worked on my inner world, everything I wanted to change around me started to happen effortlessly. Affirmations became my guiding star to transform my thoughts and hold myself accountable.
Affirmations are statements that represent the beliefs, ways of being, and ways of living you want to embody. While affirmations can be either negative or positive, we’re focusing on positive affirmations to replace the negative thoughts you’ve unconsciously been affirming to yourself for years.
For example:
Negative Thought: “I am too old to start a new job.”
Positive Affirmation: “I am always open to starting something new at any stage of my life.”
The original belief cuts off opportunities and limits the vitality of your life. The positive affirmation opens your energy to limitless possibilities, including options you may not have considered before.
Learn to Listen
To use affirmations effectively, it’s crucial to become aware of the thoughts running through your mind. Only then can you identify the belief systems that need changing. Most people do their best to listen to others, but they rarely listen to themselves.
Start by sitting with yourself daily, paying attention to how you feel, and reflecting on the thoughts that tend to cross your mind. Facing your own thoughts and emotions is the most assured way to initiate real change. This practice helps you uncover the core reasons your life—and perhaps even your health—isn’t where you want it to be.
Affirmations Work Best When…
Affirmations are designed to create the new energy you wish to believe and embody. However, they won’t be as effective if you haven’t let go of the limiting belief that’s standing in your way.
Part of releasing these limiting beliefs involves letting go of the emotional pain that’s built up in your body over time. You need to feel through the past hurt fully, releasing it from your body with the intention of healing. Only then can you use positive affirmations to build the new energy that will fill the space you’ve cleared.
Without releasing the old energy first, your new affirmation may not take hold as effectively.
Conclusion
Everything always starts with you. The journey doesn’t necessarily begin with external action but with growing your internal awareness. That small shift, combined with the power of affirmations, can create big changes.
You can create your own affirmations or purchase an affirmation card deck to get started with positive ideas. I’ve listed my favorite deck below as a suggestion for anyone interested. The picture for this blog are cards from this very deck.
Power Thought Cards by Louise L. Hay - These can be purchased through hayhouse.com or Amazon
Try This Today
Sit with yourself and practice listening to what your emotions and thoughts are telling you. Pick three recurring thoughts that don’t feel good, feel through them and create three affirmations (the opposite positive belief) that you want to replace them with. Write these affirmations down and place them around your home to remind yourself of the new energy you want to embody.
Feel free to share in the comments below which affirmations you chose!
Wishing you love & liberation,
Janette
