I see the potential for a new world being born in front of me and all around me, and I feel the only way to bring that potential into being is to know myself. – Gary Zukav
Article written by BridgeMaker contributor Lorraine Cohen. Please visit her at Powerfull Living.
If you've worked with affirmations, you may have started with the notion of "Fake it until you make it." Many people swear by the use of affirmations to change the way they think and feel.
So, what is an affirmation?
Affirmations are positive statements you write and say out loud, often repeatedly, to override an existing negatively charged thought or feeling. People use affirmations to change a belief through repetition.
You've probably heard that to change a belief or a behavior takes 21 days and it's important to "feel" the affirmation so it begins to become "truth." Being consistent and infusing the statements with positive emotional energy is key to shifting the belief.
Frankly, I have never been an advocate of using affirmations to create permanent shifts in beliefs and behaviors. Affirmations are a great tool that has merit; but they work with our conscious mind.
Our subconscious controls most (some believe about 96%) of what we believe which affects what we do or don't do. I see affirmations as a way of tricking ourselves into believing something new. However, affirmations don't go deep enough to affect the subconscious no matter how many times we attempt to retrain our mind.
And the idea that we are flawed, broken and in need of fixing keeps us in an ongoing state of discontentment that separates us from our Divinity. So, how can we create shifts in perspective that have a more meaningful transformation impact?
Live on your terms
In a recent conversation with a close friend about having more freedom, joy, and abundance, I was surprised when she mentioned using affirmations. After we shared our individual perspective of affirmations, we realized we were speaking about two different things.
She's been working with a therapist and coach for a number of years who coined the phrase "Relentless Affirmation." She describes him as a person who lives his life on his own terms. Every day he does what brings him joy and pleasure. His life is rich and peaceful because he is aligned with his Essential Self (his true nature, Source, Soul). He does no marketing and his practice has been flourishing for years.
Amazing, right?
Relentless Affirmation means creating a positive statement based on a truth you have come to recognize. It becomes powerful when you embody it – as a way of being every day.
The affirmations are not based on something you wish to be true; rather they are founded on a solid knowingness, an unshakeable trust and peace that comes from within. You know what you know, period. No discussion, no need for proof and ongoing evidence. It just is.
Below are a few statements my friend has shared with me that reflect some of her relentless affirmations.
Everything is loving, guiding, and nurturing me. Everything & everyone prospers me. I am supported day by day. Abundance flows to me in all shapes and forms including money.
My close friend has come to know, absent of any doubt, that these affirmations are true for her through her personal transformational healing journey and commitment to her soul path. Her affirmations are rooted in what she has come to trust as truth from her life experiences and what she has remembers through her own spiritual awakening.
Be the hero of your life story
I really resonate with her relentless affirmations. I have come to believe the Universe is a friendly place that continually conspires in my favor to have a more prosperous and happy life.
One of the ways I have come to know this is because I recognize the evidence of my answered prayers and desires and I credit the Universe for those blessings and gifts (even the ones I created unconsciously).
Because I also believe that everyone and everything I experience is in service to my (our) growth and evolution! Knowing this is a powerful way to shift from feeling like a victim of circumstances to the hero of your life story.
Knowledge comes through our ego and our mind from life experiences. Inner knowing comes from our soul.
With all the changes happening in the world and the ones you are experiencing personally, working with relentless affirmations can be a powerful attitude shifting, life changing way to shift from negative thinking to living with more joy and abundance.
So, what have you come to believe and know is absolutely true for you?
What have you come to trust no matter what is happening in your life?
What gives you courage and faith that things are unfolding for your best and highest good?
If you fully embraced what you know is true for you, how would your life change?
What would be possible for you?
For example: Would you have more joy, prosperity, peace of mind….? Would you be doing the same work or something more aligned with your life purpose? Would your relationships be more loving and richer?
What if….?
You came into this life with EVERYTHING you need to fulfill your life purpose and to be happy and prosperous.
I'm reminded of a distinction written by T. Harv Eker from Secrets of the Millionaire Mind:
The difference between a declaration and an affirmation is slight, but in my mind, powerful. The definition of an affirmation is "a positive statement asserting that a goal you wish to achieve is already happening". The definition of a declaration is "to state an official intention to undertake a particular course of action or adopt a particular status.
The key words in a declaration are intention and action. Declarations carry energy to the Universe that communicates an intention to do something or be somebody.
Relentless affirmations invite you to take the declarations you desire and align what you know to be true as a way of living in harmony with your Essential Self and The Divine (God, Creator, Higher Self) every day. The choices you make and actions you take in faith, trust, and courage are very different from those made from fear, doubt, and pain.
Be willing to take those steps that feel so right, even when your head is screaming, "Are you nuts?" or "You have to be out of your mind to hear the whispers of your heart!"
The time to wake up and remember who you are is now.
Life is full of miracles.
You are a miracle.
When you have those moments of forgetfulness and your thoughts spiral into fear, doubt, and unworthiness, relentless affirmations can be your lifeline and portal back to your connection with The Divine and remembering who you are.
My friend's therapist has a very happy and prosperous life because he does what brings him joy and pleasure every day and he is aligned with who he is.
That's my invitation to you…
To chose things that make you feel vital and alive. To do things that bring you pleasure and joy – that make you feel good.
Take time daily for prayers, silent contemplation, meditation and stillness so you can hear the callings of your soul. Follow your inner nudges, trust your knowing, and have faith that life is on your side.
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