The Mind is Everything… What You Think, You Become – Buddha

Our mind is intricate. Your thoughts determine your reality. Positive and negative thoughts stem from our own minds. Positive thoughts uplift us, while negative thoughts bring us down. When negativity dominates, we experience anxiety, stress, fear, anger etc. A way to deal with your life during such times is by unleashing the power of affirmations.

Affirmations are positive statements that change the way you feel and think about things. We use affirmations for personal growth and to manifest that which we desire. They work on the principles of manifestation, which is a process by which you bring your wants, desires or needs into reality through your thoughts or through some action steps that you take. Affirming a thought signals the universe that we are open to receiving it.

Affirmations are present, positive and personal statements. They can be practised either by writing them down or even by repeating them loudly.

  • Present: They are statements which are in the present and start with words such as ‘I am…’. For example when you say ‘I am happy’. By saying it in the present tense you are telling the universe that you are ready to receive the feeling of being happy. Remember to avoid using the words ‘going to’, which is a continuous future tense. Past and Future tense words will cease to exist in the present.
  • Positive: The universe does not understand any negative words like ‘no’. It only understands the words for their meaning. For example, if you want to lose weight and keep saying ‘I want to lose weight’, the universe only looks at the word weight and thinks you want more ‘weight’. The same statement needs to be told in a positive way i.e. I am slim or I am 60 kgs or I weigh 60 kgs, etc.
  • Personal: They work only for you and not for another person. You can make affirmative statements based on yourself, you cannot make it for a spouse or a family member or friends. For example, instead of saying I want my spouse to love me, try saying I am loved by my spouse. Affirmations work only if they are personal as it is you who is open and ready to receive.

Here are some benefits of practising daily affirmations:

Reduce Negative Thoughts: Affirmations are positive statements which give you an insight into the good things that are in your life and also the good things to strive for and hope to achieve. It helps you to channelise your thoughts and feelings in a positive direction thus reducing negative thought patterns.

Goal Setting: Affirmations get things into perspective and help you in understanding your plans. When you start setting goals using clear statements you are more likely to achieve them at a faster pace.

Increase Happiness: Positive statements help in understanding the good things in life. They change negative feelings like anger, fear, guilt, blame etc into positive emotions of joy, happiness and abundance.

Increase Self-Esteem: Using statements like ‘I am confident’ before giving a presentation, or “I am an excellent presenter’ before an office meeting helps increase your self-esteem. This in turn helps in performing well in both personal and professional life.

When you understand that your thoughts shape your reality, you become mindful of what you consume mentally and how you perceive yourself. It requires time and effort to embrace affirmations, but once they become ingrained, they unlock your inner strengths. You achieve things you never thought possible. Life is full of ups and downs, but by shifting our perspective, we can transform it into a remarkable and joyful journey.