The Power of Affirmations

Part 2 of a 7 part series by my friend Nancy Barry-Jansson

Part 1

In yesterday’s post, I explained MYTH #1: “I don’t do affirmations.” Let’s take a look at the next most common myth about affirmations.

The Power of Affirmations MYTH #2: “Oh, I’ve tried affirmations…they don’t work.”

The only affirmations that don’t work are the ones that are not worked long enough to generate positive action. The right affirmations naturally encourage you to take positive action. I’ve used affirmations for years, and I know if one is not working it means that I’ve done something wrong: Either the goal is not really a true desire (most often the case—my heart’s just not into it), I’m using poor phrasing (needs to be more positive), or I’m not actually repeating the affirmations enough.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) teaches us that if we want to make a change in our behavior, we must do something at least daily for a min. of 21 straight days in order for a change to take place. If you do affirmations for 3 days, then give up, you have to start the 21 day cycle all over.

Recently, I’ve personally discovered that if I have too much anger or frustration regarding an issue, then the affirmations about that issue simply will not generate positive results. However, as soon as I address the anger and frustration, and can feel honest emotions (love, happiness, and joy) about the issue, the affirmations immediately start working for me! So, affirmations work on many levels. Of course, the first step for me was acknowledging the anger and frustration, and then being willing to do something about resolving those feelings. If I hadn’t been willing to take positive action to address my issues, then I’d still be spinning my wheels.

I can honestly say that positive affirmations have helped millions and millions of people. Personally, they have helped me release the victim mentality, get through childbirth, buy my own home, start my business, keep my spirits up during difficult times, and focus my thoughts. Jim Carrey has shared how he carried around a fake $10 Million check in his wallet for years as an affirmation that he would soon be earning that much per picture. And he did. Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoons, said that he used affirmations to boost his confidence when he first started out and was working to become a syndicated cartoonist.

Peter Boyle, the actor who played Raymond’s father in Everyone Loves Raymond, shared on Oprah this past spring how he repeated a positive affirmation inspired by Napoleon Hill (author, Think and Grow Rich) and it came true for him when he was cast for the show. By the way, I use my own variant of that same affirmation, and noticed that my business starting booming within weeks of starting the affirmation. I love how I feel when I say it, and it actually makes me want to market my business!

If affirmations haven’t worked for you, the first question is, “Are your affirmations tied to a goal that you truly want to experience?”, and second, “Are you truly willing to write, read, and recite your affirmations regularly until your goal becomes reality?” If you can’t honestly say yes to either question, then you might want to look at ways you sabotage your success. Ironically, some people don’t want their dreams to come true because it means they have to change.

They are perfectly happy with their dysfunctional life, including all the dysfunctional people and complaining that goes with it, not to mention the sympathy they get from everyone around them. Some have allowed themselves to be defined by their problems, and without them, they have no identity. They keep themselves stuck and anything that can help them (like affirmations) need to be proven useless.

For some people, it is fear of success. For others, it is a fear that you will offend someone else, possibly a family member, if you are successful. Sometimes, we just are convinced on a deep level that something can’t be done, despite our outward desire for it. Do you recognize yourself in one of these scenarios? If so, then, it’s not that affirmations don’t work…it’s that you haven’t been willing to work them and follow through with appropriate action.

Tomorrow, we’ll move on to discussing The Power of Affirmations Myth #3 about affirmations.

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