This is blowing me away...I'm pretty sure I know why, repeating affirmations has, for so many years, felt lifeless and well...not really worked.
Have you, like me, been repeating positive affirmations for quite some time but still feeling like your same old lost self? Or maybe you diligently write out or say things like "I am amazing, on track and manifesting my greatest goals and dreams" and yet somewhere in your head you hear another voice saying "ya right baby you said that last year and who are you kidding?"
But what the heck, all these amazing books are telling us that affirmations are the be all and end all, right? The awesome book "Think and Grow Rich" shared the importance of intentionally filling our minds with positive statements and that all the "greats" in the world did so. So what gives...I'm not trying to be negative here - I'm just trying to get real and get to the heart of what is not working and why. For years I have been repeating affirmations. I have them in notebooks by my bedside, on my vision board and in my back pack as I head into my day. I've gone to workshops on how to create them and read countless books that site their importance. It is said that we have about 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts floating through our mind each day and for most of us - over 80% are negative and repetitive so you can bet I am inspired by the concept of affirmations.
So here is the mind blowing stuff...in order for affirmations to work they:
1) have to be partnered with a positive and elevated emotion and
2) have to enter the subconscious mind.
An affirmation that is recited in a robotic manner over and over again does next to nothing...sorry. An affirmation has true power when it is said from a calm state of mind and mixed with an elevated emotion. As well, since most of our negative thoughts lie within the realms of the subconscious mind - we have to be able to get in there for our affirmations to do their work. The subconscious mind is running the whole show, so we have to get in there?
Okay so how do we do it? You calm your brain, which calms your mind - you MEDITATE! Meditation calms your brain and mind and from this state you have access to the subconscious mind and you have access to elevated emotions. And if you are sitting there right now saying "well I just can't meditate - my brain never shuts off - Well first of all, of course it's busy but I'm here to graciously be in your face to say - Yes you can meditate and your life, your health, your relationships, leadership and fulfillment will be served if you set the intention to just do it...
One of the best times of the day to meditate is in the morning, almost as soon as you wake, before your brain waves start getting into overdrive. And so one of the best times to recite your affirmations is right after you meditate - you've just accessed the subconscious mind and you now have access to elevated emotions - so you need to go for it!
This science is spectacular and a big inspiration for my latest monthly meditation series - Symphonies for the Mind. Through mediation you have access to the subconscious mind and because you do, this is the best time to use the mind to create, visualize and just flood your cells with inspiration that changes your mind and therefore changes your life...you gotta love that!
So see you on seat...