AFFIRMATIONS | MENTAL HOUSEKEEPING #2

We talk to ourselves silently all the time. Whether we like to admit it or not, a lot of that self talk is negative and critical rather than positive.

This is due to our brain’s “negativity bias”. We are more likely to be aware and be sensitive of a negative situation than a positive one. One insult may linger longer in our minds than ten compliments The “negativity bias” is something that we inherited from our ancestors and has helped the human race survive. Being safe and protected was more important for our survival than appreciating the blue sky.

In the modern world, we have changed our environment to be more conducive for survival, no saber tooth tiger is chasing us, but we still have primal tendencies of looking out for the negative. What was a gift in the past may have became drawback in the current comfortable modern world that we inhabit, preventing us to see the good in ourselves and in the world.

This internal self talk plays huge role in creating our reality and the choices we make. Most of us are running on an auto “negative mode”, but we can choose to consciously talk to ourselves positively and in turn create a positive reality. For example we are likely to make a very different choice when we are coming from a negative thought like “I hate my body” than a positive thought like “I make healthy choices.“

Positive affirmations are a powerful way of maintaining a positive internal dialogue and in creating the life we want.

What are Affirmations?

Affirmations are everything we repeatedly say to ourselves whether in our mind or out loud.

To “affirm” means to declare or state that which you wish to be true. We are constantly “affirming” whether we know it or not.

Some common affirmations most of us use are:

"I am so stupid!"

"I am tired of being sick!"

"I am lucky!"

"I always win!"

"I am angry!"

"Life sucks!"

Positive affirmations are commands that we are consciously deciding on instead of letting outdated negative beliefs run our program. They can help us replace our old negative beliefs with new positive, ones.

To learn more about beliefs watch my video Beliefs - the Importance of Mental Housekeeping #1, link below.

Affirmations are the new seeds you are planting in the soil of your subconscious mind. They are like commands to the subconscious mind. To understand more about the power of affirmations, let me explain a little bit more about the conscious and the subconscious mind.

The Conscious mind is logical and analytical. Decisions like what to wear, when is the next meeting, planning the day are made by the conscious mind. On the other hand subconscious mind is illogical, it’s emotional. It runs on beliefs, past experiences and their associated emotions. Subconscious mind is like a powerful computer logging all our past experiences.

Conscious mind is objective, Subconscious mind is subjective.

The conscious mind understands the concept of time, past, present and future. The subconscious mind does not understand the concept of time. The only moment it understands is Now.

The Conscious mind can reason, it understands yes, no. The subconscious mind does not reason, once something is there, it accepts it as the "truth". The subconscious mind runs on beliefs, whether they are relevant or outdated, whether they are positive or negative.

If you make statement like “I am so fat” even as a joke, your conscious mind understands that it is a joke, that you probably don’t mean it, but your subconscious mind takes it as the “truth”. It has no sense of humor, it’s takes everything literally.

The conscious mind commands, the subconscious obeys.

Scientist estimate that about 95% of what we do is controlled not by our conscious mind but by our subconscious mind.

Therefore what goes in the subconscious mind is significant

Imagine a ship. In this ship there is a captain’s cabin, where all major decisions regarding the direction of the ship and destination are made. Let’s call this cabin the subconscious mind. Now there is a guard outside the cabin who’s job is to check who can go in and out. He is your conscious mind. He opens the door for people to enter the cabin. The guard, as he is logical and analytical, has the ability to sift through the right kind of people and decide their entry in this sacred cabin. Once someone is in the cabin, whether there intentions are good or bad, they have the power to pilot the ship. They can be removed but it will take time and energy.

It’s vital that our guard is aware of who is going in and out and whether they have the ships best interest in mind. Our conscious mind needs to be alert as to what commands we are programming in our subconscious mind and whether they are good for us or not.

When we are saying our positive affirmations, we are directing them to our subconscious mind, not our conscious mind. We can use our conscious mind in forming the positive affirmations, but the subconscious mind is where they will grow.

You don’t have to necessarily believe in your positive affirmations 100%, because believing is the job of the subconscious mind. Affirmations are thoughts and ideas of what you would like it to be, not what is. Your conscious mind might reject it, but affirmations are not for your conscious mind. They are seeds that your planting in the soil of your subconscious mind. Your daily affirmations is like watering the seeds regularly so that it grows.

Tips for making your affirmations powerful and successful.

1. Repeat repeat repeat

Remember when we were kids, we learned the alphabets or times tables through repetition. Now we say them without even thinking. In fact we have learned everything through repetition. By repetition, our brain strengthens it's connections every time. Repetition of thought strengthens our neural path ways. The same principle applies when affirming new thoughts and beliefs.

To reach the bottom of the ocean takes time. If you say a positive thought once, it’s not going to reach the subconscious mind. And your conscious mind will probably reject it for not finding enough evidence for it.

The subconscious mind accepts orders that are repeated daily, over and over.

The beliefs you have adopted from your childhood were repeatedly soaked in subconscious mind from your environment, parents, school etc.

We heard Beliefs like “Life is hard!” “Money doesn’t grow on trees!”. We didn’t just hear them once and then programmed them in, we were soaked in them in our early years. Same with affirmations. Repeat, repeat, repeat daily, not just once.

When saying a new affirmation, it may feel awkward at first, remember when you first learned to ride a bike. With practice it became easier and comfortable. It’s the same when doing new affirmations.

2. Affirm in present tense

Your subconscious mind does not have a concept of time. It does not understand past, present or future. The only moment in the subconscious mind is NOW. If you say an affirmation “I want to be healthy!" - you can consciously understand the concept of that statement, but for your subconscious mind, it’s too many variables.

"I want to be healthy!"

when?

now?

tomorrow?

It’s just not specific enough.

Like a computer program, if the syntax is not right, the program will reject it.

When making an affirmation, always affirm in the present tense. Use clear positive words

Use words like I AM or I HAVE or I DO. Avoid words like could, should, might etc. Just as in the INTERNET, when you are searching something in google, it only picks the keywords rather than the entire sentence, similarly keep your affirmations clear and positive.

Your conscious mind job is to have goals, visions and desires. It’s job to give clear instructions to your subconscious mind in order for it to obey.

Consciously put a clear, positive, present tense thought, to your subconscious mind.

"I don’t want to be poor"

Note the key words in the affirmation

“I Be and Poor”

Instead use:

"I AM Rich"

Rather than saying -

"I want to be healthy or could be healthy".

You could say:

"I am healthy and strong"

Some more examples.

Goal: I want to be rich (that is conscious mind desire)

Affirmation: "I AM RICH" (clear command for the subconscious mind to obey)

Goal: I want to have a luxurious car (that is conscious mind desire)

Affirmation: "I HAVE A LUXURIOUS CAR" or "I DRIVE A LUXURIOUS CAR"

(clear command for the subconscious mind to obey)

Make sure your affirmations are always in present tense, with clear positive words that spell like facts.

3. Visualize or seeing it clearly

At the subconscious level, clear instructions goes a long way. Remember the subconscious mind is not analytical. When using a affirmation like "I AM RICH", it helps to give your subconscious mind reference to the words.

I AM - subconscious very clearly understands and is aware of your identity. Since your childhood, it’s supremely rehearsed in the concept of I.

But it’s also helpful to give a reference to what rich means to you. Visualizing, or imagining in your brain, what your idea of rich is, helps the subconscious understands the instructions clearly.

For example, if rich means to you, having a luxurious seafront home, then picture that as your are affirming. The more clear the instructions, the closer to the request the subconscious performs.

But if you are vague about your idea of "RICH" is and you are affirming "I AM RICH", and then you get $10 unexpectedly, maybe that is your rich. Give your subconscious mind, a clear visual idea for what rich means to you.

Closing your eyes and visualizing while saying your affirmations is a super powerful way of programming them in.

If you struggle with visualizing, try find images that comes closest to your idea of the affirmation and focus on that. Stick them in places around your home or office where you likely to see them frequently.

4. Emotionalize your affirmations

The subconscious mind deals with emotions. This is not a place to be analytical or logical. If you want it to do a good job, feed it with the right emotions, use your senses.

Emotions for the subconscious mind is the fuel that drives it in the direction you want. Emotions are energy in motion. When using positive affirmations, this is not the place to be restrictive or formal with your feelings.

If you are affirming “I AM RICH”

What would it feel like to be rich?

Do you feel powerful?

Do you feel relaxed?

How would you walk?

Use your emotions while affirming and picturing what you want. Feel the emotions of being rich. Your subconscious mind recognizes and acts upon only thoughts which have been mixed effectively with emotions. Plain, unemotional words do not influence the subconscious mind and will bounce of the surface.

5. Do them daily - plant your affirmations deep

Although affirmations can be done at any time of the day, one of the most effective times to do affirmations are either first thing in the morning, or the last thing just when you are about to sleep. Your mind is fresh in the morning, fertile soil perfect for planting new seeds. Similarly, when you are just about to go to sleep, your conscious mind is not very active then and will not work against your affirmations by reasoning with it.

Another powerful technique is to meditate and then say your affirmations. Quite your mind for a while, and then after meditation, repeat your affirmations or write them down. Its like cleaning your slate, and then writing new program on it.

It’s important to do your affirmations, but also be aware that you are not negating the good work of your affirmations by saying the opposite the rest of the day.

For example, you might be affirming “I AM HEALTHY” for ten minutes but then thrashing your body for the rest of the day by saying negative statements like “I get sick easily” or “I am not fit”. Be conscious of your thoughts and words throughout the day. It’s a practice, but in time you will be alert.

Sometimes resistance can be triggered. Resistance is like another program that is already running in your subconscious mind that might be rejecting the new program. In that case, don’t stop your affirmations. Keep them going, slowly your new belief will replace the old one.

To strengthen a new affirmation, it must be backed with consistent awareness to your thoughts, language, environment and actions to help program it in.

A repeated thought becomes a belief, a belief creates the pattern and our actions are regulated by those beliefs. Planting good productive thoughts is supremely vital.

We are powerful creators if we choose to believe so. We have to learn to be our own best friend, to have our back, to support ourselves. We need to learn to communicate and encourage ourselves with positive self talk. Imagine what a beautiful and productive society we would create if we all had healthy self esteem and self dialogue.

Affirmations are great tool for not only building esteem and confidence but also creating wealth, health and happiness. There are many affirmations on this channel that you could use or on the INTERNET or make your own.

“Every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation. All of our self-talk, our internal dialogue, is a stream of affirmations. You’re using affirmations every moment whether you know it or not. You’re affirming and creating your life experiences with every word and thought.” - Louise Hay

I hope this blog helps in reminding you, that you are a powerful creator. In order to achieve success and happiness you thoughts must be in sync with your goals. Tell us in the comments below, your favorite affirmation.

Love to hear from you.

Thank you and Namaste.

This is Niko on the moon.