Affirmations, Anyone?

by Anet Paulina

The use of affirmations for making desired changes is highly touted in many self-help and New Age circles. Craft a positive statement describing what you want and repeat it often (perhaps in writing), so the advice goes, and it will manifest like magic! Unfortunately, those who have tried to alter their beliefs or habits by repeating affirmations rarely have much success. The idea seems valid; why doesn’t it work more often?

Think of it this way: Is it likely that multibillionaire Bill Gates affirms to himself daily that he is financially prosperous? Does fashion model Kate Moss stay thin by repeating affirmations that she is slender? Although we will never know for sure the daily habits of such folks, I would hazard to guess that it never crosses their mind to affirm to themselves something they actually believe is true.

Although affirmations sound good in theory (no pun intended), typically all you are doing is reminding yourself of — and reinforcing — what you truly believe, which usually is the opposite of the affirmation. What “counts” in reality creation is the energy projected, not the words spoken. Your mind or your mouth may be saying the positive phrase, but your energy is projecting the reverse.

There are, however, ways to use affirmations that are likely to have beneficial results. Personally I use affirmations the way French women dress: rather than trying to combat traits I don’t like about myself, I focus on enhancing those I prefer. For example, presently it would not be a good idea for me to use the affirmation, “I have financial abundance.” When I make that statement, my energy plummets because I don’t truly believe it.

Fortunately there are positive aspects of my financial situation that I actually do believe and can focus on and reinforce. For instance, I have never been destitute — regardless of circumstances, I’ve always had enough resources to meet my needs. Also I have a lifelong history of accumulating very little debt and promptly paying off any debts I do incur. When I lose sight of these facts and descend into unproductive worry about finances, it helps to remind myself of the positive things I know to be true. “I always have more than enough material resources” is an appropriate affirmation that helps me relax my energy. It doesn’t necessarily imply that I have a lot of money in the bank; what is important to me is that my basic needs are met.

Another reminder I sometimes use is, “I don’t do debt.” As an affirmation, this phrase likely would outrage the New Age police on two counts: it deals with a negative subject (debt) and includes the dreaded word no (albeit in contraction form). But regardless of the rules, when I say this phrase, my energy feels more positive. It reminds me that regardless of my income or other circumstances, I somehow manage to stay largely debt-free.

This would be a good place to mention that the oft-repeated dictum, “the Universe doesn’t understand the word no,” is unsubstantiated and, quite frankly, absurd. Well, perhaps the Universe doesn’t understand the concept of a negative (never having had an in-depth conversation with the Universe, I cannot say for sure), but humans certainly do! If we didn’t, then so many of us would not have taken on negative beliefs about ourselves and others based on what we were told as children.

If my example affirmations sound suspiciously like they cross over into the area of appreciation, it’s because they do. Rather than opposing something I’ve created and don’t prefer (lack of financial abundance), I recognize and focus on closely related creations that I genuinely appreciate.

One possible productive use of affirmations in the traditional sense (affirming that you have what you want, even though you don’t yet believe it) is when a person is in a state of heightened suggestibility, such as during a hypnosis session or energy psychology procedure. Under these circumstances, people tend to relax their energy and rigid belief structures enough to allow new information to infiltrate. If the person is in a neutral state and doesn’t project opposing energy when the phrase is heard or vocalized, it may have the desired effect.

In determining whether to use an affirmation in your typical state of waking consciousness, the key is to notice how you feel when you say the phrase. If your energy feels more relaxed or buoyant, the phrase is a good candidate for an affirmation. If the feeling generated is neutral or “flat,” the statement is unlikely to have much effect. And if the potential affirmation evokes negative feelings, waste no time in banishing it to the Universe — which, of course, cannot comprehend a negative and therefore will be safe. (smile)