An affirmation is a positive statement that something is realistic. You may realize that our minds are continuously “talking” such as going over work, school, kids, anything and everything in our daily lives seems to be playing repeatedly in our heads. These thoughts, feelings and words are important to our daily lives. Most of the time our mind runs through these ideas with out letting us consciously think about or doing anything to create them.

If you have previously done any form of meditation you know that it is extremely hard to quiet this “inner voice” however it must be done to properly connect to our deeper and wiser intuitive minds. One form of meditation they ask that you look at this inner voice as objectively as you can, this voice allows you to be consciously aware of thoughts that repeatedly playing repeatedly in your head like a movie.

Affirmations may be done quietly, aloud, written down, or chanted, whatever method you are most comfortable with. A simple ten minutes a day of positive affirmations may counterbalance years of horriabl mental habits. Of course, the more often you remember to be aware of what you’re “telling yourself,” and choose positive, expansive words and concepts, the more positive a reality you will create.

An affirmation can be any positive statement you create. It can be very general, with a simple idea played out or very specific with defined facts. There is an unlimited amount of possible affirmations; here are a few just to give you some ideas: Every day in, every way, I am getting better, better, and better. Everything is coming to me easily and effortlessly.

Here are some important things to remember about affirmations:

• Always state your affirmations in the present tense, not in the future. It is important to create it as if it already exists. Do not say, “I will get a beautiful house,” but rather “I now have a beautiful house.” This is not lying to yourself; it is acknowledging the fact that everything is produced on the mental plane first, before it can turn into reality.
• Always articulate affirmations in the best optimal way possible. Substantiate what you do want, not what you do not want. Try to say “I will no longer be late to work in the morning” but rather “1 will now get to work on time and give all my energy to my assignments.” This guarantees that you are creating the utmost positive mental image.
• There will be specific times you may find it helpful to state affirmations in a negative manner, especially when you are working on cleaning out those specific emotional blocks or bad habits. For example, “I don’t need to get tense in order to get things accomplished.” If this is the case, you should always follow this type of affirmation with a positive one that describes the effort and goal you are working to achieve such as. “I now stay extremely relaxed and centred, and everything is accomplished easily and effortlessly.”
• To sum it up, the shorter and simpler the affirmation the more effective it will be. An affirmation should be a clear, precise statement that conveys a positive feeling; the more feeling it creates, the stronger the impression it will make on your mind. Long, wordy and theoretical affirmations lose the emotional impact they should have.
• Always choose affirmations that that are best and feel right for you. What works for one person may not work at all for another. Affirmation should feel positive, expansive, supportive and most of all freeing. If it you do not get any of this from your current affirmation, find another one, or try changing the wording around until it feels right to you. You may feel emotional resistance to an affirmation the first time you use it, especially one that is powerful for you and is going to make a realistic, positive change in your life. That is simply the ego’s first initial reaction to change and growth.
• You are not trying to redo or change what already exists. Try to remember when doing your affirmations that you are trying to create something new, fresh and exciting. To do so would be to contradict what you are trying to accomplish, besides the fact it creates conflict and struggle. Take the attitude that you are accepting and handling something that already exists in your life, and at the same time every moment is a new opportunity to begin creating exactly what you desire and will make you the happiest.
• Affirmations are not meant to resist or try to change your feelings and emotions. It is consequential to accept and experience all feelings, including the negative ones without attempting to change them. At the same time, affirmations can help create a new point of view about life that will allow you to have a satisfying experience from now on.
• When you use affirmations, try to create a feeling of belief, an experience that can be true. For a few minutes postpone your doubts and hesitations, and put your all your possible mental and emotional energy into them. If you still have doubts, resistance, or negative thoughts that are getting in the way of your affirmations, simply follow the steps in the clearing process. Another good note is to get into the habit of knowing you can create this affirmation, just simply having the feeling you can make the difference from success to failure.

You can use affirmations alone, or in combination with visualizing or imaging. However, you should always include affirmations as part of your regular meditation periods. Affirmations can be the most powerful and inspiring when they include references to spiritual sources, what ever that may be for you. Mention of God, Christ, Buddha or any great master adds the extra spiritual energy to your affirmation you may need. It also acknowledges the universal source of all things. You may prefer to use such phrases as divine love, the light within me, or universal intelligence.