Attitude Shaping and Shifting: Affirmations

Affirmations are short statements that say the things you want to exist as though they already do. They are designed to shape and shift your belief system about yourself and the nature of life in general. Many trainers, coaches, and counselors are fans of this strategy and it can be helpful for a lot of people.

After having said that, they are not solve alls or magic wands that necessarily alter and shape reality to your liking. In my own experiments, I also find they are more effective if you have plenty of evidence to support their truthfulness. Affirmations will not overcome the laws of nature or over ride the will of God. Gravity still exists no matter how many times you affirm your ability to fly unaided by an airplane or other device. I will not become a super star in the NBA no matter how often I affirm it. Affirmations will not make up for lack of talent, height, or other requirements. Affirmations as a technique have also gotten deeply entrenched in New Age philosophies that can do damage. They can range from the mildly humorous to the ridiculous. Shirley McClain’s affirmation that she is god or you are god doesn’t make it so.

Affirmations may however enhance talent and gifting and reinforce helpful beliefs that will create a better more successful life. I recommend affirmations that are rooted in reality. To do this, make a list of your strengths. What are your talents? What skills do you possess? What are you passionate about? Write the answers to these questions down and turn them into affirmations.

If you have a talent for oral communication and have honed your skills as a communicator write:

I am a great presenter!

If you are competitive and like trying to figure out how to win in a marketplace full of competitors write:

I love to compete and win!

If you have a desire to truly serve your customers write:

I am a servant salesperson who consistently takes care of my customers!

It is much more effective to tell yourself the truth. Some suggest taking a weakness and essentially lying to yourself about it, believing that over time the affirmation will take hold, thus turning the weakness into a strength. I’m not saying this has never happened, I just have my doubts.

Everyone reading this has plenty of strengths. Make a list, turn it into an affirmation, and try reading them daily. See if it doesn’t shift your thinking and send a surge of enthusiasm and energy pulsing through your body.