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Give and get support around quitting

Nyima_1.6.13
Member

Mindfulness & Acceptance Group Blog #7: Affirmations

  How to Change Your Life by Using Affirmations/Positive Self Talk
  By Kate Britt
   
  “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha
   
  An affirmation is, simply, positive self-talk. It’s a statement about ourselves or our situation, phrased in the present tense as if the statement is already true.
  Affirmations work to help us change. I’d like to share with you one method to start creating very personal affirmations.
   
  1. Identify your negative self-talk and beliefs.
  Do this in handwriting, not with a computer. Connecting your physical self with your neurons and psyche and intuition is important here. What our bodies do, our subconscious learns from.
   
  Fold a piece of lined paper in half lengthwise, and then unfold it. Down the left side, write a list of those self-limiting statements you’ve been thinking and saying. “I can’t afford a vacation.” Or “It’s hard to lose weight.” Or “I’ll never meet the right guy/woman for me.”
  Stick to one theme or personal issue on this first list. (It's too hard to quit) Write everything that comes to mind on the topic. Don’t think, just be spontaneous and real. It needs to be a stream-of-consciousness set of statements.
  Then spend a few days listening closely to yourself, to what you’re saying, thinking. Ask a friend to listen, too. Add every negative self-talk statement to your list as it comes up. (I can't do this, I want a cigarette)
  After you think you’ve written them all, wait. More will come. As you empty out the top layer in your mind, the next layer will be revealed and released.
   
  2. Create some affirmations out of those beliefs.
  This next part is not easy, but you can do it!
  You are going to write some new statements. You may feel huge resistance as you do it. Maybe you won’t believe a thing you write. Perhaps you’ll feel discouraged. You’ll probably think it’s weird.
  Down the right side of your paper, across from each left-side statement, write a new one that transforms that negative statement into a positive.
  Examples:
  “I can’t afford a vacation” becomes “I can afford to take a nice vacation.”
  “It’s hard to lose weight” becomes “Losing weight is easy for me.”
  “I can’t save any money” becomes “I’m good at saving money.”
  “I’ll never meet the right guy/woman” could become “I’m open to new relationships” or “I’m ready to meet my perfect mate.”
  The new statements must be in the present tense. Write “I am…” rather than “I will be…” or “I’m going to be…” Avoid using the word “try” because “I’m trying” is a self-perpetuating statement.
  To get around your disbelief about writing something that feels untrue and seems impossible, you can write things like “I’m learning to….” and “I’m getting better at….” It’s still present tense, still a positive affirmation. Something like “I’m getting better at saving money” might feel better than “I’m good at saving money.”
   
  3. Begin using the new affirmation statements.
  Fold the paper in half again. Never again read the left side. Ignore it forever. Tear it in half and burn it if you want to!?!
  Post the folded paper, positive-statements on top, somewhere you’ll see it often. Above the toilet paper roll. Over the kitchen sink. Read your affirmations from time to time, but there’s no need to dwell on your list. It is simply an occasional reminder that you’re transforming your thinking.
   
  If you catch yourself thinking or saying any of your old (negative) beliefs, stop yourself. Transform it into the positive, right then and there.
  Ask your family and friends to help by simply pointing out any negative self-descriptions when you say them. When they do, transform the negative to the positive immediately, and say the new statement aloud to them.
  You’re literally changing your mind.
   
  4. See the “magic” gradually unfold.
  The “magic” will happen, if you do the first three tasks. Truly!
  Soon you will not only say you’re good at handling money (or whatever your issue is), but you’ll also begin to believe it and—here’s the magic—one day you’ll notice that you are good at it!
  The negative statements will gradually disappear from your mind.
   
  If you stick with this, what’s absolutely true is that:
   
  When you write it, the magic begins.
  After you write it, you can start reading it.
  When you start reading it, you’ll be able to start saying it.
  When you start saying it, you start hearing it.
  When you start hearing it, you start to believe it.
  When you believe it, things begin to change.
  When things begin to change, you will understand. And believe.
   
  “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” ~ Goethe
   
  OK folks, you know where to start! Which thoughts do you have change?
  It's to hard to quit!/Quitting is soooo doable!
  I can't tolerate cravings!/I can surf the crave!
  These cravings just won't stop!/Cravings last about 3 minutes!
  I can't quit!/I am quitting!
  This is too hard for me!/I am successful at what I do!
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4 Replies

I have a Group right here at BecomeanEX called Positive Affirmations for Success. We have 135 members who come and take what they find useful and post new ones to share with the rest of us. Please check it out and join. Affirmations have made a huge difference in my life!

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cory-3-10-13
Member

Ooh, I have goosebumps reading this! Its so exciting to realize that we have the power to shape and form our own futures and lives! Its weird that I'm in my thirties and just realizing this now! I wish I'd known this when I was younger...but as my ol' buddy Dale has said, "you gotta do some cocooning to be a butterfly." 

These types of affirmations are like the silk of your cocoon. Get ready to emerge anew...yay! I love this! Thank you Nyima.

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When I was driving today I used midfulness both with what my body was doing and with what I was seeing! Literally, what an eye opener! I'm so used to using driving time to think about everything else except what I'm doing and seeing! And I noticed that I arrived at my destination much more relaxed! I'm learning more about my right here now than I ever imagined!

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