The Soundtrack of Your Mind
If I played your inner dialogue out loud, how would I feel?
“Your affirmations are either working for your or against you, depending on how you use them.”
I read this quote in a book that I've been meaning to read for years but just barely got around to, The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod.
When I first read it, my immediate thought was:
All. The. Yessess!!!
...or something along those lines.
There's such a surprisingly negative connotation to the word, "affirmations," as if the only people that use them are weirdos who like to talk to themselves, or hippies. To be clear, though, anything you say out loud about yourself (or repeat constantly in your mind) is an affirmation. You repeat it enough times and it will become part of your subconscious, and ultimately impact your level of success in life.
(Yes, I am aware of the hippie-ness of what I just said, but stay with me).
If that sounds odd to you, let's add some perspective. How many healthy, successful people do you hear saying things like, "I'm so broke," or "I'm so exhausted," or "No, I could never (insert heart's desire here)"? I would wait for an answer but I really don't have that kind of time.
None. The answer is none.
The most successful people are the ones who truly believe that they are capable of anything they desire, so long as they put in the hard work required to obtain it. They don't go around speaking negatively about themselves. Quite the opposite. They speak their desires and capabilities out loud, and follow through with action, eventually leading to bringing those desires to life.
Think about the soundtrack of your own mind. If I played back your thoughts, would I feel inspired, or would I feel defeated? Would I feel good about myself, or would I feel awful? If it's the latter, understand that you are impacting every other area of your life in a negative way. Also know that you can change that.
Start turning your thoughts around, and be intentional about the way you speak to and about yourself. I'm not saying that negative thoughts will never come into your mind, they absolutely will, but you acknowledge them and press them out with positivism (**side note: did y'all KNOW that "positivity" is not an actual word??...mind. blown!)
"I'm amazing."
"I'm strong."
"I'm beautiful."
"I can do anything."
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
It's not conceded or cocky to talk about how great you are, especially not if your actions match your words, and trust me, friend, eventually they will! It feels uncomfortable only because you haven't tried it, and because most of us were raised to believe that positive self-talk and bragging were synonymous. (Spoiler alert: they're not!)
We were taught to think small thoughts, and to be satisfied with "good enough." Well, I'm NOT. I don't want "good enough." I want amazing, fantastic, fabulous. I'll settle for nothing less, and you shouldn't either.
You were made for more. More happiness, more love, more laughter, more peace...and it all starts in your mind. You'll only go as far as you can imagine yourself going, and I am NOT just talking about tangible goals like getting your dream job and making lots of money. Sure, we are motivated by those things, but they are just that: things. They won't bring you happiness and peace, that has to come from within.
