I’m passionate about sharing simple and powerful tools that make a positive difference in my life.  As I get ready to begin a more consistent daily affirmation practice, I have been thinking about the power of positive and intentional thought and how it is changing my whole outlook on life.

Perhaps you’ll understand what I mean when I say that I used to think affirmations were a bit chintzy, a bit ‘Hallmark’?  The thought of repeating snappy little phrases to myself seemed superficial, and I felt pretty unconvinced that this would work for me. Living in Boulder, of course I came across the idea of positive thought, affirmations and intentional thinking many, many times over a period of years.  Yet whenever I was reading a useful or inspiring book, I would probably ignore the parts that suggested affirmations, or maybe try it just once then forget about it.  I felt there was something deeper, more complex I needed to know.

There wasn’t.  It’s very simple. As always in my world, I just needed to feel it for myself, and consciously practice it.

Things shifted for me when I began to receive guidance in these snappy little phrases for other people during their energy healing sessions.  I would hear them loud and clear.  At first, I was a little embarrassed to share them, yet when I did, they meant so much.  This has now become an integral part of my work.  Through helping people to explore their wants, needs, desires and dreams for their lives, I understand that the way we talk and think about our lives and experiences has a direct and profound influence on what kind of life we create.

It’s all about vibration.  When you spend time with someone who is feeling depressed and worried, it feels different than time spent with someone who is feeling joyful and playful. Frequencies resonate with like, and we have all experienced how we can be affected by being around certain people.

If someone you love is upset, in distress, do you tell them that all their worries are real and worrisome? Or do you soothe them with more positive  suggestions?

Can we do that for ourselves?

Can we notice the unhelpful thoughts that keep us worried, fearful and low on energy? Once we notice, we can choose to have different thoughts. We can begin to think in ways that support us and help us to create the things we truly want  for our lives.

Affirmations, really, are simple. They are you being in conscious control of your thoughts. When you say them or think them or even hear them, they become the thoughts that create your reality. Affirmations, then, are your conscious thoughts.*

Some ideas on how to enjoy affirmations!

• Practice – it takes practice to notice our worried thoughts and interesting patterns. Like everything, the more we practice, the more awareness we have and we can begin to change the patterns, replace the thoughts with kinder and more vibrant ones.

• Make the words work – you can find ideas for affirmations online and in books if you feel unsure, and know that it becomes very powerful to begin to use your own words, the ones that feel authentic to you, the words that help you express clearly what you want to achieve or make manifest in your life.

• Bring a sense of curiosity and excitement! – Why not?! Imagine what’s possible if all this is true? If you can actually shift your experience through noticing and changing your thoughts, instantly changing your vibrational frequency, that’s fun!

• Know you are taking care of yourself – Imagine that today you are responsible for encouraging a dear friend (that dear friend is you). Spend the day noticing  unempowering thoughts, then have fun affirming a positive version – a vibrant feel-good version…   Affirm your worth, your goodness, your capacity to feel joy, to be vibrant, healthy, abundant, loving, to do the things you love to do.

Today I woke up feeling lethargic and concerned about how many things I needed to do before I leave for work.  Not a great feeling in the morning! I took a deep breath and told myself,  ‘I have plenty of time to get it all done’.  Then I got up and did it.  Now I feel energized and focused. It’s as simple as that. Which is not the same as saying it’s easy. I think the key is to keep doing it, keep noticing, and to be gentle with yourself.

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