Positive Affirmations

A friend sent me some positive affirmations the other day, which I really like, and thought it would be nice to share them with all you lovely people, but first I want to share my thoughts on affirmations. As part of my continued empowerment, alongside listening to the Carolyn Myss Self esteem CDs, and practising meditation I have also got into the habit of doing positive affirmations.

I was reading Louise Hay ‘You can heal your life’ the other day and she mentions how many of us may have got stuck in the habit of saying negative affirmations to ourselves, such ‘I can’t do that’, ‘They won’t like me’ I don’t deserve this’ etc. She suggests saying affirmations don’t work is an affirmation in itself. Louise also makes a connection between dis-ease, ill health, and negative thinking, and while I do agree, that a positive mental attitude can help with your physical health as well as your mental health, I must admit I do not agree with Louise’s theories that cancer and other illnesses can be caused by negative thinking, and you can cure yourself by doing positive affirmations. I feel that maybe these rather extreme beliefs may contribute towards people seeing people who practice positive affirmations as kooky, weird, airy fairy etc.

However, I am finding practising positive affirmations, a very useful practise in the process of reprogramming my thought patterns. It just seems to make sense to me; as constantly talking negatively to ourselves is bound to contribute to feeling low, so therefore learning to talk positively to ourselves is quite likely to contribute to us feeling happier. I realised that I had been stuck in negative ways of thinking such as: placing unrealistically high expectations on myself and self bullying for most of my life. Since doing positive affirmations it is actually changing the way I think. The only way to explain this is to give an example. I mentally say affirmations to myself while swimming (often for about an hour), and the affirmations I say include: ‘I open the door to my heart inwards with love. As I forgive myself it becomes easier to be able to forgive others. I allow myself to make mistakes, and realise any mistakes I make are opportunities to learn something new. Every experience has something to teach me’. When I made a mistake in the past I would beat myself up, tell myself I am weak, unworthy, a person who can’t cope like other people can, whereas now when I do see mistakes as an opportunity to learn something which can now help me move forward and become stronger.

So whether you think affirmations kooky or recognise the benefit of saying them here are the affirmations I wanted to share with you:

I notice the beauty of nature and feel blessed to be part of it.


I accept change and welcome new beginnings.


Where I am is where I am meant to be.


I have everything I need because of this I am filled with contentment and peace.


The past is my history, the future is my unknown, I choose to live in the present.


My entire being radiates love and joy to the world around me.


I remember the past, learn from it, then release it. I love who I am.


My home is filled with joy, love laughter, understanding and serenity.


The only life I have control over is mine and only I control my life.