<\/p>\n
Well, guess what else has words<\/a>?<\/p>\n ‘Uh…’<\/p>\n Affirmations.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Affirmations” is a popular phrase in many self-improvement spheres & law of attraction<\/a> circles.<\/p>\n Some people know what they are talking about.<\/p>\n And others are using the phrase without proper knowledge.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Who are you to say what is proper knowledge and what isn’t??’<\/p>\n That’s a good question.<\/p>\n And a smart question.<\/em><\/p>\n And this question will be the theme of what I want to discuss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n An affirmation is a:<\/p>\n Phrase that is repeated in order to lead to a behavioral change.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n There can be different definitions in terms of wordplay.<\/p>\n But this covers a core idea of what it means.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘How often is the phrase repeated?’<\/p>\n That depends.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For some people, they do it first thing in the morning<\/a>.<\/p>\n For other people, they do it first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In many Eastern cultures, the affirmation is viewed in a different context.<\/p>\n It’s viewed more as a mantra.<\/p>\n And many of those cultures repeat the mantra continuously throughout the day to steady & purify the mind.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So repetition<\/strong> is a key factor of an affirmation.<\/p>\n And the second key is that it should lead to a change.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘What kind of a change?’<\/p>\n A change in behavior<\/strong> that is meaningful to you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Initially, I told you that it’s a good question that you called me out on saying that some do not have the proper knowledge.<\/p>\n ‘Why?’<\/p>\n Because proper knowledge is personal to us.<\/p>\n Only we can decide if it works.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Objectivity is something that can easily be measured.<\/p>\n Subjectivity is more difficult to measure because of the human experiences which are involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In terms of repetition, that’s objective.<\/p>\n It’s clear to measure how many times you did it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But in terms of subjective…<\/p>\n The emotions<\/a>, experiences, changes in behavior, that’s more personal<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The key to remember is that affirmations are meant to spark a change.<\/strong><\/p>\n And it’s difficult (if not impossible) to spark a long-lasting change if your emotions are not involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The main reason the repetition is required is because the mind learns that way.<\/p>\n The mind<\/a> often learns via pain & repetition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is when a few problems occur.<\/p>\n ‘Problems?’<\/p>\n Yea, let me explain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anytime a movement get’s popularized, it attracts lazy<\/a> & uninformed people.<\/p>\n And this group is often the loudest.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Two big problems in regards to affirmations some have are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This group thinks repetition is all that is needed.<\/p>\n And they believe repetition alone will take them to the final destination.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Repetition is better than doing nothing.<\/p>\n However, that’s not optimal.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s like going to a 5-star restaurant & ordering a grand meal.<\/p>\n Getting your food delivered…<\/p>\n Just to drink the water & dip..<\/p>\n Food untouched.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Valuing the objective too much does not engage the subjective.<\/p>\n ‘And how can I exactly feel an emotion? That’s hard.’<\/p>\n Exactly.<\/p>\n This is why point 2 is just as important.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Words are just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n It’s impossible to truly engage your subjective side without action<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Wait, I gotta put in work? I thought I was just supposed to recite some stuff…’<\/p>\n Nope, not at all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The work <\/a>is what engages the subjective side.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n That’s when the words you were reciting starts to pick up life IN you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘But wait. If I need to work…Then what’s the point of affirmations at all?’<\/p>\n -Affirmations are like the steering wheel for the mind.<\/p>\n -Work is the gasoline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a lot of individuals, when they work, they are operating with limiting beliefs.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They are mechanically doing the work.<\/p>\n However, it’s not good work.<\/p>\n Not pure work.<\/p>\n Affirmations get the mind & body in harmony over time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Okay, you’re saying I need to put in work?’<\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n ‘You’re saying affirmations work as a steering wheel?’<\/p>\n Correct.<\/p>\n ‘Then how do I know if these affirmations are actually working for me?’<\/p>\n Great question.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here’s what I noticed…<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When people initially hear about affirmations, their ego<\/a> gets involved.<\/p>\n A part of them becomes a bit greedy.<\/p>\n Normal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They make a list of a WHOLE bunch of affirmations.<\/p>\n Like a little kid who is going to ask Santa for a bunch of gifts.<\/p>\n Once again, normal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they list out 50 affirmations…they spend days, weeks, months reciting them.<\/p>\n Highly disciplined<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n At this point, a few people match the affirmation with work ethic.<\/a><\/p>\n And by few, I truly do mean few<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As some time goes by…something magical happens.<\/p>\n ‘What?’<\/p>\n The affirmations are slowly becoming less and less.<\/p>\n ‘Meaning?’<\/p>\n Meaning that the 50 affirmations are morphing into 3.<\/p>\n Which may even evolve into 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is when the subconscious mind<\/a> is engaged.<\/p>\n This is when all the excess words are falling off.<\/p>\n You are getting straight to the source.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the 50 affirmations, now you know 1 is the source.<\/p>\n And all others are derivatives of that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So at this point, rather than mindlessly reciting 50 affirmations.<\/p>\n You can mindfully recite 1 affirmation, which allows your behavior to morph drastically.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘So were the 50 initial affirmations a waste of time?’<\/p>\n No. Those 50 laid down the groundwork. The infrastructure.<\/p>\n And now those multiple moving parts of the infrastructure is leading to the emergent property.<\/p>\n You needed to go thru the 50 to narrow down…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That’s what I noticed for people who did affirmations with work ethic for overtime<\/a>.<\/p>\n For ~2+ years-ish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you find all 50 of your affirmations just as relevant now as you did in the beginning…<\/p>\n Then go with your experiences.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fields that require objectivity & subjectivity often say ‘it depends’ alot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘Do affirmations work??’<\/p>\n It depends.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you match the recitation with work ethic…<\/p>\n Then you’ll feel the emotions<\/a> over time.<\/p>\n The emotions are what will be responsible for behavioral transformations.<\/p>\n So in this case, the answer is yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are just mindlessly reciting, and sloppy with your discipline, the answer is a staggering:<\/p>\n Fuck no.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nope, it will not work for you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ultimately, anything that has a subjective element will require you to decide the answer for yourself.<\/p>\n Maintain that work ethic.<\/p>\n And cultivate the faith<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A lot of individuals start something.<\/p>\n Half ass it.<\/p>\n Quit<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And surprisingly, these people are the most vocal.<\/p>\n When you ask them, do affirmations work?<\/p>\n They confidently say ‘trust me man, it doesn’t work.’<\/p>\n <\/p>\nWhat is an Affirmation?<\/h2>\n
From Objective to Subjective<\/h2>\n
Problems Some People Have with Affirmations<\/h2>\n
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1. Being too Objective<\/h3>\n
2. Being too Word Focused<\/h3>\n
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How Do I know if The Affirmations Worked?<\/h2>\n
Final Verdict on Affirmations<\/h2>\n
![\"\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/svg\/1f399.svg\")
![\"\ud83d\udd25\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.0\/svg\/1f525.svg\")
<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"