Before I begin this post it is important to clarify this post is not to invalidate your struggle. Life is hard, the struggle is real and health + wellbeing is incredibly complex. Health challenges are REAL and can be physically and psychologically debilitating depending on the severity of the medical condition.

I ’m  suggesting in this message that your chances of experiencing the benefits of any therapy you are using or achieving any goal you are trying to reach are about to get much higher if you complement your life with positive affirmations.  Especially if you have long standing self limiting beliefs or self sabotaging behaviours. The changes MAY be to either assist you to healing OR adjust to a new state of being.  Either way, it’s an additional oar on the canoe through recovery.

I get it, saying “I am worthy” when you’re feeling shite or “I am vital” when you haven’t slept in days can be frustrating and seemingly counter-intuitive, but If your conversation with yourself is geared to the positive outcomes that are possible, you will be shifting your body into the right gear to be receptive to the positive changes that are possible and usually, that you are seeking.

If you’re particularly good at the often unconscious reflex of self sabotage, you might experience anger, frustration resistance and be generally pissed off at the suggestion of saying these sentences to yourself. The truth is, if these affirmations piss you off, you might need them the most.

Ok let’s go.

Affirmations. Once thought to be some new age practice now emerging into the mainstream as a powerful tool for personal growth.

Positive affirmations can change your life, or at least, change your outlook – which will open the road to change your life.

There are three ingredients you need in implementing your affirmation practice (hint, you don’t even need conviction if you’re not ready yet, just say it out loud! Even if you don’t believe it yet)

1. Consistency
2. Consistency. said again because it’s so vital that the regularity of your affirmation practice creates a momentum in shifting you.
3. Clarity in its purpose – Get clear about what YOU want. Not what everyone else wants of you..what YOU want.

Plug in. 

Sit yourself down in a cafe, at a park, in your room anywhere and record the following:

Step 1: Identify your purpose What do you want to feel? What do you want to achieve? What does it mean to you?

Step 2 : Write your 3 affirmations linked to what you want. If you need some inspiration – Click on this link, Louise Hay is the affirmation queen with an abundance of resources.

Step 3: Outcome flexibility Be flexible with the outcomes. Being rigid with your thinking and your expectations may precede disappointment. Oftentimes our hopes and dreams and purposes are achieved in a way and on a path that is completely unexpected! You can miss your blessings if you obsess over the details and how you think things should play out. Focus on what you want to FEEL as being a significant part of the end goal. Eg –  Joy, A sense of love,  achievement, Financially stable, Safe

Some examples of affirmations include :

If you’re feeling weak and one of your goals is to harness more energy.

“ I feel strong”

If you’re feeling inadequate or burdened by the prospect of change then say

“ I am capable of change “

 If you have experienced some levels of perceived rejection that require you to rebuild your inner landscape.

“ I am worthy”

You can write your own, spice it up how you see fit, add, delete and look into the works of Louise Hay, if you need some inspiration on what to write for yourself.

As practitioners we can help you – Psychologists, GP’s, Naturopaths, Specialists etc.. – But we can only help you as far as you are willing help yourself. Your power is enormous in your healing and growth process.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Take it bit by bit, and day by day. 

Here is your challenge – for the next 30 days, write yourself 3 affirmations related to a goal you want to achieve, and put it on your mirror.

Now you might be thinking – How do you know?

To share a personal story. This part is optional reading. 

In a not so fine moment of my long gone past I sat before my ex partner,  tears in a puddle on the floor begging and pleading for my him not to leave me, in the deepest space of feeling unworthy than I have ever felt in my life, from nowhere I suddenly screamed choking on tears:

“I am worthy, I am magnificent”        Seriously, Where the f*** did that come from?? 

A reasonable onlooker wouldn’t walk past this trainwreck and use the words “magnificent’ to describe it. I had a giant bubble of snot coming out of my nose, tears streaming down my face and my hair was electric shock frazzled – but the fact that this statement emerged at rock bottom – was an example of the power of affirmations. I don’t know what part of my soul that little gem burst from, and I certainly didn’t believe that statement at the time, but boy was I grateful that I said it because it  gave me the courage to walk away with conviction from that point. It allowed me to honour myself. Everybody deserves to be in a relationship where they are honoured.   Including and especially the relationship with yourself.

During this troubled period, my nephew, who was 4 at the time, gifted me with the deepest compliment. He asked me curiously who I loved more, myself or my sister. Without blinking I told him that I loved my sister more than myself and he paused, pondered on this answer for a moment and said

“But what about you? You are very special. You should love yourself more, you are special too.’

I will never forget that moment of pure compassion and purity for as long as I live. So let me extend this to you. No matter what you are going through, You are magnificent. Yes, YOU. Big time. There is only one of you that will ever exist, own that, and take every step knowing that undisputed scientific fact.

This post is dedicated to my mum, The one and only Magnificent Majida Abboud. For putting enough of these affirmations in my lunchbox at school so that one day during a time of trouble, I rescued myself with- “ I am magnificent. ”  Oh +

My special, unforgettable magnificent friendulos Goosey

It all starts with the willingness to forgive, forgiving ourselves, others, our past etc. Forgive it all. As forgiveness has been poetically described as ‘the fragrance that the violet sheds, on the heel that has crushed it.’

Start your week with forgiveness of all and a positive affirmation.

Happy Tuesday

xx

Reem