>Could affirmations affect something as physical as this?
I have done some research and a fair amount of work using affirmations. My answer is that, yes, you can indeed impact physical changes. After all, you subconsciously are directing those muscles to raise or lower. In my view, affirmations serve to reprogram the subconscious. One of the most interesting things and effective things I learned to do regarding affirmations was to keep a journal and write down all of the things I was thinking when I was tired, frustrated, or emotional. Just to free-form write. From that, later, to go back and create an affirmation for each of those thoughts. Here is the cool part...when you are in good spirits and confident, get a tape recorder and taped yourself repeating each of those good affirmations, with all the confidence and enthusiasm that you can put into your voice. If you can only come up with a few minutes of affirmations, that's fine. You can record it over and over until you fill the tape, if you would like (saves rewinding.) Then, put a copy in your car. When you are driving to work or elsewhere, play it again and again. Keep a copy around the house-when you are doing house hold chores or working in the garden, etc, wear a walk-man and play it again and again. You don't have to listen to the words consciously-you can turn it on very low and be totally distracted and doing something else. Drifting off to sleep is also a good time to play it. The whole theory is that the subconscious part of the brain programs the "can't" into our brains, so this subconsciously programs the "can" right over the "can't." The best analogy I have heard is that as though we have tapes of messages we have created over the years that run inside our heads, and that this serves to re-program your tapes. I don't remember the names of the books I read, but I can probably dig them up if anyone is interested.
The research on this showed that there is much more power to actually HEARING THE AFFIRMATION IN YOUR OWN VOICE. ABOVE ALL, the most important time to listen to the tape you make is WHEN YOU ARE TIRED AND WORN OUT, have just had a bad experience or a bad day. Because it is these times that the negative tapes kick in the most, and it is these times that you have the least ability to fight that type of negative thinking. There is something very powerful about hearing your own voice cheer you on and tell you how you really are doing wonderful when you are feeling really rotten or down.
As you grow beyond the things you are working on and conquer those things, you just make a new tape which addresses the new issues you are working on. Experience has taught me to keep the old ones around, though, for those really rotten days when I feel like I am learning to crawl all over again.
I know it sounds goofy, but if any of you are serious about this affirmation stuff, I suggest you try it for a month or so and see what you think. A friend talked me into trying it. It's been so much more powerful and effective than I ever dreamed.
Sandra
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