Affirmation

Affirmation is a powerful psychological tool that involves the deliberate practice of acknowledging and reinforcing positive aspects of oneself, circumstances, or goals. Through affirmations, individuals consciously choose to focus on affirming their strengths, values, and aspirations, aiming to cultivate a positive mindset and self-belief. Affirmations are typically repeated regularly, to reinforce positve beliefs and reshape one's perception of oneself and the world.

This practice is often used in various contexts, including personal development, therapy, and goal achievement, to bolster confidence, resilience, and motivation. Practitioners of Energy medicine ie, Reiki and other systems also teaches affirmations to their students.  It is not so different to prayers, only that this is somewhat specific and focused towards cultivating habits towards self improvement. 

Affirmations can help individuals counteract negative self-talk, reduce self-doubt, and foster a constructive attitude towards challenges. By regularly repeating affirmations that resonate with personal values and aspirations, people can cultivate a sense of empowerment and agency in their lives, contributing to overall well-being and growth. The saying "You are what you believe can never be further away from the truth. 

Here are 10 steps to effectively practice affirmations:

1. Identify Your Goals and Values: Determine what aspects of your life you want to focus on improving or affirming, whether it's confidence, relationships, career goals, or positive personal qualities.

2. Choose Positive Statements: Formulate affirmations that are positive, specific, and aligned with your goals. For example, "I am confident and capable in all that I do." have up to 5 affirmations that you think can be useful to foster good habits. 

3. Use Present Tense: Phrase your affirmations in the present tense as if they are already true. This helps reinforce the belief that you already possess these qualities or are moving towards them.

4. Keep Them Personal: Tailor your affirmations to reflect your personal experiences and aspirations. This makes them more meaningful and relevant to your journey.

5. Make Them Believable: Ensure that your affirmations are realistic and believable to you. They should inspire and motivate without creating doubt or skepticism.

6. Repeat Consistently: Regularly repeat your affirmations daily, ideally multiple times a day. Consistency is key to reinforcing positive beliefs and reshaping your mindset.

7. Visualize: As you repeat your affirmations, visualize yourself embodying the qualities or achieving the goals you're affirming. This adds a vivid and sensory component to the practice.

8. Pair with Action: Affirmations work best when paired with action. Take concrete steps towards your goals and use affirmations to reinforce your commitment and motivation. 

9. Stay Flexible: Modify and adapt your affirmations as your goals and circumstances evolve. Ensure they remain relevant and supportive of your current aspirations.

10. Reflect and Celebrate: Periodically reflect on your progress and celebrate small victories along the way. Acknowledge how affirmations have contributed to your growth and well-being.

By incorporating these steps into your daily routine before meditation, affirmations can become a powerful tool for fostering positivity,self-belief, and personal growth in various aspects of your life which in turn leads to a form of inner-cultivation toward the pursuit of the ideal life. 

An NLP teacher told me once regarding the importance of having good thoughts and its corelations to our reality : 

Watch your thoughts as they become your words, watch your words as they might become your behavior, watch your behavior as they might become your actions and lastly, watch your Actions as eventually they will shape your reality...

Try it... and observe the changes along the way.. This concepts are often utilised in my sessions as a facilitation tool for mindset change and reinforcemt technique (among many other things that I do).