by Katherine on August 23, 2010
If you’ve ever looked at an affirmation that someone else wrote and felt no connection to the words, you’re not alone.
Designing an affirmation works best when it’s a creative process flowing directly out of your life situation. The affirmation is most powerful when it comes out of your personal experiences.
There are processes you can use to create affirmations that hold much deeper meaning for you. This is one simple process.
Making
Affirmations
Meaningful
Choose the Situation
Look at a situation in your life that you would like to change. We could also call it a negative situation. It can be big or small, a pinprick or a thwack over the head. It doesn’t matter the intensity, just that you want to change it.
Define How You Feel About It
Now ponder how you feel about the situation. Are you angry, fearful, frustrated, or lonely? Do you perceive a lack of friends, financial prosperity, or a business or personal partnership? Sit with the situation a bit and let the feelings come. You might want to write for more clarity.
Find the Good Qualities
Now look at each feeling you’re experiencing and find its opposite. What do you want to experience? If you’re angry, the opposite is love. If you’re frustrated, you could say the opposite is grace and ease. You can name them whatever you want. Keep in mind that the qualities that your negative situation is calling forward are actually qualities of Good. How many qualities of Good can you name? Make a list.
Create the Affirmation
From the list of qualities, create your affirmation. Use “I” and use the present tense. Your affirmation is about you. You are changing YOU, not someone else. Affirm it until you feel a shift in how you feel about the situation. Affirm it until you see the results of your affirmation.
Watch for them because they’ll be there.
If you receive this post in email or RSS, be the first to comment or share your affirmation.
by Katherine on August 10, 2010
It was just an inexpensive Ikea desk.
A few weeks ago, I bought a new desk for my music computer workstation. It’s much better than the old one as it has room for my two big speakers, my mixing board and MBox, as well as the usual components of a computer. It looks wonderful.
But what to do with the old desk?
I decided to give it away. First I tried putting up a notice on the public bulletin board in the building I live in. Two days later the poster was gone. “Oh good,” I thought, “Someone is going to come and take it away.” But that didn’t happen.
Next option: I’d take it to the thrift store a few blocks away. But no, it wouldn’t fit in my car.
So there sat the desk for two weeks. In. My. Way.
Why didn’t I put it on Craigslist, you ask? Well, finally I did. After I figured out what was stopping me. You see, my mind was full of beliefs about the desk.
- There are all kinds of desks on Craigslist, who would ever even see mine amidst all that choice?
- I couldn’t deliver it, no one would be able to come and pick it up.
- It was just a little inexpensive desk, who would want it?
Blah, blah, blah.
Yesterday morning I woke up early, turned on my computer and posted it. (I think I was dreaming about the desk!) I imagined that the perfect person would want the desk. I imagined it being the perfect solution for someone. Within an hour someone contacted me wanting it for her young son’s first computer desk.
- She was thrilled it was free.
- She actually drove for over an hour to come and pick it up.
- Three other people also contacted me before I delivered it and took the ad down.
You see where I’m going here. I stumbled around that desk and I stumbled around my belief that no one would want it for over two weeks.
Once I figured out what was stopping me, it went in two hours.
We often stumble around in the dark for a long time, wondering why things aren’t working the way we want. Well, my friend, we are powerful creators. And we create exactly the way we are thinking.
Today at a friend’s suggestion I started a manifestation tree on my wall. Each leaf will be a manifestation.
The desk was the first leaf I put up.
by Katherine on August 3, 2010
Who has not experienced sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and a quivery voice before a performance of some kind? Whenever we have to perform in some way, it can bring on all those things and more.
As a singer I’ve experienced this many times. When I had a full time voice studio I witnessed it many times in my singers. For you, perhaps it’s an interview or work presentation.
Whatever it is, it’s possible for anyone to use the ability of the mind to envision and create the desired outcome.
Think About It!
“What the mind of man (sic) can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill
Here is a step by step process for mentally and emotionally preparing for any kind of presentation or performance.
Step 1: Know Your Reason
Have a clear picture in mind about the ‘why’ and develop this picture at least a month before the event.
Step 2: Write a List of your Achievements
Start as far back in your past as you like. Write down that you were valedictorian when you were in grade 8; that you were chosen to sing a solo for your church; that you wrote an award winning story; that you have a talent for making people laugh. Put down anything and everything that comes to your mind and spend a few minutes a day for two or three days adding to the list.
Step 3: Find the Feeling
Once you have your list, sit quietly for a few minutes and review it. Do this several times. How do you feel? Does it feel pretty good? Excellent! You are going to use that feeling for the next step.
Step 4: Picture the End Result
Decide how you want to feel after your presentation or performance. How does it feel to visualize yourself receiving congratulations or smiling and thanking people for the compliments? How about just having that feeling inside that you did well?
Step 5: Write Your Vision
Now write a vision for your performance and describe everything. What do you see in the venue? What are the sights and sounds you will experience? Do a script and make sure it’s in first person and present tense. EG, “I am calm and focused. I see people applauding and appreciating my performance. I bring the house down!”
Step 6: Run Your Movie
Once you have your vision run it like a movie several times a day. Start your visualization by doing some focused breathing or listening to some relaxing music. Then when you have become centered, run the mental movie. You may not actually see the movie, only impressions of feelings. You may want to speak it out loud, tape it or just think about it. It doesn’t matter, just do it whichever way works for you.
Step 7: Turn Negative Into Positive
Each time you have a negative thought, turn the thought around. “Who’s going to want to hear me?” becomes “MY performance is going to touch at least one person and I don’t have to know what or who.” Turn all those thoughts around.
Step 8: Breathe
As you’re waiting for your cue, breathe. Stressed people breathe shallowly. Breathe slowly and deeply as you wait to go on.
Step 9: Celebrate
Enjoy it when your vision of the event becomes reality and people ask you for your autograph!
by Katherine on August 2, 2010
While visiting a friend on the Sunshine Coast (Beautiful!) I had a few minutes to wait for the ferry on my return home. I popped into a little shop at the terminal and found the Wild Woman Mystery Cards.
Using insight cards and decks can be a way to bring conscious awareness about the context of our current life. I already had three sets of cards and as the fancy strikes me, I pick a card from one of the decks. But even though I love all three decks, I just couldn’t resist these new cards.
Yesterday I picked the Wild Woman deck and got a card called CHOICE. Good choice!
Reading about that card in the accompanying book, I was struck in particular by these words.
We are constantly asked to make decisions from little to big in our lives. You have a Choice Wild Woman. Always. That is why you are being asked.
I am going to simply leave those words with you. (And they’re not just for women, they’re for everyone.)
by Katherine on July 30, 2010
A couple of weeks ago I had to go to the library to return a book. It was a very hot day and as I approached the library my usual parking spots right across from the library (and right in the direct noon day sun!) were not available because of some street maintenance.
So turning the corner I pulled into a parking spot that was completely shaded by a beautiful tree. Wow, that worked out well.
Walking back to the corner to cross to the library the light turned green my way just as I reached the curb.
Crossing the street, I spoke these words spontaneously and out loud. “Everything always works out for me.” And I smiled to myself and thought, “That’s the truth.”
It certainly wasn’t always so. At times I’ve struggled with the idea of creating intentions and affirmations. I’d say them but there would be a kind of disconnected feeling, like they didn’t hit me where I lived.
This experience was very different. The words and the feeling matched. And ironically I said them a few days later when I was driving somewhere in a hurry and hit a red light. As I sat in my car waiting for the light to turn, the words popped out and I realized that once again they were true. I’d been rushing, my breath was shallow, and sitting waiting for the light to turn green brought me back to the present moment, allowed me to take a few deep breaths and proceed feeling more aligned with myself.
So for today’s thought, it’s really more of an affirmation slash intention. It can work for both.
Everything always works out for me.
