When was the last time you were stuck in a traffic jam contemplating life and all the better things you could be doing with your time? Perhaps, walking into that important meeting on time, having something to eat, getting a massage, hanging out with friends and family, making music, working out, watching your favorite show and so on. You get the point. Sitting in traffic is no one’s favorite thing to do, and it often creates stressful responses and muscle tension in the body.
Now that you have a mental picture of that scenario let’s transfer this to a very similar situation that happens in our minds. The mental traffic jam!
According to the National Science Foundation, on average, each person thinks about 50,000 thoughts per day. This number varies between individuals, but they have estimated that close to 95% of these thoughts are repetitive. You are likely to think about the same thoughts that you had the day before and arrive at the same conclusion than to think of new thoughts. Additionally, research has shown that 80% of these thoughts are negative and associated with fear, worry, doubt, guilt, and self-criticism. Clearly, this is what I call an unconscious way of thinking, where life and its increasing levels of commitments have taken us into “reactive living”. The good news is that you have the opportunity to cultivate thoughts that will serve you better throughout the day and clear out the congested mental traffic jam. The mind must be renewed and recharged for you to propel your life momentum in the right direction.
So let’s begin… You do that by first stopping the momentum of those 95% recurring thoughts and 80% of negative thoughts before they begin. It is, however, important to note that negative thoughts are not always a bad thing. Sometimes when you think of what you don’t want, it helps you identify the desired outcome. But what must be acknowledged is how often these negative thoughts linger and compete for our attention.
This is when ‘affirmations’ come in. Most people know what positive affirmations are but may not know how to use them and how they can benefit them. Positive affirmations are statements that evoke a positive emotion and a hopeful awareness of the present moment. In this blog, you will learn how affirmations can be beneficial to you and what the right steps are to incorporating them into your daily life.
Please Note: For someone who has had perpetual negative thoughts, it’s too big of a jump to go from the negative to a positive. This tends to create a mental conflict, one that begins to harbor anxiety and doubt. So to make our thoughts go in a positive direction, we must first clear the way and lead them to the right place.
Here are a few examples of thoughts that have a significant variance between the emotions they evoke.
A Negative Thought | A Positive Thought |
|---|---|
| “I’m tired of being broke.” | “I feel financially secure.” |
| “I don’t feel attractive.” | “I feel beautiful.” |
| “I can’t believe I lost my job.” | “I have a perfect job.” |
Now let’s take the same negative thoughts and direct them to a more neutral place. These thoughts don’t threaten the negative ones and soften the mind to be more open to the next level of ‘feel good’ thoughts.
A Negative Thought | A Neutral Thought |
|---|---|
| “I’m tired of being broke.” | “I am grateful for what is freely available to me.” |
| “I don’t feel attractive.” | “I think everyone is beautiful when they’re smiling.” |
| “I can’t believe I lost my job.” | “For every closed door, there’s an open door waiting for me.” |
Please Note: Everything new that you do, at first requires a conscious effort. Meaning you decide to do something at a certain time, at a certain place with a certain person. This is a series of conscious choices made by you. Now, when certain activities are repeated by the conscious mind, they get stored in the subconscious and become what we call “automatic.” Therefore, the first step is to consciously remove the negative thoughts from your subconscious and replace them with thoughts that feel good when you think about them. For Affirmations and the transition of thoughts from negative to positive to take place, you’ll need to consciously make it happen and maintain the process long enough till it registers in the subconscious. You do this until it becomes an automatic response to any condition.
The best place and time to begin:
- First thing in the morning when you wake up. Yes, before reaching for your cell phone!
- Last thing you do at night before falling asleep. Yes, after you set your phone aside!
Below is a collection of some of my favorite affirmations for both men and women. Pick the ones that resonate with you and repeat them daily. You can always write your own and select more from the web. Keep in mind the emotion they bring out in you.
Pick 3 and say them morning and night until you think of no other thoughts but the ones you’re repeating to yourself.
- I am mentally poised.
- I love getting better and better.
- I now give myself permission to be prosperous.
- My expansion is ever unfolding.
- I am a magnetic being and now draw to me what I love most.
- I create a path where good things can easily reach me.
- I hear my inner guidance and act accordingly.
- I honor myself in everything I do.
- I allow myself to feel successful.
- I treat myself and others with respect and integrity.
- Health, Wealth, Love & Self Expression are my divine rights.
- I align my attitude with joy.
- I can always reach for the feeling of appreciation for my life.
- I have a choice in how I view my current situation and I choose gratitude.
- I’m going to trust, to believe, to laugh, and to soothe.
- I delight in the opening of unexpected doors for me.
- I am open to the gifts of the universe.
- I accept support and guidance.
- I am worthy of abundance in all aspects of my life.
- I am a creative being with the ability to shape my life.
- I am an example of a living miracle.
These 21 Affirmations are designed to create a mental pathway to a positive direction. When practiced on a daily basis, they will clear the mental traffic jam and prevent them from happening again.
