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The Engine of Growth.

Affirmations are not the beginning or end of a journey of self-discovery. They are a way in which you can manifest the discoveries of your inner work. In my journey of personal growth, I was drawn to self-improvement books in my early twenties, but it wasn't until learning about the idea of affirmations that I was able to use the philosophies expounded in those books to effectively change the way I thought. The path of self-discovery is the fuel for change and affirmations are the engine.

The Practice of Affirmations

Affirmations are a practice of change, creating a way of being from a moment of clarity.

Whether in therapy, reading a self-help book, listening to a motivational speaker, spiritual guide, guru or teacher, while in meditation or from life experiences, there are times when you experience a revelation, a moment of clarity. You learn something about yourself; you see something in your beliefs, actions, feelings or thoughts in a new light. You understand why you think, feel or act in some unhealthy way. You want to change it. So in the following days, in the afterglow of that revelation, you make an effort to change. But then the novelty of the revelation wears off, life trudges on, daily pressures resume and in a few weeks, you're back to the way things were. Why? Because you've had a lifetime of believing, doing, thinking and feeling in the same old unhealthy way. The revelation is only a fleeting moment. In order to change, you must practice that change, extending that moment into a way of being.

It is with these revelations that affirmations are effective. Affirmations are the practice of the change you want to create. The process is similar to learning to drive a car. When you first learn to drive a car you are totally focused on driving. You are completely absorbed in the process of steering the car, pressing on the gas, pressing on the brake, paying attention to all the traffic signals and road signs, and most important, not hitting anything! Flash forward a few years and you're eating a donut, talking on the cell phone and looking at someone walking down the street while driving at the same time. It's not that you're not focused on your driving, (though Officer Friendly might disagree) it's that the mental processes required to drive a car have become second nature to you. What has happened is that through conscious practice and concentration the behavior of driving has become automatic.

Feelings are the same. Many feelings, reactions and beliefs we hold are learned over time and these all can be relearned. By creating a practice of affirmations, you practice consciously thinking in a new way. Over time this new way of thinking becomes automatic and changes your feelings, beliefs and reactions.

The path of self-discovery is the fuel for change and affirmations are the engine.
At first, it may be awkward to say an affirmation; it goes against what you feel is true for you. The issue isn't what feels true but if what you feel is true serves you. You may be comfortable with your feelings now, but perhaps you wish you could think, feel or react in a different way. When you use affirmations you create a practice of thinking, feeling and reacting in a new way. As you continue to say the affirmation, your subconscious begins to learn it and begins to erase and replace the previous thought, feeling or belief. With time it becomes automatic. The new feeling you wanted is now part of you.

The same is true with affirmations that deal with your reactions to events or people. At first, you may still react in the same way you always had, but the affirmation brings you an awareness of your reaction; you begin to have a choice on how you want to react. With time, the affirmation helps change the reaction, and becomes part of the reaction as well. Eventually, the old reaction is gone, and the new, healthy one is automatic.

While affirmations are the engine of change in the path of self-discovery, they can become the fuel as well. Through the practice of affirmations you can discover new and unexpected truths about yourself. In my experience while saying an affirmation, other words, phrasings or thoughts about past experiences come to mind, and I have further revelations connected to the affirmation I am saying. These revelations create more affirmations.

Affirmations are a practice of change, creating a way of being from a moment of clarity.


copyright 2004 affirming love