By Noelle Sterne
As a student of New Thought, you probably know about affirmations—powerful, elevating statements that replace our negative thoughts. Affirmations quiet our doubts and fears and scrub out our worries like metaphysical bleach. They have been used for centuries and are a form of prayer. A powerful connection exists between our thought or spoken affirmations and our outlook. Spiritual teacher Catherine Ponder reminds us that affirmations “make firm” our positive thoughts (Pray and Grow Rich, p. 100).
Many books contain excellent affirmations. Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life is one of my favorites. At the end of every chapter, she adds a meditation that is a paragraph-long affirmation and sends you floating to the ceiling. Most of the meditations are specific to the subjects of the chapters, but each begins with this: “In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole and complete.” That should cover it all.
When Should You Use Affirmations?
The answer is anytime, anywhere. You can be formal about it and use affirmations in your regular meditation sessions. Or as meditations. Or in the few moments before you rise or fall asleep. You can also use affirmations whenever you’re waiting, watching, or walking—at a traffic light, in the dentist’s office, on a turn around the neighborhood. Or whenever you feel frightened, uncertain, angry, or edging toward depression.
Your Custom-Made Affirmations
You can create your own affirmation for any event, circumstance, person, or quality you want to feel better about. The more specific you are, the stronger the affirmation. Only one rule applies: Always decree your affirmations in the present tense. Here are some broad-spectrum ones to get you started:
- I am worthy of all good in my life.
- I deserve to love and be loved.
- I forgive myself and I am forgiven.
- I lack nothing. All I need is here now.
- I hear my true Voice now.
- I am guided to the right words, decisions, and actions in this situation.
Catch your negatives, like catching sparks that flip out of the fire, and extinguish them with your affirmations. Here are some affirmations for some familiar situations, with affirming “testimonies.”
For parents and partners:
- I forgive them, whether I think they deserve it or not.
- I am free to be myself with them.
- I respond only positively to them.
- They did the best they could and do the best they can. I send them love.
After practicing these affirmations for a month before a family reunion, Derek announced his change of career. To his shock his mother and most difficult uncle congratulated him and offered him any help they could give.
For your job:
- I do all I need to with ease and lightness.
- I am in the right place right now, doing the right work.
- I see my boss and coworkers only in and through Love.
- I enjoy this job (even if you have to swallow hard).
After a testy start in her new position, Tracy started using the second of these every morning as she got ready for work. She couldn’t believe how everyone responded so helpfully to her, especially when she was preparing for a big project. And she began to feel like she belonged in this firm.
For a presentation you must give:
- I am perfectly at ease.
- The audience is on my side.
- I am sharing information and Love.
- I listen to God’s Voice and speak.
When I do a radio interview, I prepare, yes, but I also affirm beforehand (and sometimes during) that I am God’s Voice speaking to the audience’s needs. Beyond preparation and agreed-on questions and answers, often, still to my amazement, the ideas and words flow through.
For your studies or any test:
- With a clear mind, I understand and retain everything.
- I produce my assignments with ease and smoothness.
- I ask the questions I need to ask.
- God gives me the right answers every time.
Andy, a doctoral candidate, had great difficulty finishing a chapter in his proposal. For months he submitted draft after draft and got the same response: his chair never seemed satisfied. Then Andy engaged me and we used these affirmations, and several more. Andy followed my guidance but also attacked the chapter with new vigor. Within three weeks, his chair approved the chapter and Andy continued with his dissertation.
For going to a social event you dread:
- I listen to others and smile.
- Words and conversation come to me easily and effortlessly.
- I can be myself.
- I don’t have to do anything.
Invited to a good friend’s wedding, Margaret felt she couldn’t go. She’d always had difficulty meeting and talking to new people. “My brain becomes paralyzed.” Often beforehand, she used the affirmations above. At the reception, she met another woman who confessed she was very nervous, and they found themselves giggling uncontrollably comparing social horror stories. To this day they are close friends.
For enacting your dream:
- I deserve to do what I’ve always wanted.
- No one stands in my way.
- I have enough time, money, energy, interest, and cooperation from everyone to do what I’ve always wanted.
- Doing what I’ve always wanted to do harms no one.
- Doing what I’ve always wanted to do makes me feel good and keeps me healthy.
- Doing what I’ve always wanted to do blesses me and everyone around me.
- I give myself permission to receive all the gifts and support the Universe is eager to shower upon me. (Unity Daily Word, May 13, 2014)
- I succeed in my dream by surrendering to God’s Voice in me.
Working on my current book, despite the common belief in the difficulty of finding publishers, I fervently desired the right academic press in a reasonable time. Pushing all those negatives aside (not easy, of course), I repeated this affirmation with passion. One week later, I was offered a contract by an excellent publisher.
Whatever your dream, whatever you really, really want to do, you deserve to. Accept this fact, and start with small steps if you need to. Register for a class, unearth your watercolors, go practice at the next karaoke sing-off, write a paragraph. Everyone starts at the beginning.
Expect and Allow Results
We can use affirmations for anything and everything. Nothing is too small or stupendous for the universal laws to respond. Don’t feel constrained or ashamed by any request in an affirmation. Expect responses.
When out shopping one day, I needed a large shopping bag. I declared the need and believed—and a few moments later my eye caught a sturdy one lying on the street.
My friend Charlie needed a car for two weeks to deliver special supplies for the nonprofit he worked for. We affirmed the perfect vehicle together. You guessed it. Another friend was going on vacation—for two weeks—and asked Charlie to car-sit and keep it running.
Affirmations About Affirmations
Affirmations are powerful spiritual tools we can use everywhere in any circumstance. They help us see what truly is and not what our senses try to fool us with or our fearful mind conjures. Any affirmation you create or use is the right one. You cannot affirm wrongly. Simply grow quiet and acknowledge your need. The words will come.
And so, a few final affirmations:
- My affirmations carry all power and fulfillment.
- Fulfillment of my affirmations isn’t too good to be true.
- Fulfillment of my affirmations is the universal law.
- I affirm always rightly with God on my side.
Noelle Sterne, an author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, has published over 300 pieces in print and online venues, including Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Women on Writing, Funds for Writers, Children’s Book Insider, Transformation Magazine, and Unity Magazine. She also writes for Australia’s longest-running spiritually-oriented magazine Living Now. Noelle’s invited blogs on Author Magazine’s “Authors’ Blog” on writing, creativity, and spirituality can be found at http://authormagazineonline.wordpress.com/. A spiritually-oriented chapter appears in the new book Transform Your Life! (Transformation Services, Inc.). With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, for over 28 years Noelle has assisted doctoral candidates in completing their dissertations (finally). Based on her practice, she is completing a handbook for doctoral students on their largely overlooked but equally important nonacademic difficulties: Challenges in Writing Your Dissertation: Coping with the Emotional, Interpersonal, and Spiritual. In her 2011 book Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books), Noelle draws examples from her academic consulting and other aspects of life to help readers release regrets, re-label their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. Her webinar about the book is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95EeqllO NIQ&feature=youtu.be. Noelle’s interview with Carla McClellan of Unity’s Vibrant Living can be downloaded from http://www.unity.fm/episode/VibrantLiving_062414. Noelle’s website: www.trustyourlifenow.com.