We all have the same amount of hours in the day. We have the same 24 as Elon Musk, Kylie Jenner, Richard Branson, and Beyonce. The difference between GETTING what you want and WISHING for what you want lies in your level of consciousness. And I mean that in a very scientific way. Let me explain.
Being conscious is choosing, with intention, how exactly your time is spent. More specifically, where you allocate your energy, effort, and attention. The most successful and fulfilled people are those who make sure their thoughts, decisions, and actions are in alignment with the life they want to be living. Their focus isn’t diluted by daily distractions. It’s directed ON purpose and WITH purpose. Their attention is driven by their values, priorities, goals, and desires- until their visions manifest.
Where you focus your mind is where you focus your life.
So that all sounds fine and dandy, but hold up. If 95% of our cognitive activities are in fact run by our subconscious mind, how do we override this default mechanism? How do we go from autopilot to captain of our own damn ship?
It all starts with becoming aware of- and taking control over- your thoughts. THIS IS EXCITING because out of all the crap you CAN’T control in life, your thoughts are 100% within your personal realm of power. Affirmations are thoughts you CHOOSE to think. Repeating affirmations on a daily basis is basically using your conscious mind to reprogram your subconscious mind until you get the results you want. We know this is possible because of neuroplasticity. This is a really exciting topic for self improvement buffs because it’s PROVEN that our brains are capable of being rewired and reprogrammed at any age!
It’s no wonder they say KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
Before I go any further, if you are brand spankin new to affirmations and have no idea what they are, pause before continuing this post and read my blog WTF ARE AFFIRMATIONS. It’s a quick overview of what affirmations are + why and how they work.
Now back to the nerdy nitty gritty. One of the functions of your subconscious mind is to store virtually everything that happens to you. Think of it as your personal hard drive, constantly saving and processing data. While it all runs rather inconspicuously behind the scenes, your subconscious mind plays a BIG role in how you feel, behave, and experience reality. And the crazy part is that it doesn’t actually distinguish fact from fiction. It remembers what it’s told, good or bad, true or false. That’s why, if you were lovingly teased about your weight growing up, it can lead to negative, self-critical thinking as an adult. You might have been too young to consciously remember those little pokes and jabs- but your subconscious does. Which explains how people who are in great shape, even peak physical condition, can still struggle with insecurity issues. Seeds were planted in the fertile soil of their subconscious mind, those seeds took root, and over time, sprouted negative thought patterns. And the more thoughts are repeated, the more reinforced they become. The deeper the roots grow. This quote really helps paint a picture, and I’m pretty sure this glorious line came from Louise Hay:
Your mind is the garden, your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers, or you can grow weeds.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that a majority of us have some weeds we’d like to pull. Do you have any thoughts that aren’t serving you? That aren’t in alignment with your most elevated, highest and happiest self? If you’re not sure, start by examining an area of your life that you aren’t toooooo thrilled about. It’s just not quite where you want it to be. It could be personal, professional, social, health oriented, you get the idea. Start at the end result and work backwards. What actions, behavior, and decisions led you to this point? What beliefs may have contributed to you making those choices that led to this outcome?
As Bob Proctor says, “every thought you think, and every word you speak is an affirmation. If you affirm something often enough- whether it’s positive or negative, it will show up in your life.”
Is there any thought pattern you can identify that may be holding you back from feeling your best and living your best life?
If so, affirmations can do two things for you. 1) Uproot the weeds that are weighing you down, and 2) Plant seeds of positivity that will help you and your life to flourish.
That’s a flowery way of saying that affirmations are an effective form of cognitive restructuring.
Here’s how: Thoughts contain energy in the form of electrochemical reactions. Every thought you think strengthens the circuitry in your brain known as your neural pathways (I picture these neural pathways as deep grooves or smooth roads in your brain). The more you think a thought, the easier and more automatic it becomes to think that thought.
Your mind shapes the structure of your brain, and the structure of your brain influences your mind.
Translation: YOU CAN USE YOUR MIND TO CHANGE YOUR BRAIN!
TRIPPY RIGHT?! Feeling empowered and optimistic AF?! Because I am!
By consciously focusing your thoughts on uplifting statements and success oriented soundbites (AKA- AFFIRMATIONS), you’ll create new patterns and pathways designed to work for you instead of against you.
Who doesn’t want that??
If you’re ready to welcome affirmations into your life, do not walk, RUN, and do these 3 things;
- Grab yourself a copy of the book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
- Follow @AffirmationBabe on Instagram, and listen to the podcast audios Here!
- Check out this post and start working with these morning affirmations!
I hope you found this post helpful and insightful! Love you. Xx Ash.
PS – if you want to boost your affirmation practice & create a powerful daily habit that will have you feeling better than ever before, you HAVE to try the Affirmation Babe You Can Have It All Journal. This journal is your new morning bestie! She’s here to help you use the power of affirmations to create a life you love, inside & out. It’s everything I personally wanted in a journal, so I got it custom made and designed.