Why Affirmations Don't Work for Some People

Do affirmations work for you?  If so, great!  Keep it up :) 

If not, let's have a look at why.  And let's look at what we can do instead.

Recently, a site I visit often posted a somewhat lengthy daily affirmation.  The idea was that it was to be repeated daily for a month.  Things would start to happen.  Wondrous things.  Empowering things.  Due to its power, I'd want to continue this affirmation forever.  

I'd noticed in the past that affirmations don't seem to work for me.  Yet, the author of this affirmation seemed so certain.  And so, I tried an experiment.  I set a reminder on my phone to read the affirmation every day for a month.  Each morning, I dutifully repeated it in its entirety: all 23 of the statements that promised  to create a turning point in my life.  Statements about how easily and joyfully my day would progress. Statements about how my family began in day is a joyful, happy way.  

Something interesting happened.  The statements I agreed with empowered me. Yes, I believe that other people benefit from their interactions with me (for the most part.  I know I'm considerate of others.). Yes, I love being a wife wife and mom.  Yes, I appreciate the Fearbusters that I have in my life.  And the Fear Junkies, for the things I have learned from them. And yet....

Many parts of the affirmation disempowered me.  And, as the month progressed, I began to beat myself up.  The affirmation told me that the events of my day would always be lovely.  That there would be no emergencies.  That my children and spouse would always wake up happy.  And yet, this wasn't happening.

At the beginning of the month, I had hope. By the middle of the month, I was starting to become disillusioned.  And toward the end of the month, I was getting angry. At the universe, for not providing me with happy, carefree, predictable days. At my family, for sometimes waking up grumpy.  At myself.  Perhaps I was doing it wrong.  Perhaps I wasn't concentrating hard enough.  Perhaps I wasn't good enough. (Enter the Wheel of Fear and my trigger.)

It became more and more challenging to repeat this affirmation daily.  My recitation became rote. Toneless.  The optimism in my voice disappeared.  The affirmation became one more "should" for me.  I became disempowered by the very words that were meant to inspire me.  And the Wheel of Fear tightened its grip.

But wait!  I knew how to live in Freedom!  I knew what worked for me.  And so, I empowered myself by changing affirmation to intention.  By adding in gratitudes and acknowledgements. As I navigated this process, I felt empowerment return.  I became satisfied. I allowed my essential nature to assist me.  And the doom and gloom I had been feeling turned to hope and encouragement.

Would you like to know how I turned things around? How I discarded affirmations in favor of something far more empowering? The steps I followed will be in next week's post.  Be sure to subscribe using the form on the right side of the page so you don't miss it!  Until then....

Question:  What has been your personal experience with affirmations?