How to Write Effective Affirmations - by Bunny Vreeland

By Bunny Vreeland

According to experts, approximately 80,000 words go through our heads each day. Those 80,000 words determine how we feel, how we behave, what we have, whom we attract into our lives, and who we ultimately become. Simply by changing those words and taking control of them we can control EVERYTHING about our lives.

What kinds of words go though your head every day? What kind of songs do you sing in your mind? What do you really think about when you aren't thinking about much at all? Mark Twain, the great American author once remarked that you couldn't really tell who a person was by reading their autobiography. Our autobiography is really that 80,000 or so words that go through our heads every day. Day after day after day. If we bound those 80,000 words into a book those books would be our autobiography. Why? Because it's those words that program us to be who we are, to do what we do, to have what we have. The way we think creates our reality.

Change the thinking and the reality changes.

In other words, negative thinking produces negative results. Positive thinking produces positive results. Random thinking produces random results. You always are thinking so you might as well be in charge of the thinking and think about what you want in your life.

The key rule is this: What you think about comes about. The principle is that we tend to get just what we focus on. Focus on poverty, focus on depression and unhappiness—well, then you are bound to be poor, depressed and unhappy. On the other hand, focus on success and health and happiness and you’ll be rich and happy and healthy.

Affirmations are a way of focusing your mind on what you want and taking your mind off what you don't want. An affirmation is a mind programming prescription for desired results.

An affirmation is a method of thinking or speaking to one's self with a purpose. The purpose is to cause the subconscious mind to bring into one's life that which you truly desire.

Affirmations need to be worded in the correct manner to have the desired effect. As a rule of thumb, affirmations should always be in the first person, present tense and each word should be positive. You will be more successful with affirmations by using these principles:

1. Always write affirmations in the first person. This means using "I" rather than "you”. Always write affirmations using the present tense. This means using "am" rather than "will". Always make every word positive. Always write with the goal in mind. What are you moving toward? What do you want to accomplish? Make your affirmations simple.

2. Make your affirmations believable.

Make your affirmations measurable (if possible).

For example here is an incorrect wording of an affirmation:
You are not going to fail.
You will not lose.

Here is a correct wording of the same affirmation:
I am a success.
I am a winner.

Here is an even better example of an affirmation that helped a 26-handicap golfer get to a 12 handicap.
I am a smooth, relaxed, confident golfer with a 12 handicap.

How to use affirmations.
Use affirmations during self-hypnosis or during meditation, use them often when doing repetitive or rhythmical tasks such as washing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or walking. Use them when you are bored, use them when you catch yourself thinking negativity. Simply repeat them over and over.

One important tip: to make your affirmations work even better, visualize them being effective and feel the emotions you would actually feel as if they were already accomplished.

By Bunny Vreeland -
Bunny Vreeland is a hypnotherapist serving Oxnard, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ojai and all of Ventura County California. Bunny Vreeland is a certified hypnotherapist.

2007 Dr. Bunny Vreeland