Become a Positive Person

Become a Positive Person
Christi Stapleton
Amanda
April 19th, 2006

If you are like me, negative thoughts and negative statements about yourself creep into your head and out your mouth without much conscious control. If you keep repeating these negative statements, you are more likely to start believing them. This can be everything from putting down your physical appearance to still feeling guilt over past wrongs.

I learned about affirmations at a time when my self esteem was at its lowest. I was 16 and had just attempted suicide, and was hospitalized to try to get myself back on track. One of my daily ‘assignments’ was to repeat affirmations to someone that I had written. Although it felt a tad bit silly, I did it, and I really did start to see that there were things that I liked about me. At times that I feel myself slipping back into that old habit of negative self-talk, I try to repeat some good things about myself or even write them out.
If you DON’T change your pattern of negative self-talk, the outcome can be detrimental. You could start depending on the approval of others more than you should. Believing the negative thoughts could prevent you from taking risks in life, prevent from making changes you might otherwise take, and convince you that your role in life cannot be changed. A negative, cynical outlook on life could continue to bring you down, as well as isolate you from others.
If you believe your own negative thoughts and self-prophecies, what you believe will begin to come true. This, too, is something I have had pointed out to me in my own life. My grandmother was not a happy person for the rest of her life, and I worried that since we shared a tendency toward depression that I would end up being unhappy as well. A wise counselor pointed out to me that if I focused on her and the negatives, I would become those. Immediately, I struck that thought from my mind!!
Affirmations can take on three ‘shapes’: I am statements, I will statements, and I can statements. An ‘I am’ statement is an affirmation of who and what you are. These are your attributes and good qualities. An ‘I can’ statement is an affirmation of your ability to reach goals. These are the things you are capable of doing and becoming in short term basis. An ‘I will’ statement is an affirmation of changes you wish to take. It could also be called a ‘success prophecy’.
Now what are you going to do with these affirmations? You are going to write them on index cards and put them somewhere that you can see them often and be reminded of the good things that you are, will be, and can be. Some places where you might place these cards would be in your bathroom, on your dresser, on the refrigerator, at the telephone, on the dashboard of your car, at your home or office desk, in your wallet, or in books that you use at work or school.
You will find these useful in combating those negative self-talks and be on your way to being a more positive person.

by Christi Stapleton

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Kem on May 2nd, 2006, 09:33 AM

Christi, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us

artsymomnwife on August 6th, 2006, 03:28 AM

about affirmations

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kem

Christi, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us

Oh my God.....Christi....you are sooooo right....they are very important. I used them several years ago, and just like you, I thought they were silly at first, but then I realized how much 'bad stuff' was floating around in my head....like a tape recording of every negative thing my parents or anyone else had ever said about me! And it took some time, but the affirmations grew to be a habit. I hate to say that I haven't used affirmations in a long time, but now that you've brought it up, I may have to start that up again!

Thanks for sharing!

nikkb on August 8th, 2006, 11:09 PM

How true that is!!! Thanks!!!

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