I’ve always believed in and been a fan of positive affirmations; however I had never really consciously utilized them as an ongoing tool and strategy for my own personal development.
Recently, I’ve come to absolutely love positive affirmations! When used correctly, they can completely change your beliefs and ultimately change your life.
Below, I’m going to share with you the most useful positive affirmations for creating positive and lasting change in your life.
What Are Positive Affirmations?
First things first, what exactly are positive affirmations?
Well, the officially definition of an affirmation according to dictionary.com is
1.the act or an instance of affirming; state of being affirmed.
2.the assertion that something exists or is true.
3.something that is affirmed; a statement or proposition that is declaredto be true.
Ok, so that’s all well and good, but this still doesn’t really get to the juice of what positive affirmations are.
In essence, positive affirmations are positively-framed statements that are spoken in present tense about who you want to be.
For example, let’s say that I’m really bad at managing money. I know that I want to become a good money manager, however, I need to change my belief that I’m bad at managing money. To start this process of change, I would begin telling myself that “I am a fast learner on good money management”.
By verbalizing this phrase, consciously thinking about and repeating it to myself regularly I will ultimately start to believe it be true – that I actually am a fast learner on good money management.
When I start to actually believe that I am a fast learner on good money management I then take action towards becoming a good money manager. Ultimately, I BECOME a fast learner on good money management.
How Do Positive Affirmations Work?
Mahatma Ghandi has a famous quote that outlines how your beliefs shape your destiny. He is quoted as saying:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
The thing is, when you BE who you are and get the RESULTS you like or expected, it then REINFORCES your beliefs. Essentially, it’s a circular flow as shown in the model below.
It’s a self-perpetuating cycle.
For example, if you believe that you are good with children, you will think and feel that you are, you will then be more comfortable around children and behave better with them, you will then get better results (smiling, laughter, hugs, productivity) which in-turn reinforces your belief that you’re good with children.
It’s very similar to the confidence-competence loop that you may have heard of.
As a result, you will probably seek out opportunities to be with children more often because you know you are good with them, it makes you feel good and you get some great rewards (including psychological). It’s simply science of the brain – we tend to gravitate towards the things that we are naturally good at or get a positive reward from.
So, what exactly are we changing when we say positive affirmations?
Effectively, we’re changing our thinking and our beliefs, which, in turn, will create behavioural change and improved results.
The thing is, there’s no magic pill. Changing a belief can be hard if it is well engrained in our mind.
All of your thoughts, feelings, experiences and results throughout your whole life have led you to believe certain things to be true. With all of this “evidence” backing up your belief, no wonder changing a belief is hard!
However, there is a specific technique to saying positive affirmations that will help you get the results you desire. I’ll speak to this below under the heading of how.
When Do I Say Positive Affirmations?
Positive affirmations are not something that you simply say once off and expect to see massive improvements.
If you want to build confidence, saying to yourself “I am confident” once won’t create any lasting change. It may give you that little bit of extra confidence to overcome an immediate hurdle, however I’m here to help you make long-lasting change that you embody in your everyday life – eventually, without even thinking about it.
Therefore it’s important that you commit to making positive affirmations part of your everyday routine. It needs to become habit and needs to become automatic.
Let’s talk about some good times to say positive affirmations.
1. Morning Routine
Do you have a morning routine? If not, you should have one.
The most productive people I know have a specific morning routine they follow everyday. I’ve recently been focused on implementing a solid morning routine and I’m seeing some amazing results in terms of overall wellbeing and productivity each day.
As part of your morning routine, say some positive affirmations to get your mindset and belief system working for you each day.
For example, in the morning when I first wake up I lie in bed, take 3 deep breaths, visualise the day I have planned for myself and say the positive affirmation “Today I am going to be super-productive”.
By saying positive affirmations as part of your morning routine you can be certain that you’ll be saying them regularly and it will be much more likely to become a habit.
2. Doing a Regular Activity
If there is a regular activity that you do in your life on a daily basis then you can “habit stack” saying your positive affirmations. For example, it might be when you’re:
- On your way to work each morning
- Having lunch
- Before you enter a room for a meeting
- Before you open the door at home each evening
- Brushing your teeth
- Go to the bathroom
- … just to name a few
Again, using these regular moments will help you create the habit of saying these positive affirmations and over time they will become natural and you’ll think of them outside of these regular moments.
3. Doing a Specific but Important or Challenging Activity
Perhaps there are activities that you only do on certain days or perhaps it’s less frequent such as once a week or once a fortnight.
These activities are often challenging. But they are important and you want to make sure you are performing at your best during these times. It’s times like this where you need to get focused and be your best self.
Examples might be:
- Getting on stage to present
- Going on a date
- Leading a meeting
- Picking up the phone to prospect
Just before each of these activities, you can say 1 to 3 affirmations that will reinforce the belief that you are creating. The simple fact of being about to perform these activities will remind you to say your positive affirmations.
For example, if I’m about to present a workshop I would say to myself “I love facilitating. This is what I do best” and “I was born to do this”. Even at times when I’m feeling unprepared or extremely nervous, I would say these positive affirmations and they would help refocus my thoughts and therefore how I perform during the session.
4. Ad-hoc or Spontaneous Challenges
Sometimes there are challenges that suddenly come up in our lives.
Perhaps it’s your boss that comes and tells you that she needs a report completed and sent to her within the next 2 hours and you know you’re already struggling for time. Or perhaps it’s that bump into an ex-lover who broke your heart.
In these situations you can quickly turn to a positive affirmation to help you get in the right mindset.
For example, if your boss asks for a report due immediately that you can’t say no to, you might say “I am a great problem-solver, I think outside the box” or “I love these challenges, this is going to be a great test of my ability. Let’s do it”
Or, in the case of bumping into an ex-lover who broke your heart you might say something like “I forgive her” or “I’m excited to catch up”.
In these situations, you may not have embodied specific beliefs because you haven’t been stating these affirmations on a regular basis, but you can take a moment to frame the situation in the positive which effectively does the same thing, but just for the immediate term. It’s just a matter of being conscious of your thoughts.
How to Say a Positive Affirmation
Simply saying the words of a positive affirmation is not going to have any significant effect on your life. You need to FEEL it. It’s about embodying what you’re saying.
It’s a hard thing to describe, but you want to physiologically get your mind and body to truly believe in the statement that you’re saying.
For example, stating “I am super confident” while internally thinking “I sound like an idiot. I don’t believe this. What am I doing?” is not going to get you anywhere. In fact, it’s going to be counter-productive.
Instead, when stating “I am super confident” you want to stand like a confident person would stand. You want to sound like a confident person would sound. You want to breathe like a confident person would breathe. You want to visualise yourself as a confident person.
See the difference?
THAT’S the secret of positive affirmations.
The secret is physiologically experiencing what you want to experience.
Remember, it’s a self-perpetuating cycle.
When you think and feel it, you will behave differently, you will see different results and ultimately your core beliefs will naturally be shaped over time to the point you no longer even need those positive affirmations. You simply ARE those beliefs..
3 Simple Steps to Saying Positive Affirmations
If this is your first time trying the power of positive affirmations, do these steps (ie DO IT NOW… it takes 10 seconds):
- Take a deep breath
- Say your positive affirmation. As you’re saying the positive affirmation, ALSO do the below
- VISUALISE yourself as how you want to be (eg confident. Create vivid imagery in your mind about what you are confident doing). If it’s easier, close your eyes.
- FEEL how you want to feel by stating that positive affirmation (eg confident).
- SPEAK how you would when living that affirmation (eg confident)
- Take a moment to think about how good you feel.
That’s it!
Positive affirmations are simple!
But just remember the two secret components to make them effective:
- Physiologically experience the positive affirmation
- Do it regularly
The Best Positive Affirmations For Your Life
Below, I have compiled the Top 100 Positive Affirmations you will need in your life. I’ve broken them down by category so you can easily sort through and pick out the affirmations that are most relevant to you.
Simply click on the category of positive affirmations below and you will be taken directly to that section. Or if you prefer, simply scroll through them all and enjoy the experience!
[sociallocker id=”5036″]Click here to download the Top 100 Positive Affirmations as a .PDF[/sociallocker]
List of Positive Affirmations:
- Positive affirmations for gratitude
- Positive affirmations for confidence
- Positive affirmations for happiness
- Positive affirmations for love
- Positive affirmations for money
- Positive affirmations for leadership
- Positive affirmations for breaking bad habits
- Positive affirmations for forgiveness
- Positive affirmations for overcoming challenges
- Positive affirmations for productivity
- Positive affirmations for self-worth
- Positive affirmations for life
Looking for a Video With Positive Affirmations?
Check out the below video of positive affirmations from Louise Hay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkGtqFnStx0
Positive Affirmations For Happiness
img credit: http://www.freshphotography.com.au/
[ttshare]I always have everything I need to be happy.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I live a positive life and only attract the best in my life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am peacefully allowing my life to unfold.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, and every day, I choose to be happy.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am fun and energetic and people love me for it.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]My life overflows with happiness and love.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Gratitude
[ttshare]Today is rich with opportunity and I open my heart to receive it.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I take the time to show my friends that I care about them.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am thankful that I get to live another day.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I see the world with beauty and colour.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I deserve whatever good comes my way today.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Confidence
[ttshare]I believe in myself.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, and every day, I choose to be confident.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I radiate confidence, certainty and optimism.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I courageously open and move through every door of opportunity.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am in charge of my life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have the power to live my dreams.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]My mind has unlimited power.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I stand up for what I believe in.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I act with courage and confidence.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Love
[ttshare]I love myself more every day.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am blessed with an incredible family and wonderful friends.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I give my life to the world and the world sends me love in return.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, and every day, I choose to give to the world.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, and every day, I choose to make a difference in this world.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Everywhere I look I see love.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]The partner I seek is also seeking me.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I love my partner with all my heart.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am thankful that I get to share this beautiful life with my partner.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I surround myself with positive and loving people.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, I could meet the love of my life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am ready to be in love.[/ttshare]
[sociallocker id=”5036″]Click here to download the Top 100 Positive Affirmations as a .PDF[/sociallocker]
Positive Affirmations For Money
[ttshare]Money flows freely and abundantly into my life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I deserve to be rich.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I always have enough money to suit my needs.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Money flows to me like a beautiful gold river.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I love watching my money grow.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am full of money-making ideas.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]My income is continuously increasing.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am generous with money as I know it will return in magnitude.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, I claim my share.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Leadership
[ttshare]I think, act and communicate like a leader.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am an inspirational leader.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am an effective communicator.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am a role-model for others.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I inspire others to be their best self.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I lead by example.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Breaking Bad Habits
[ttshare]I only do positive habits.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Today, I abandon my old habits and take up new, more positive ones.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I’ve given up my bad habits and I’m so grateful for that.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am now free from my bad habits.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Forgiveness
[ttshare]I forgive those who have harmed me in my past and peacefully detach from them.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I forgive myself.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]What I did is in the past and now I can create my future.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I forgive everyone that has hurt me in the past and move forward with a cleansed soul.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Overcoming Challenges
[ttshare]Everything that is happening now is happening for my ultimate good.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I love facing challenges – they allow me to grow.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]There is a benefit and an opportunity in every experience I have.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]My attitude grows happier and healthier every single day.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am always in the right place at the right time.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have everything I need to overcome this challenge.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am a better person due to the challenges I’ve faced.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I learn and grow from every experience.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Productivity
[ttshare]I am disciplined and productive in everything that I do.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am breaking old habits and creating new successful ones.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I become more productive every single day.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have unwavering discipline and because of this I will succeed.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I always win because I am willing to work harder than anyone else.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I will die before I give up.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Time is the most valuable resource, therefore I spend it wisely.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Self-Worth
[ttshare]I am the definition of sexy.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am the most beautiful person I know.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have a heart of gold and share this with the world.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have the power, right now, to decide what I want to do.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am a gift to the world.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am unique and have so much to offer this world.[/ttshare]
Positive Affirmations For Life
[ttshare]My life is just beginning.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am rich in health, wealth and love.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]Opportunities and advantages come with every door that I open.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]The more I give to the world, the more I get.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]What I currently do is serving me towards my higher purpose.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have the power to change my thoughts in a second.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I’m allowed to do what I want with my life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I have the power to change myself.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I allow myself to play and enjoy life.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am making a difference in this world.[/ttshare]
[ttshare]I am at peace with all that has happened, is happening, and will happen.[/ttshare]
[sociallocker id=”5036″]Click here to download the Top 100 Positive Affirmations as a .PDF[/sociallocker]
Over to You
I hope this list of positive affirmations inspires you to take action and make a change in your life. It’s all about continuous improvement and practice makes permanent.
If you liked this list please share it with a friend by using one of the buttons below. Your touch may just inspire them to do greater things in their life.
Also, check out our Facebook page if you want to get more of these positive affirmation quotes throughout the year. Updated daily!
I’d love to hear which positive affirmation resonates with you the most. What have you tried and which ones work for you? Please share in the comments below!
Here’s to a better you!
Brendan
p.s. the group I posted this on…that I couldn’t remember… was on facebook is Mental Health Advocacy. It is a closed group, but can be accessed by asking permission to join.
Oh my gosh Brendan! This is THE most awesome page I have EVER seen! I am going to share it in a facebook group…that I can’t right now remember the name of haha…it is a group where pain of the past is what they are dealing with. They need this so much! I am an overcomer of the past, but many struggle daily and this resource may be what helps many to feel hope! I’m totally amazed!
Thank you so much for this resource!
Sincerely Me,
LuAnn Marie
Amazing list of affirmations. Thanks, Brendan. What do you think about switchwords?
The more I give to the world, the more I get is so true. I gave advice to my daughters and now they are giving it to me. They are telling me to do the best thing from moment to moment so that it will generate, create, and cause positive effects and in that way I am getting more in return. Thank you!
There really is something here for everyone and I especially like how you rightly emphasise the need to feel the affirmations as you say them. Great advice.
I think this post inspires me, today I feel happy can read an excerpt affirmation that gave me a new spirit.
thank you
ask for permission to bookmark
This is a wonderful post! I hope to read more of your post which is very informative and useful to all the readers.
Hey Brendan,
Great post. As I was reading I was thinking, oh but what about feeling the affirmation and then you explain that too. Phew. Without feeling what we are saying it has absolutely no power.
I think of the difference when I am in a conversation with someone and I am not feeling the love or am not enjoying the subject or the person, as opposed to speaking with someone who makes me feel passionate and come alive – the difference in how we listen and respond becomes evident.
At the moment I am reading ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and he speaks of affirmations and ensuring that we embrace the thought, a vision and the feeling. Very powerful stuff.
I agree with what you say about morning rituals – so important. I really enjoy and love my mornings. Its a 20 minute meditation and then coffee and writing. Some days I think I am just blessed to have the ability to do this even on the days when the writing torments me. Thanks for a wonderful post.
Rachel.
The news is very interesting thank you very much for the information ..
You have very technical stuff and it gives me information. Thank you
Great resource you have created Brendan. Thank you so much for all your hardwork!
Is there any way to get these all pictures in one place in book format or PPT (converted into PDF) format so that if we want to print we can.
Also one more question, is it okey to offer as a free gift to my blog readers this pdf? Of course it will have credit given to you and the start of happiness?
Thanks again, Brendan!
Bharat
Hi Bharat,
Great suggestion! I’ll put something together and let you know about it shortly.
Brendan
Thanks for a lot of awesome affirmation. Keep up good work!
thanks!
Wow, so many good ones here. My head is spinning a little! 🙂
I’ve bookmarked the post so I can come back and enjoy them one at a time. I just wanted to say, I really appreciate your tips on how to use affirmations. The ‘Visualize, Feel, Speak’ tip really resonated with me. A great way to really take on the affirmations in our mind, body and heart. Thanks, Brendan.
hehe… yeah, there is a lot to take in! Great idea on bookmarking the page.
The Visualise/Feel/Speak framework makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE… I’m glad to know it resonated with you 🙂
Excellent resource of positive affirmations. I will share with my network.
Thanks, Shadeed!
Thanks Brendan for these great affirmation. There are so many that I can apply to my life and my situation that would take me days to put together. Thanks for putting them them together for us.
You’re welcome, Rose 🙂 I’m glad you are taking action and making full use of them!
This is such a great resource, Brendan!
This is definitely worth sharing around… so many people can benefit from this. A great guide and a great list of positive affirmations (and images!)
Thanks, Sarah!
That’s exactly why I took the time to compile it… we just needed a resource like this to be shared. That’s what we do in our community… change lives! 🙂
Wow! What an epic post. I first discovered this technique in Think and Grow Rich authored by Napoleon Hill where he talks about saying positive affirmations the first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed at night.
This technique changed my life for good. The more I say those positive affirmation, the more I started believing them. It’s a simple, but powerful technique for achieving greatness. I’m surprised many still don’t know its power.
Michael
Thanks, Michael!
That’s awesome to hear that they have changed your life… I’m starting to see the same thing. Even though I’ve KNOWN about positive affirmations, I’ve never really taken ACTION to use them. Now that I am I am seeing some pretty cool changes in the way I’m thinking about things 🙂