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When you affirm your own rightness in
the universe, then you co-operate with others easily and automatically as part
of your own nature. You, being yourself, helps others be themselves. Because you
recognize your own uniqueness you will not need to dominate others, nor cringe
before them
Jane Roberts
 Affirmations are verbal statements that we say or think in order to implant
specific elements into our designs. It is one technique of design-work, that
also includes modeling and directed imagination. Affirmation is also called
self talk.
We all use various types of affirmations.
While we may be skeptical of
affirmations as a viable technique for changing our lives, we can consider some
evidence that our words do have an effect:
How affirmations work.
In every situation, we are dealing with designs. As we respond to a design
with our thoughts, images, energy tones, and actions we leave an imprint in the
design. When we encounter the design again, we tend to respond to it on the
basis of these previous imprints (elements) The mind uses these elements as a
reference to discern how you tend to respond to this situation. The reference is
used to simplify the mind's operation, so that it does not have to totally
improvise a response, instead it can default to this these elements. We tend to
respond in the same way whenever we encounter that design. When we use the
technique of affirmation, we intentionally implant specific thoughts into the
design, so that those thoughts will be the ones that are used when we meet that
design again. If we create the affirmation, "I am patient," that
thought will be present when we are in a circumstance in which we could
otherwise be impatient. We should refer to our intuition to generate thoughts,
images, energy tones, and actions but, because we are often not aware of the
guidance from intuition, the mind uses these previously implanted thoughts to
automatically formulate a response.
The techniques of affirmation.
Affirmation statements are most effective
when they comply with guidelines, based upon the nature and dynamics of energy,
and designs.
 | Design-work. We can use energy toning in various ways while saying
affirmation statements: We can also use:
 | Directed imagination. While we say, "I am relaxed when
speaking in front of groups", we imagine ourselves standing
confidently at a podium. |
| Modeling. Whenever we act as if, we can say affirmation
statements to affirm the action that we are performing. If we are acting
as if we are peaceful, we can state, "I enjoy being relaxed"
or "My body knows how to relax." |
| Affirmations. We say the statements with the corresponding energy
tone. If we are stating, "I enjoy finding reasons to be
happy," we intentionally generate the energy tone of happiness. |
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We use words that portray emotion. The sentence, "I enjoy finding
reasons to be happy," is more powerful than "I find reasons to be
happy".
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We enjoy the natural feeling of joy that arises when we use a well
designed affirmation statement. We feel better when we say something that
causes happiness, because we are increasing the flow of our energy.
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We say the statement with various energy tones. We are most likely to
remember the thoughts that we implanted when we were in an emotional state
resembling our current state. When we are depressed, we tend to refer to the
design that we traditionally use when we are depressed. A design is a group of
associated thoughts, images, energy tones, and physical habits. Therefore, we
need to implant our thoughts with a variety of energy tones, so that those
thoughts will be the dominant factor in any mood that could occur in the
future.
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We sing or yell the affirmation statement to express more emotion and feeling.
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We are careful about our thoughts and spoken
words when we are
experiencing intense emotions, because we know that those thoughts will
contain a significant charge of energy when they are implanted in our design.
If this energy is not discharged it will compel us to recreate the situation
in order to release the energy. To minimize the harmful effect of this
retained energy, we can associate it with an affirmation statement that is
balanced and productive. Instead of saying, "I hate people who intrude on
me," we can use that same energy to say, "I enjoy having secure ego
boundaries"
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We use our body's physical
energy. This energy is added to the thought
element if we say affirmation statements while we walk, dance, exercise, clean
our home, or perform other movements, particularly if we say the words in the
rhythm of those movements.
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We are specific.
We can use the statement, "I feel good,",
There is more benefit in specific statements such as "I enjoy the feeling
of life in my body" or "I find pleasure when I am with other
people".
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We use short, simple
statements. We use only one idea in each
affirmation. "There is power in everything I do," not "There is
power and energy in all the activities I perform, and so I am effective at
work and in my social activities".
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We speak in positive terms. "I am grateful for the things I
have," not "I no longer hate my second rate possessions." If we
repeat the second statement, the designs do not consider the double negative,
hating an undesired thing. They record and reinforce those second rate
possessions by implanting thoughts, images, and energy tones regarding them.
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We are direct. We say, "I enjoy expressing myself," not
"I want to express myself" or "I will try to express
myself" or "I should express myself."
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We can use the phrase "I am".
Affirmations are very
powerful if they start with the phrase I am. "I am happy" or "I
am content".
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We are not competitive. "I do well in job interviews," not
"I am better than other people in job interviews". The first
statement is more effective, for various reasons:
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The mind works best when it is focusing its own power. Our energy is
concentrated and focused. |
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If we are competitive, our elements of aggression will trigger reciprocal
elements in other people, creating a wasteful conflict. |
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We are unconditional.
We say, "I love my son, Bill," not
"I love my son, Bill, even when he is a brat".
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We vary the words. Variations are useful because they prevent boredom
after we have repeated a statement hundreds of times, and they allow us to
test the effectiveness of particular statements. Those variations can include:
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Perspective.
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First person. |
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Second person. "You enjoy your life" referring to yourself
as if someone is saying these statements to you. |
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Third person. "He enjoys his life" referring to yourself as
if someone is talking about you. |
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Your name. "Jim enjoys his life".
A combination. "I, Jim, enjoy my life". |
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The arrangement of words. We can experiment with the phrase,
"Life has many pleasures," and then we can try, "I find many
pleasures in life". |
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Rhyme and rhythm.
If we say the statement with interesting rhymes and
rhythms, we will remember it more easily, and we will engage the right
hemisphere which could be more receptive to the statement. |
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Different approaches to the same
thought. Generally, we say a
statement in a straight forward, present tense format. "I like who I
am." But we can also use variations:
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Future tense. "I will like whom I am." It is most
important for us to say the statement in the present tense, to affirm its
reality now, but we can also use the future tense, to generate optimism
for the future such as we like ourselves now, and we will continue to like
ourselves. |
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Past tense. "I liked myself." Sometimes our past is too
painful to review because we remember only the unpleasant moments. This
pain cuts us off from our heritage, and our learning experiences, and our
pleasant memories. Surely there were occasions when we did like ourselves.
In fact, self love is our natural state, it is only our dysfunctional
thoughts, images, energy tones, and actions that block that experience of
self love. |
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Cancellations. We use wording that cancels specific mental habits.
If we frequently say, "I don't deserve to be liked," then we
won't have much success with the statement, "I like myself",
because we already have a design that has established the idea that we
don't deserve to be liked. We need to cancel the previous statement, with
a statement such as "I deserve to be liked". Similarly:
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The idea that "I don't have the right to like myself" is
changed to "I have the right to like myself". |
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The idea that "I can't like myself" is changed to "I
can like myself". |
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The idea that "Liking oneself is vanity" is changed to
"Liking oneself is a healthy form of self love" |
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Next topic: Directed
Imagination |
