I have a lot of Beef with affirmations. (Not sure why I am calling it “Beef” as I really can’t pull it off!)
But what I CAN pull off is this: Creating TRANSFORMATIVE practices to facilitate you in-
A) Getting out of your own way, B) Rewiring your subconscious programming and C) Manifesting your dreams.
And here is what I have come to know…
Affirmations (mostly) DON’T work.
The whole “I am rich / I am glowing / I am magnetic” thing won’t make a difference unless your nervous system actually believes it (or in the very least, is open to it!)
I mean, maaayyyybe if you repeat it enough, it’ll start to EVENTUALLY take hold. But, ultimately, Affirmations take A LOT of effort- and you require A LOT of repetition for it to trickle through to your subconscious programming.
And therefore, they take A LOT of effort when it comes to Manifesting.
The whole “Live, Laugh, Love” vibe (that is so surface level) just doesn’t do it for me.
Why Else Are Affirmations Hindering Your Manifesting?
Affirmations can also be counterproductive! Instead of lifting you, they highlight the gap between where you are and where you want to be. When you recite “I am rich!” with 27p in the bank, it does not make you feel rich.
And the key to manifesting is to feel the thing, before you have the thing.
You know how your wise old grandma would say, “Love yourself first before you meet a romantic partner?”
Well, the same is true for anything. We need to feel our way into the feeling of something first, so that our external world mirrors it back to us.
So, instead of lying to yourself, try empowering yourself!
This can be done in a number of ways!
Ways to Support Your Manifesting That Work:
Let’s use the example of Manifesting money again. Here is what you COULD do:
- Practice EFT to clear the money blocks and stories you are holding onto.
- Use EFT to simply process and integrate any emotions that arise for you around it. (Videos coming soon!)
- Recite Ho’oponopono to clear the shared energy you hold with money (More on this in another blog post!)
- Take action to make yourself feel just 0.1% richer- that hole in your skirt that’s not feeling like a vibe? Repair it! That will instantly make you feel incrementally richer than you do right now.
We are vibrational beings in a vibrational universe, and we need to work with where we are truly at in order to fine tune our energies and upgrade to where we want to be.
That said, if you are still wanting to give affirmations a go…
Feel Your Way Into Your Affirmations
And do it gently!
Abraham Hicks talks about finding your way with affirmations — not forcing them. Instead of “I AM LOVE”… it could be “I am open to finding more and more ways to see myself as lovable”… there’s a lot less resistance to that!
You can also use “askfirmations” (affirmations in the form of questions such as: “What if I could feel more supported?”) and let your subconscious start to fill in the blanks.
It feels more natural, more honest — and ultimately, your system is more likely to accept it.
Here is the main point I am trying to make:
We cannot lie to ourselves. We cannot lie to our nervous systems.
The more we honour where we are truly at, the more we can create powerful shifts for manifesting.
I always use the analogy of getting a bill through the door and shoving it in a drawer- you can try to ignore it, but it is still there and still due!
The same is true for whatever you are REALLY feeling. When we stop ignoring it, but sit with, process and integrate it, magic happens!
You don’t have to TRY so hard to feel better.
You just do.
Not by bypassing. Not by pretending.
Just by allowing.
My Own Experience Of This….
Lately, I’ve been really affected by both local and global events. I’m a sensitive soul (and whilst I think it is important to have boundaries and be mindful of what I energetically absorb, there are times when I’m deeply moved).
And instead of reciting surface level affirmations… I allow myself to be with where I am at, and do what I know to do:
I use EFT, I recite Ho’oponopono, I breathe.
And I organically shift into a better feeling place.
(Ironically that’s when the affirmations have more of an impact! When my nervous system CAN tap into them).
So here’s to being true to ourselves- it’s not about wallowing or dwelling…
…but knowing where we are at is where to begin….
Zero toxic positivity here (as always!)
With love and gratitude ‘til next time,