I mean, just tell me!
There are several reasons why affirmations may not work. Like anything else, they can work if used correctly. If not, then there’s a higher rate of failure.
You Gotta Feel It
One reason they may not work is feelings. If you sit down and write the same affirmation over and over twenty times like a grade schooler doing some rote assignment, all you’re doing is writing. You’re not feelin’ it. Like with manifesting, they work best if you really “feel the love.” Feel the feelings behind the words. Don’t just write them or repeat them.
Do Ya Want Routine S*x or Mind-Blowing S*x?
A tip here: if you’re tired or not into affirmations today, don’t do them. Nothing worse than doing something just to do it. It’s kind of like the difference between “It’s Wednesday night s*x” vs “mind-blowing, really great s*x.”
Incorporate feelings into your statements. For example, if your affirmation is, “I’m getting a new job” that sounds pretty boring, right?
What if you said instead, “I’m so excited to be getting a new job!” Now you’ve invoked the feelings. You’re looking forward to it, you’re taking it up a notch, amping it up. See the difference?
I mean, I’d get bored if I just repeated the first one over and over, wouldn’t you? You got nothing in the game with that statement. You’re just trying to convince yourself that it can happen.
Your mind can argue with you if you say you’re getting a new job. Especially if you word it in the present tense that you have a job when really you don’t, your mind is less likely to accept it. When you add the feeling factor, your mind will accept it easier.
Let’s say you want to lose weight. Your affirmation might be, “I weigh ‘x’ amount.” [Fill in the blank with your desired weight.] That’s all well and good, but again, your mind is saying, “But, hey, I stepped on the scale this morning and I so don’t weight that!” True dat, you don’t. At least not now, but that’s where you’re headed.
So how do you trick your mind into believing it?
You feel it.
“I feel great weighing ‘x’ amount.” Or expand on your story, “I can’t wait to fit into my skinny jeans. I’m so thrilled to be a size ‘x.’ Doesn’t that sound more interesting? More doable? Like you can really get there? It does to me. I’m in.
So, don’t do the rote affirmation thing. Sprinkle them with feelings and excitement. You’ll be amazed at the difference that can make – one tiny little tweak.
Believe it to Receive it
The biggest reason affirmations can fail is if you don’t believe it. That’s why we have to play tricks on the mind like the one above. If you know you don’t have that new job, that desired weight, that new guy, whatever, your mind is going to argue with you. It’ll tell you to wake up and stop deluding yourself.
Beliefs are so important that I could talk all day just about beliefs. I’ll spare you my long dissertation. *smile*
Think about this for a second. If you can’t believe something, then how can you get it? If you can’t believe you’ll ever be a success, then, how can you? If you can’t believe you could ever afford that dream house, then, how can you? It’s like giving up before you even started.
When people don’t get the results they want or get the opposite results, then they give up on affirmations and think they don’t work.
Let’s say you want a hot new red sports car. If you are affirming that you have that red sports car but all you can think about is your debt, then the affirmations won’t work and you won’t get your sports car. Your reality (not having the money or in debt) is arguing with your desire – the new car. That’s when people give up and say they don’t work.
Our thoughts are a reflection of our beliefs. As a result, you will probably get more debt because that’s what you’ve been thinking. If all you’re thinking about is your debt, then that will cancel out your belief of getting a new car because your mind is focusing on the fact that you can’t get a new car because of your debt (or any other reason like bad credit score, not enough money etc.). Again, the mind will argue with you, tell you that you’re crazy, you can’t afford a new car so why bother?
Do you want to listen to that tricky little ego or use the power of affirmations?
You gotta ignore the ego. Reality may be one thing, but you desire another.
How do you know if your beliefs are blocking you from getting what you want via affirmations?
Observe
Observe your state of mind, pay attention to your thoughts. If you’re hearing the ego argue back with you or you notice your negative thoughts, then there’s your answer. You’re not believing. Your mind is cancelling out the affirmations.
If you’re still not sure, call on your super power, your intuition. Ask it if you’re blocking yourself. It always knows the answer and never steers you wrong so ask it. You may think you’re doing a great job, even when you observe yourself. But your intuition will give you the real 411. That way you can’t fool yourself into thinking you’re doing a great job, then wondering why the affirmations aren’t working.
The other day I had an epiphany, really an intuitive hit about something I had struggled with. I thought it was one thing, but my intuition said, no, it’s this. Then I backed up and thought about what the intuition told me and I knew once again, it had nailed the truth! It allowed me to take that further and come up with a solution to what I had been struggling with.
Like I said, intuition never steers you wrong. Call on it. You got this!
If you want to learn more about developing your intuition, contact me. Being connected to your intuition will help you get your life on track.
P,S. I may do a workshop on affirmations so stay tuned!
