I Thought Affirmations Were Cheesy Until I Tried Them & Changed My Life

Affirmations and the Law of Attraction have gone from being kooky, backstreet ways to meditate to respected mainstream methods for harnessing the power of the Universe to give you everything you desire. If you’re sitting there feeling thoroughly unconvinced, know that this was me a few years ago. Since then, I’ve tried it for myself and I’ve never looked back.

1. When I first heard about affirmations, I was as skeptical as you probably are now. Apparently there’s this super spiritual, untouchable being, conveniently called “The Universe” that will give you whatever you want as long as you ask for it. Uh, yeah, seems legit, sign me up! I was as quick as anyone else to pour water over this crazy idea and dismiss anyone who really believed in it as a mentally unhinged hippy. How wrong I was.
2. Then I looked into it and realized it also seemed strangely familiar. The big picture idea of affirmations is to speak your desire out into the Universe, but the less overtly strange way of doing this is simply to spend time visualizing what you want in as much detail as you possibly can and say with conviction that you believe this will happen. Hmm, suddenly affirmations seem suspiciously like… goal setting?
3. A few years back, I swear to God, I affirmed a new relationship into being. With this in mind, I cast my mind back to the moments in my life that seemed too good to be true. A couple of years back, I’d gotten out of a nasty relationship, been single for a while, and was looking for a bit of a boost. Normally I’d mope around the house complaining about my lack of boyfriend, but something made me optimistic. Somehow, I just sensed that good things were on their way so I looked out for them. Sure enough, an amazing new relationship just plonked itself in my lap completely out of the blue.
4. The idea of asking for what you want is beautifully simple. Affirmations aren’t about wishing for what you can’t have. Instead, they’re about asking for or believing you already have something you want. I didn’t think I’d be single forever, I knew I’d meet the right person and sure enough, they appeared. Whether you want money, love, friendship, or even for the traffic to ease up, complaining is the wrong way to go about it. Simply say what you want with positivity and it will come.
5. Saying what you want out loud makes the desire real. Speaking your desires aloud doesn’t just make sure the Universe can hear you (I’m only half joking), it also makes your desires real to you. Telling yourself and even someone else your hopes and dreams for the future changes them from daydreams to real possibilities and encourages you to take the steps needed to make them happen.
6. When you develop a clear vision for what you want, nothing in the world can stop you from having it. With affirmation, it’s not enough to say that you’d like a job you enjoy. To really make something happen, you need to visualize every single aspect of it. What’s your commute to work like? What kind of building do you work in? Who else is in your office? What do you have on your desk? What tasks do you do throughout the day? Where do you get lunch? Having a crystal clear image of what you want in your mind makes going out to get it in reality a whole lot easier.
7. Affirmations are basically taking positive and negative vibes to the next level. No one disputes the existence of good and bad vibes (I’m sure we’ve all experienced powerful versions of both at some point). Affirmations just take this to the next level. If you exude positivity, look out on life with optimism and welcome new experiences and challenges, the Universe responds by providing you with more. If, on the other hand, you feel you never have enough, are always dissatisfied and wishing you were elsewhere, no more will ever come your way. Spooky.
8. The Universe can’t read your mind but it can apparently read your mood. So the weird thing about affirmation is that, even if you think about money every hour of every day, it won’t come to you unless you’re imagining it with positivity. Bemoaning your empty bank account and fretting about paying the bills? Expect more of the same next month. Looking forward to a time when you’re not counting the pennies and able to spend your cash on whatever suits you? Those riches might be about to come your way. This mindset isn’t always easy to achieve but you’ll be so much happier when you do so.
9. Most people that are skeptical of affirmations won’t have given it a good go. As you can see by the need for endless positive energy, if you’re going into this whole affirmation business half-heartedly, chances are it will be a total failure. If you reserve a little pocket of cynicism in an otherwise positive persona, the magic just doesn’t seem to work. Don’t ask me why—I don’t make the rules.
10. Worst case scenario, you become more optimistic, which is no bad thing. If you fancy trying the Law of Attraction for yourself, all you have to do is go forth and think positively about what the future holds. Worst case scenario, you’ll feel more positive about your situation in life. The best? Well, you’ll have to wait and see.