The Power of Affirmations: Choose the Thoughts That Shape Your Life
Create one. Write it down. Say it when you need it. Live by it.
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
8/18/20263 min read
What if the words you repeatedly say to yourself are doing more than making you feel better?
What if they are helping shape the way you see the world—and, ultimately, the way you move through it?
An affirmation is often thought of as a simple positive statement: I am confident. I am successful. I am worthy.
And there is nothing wrong with that. But I believe affirmations can go much deeper.
The most powerful affirmations aren’t necessarily declarations of who you want to become. They can be reminders of how you choose to think, feel, behave, and respond to the world around you.
In other words, an affirmation can become a mental compass.
Here are three affirmations I return to.
I Am My Thoughts, My Feelings, My Behavior. I Own My Thoughts, My Feelings, My Behavior.
This affirmation begins with something fundamental: Ownership.
We don’t always get to choose what happens to us. We don’t control other people’s behavior, unexpected circumstances, setbacks, or disappointments.
But we can develop greater awareness of what happens inside us.
A thought appears. A feeling follows. A behavior often comes next. That sequence can happen so quickly that we mistake our reactions for reality.
Someone says something we don’t like, and anger appears. We experience a setback, and the thought I’m not good enough appears. Someone succeeds, and we immediately compare ourselves.
The affirmation creates a pause: I own my thoughts. I own my feelings. I own my behavior.
Ownership doesn’t mean that every thought or feeling is chosen. It means we recognize that they are ours to examine and respond to... and that distinction is powerful.
What Is the Opportunity? Where Is the Opportunity?
This affirmation changes the question.
Instead of asking: Why is this happening to me?
Try asking: What is the opportunity?
And then: Where is the opportunity?
That doesn’t mean pretending everything is good. Life will disappoint you. Plans will fail. People will let you down. Opportunities will disappear. Sometimes circumstances genuinely suck.
But there is often a difference between experiencing a difficult situation and allowing that situation to completely define your perspective.
The question: What is the opportunity? forces your mind to search.
Maybe the opportunity is to learn. Maybe it’s to change direction. Maybe it’s to develop a skill. Maybe it’s to establish a boundary. Maybe it’s to meet someone new. Maybe the opportunity isn’t immediately visible.
That’s why I like the second question: Where is the opportunity?
You’re training your attention to look for it. Your circumstances may not change immediately. But your relationship with those circumstances can.
And sometimes that shift in perspective is where the opportunity begins.
What I Am Seeking Is Seeking Me.
This one is different.
It’s less about ownership and more about alignment.
What are you looking for?
Knowledge? Connection? Purpose? Growth? Financial freedom? Better health? A meaningful relationship? A new career?
Whatever it is, you begin to notice more of it when you become intentional about seeking it.
When you become clear about what you’re seeking, you become more likely to recognize the people, ideas, information, and opportunities that were previously invisible to you.
“What I am seeking is seeking me”, is not a promise that the universe will simply deliver whatever you want. It’s a reminder to become clear about what you’re looking for—and attentive enough to recognize it when it appears.
Seeking requires participation. You still have to act. You still have to knock on doors. You still have to develop yourself. You still have to say yes.
But clarity changes what you notice. And what you notice can change what you pursue.
Create Your Own Affirmations
You don’t have to use my affirmations. In fact, I would encourage you not to.
The most meaningful affirmations are personal. They should speak to something you need to remember, practice, or become more conscious of.
Ask yourself:
What do I need to remind myself of when life gets difficult?
What pattern of thinking do I want to change?
What do I want to take greater ownership of?
What question would help me see situations differently?
What kind of person am I trying to become?
What principle do I want to live by?
Then turn that answer into a short, memorable statement. It doesn’t have to sound profound. It has to mean something to you.
And don’t worry if your affirmation doesn’t feel completely true yet. Sometimes an affirmation isn’t a description of where you are. Sometimes it’s a reminder of where you’re going.
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