Leadership Skills

Affirmations

You can use affirmations to remember the positive aspects of your life. Affirmations are positive statements that we can tell ourselves, and these statements will have a huge impact on our mind and body. (The opposite of affirmations would be negative self-talk, and as we know, negative self-talk erodes our self-confidence and lowers our esteem.)

First you must develop a list of affirmations. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Write down your strengths or positive characteristics. (If you have difficulty here, ask your friends, family, or coworkers to help.) We are always most critical of ourselves, but everyone has qualities that other people admire. Write them down, start with "I," and keep them brief. For example:
   • I am supportive.
   • I am kind.
   • I am intelligent.
   • I am organized.
   • I have amazing hair.
   • I have a great smile.
   • I can cook well.
   • I am dependable.
2. Identify when you use negative self-talk. Write down what you say to yourself and when you usually do that. (You know this, but you might be afraid to write it down. Do it anyway.) For example, I often get frustrated when things do not go as planned. During those times, I tend to beat myself up. Other times, I just feel ugly. For example, here are some things that I may have said to myself:
   • I never do anything right.
   • I am stupid.
   • I am ugly.
   • I have no friends.
3. Match up your statements. Take your negative self-talk statements in #2 and see if there are any statements in #1 that demonstrate your negative talk may be wrong. For example:
   
   

   I never do anything right	I am organized I am dependable
   I am stupid	I am intelligent
   I am ugly	I have amazing hair I have a great smile
   I have no friends	I am supportive I am kind

   
   
   Notice how the second one is a direct opposite?
4. Work on one at a time. The next time you catch yourself with negative self-talk, replace it with your positive statement. Continue through them, and eventually those negative thoughts will drift away.

Taking it Further

Affirmations can be more than countering negative self-talk. You can put any goal or challenge into an affirmation. Think of goals you would like to accomplish. For example, I want to lose weight. Now, rewrite that into an "I can" statement. Then throughout the day, say to yourself, "I can lose weight." Using the word "can" is powerful, and it sends a positive signal to your brain rather than beating yourself up with negativity.

What can you do with your affirmations?

• Write them in your journal and document your progress.
• Write them on Post-it notes and place around your work area.
• Make small posters with graphics and your words and place those around.
• Share your affirmations with your close friends.
• Write them on a card to carry with you (and look at) throughout the day.
• Meditate while thinking about your affirmations.

You must reinforce your affirmations several times throughout the day. It is the repetition that helps with the vision and helps you reach your goals. These positive thoughts will improve your attitude and mood.