Daily Affirmations for Positive Thinking

Note: This post was originally published on Jackcanfield.com

Daily affirmations are simple, positive statements declaring specific goals in their completed states. Although they sound rather basic at that level, these empowering mantras have profound effects on the conscious and unconscious mind.

Affirmations also hold a key to unlocking the Law of Attraction and creating the life of your dreams!

Successful people, from top salespeople and entrepreneurs to bestselling authors and Olympic athletes, have figured out that using willpower to power their success isn’t enough.

You need to let go of any and all negative thoughts and images and bombard your subconscious mind with new thoughts and images that are positive and stated in the present tense.

How do you do this?

The technique you use to do this begins with daily affirmations, which are simply statements that describe a goal in its already completed state.

Two examples of affirmations would be:

I am joyfully walking across the stage as I receive my MBA degree from Wharton.

I am so happy and grateful that I am now crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

In addition to all of the feedback I have received from hundreds of thousands of students from around the world about the effectiveness of their daily affirmations, there’s now new academic research that shows in high-stress level environments those who do use them have lower stress levels and more success than those who don’t.

What are Daily Affirmations?

Daily affirmations are to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Repeating affirmations helps to reprogram the unconscious mind for success.

It helps eliminate negative and limiting beliefs and transforms your comfort zone from a limited one keeping you trapped in mediocrity to a more expanded one where anything is possible. It helps to replace your “I cant’s” with “I cans,” and your fears and doubts with confidence and certainty.

How Affirming Phrases Can Keep You Focused

Affirmations are reminders to your unconscious mind to stay focused on your goals and to come up with solutions to challenges and obstacles that might get in the way.

They can also create higher vibrations for happiness, joy, appreciation, and gratitude that then, through the law of attraction, magnetize people, resources, and opportunities to come to you to help you achieve your goals.

Whether you know it or not, you are always using affirmations… but usually not ones that will bring you what you want.

These are things like:

• “Everything I eat goes straight to my hips.”
• “I am never going to meet somebody I can love.”
• “I never catch a break.”
• “No matter what I do, I never seem to get ahead.” 

How to Create Positive Affirmations

The daily use of positive affirmations interrupts and eventually totally replaces this barrage of negative thoughts and beliefs. To achieve this, you must continually flood your subconscious with thoughts and images of the new reality you wish to create.

I am going to share with you two sets of guidelines for creating powerful daily affirmations that work—the long form and the short form.

Here are the eight guidelines for creating effective affirming statements. You may want to write these down. They are also in my book The Success Principles.

1. Start with the words “I am.” These are the two most powerful words in the English language.
2. Use the present tense.
3. State it in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.
4. Keep it brief.
5. Make it specific.
6. Include an action word ending with –ing.
7. Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word.
8. Make affirmations for yourself, not others.

Examples of Daily Affirmations

Here’s an example of an affirmation following these guidelines:

I am joyfully driving my new red Porsche Carrera convertible down the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Or if you are more ecologically minded, you can make that a new Tesla.

You can use the following simple formula: I am so happy and grateful that I am now … and then fill in the blank.

Some examples would be:

I am so happy and grateful that I am now earning $150,000 a year.

I am so happy and grateful that I am now celebrating having achieved my ideal weight of 140 pounds.

One of my most famous affirmations is:

I am enjoying living in my beautiful beachfront villa on the Ka’anapali coast of Maui or somewhere better.

I started writing that affirmation in 1989 and in 2011 – that’s right, 22 years later, I had something better!

Make sure to take 5 to 10 minutes every day to repeat your affirmations – preferably out loud with high energy and enthusiasm. The best times are early morning and right before you go to bed.

Action Item: Create New Positive Statements for Yourself

Write down 3 affirmations for yourself that affirm you having already achieved 3 of your goals and dreams.

Then, write down the time of day that you will commit to practicing your affirmations. Is it when you wake up in the morning? Before you go to sleep?

Mid-day when you need a pick-me-up?

Or maybe after your daily meditation when your subconscious mind is primed?

And to hold yourself accountable, go ahead and leave a comment below with your chosen time of day. I’ll follow up with you to make sure you’re staying on track!

Get My Affirmations for Success: A Step-By-Step Guide

Discover how you can use affirmations to re-create your self-image, replace your limiting beliefs, and achieve success.

In this guide, I will teach you about the importance of daily affirmations, why they’re critical to your success, and how to implement them in your life for rapid and positive changes. Click the graphic below to get this free daily affirmations guide pdf.

How to Turn Limp Affirmations Into Mantras for Success!

To affirm something is simply to declare that it is true. So, creating and using affirmations should be a breeze, right?

Actually, the true art of the affirmation is both subtle and profound. Despite the popularity of this technique, some people use affirmations that are bland and perhaps even self-defeating.

When creating your affirmation, remember that even minor variations in wording can make a huge difference in the results you get. Since your words literally have the power to create your circumstances, invest a few minutes now to take your affirmation skills to a higher level.

Consider the following statement:

I will quit smoking with ease and joy, remembering the effects on my physical and mental health and preparing to live a longer life.

Five Daily Affirmations Guidelines to Follow

By using the guidelines found below, you can transform limp affirmations like that into mantras for manifesting a huge change in your life!

The following points are key:

1. Enter the “now”

Start your affirmation by entering the present tense. Take the condition you desire and declare it to be already true.

2. Be positive

Our sample affirmation keeps the focus on smoking—the condition that you do not want. Instead, shine a light on what you do want—to be smoke-free.

A related reminder: Our subconscious mind skips the word not. So, delete this word from your affirmations. “I am not afraid of public speaking” gives us the message that you are afraid. Use, “I feel at ease as I speak in public.”

3. Be concise

Shorter is better. Affirmations with fewer words are often easier to recall, especially in situations when you feel some stress. Rhyming makes your affirmations even more memorable. For example, “I am feeling alive at 185.”

4. Include action

Whenever possible, affirm yourself as a person who takes action. For example: “I am gratefully driving my new Porsche along an open highway.” Action engages the Law of Attraction, creating new results in our lives and opening us to further inspiration.

5. Include a feeling word 

Powerful affirmations include content and emotion. Content describes the specific outcomethat you desire. Emotion gets to the heart of how you feel about that outcome. For a more potent affirmation, add both elements.

Consider this affirmation:

“I am supporting my children to  fully come forward into the world.”

The content of this statement is clear. Yet it lacks an emotional charge. Breathe life into this affirmation by adding an active expression of feeling:

“I am lovingly supporting my  children and encourage them to  fully express their unique talents and gifts.”

You will know that you have a powerful affirmation when you feel a surge of emotional energy. The force of feeling jumpstarts you into action.

An Affirmation Makeover

Now get some direct experience with “affirmation transformation.” Return to the first example mentioned in this article:

“I will quit smoking with ease  and joy, remembering the  effects on my physical and  mental health and preparing  to live a longer life.”

Playing with the guidelines listed serves up some more exciting options, such as:

“I am breathing effortlessly with lungs that are pure and clean.”

“I am celebrating how easily I breathe  through strong, healthy lungs.”

Also consider the following affirmations on a variety of topics:

“I am joyfully celebrating my  graduation from college with  a master’s degree.”

“I am effectively delivering my first  talk to an audience of over 1,000  people who affirm my message  with a standing ovation.”

“I am  confidently checking the balance  of my bank account as I make a  deposit of $1,000,000.”

“I am walking up on stage to  receive my first Emmy award and  receiving a roar of applause.”

When you’re satisfied with the wording of your affirmation, start using it right away.

Repeat your affirmations at least three times daily—first thing in the morning, midday, and just before you go to sleep. Regular repetition will gently return your focus to manifesting the life of your dreams.

My List of Positive Feeling Words for Affirmations

Below I have included a list of positive feeling words that you may want to use when creating your daily affirmations. 

Remember, when creating affirmations you want to create positive, self-affirming, self-empowering statements that uplift and inspire you – that raise your emotional set point and your self-esteem.

Here Are Some More Examples of Positive Affirmations:

I am celebrating feeling light and alive at my perfect body weight of one thirty-five.

I am enjoying the thrill of flying.

I am attracting joy into my life.

I am confidently expressing myself openly and honestly.

I am feeling exhilarated, agile and alive.

I am effectively communicating my needs and desires to my loving partner.

I am looking around me at the faces of the people I am helping and I am thrilled to know that I have made a difference in their life.

I am feeling relaxed and grateful to be sitting here in Hawaii with my toes buried in the warm sand, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.

Discover How to Use Affirmations to Re-create Your Self-Image, Replace Your Limiting Beliefs, and Achieve Success With My Step-By-Step Guide. Click Here To Download!