Affirmations Work (How I Know)

I know that affirmations work. Whether they're spoken, written, sung, or taped, they work. And here's how I know. When I was a child, my mother would say to me, "if looks could kill, you'd kill everyone you know." meaning that I always had a very angry look on my face. What this told me was that I was unlikeable and therefore, unloveable. (I don't hold it against my mother for saying this, it was the same thing that she was told as a child. and parents can only teach what they know).

Because this message was repeated to me so often, and because as a child I believed what my parents told me, I grew up believing and feeling that I was not a lovable person and that no one would like me. This caused me to unconsciously put up barriers that would keep people from getting close to me. And therefore, it was hard for people to get to know me and like/love me. All of this was a catch 22, or a self-fullfilling prophecy of sorts.

I spent my twenties feeling lonely and not having many friends. I didn't believe that I was a likeable person and so I didn't bother to try making friends. It was a very lonely time in my life. Once I realized (with the help of counseling and self-help books) this about myself, I decided I needed to reprogram my brain; to loose that old unhealthy message and replace it with a new one. I wrote an affirmation for myself that went like this:

I'm likeable and lovable, so lovable. Lots of people want to be my friend.I can have all the friends I want, starting today.Its true, I know its true.

I began saying this to myself several times a day in the morning and in the evening. I also made a tape of it, which repeated the phrase over and over. I listened to this tape every night when I went to sleep. I listened to it for 3 months straight until I was absolutely sick of it and couldn't listen to it another minute.

What I realized after listening to this tape was that I no longer felt alone. I no longer was afraid to approach people for fear of rejection. I no longer had that voice in my head saying "if looks could kill...".

I know now that I am lovable and likeable. I have really good friends and I know that I can have lots more friends. I know that people will like me if I give them the chance. And I KNOW that affirmations work.

Article Source: http://self-help-healing-arts-journal.com

Article By: Catherine Whipple