Affirmations

What are affirmations and why are they necessary? We live in extremely dynamic times, experiencing a surfeit of information on a daily basis. It is truly overwhelming. Everyone experiences this. Most societies have a legacy of prayer. This includes an attempt to make sense of the world that we live in and the mortal death that appears to follow this life.

Supplication used to be sufficient for it allowed a true connectivity to God, Gaia, and the Universe. This, unfortunately, is no longer enough. We do not begin our day from a natural position of peace, for life is increasingly filled with noise and movement — from the time we awake until we sleep.

There is no quiet beginning to my day, the Internet tells me, as soon as I open my eyes, who I am, what I am supposed to be, and how I should envisage the future. This, of course, is all an artificial construct — all fake — having no correlation to the true me and the importance of my mission in life. Sadly, the thrust of our newfound connectivity is to become better consumers not improved citizens.

Affirmations, therefore, are statements that afford us a platform from which to develop as human beings. They give us the strength to accept ourselves and, in tandem with prayer, go forward in the great adventure of life “to slay our proverbial dragons.” (1) This is my suggested list of affirmations, and the ones that I say on a daily basis.

First, when I awaken, I thank God for another day of consciousness. How I experience this reality is of my own doing, of course. I mentally construct whether it will be a good or a bad day. I normally choose the former, as opposed to the latter, though not every day am I so disposed. “What a beautiful day! Thank God I am alive and able to experience one more day of life.” Second, I am grateful to the Lord for a relationship with Him — the I and Thou (2) thus described by Martin Buber. “I am a lucky man. I acknowledge the intimate relationship I have with Infinity and the peace this brings me.” Third, I laud my family and friends for always supporting me and my goals in life, even if they disagree with some of my methods. “I bless my parents, my siblings, my children, and my friends for always assisting me in my journey.” Fourth, I salute the opportunity to make this day unique — entrusting me with another day to affect change in myself and in the world. Today I exist in the now. (3) “I welcome that I live in the Now, not in the past and not in the future, and the strength this gives me to travel on in my life.” And finally, I accept that I am perfect. I was created in the image of God. (4) My job in life is to embellish this perfection — which is no small feat. “I accept my excellence. Let it be displayed with the humility necessary to become wise.”

These are, accordingly, my very brief list of affirmations. Try them every day for 21 days and they will become habit. See if they can benefit your life. If you do not choose mine, create your own. They will bring you closer to your truth. The great poet and philosopher, Rumi, (5) leaves us with a thought: Your heart is the size of an ocean. Go find yourself in its hidden depths.

A closing thought: Affirmations are a welcome addition to any morning routine. They assist all of us in giving some structure to our day. It is easy to forget that nothing truly exists outside of my mind. My worldview is essentially how I construct reality. The violence and anger we see in the world today are but the consequences of undeveloped minds. These actions can only be mitigated through prayer and reflection. As Tolstoy tells us: The Kingdom of God is Within You. (6)

To sum up: This week, we spoke about the power of affirmations.

To be noted: From the great bard, William Shakespeare (7) — We came into the world like brother and brother; And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.

Just for fun: