The transforming power of affirmations is the focus of this Mindset Monday on The Standing O Show. As we begin to train our brain everyday to think right about ourselves in order to live a life of success, achievement, and financial rewards, the use of affirmations is like feeding our brain the mind nutrition it needs to be healthy and thrive.

Enjoy this episode? Please subscribe to the podcast in iTunes and leave a 5 star rating and review! They really do matter, and I read every one of them.Episode NotesHello, thanks for listening Ovation Nation! I’m your host, Marc Smith.  Let’s get started on this Mindset Monday. I want to talk to you about the transforming power of affirmations! As we begin to train our brain everyday to think right about ourselves in order to live a life of success, achievement, and financial rewards, the use of affirmations is like feeding our minds the nutrition it needs to be healthy and thrive.Tia Walker says, “Affirmations are mental vitamins, providing the supplementary positive thoughts we need to balance the barrage of negative events and thoughts we experience daily.”I’ll admit that sometimes the idea of affirmations seems woo-woo, or uncomfortable. But I also know that when you develop the habit of saying affirmations that resonate with you – that have an emotional connection within you – they play a key role in improving our ability to reduce stress and focus better on problem-solving.Research from Carnegie Mellon University has determined that affirmations can protect against the damaging effects of stress on problem-solving performance.  An article in Psychology Today, reports that the Carnegie Mellon study showed that an affirmation at the beginning of a stressful activity helped boost grades in underperforming children at the end of the activity. In effect it showed that affirmations can make a positive impact on problem-solving under pressure.Meister Eckhart says, "What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action."Writing Affirmations That WorkSo, how do you create or write affirmations that feed your mind? Back in Episode 000, I talked about the impact Lou Tice had on me in creating a mindset for success. One of the key areas was the use of affirmations in setting goals. So, I’m going to share a little bit about what he taught me about affirmations.The first thing you want to do is imagine and skip ahead in your mind: it could be the end of a project, or whatever you want to accomplish in the next 3 months. You’re changing the picture. By changing the inside, the outside will follow. If you make the picture strong enough so that it resonates within you, your subconscious mind will help you change your behavior so that it aligns with the new you or affirmation that you’re setting."Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.", according to Soren Kierkegaard.I want to give you a take away today, so here are 5 key parts of creating an affirmation that feeds your mind:

1. Set your future goal, but set it in the present like it’s happening right now and make it personal by using the word, “I”.
2. Keep it positive. In other words, use affirmations that speak to what you want, not what you don’t want.
3. Say it like you’ve achieved it. So, don’t use words like I will or I want to, or I should. Instead, use words like I am or I have.
4. This step is the most important. Use words that create emotions for you. Use words that make you feel exactly like you want to feel when it’s accomplished. Lou Tice says, “One statement of fact, made with tremendous emotion, can change you forever.”
5. And, finally, make it realistic for yourself. In Episode 7 with Alicia Cramer she shares about how affirmations are powerless if the person saying them feels like he or she is trying to force something. So, ask yourself, “Can I see myself achieving it?”

I’ll wrap it up by sharing some of the affirmations that have meant the most to me.

• On accountability: I guide my own journey, and I am accountable for the results of my actions.
• On seeing opportunities: I have an awareness of the opportunities which will help me reach my goals.
• On building my tribe: I am guided to the right people that will support my growth and learning.

Dr. Wayne Dyer said his favorite affirmation when he felt stuck was “Whatever I need is already here, and it is all for my highest good.”Affirmations“Success is a process, a quality of mind and way of being, an outgoing affirmation of life.” – Alex Noble

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