An affirmation is a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something. The truth is you are whole, perfect, and complete exactly as you are. When you say an affirmation such as "I am confident and competent" that statement is true about you, it's just that you might not believe it.

Repeating the affirmation over and over will imprint it into your subconscious until you begin to believe it. You will then start behaving as if you are confident and competent because your mind will have accepted it as a new belief.

Everything you want is available to you, all you have to do is claim it. Writing and reciting affirmations is one way of claiming what you want.

You don't have to believe your affirmations.

It is great if you do believe your affirmations, but it doesn't matter if you don't. In fact, you probably won't believe most of them, especially if your affirmation is a real stretch for you. Just keep repeating them in spite of the voices in your head telling you that you're lying to yourself, or this stuff doesn't work.

If your affirmation is "I have all the money I can ever want and need" and you only have $748 in your savings account, you will likely hear your monkey mind saying "that is not true, you only have $748", or "no you don't have all the money you can ever want and need, you're broke".

Just ignore the negative voices and continue to repeat your affirmations. Know that the voices will be there and it is perfectly normal. As you continue to repeat your positive affirmations, the negative voices will get quieter and quieter. They will probably never go away, but after a while the voices in support of your affirmations will get stronger and the negative voices will be in the background, barely audible.

The mind must have repetition in order for you to manifest your affirmations into reality. Even when it seems like nothing is happening, keep repeating them. Trust me, it works.

I'll share a true story about one of my affirmations. When I was "forty-something" I decided I wanted to run a marathon just to see if I could do it. At the time, I was 40 pounds overweight and could not run a block without being winded. I had never run more than one mile, not to mention the 26.2 miles required for a marathon. I choose to run a marathon in Vancouver Canada. Ironically, my sweet little brother died of Leukemia seven years later.

One of my affirmations was "I will finish this race". I trained for seven months with one of my girlfriends who had a death in her family and had to back out just one week before the race. I ended up having to run the marathon alone (although there were thousands of people there) on one of the coldest, rainy, and windy days in Vancouver history. In addition, I trained on flat ground and the trail in Vancouver was unexpectedly hilly.

It was my affirmation "I will finish this race" that kept me going. I wanted to stop at mile 13 but I couldn't stop even though I was tired, hungry, and bleeding from the constant friction from parts of my clothing. Seven months of repeating that affirmation gave me strength of mind that I didn't even know I had. I did finish the race and I have my medal and t-shirt to prove it!

Affirmations are a very normal way of thinking. You have been giving yourself affirmations all your life. Everything you think or say to yourself is an affirmation. Anything someone else says to you is an affirmation""if you accept it. Your subconscious mind will accept it all, whether it is good or bad for you. You want to be more deliberate and strategic with your affirmations.

People don't usually make a conscious decision to program negative thoughts into their subconscious mind. It is usually done unconsciously. And, sometimes when they become aware, they rationalize it. For example, if you find yourself saying "I'm broke" that is an affirmation. Yes, you can rationalize it by saying "I have to be realistic, I really am broke." If you want that reality, keep saying it. If you want to change that reality then you must change the affirmation, and consequently, the belief.

That is how you form negative beliefs about yourself. You say things to yourself over and over (usually unconsciously). When you repeat these thoughts enough, they become beliefs that you just accept as your reality.

When to use affirmations

"¢ First thing in the morning and last thing before you go to sleep

"¢ While waiting in line or in traffic

"¢ When you feel anxiety, insecurity or stress

"¢ When you're feeling bad or depressed

"¢ Every time you think about it.

How to write affirmations

"¢ Keep them short, simple, and easy to remember

"¢ Always make them positive

"¢ Keep them in the present tense

"¢ Never include the words no, not, or don't in an affirmation. Your mind does not recognize those words and it will give you what you don't want

"¢ Include words that will create emotion or feeling

It is best to write your own affirmations for your particular situation, but you can certainly use other people's affirmations as well. Here are a few affirmations for success and well-being that you can start with.

"¢ I am a money magnet

"¢ Money comes to me easily and effortlessly

"¢ I create my life.

"¢ I create the exact amount of my success

"¢ I am a genius and I use my wisdom daily

"¢ I am powerful

"¢ I am truly grateful for everything I have right now

"¢ Lucrative opportunities always come my way

"¢ I am in perfect health

"¢ I am a generous giver and an excellent receiver

"¢ I release all subconscious barriers to my success

"¢ I am calm, confident, and in control

"¢ I look and feel great!

Your thoughts and words are powerful. Using daily affirmations combined with daily visualizations will help you manifest your dreams much faster. Most importantly, expect to receive your affirmations. Just try it and see for yourself.

Aim High!