Affirmations Are a Joke. Not Necessarily

I learned something new about my sister-in-law, Kathy McCaffrey, something I was surprised by. She, like me, believes in the use of affirmations. I wouldn’t have known this had she not sent me a copy of her recent book called “Affirmations For Weight Loss”. But there it was in black and white, complimented by shades of red, struggle, honesty, and self-acceptance — all of these leading to inner peace and outer joy.

As Kathy’s journey towards the integration of affirmations into her own life isn’t dissimilar to mine, the reason behind was. Kathy had struggled since youth with her weight. In an effort to finally gain control over it as well as the mental-emotional challenges alongside, she tried something ‘outside of her comfort zone’, something very ‘new’ for her — affirmations.

I began the use of affirmations upon waking up one day only to discover that I had spent the first half of my life devoted to raising my children and working overtime. When both eyes finally refocused, I was a middle-aged woman with lines around my eyes and mouth, still alone. I had lots to boast about, professionally and kid-wise, but none of these made my current body nor personal life any more satisfying, hopeful or happy. I needed help to move forward.

It was at this point that a friend introduced me to affirmations. She too was using them to figure out her path. Still shocked that they were working for her, she couldn’t not share with me over a spot of tea and a biscuit. Frankly, I thought she had lost her mind when she first told me. But since I’ve become less conventional with age and a whole lot more open to the mysteries of the world, I decided to say “What the hell” and created a list my own.

Each morning, every night, and during lunch time, I began to repeat my affirmations. It definitely took commitment for the first week. Then it became natural to me. Before long, I could see the changes that I wanted in my life come about. Things started just showing up, things that I had been chasing. Now, it seemed, I was attracting them. I also began to notice how the universe gives hints specific to the proper steps to take on the way to meeting your need. When you become really good at this, positive change happens quickly. No doubt, your confidence will grow and so will your amazement and joy.

There is so much to the practice of affirmations, I can’t even begin to share it all here. What I can say is that Kathy’s book offers a great beginning to learn more and see if this is something that works for you. Don’t stay stuck just because you may feel a bit skeptical at first glance. You will be missing out on a solution that could change your life for the infinite better. It has for countless others, I assure you.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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