Do You Believe In Affirmations?

[Jetfire]

You know to attract things you want in life???

I was reading up on this and I want to believe it works.

Anyone know about this or tried them has it worked for you???

 

[Amaris]

If you set your mind on a goal, and are willing to work for it, you can achieve it.
However, there are no guarantees, only opportunities. That's about as close as you can get to an applicable affirmation.

 

[T'Baio]

I was hoping someone would start a thread like this.

 

[RapidNadion]

The very word conjures images of the self-help books I so thoroughly revile. No, I don't believe they work.

 

[ThankQ]

I was hoping someone would start a thread like this.

Do you mean, by saying, "I will get a blow job from Jennifer Aniston" over and over and over again, do I think I can bring it into being?

Not though magic, no.

But, can we take an timid, insecure person and use affirmations like, "I feel confident" and "I believe I am brave" and stuff like that, over and over again, and can that help change how that person feels about himself?

Yes.

Now, if you have a goal you're after, like, a certain nice house, you can say to yourself "I will own that house" as a means of boosting what you're already doing to work toward that goal. You can use those affirmations to help keep on on track and focused.

But can you say "I will have that house" and do absolutely nothing about it, and reasonably expect it to happen?

Of course not.

Look at it this way...

How reasonable would you assume me to be if I told you that I pulled a tooth from my head, put it under my pillow, and said over and over, "The Tooth Fairy will bring me $1".

How many time would I need to affirm this before I brought it about?

 

[ThankQ]

The very word conjures images of the self-help books I so thoroughly revile. No, I don't believe they work.

What is wrong with help?

(I don't call it "self-help" when someone else wrote the book)

 

[ManOnTheWave]

If you mean affirmation a la The Power of Positive Thinking, then yes, I suppose I do. More or less. Visualizing a goal is part of planning how to achieve it. If you mean hokum mumbo jumbo wish it and it will be true like in The Secret, then I have less kind things to say. (Not that TPOPT wasn't full of unsubstantiated hokum as well.)

 

[Smiley]

Assuming that you are working toward something that is possible, then affirmations to keep a positive focus and motivation are helpful.

When I saw the thread title, I thought of another kind of affirmation where people let others know when they are on the right track or have made a difference for good in their lives. Those kinds of messages reinforce good behaviors and boost self-esteem.

 

[Goji]

No, I more often succeed when I think I won't than when I expect and believe that I will, so I suppose I believe more in the power of negative thinking than positive thinking. But then you all knew that already.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

If I can focus on the concept of affirmation, and work towards it, then I can believe in the existence of the concept of affirmation.

Or something.

 

[Jetfire]

I saw this guy on PBS during the pledge thing one time and it all sounds great...but it is hard working toward something when things are stacked against you and no matter what you do things just go wrong.

 

[RJDiogenes]

 

[Capn Flukie]

I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!

 

[iguana_tonante]

Building self-confidence exists. Magic doesn't. Draw your conclusions.

 

[Capn Flukie]

I believe that if I try hard enough, work hard enough, and do my very best... I can fuck up anything.

 

[Amaris]

Absolutely brilliant.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Thank you very much.

 

[TheLonelySquire]

I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it....I can be a senator!

 

[WillsBabe]

A few years ago I worked with someone who spoke about "manifesting". She spoke particularly about manifesting money. I thought it was all new age rubbish and discounted her as a bit of a flake. Last I heard someone left her 3 houses in their will and now she owns 5 rental properties and is making a fortune.

 

[Jan]

I definitely believe that you can retrain the way you think to eliminate negative thought patterns and that affirmations can be helpful to doing that.

Jan