Why Affirmations Work

Have you ever driven a familiar route, only to arrive with no real recollection of how you got there? Scary when you think about it isn’t it? Yet when we were learning to drive, it took all our powers of concentration to coordinate our hands and feet, not to mention negotiate a busy junction. All the things we do on a daily basis without even thinking about are stored in the subconscious part of our minds. These include the way we brush our teeth, the way we tie our shoes, the way we drive and so on. All the things we do without thinking now, that we once had to think about, have become a deeply ingrained habit.

Think of the subconscious mind like a footpath through a cornfield. Constant traffic has created a path, so most trips that cross the cornfield will just follow the same trail. If you want to go somewhere else it's going to take a bit of effort. You have to get yourself out of the old path and then create a new one.

This need not be as hard as it seems. New pathways are created the same way the old ones were - by repetition. It took effort to create those original paths. You had to think about it and then repeat it until it became easy. This is how affirmations work. The repetition of affirmations is part of the process of creating new habits, new routines, and a new path for your mind to run on.

In addition to the effect of repetition, here are three reasons why affirmations work.

Why Affirmations Work 1. The mind cannot differentiate between what’s real or not
Our brains aren’t limited by the concept of reality. That is why you can feel worried or upset by just thinking about something, regardless of whether it actually happened or not. It also explains why you can get really scared at movies, which cause actual changes in your physiology, such as making you jump or your hairs stand on end. And why today you still feel “I can’t do Maths” just because your teacher said that, maybe 30 years ago.

By practicing self affirmations you are continually verbalizing & visualizing what you desire. When done with intensity and repetition, your mind will treat it as reality and you will begin to develop a new belief.
When that happens, your idea of your potential will increase and your subconscious mind will find a way to make it happen. To make what it perceives as real become your reality.

Why Affirmations Work 2. Your thoughts become things
According to quantum physics, everything in this universe is energy, water, air, soil, light, the stars, even us. Just like everything else, your thoughts are made of energy.

Our physical universe is ‘shapeable’. When you have a thought, it carries (or rather is) energy and goes out all the way to the universe. This energy contains the contents of your thoughts and the Universe starts to manifest it. Due to the relatively low vibration level of the physical plane, there is a lag to the manifestation. It doesn’t happen immediately; therefore you will need patience and faith.

As you practice self affirmations, you are sending thoughts out and the more you do it, the stronger and faster the manifestation. That’s the second reason why affirmations work. Now you might ask ‘If it’s that easy, why haven’t I gotten my Ferrari yet?’ Read on.

Why Affirmations Work 3. Consistency vs. inconsistency

At this point it is easy to be sceptical based on your ‘reality’ in this moment. For example if this is all true, why don’t I see a million dollars in my bank account? Where is my Ferrari? Realize that in the physical world, there is a lag time to the manifestation. The thoughts you give out now will not manifest until later in the future. But what have you been focusing on in the meantime?

If you are not consistently holding the positive thought, then the energy & momentum gained in the manifestation will gradually dissolve. Let’s say you lost focus along the way and you started to doubt the possibility of achieving it. Before your initial desire can be manifested, the change in your thought energy stops that manifestation process. Instead, now you are sending out the thought/message that it cannot be achieved.

That is why you must maintain strong faith & belief. Don’t lose hope. Even though you cannot see the results yet, it doesn’t mean that underneath the surface great things aren’t happening.

This explains why most people who are successful are usually those that stick to their thoughts and rarely change their minds. This is why affirmations work if you practice them consistently.

Final thoughts…

In summary, let’s consider the original question, “Why affirmations work?” Positive affirmations work because not only is the process and practice of self affirmations in sync with the process of creation in our universe, but it is also in line with the way our brain operates. Along with goal setting and visualisation, the repetition of positive affirmations are essential tools for designing your ideal life.