Daily affirmations are positive thoughts or prayers repeated throughout the day, often found in books or contemplative exercises. They can boost self-esteem and be used as short prayers, such as the Serenity Prayer. Affirmations can help people stay focused on a positive approach to life.
Daily affirmations are a conscious thought or prayer process that a person might repeat or affirm throughout the day. They are usually one or two sentences, which may be the same thought on a day-to-day basis or they may be different. There are daily affirmation books for the year, and you may even find yourself in the daily affirmation process if you take some classes in contemplative exercises like yoga, or even train at home with the help of various exercise tapes. The idea of daily affirmations is that they tend to focus on one positive thought that you can dwell on, which can uplift your mind, make you feel better about yourself, or help you feel supported by the divine.
Some therapists suggest daily affirmations to people who need to boost their self-esteem. One such method is mirror talk, which can be helpful to those who feel unappreciated or unloved. In front of a mirror, people say specific things like “I love you” or “You look good the way you are.” For a person who is not used to loving themselves, talking in the mirror can actually be a challenging exercise, but over time it can produce an increase in self-esteem and greater self-acceptance.
Other groups use daily affirmations in the manner of short prayers. A fairly common daily affirmation is espoused by members of Alcoholics Anonymous in the form of the Serenity Prayer. This short prayer is for many people a mantra to help them deal with difficult circumstances and refrain from drinking. Instead of focusing on oneself, it focuses on asking a higher power to give the person the strength to change the things they can change, to accept the things they cannot change, and “the wisdom to know the difference.” People just starting out in AA can use this affirmation not just daily, but as needed throughout the day.
You’ll find daily affirmation books from virtually every religious background, and increasingly, you may even find small affirmations on things like tea bags or Starbucks® coffee cups. Small affirmations that make you think or ponder for a moment about yourself, your life, the way of the world, or your faith can all be apt ways to affirm your existence, your essential worth, or your faith in God’s power. .
Many people take daily affirmations quite seriously and find that these moments of thoughtful focus help keep them focused and balanced throughout the day. A certain part of the world scoffs at the practice. Saturday Night Live personality Stuart Smalley, for example, became famous for his daily statement “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and what’s more, people like me.” While this is a silly interpretation of the practice, it should be noted that things like praying every day or boosting self-esteem with a simple thought are not a bad thing and can help people stay centered and focused on a positive approach to life.
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