What is an affirmation you might ask? It is a practice of repeatedly saying & writing down a statement in order to encourage positive thinking & self empowerment. A quote from Louise Hay "A thought is just a thought, you can change that thought & change your life" I recently watched the documentary she made called "Heal your life" it's worth watching if you want to be inspired to make changes however small or large in your life.
The affirmations need to be positive, personal and specific. A good tip is to look in the mirror & say to yourself "I love and approve of myself" or whichever wording is meaningful and inspiring to you, perhaps an attitude or situation you want to change.
I recently visited a small studio & gift store that had a bowl full of affirmations on the counter saying to "please take one" I did, it read "A river of compassion washes away my anger & replaces it with love" it is now on my wall & I see it every day. Fortunately I don't get angry too often but after recently working through some issues from the past there was anger that needed to be released, there was compassion that needed to flow.
I was inspired to borrow this idea & printed out 100 Louise Hay quotes to share in an affirmation jar with my lovely yogis, starting last week I shared my own jar of positive quotes. I explained the idea behind them, what they were & asked people to take one, share one & encourage themselves, share the love, to share the positive thoughts, speak them to themselves, to friends & to family, we all need to be lifted up, to feel loved & know that we matter. The last of the affirmations are now sitting on the counter at the Senior Center in East Lyme, my hope is that they will make someone's day, encourage them & that will be the small ripple that goes out to bring joy & love to those they come into contact with during the day.
So be encouraged, you are amazing, you can & do make a difference in others lives, how will you show up today? How will you show up for your family over Thanksgiving, for the busy hardworking people working at the grocery store, for those that are working over the holiday that you may come into contact with? We can make a difference, a smile, a thank you, can go a long way in improving someone's day & letting them know that they are seen & that they matter. We can change our thoughts, choose to share love, joy & peace.
