From the Blog …

I AM Affirmations Not Working? Here’s Why

By Antony Reed |
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As a hypnotist and NLP practitioner, I’m always looking for ways to hack the subconscious to bring on meaningful and lasting change. I have noticed a trend over the years that flies in the face of what we know about the subconscious mind… The misuse of I AM affirmations, which are touted as the best thing since the discovery of fire, on YouTube, and other platforms.

Don’t get me wrong. I AM affirmations can be a game-changer for anyone who is getting over a lifetime of negative self-talk and limiting beliefs about themselves, money, relationships, health, you name it.

BUT… Here’s the rub…

“I Am” affirmations, however, are intended to be personally recited or written down. They’re intended for first-person use only. Not to be listened to passively in the background in a recorded voice. Doing this may even be counterproductive.

Your subconscious mind works literally. It knows the difference between you and someone else. When listening to an “I Am” Affirmations mp3“, you intend for these statements to be taken as your own. But all your subconscious hears is someone else talking about how great they are.

Your subconscious processing may even stack these suggestions against you. This is because it takes-in a constant stream of positives about some other person, but not about YOU.

Just Imagine…

You’re sitting quietly on a park bench on a beautiful, sunny day. You are here to find peace, inner resolve, and to strengthen your self-image and self-esteem… to somehow feel stronger about who you are or what you can accomplish…

Then along comes this random stranger. They sit down right next to you and jump right into talking your head off. They tell you just how amazingly great they are and how much they can accomplish. According to them, abundance and joy just show up magically and they can handle anything that comes their way. They begin showing you pictures of all the people who love them. They even show off their new Rolex watch and point to their new sports car off in the distance. Their life is so much better off emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically than your own.

Then, just as fast as they appeared, they take their leave without telling you anything positive about you. How much better about your capabilities do you feel after a couple of hours of this?

There is a far better option…

I don’t mean you have no way of passively listening to affirmations that your subconscious will find beneficial and empowering. Just don’t listen to first-person affirmations.

Find second-person, or “You Are” affirmations instead. They are out there and growing in number. And, rather than feeling forced and strange when listening to them, it feels natural and empowering.

So why would “You Are” affirmations work better?

Poor self-image and negative self-talk are issues we all deal with to some extent. Sometimes we may pick it up after growing up in a very critical family environment. Faults and unhealthy criticisms are plenty in such environments. Compliments, on the other hand, are rare.

Sometimes, life may happen to throw us curve-balls that we miss and we hurl harsh criticisms back at ourselves. Or forget to look to our strengths and focus on our weaknesses.

However we may have picked up these negative habits, we are all affected and changed by them. Acknowledgment and uplifting words from someone else makes a big difference. It helps to dispel the negative stories we tell about ourselves. Kind words of praise can overwrite decades of negative self-talk.

Your subconscious mind readily takes in outside data to gauge your worth and status in the world and “the tribe”. Second-person affirmations fill the lack on the positive side of your internal scale. As a result, they steer you away from further building your case against yourself.

So now imagine…

…You’re back on that park bench, and instead of a jerk, a kind mentor sits down instead. They begin telling you about all the things you have going for you… To imagine yourself as confident and capable… How you are vibrant and beautiful. How, even though life may throw you a storm here and there, you have the resilience and attitude to shine through it all and you will always come out stronger on the other side!

Affirm your self-image today, with this excellent tool. Take “You Are” affirmations for a spin and experience the difference for yourself.

And please do share this with anyone you know who uses affirmations…Unless they’re mean people. They suck. 

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Hey, I'm Antony

I’m a hypnotist and NLP practitioner that helps people overcome bad habits, build confidence, and make progress in their life through the power of hypnosis affirmations and deep change work.

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