Affirmations

When you move toward what is right for you, it raises your vibe. Just say it, out loud. Write it down.

The other day, I kept finding Chinese fortunes all over my house. You know, the kind you get when you crack open a fortune cookie? You get the cookies on top of your bill after eating a meal at a Chinese restaurant. I LOVE those. And save them. Then they show up at the most unexpected of times.

Back in the 1800s, rumor has it that the first modern day fortune cookie was served in Kyoto, Japan. I read that those earlier recipes served in Japan were a little different than what we now serve in America. What is constant is that small slip of paper wedged inside, offering predictions of good luck, happiness in the future and even winning lottery numbers.

Woo hoo.

Every time I read those, I think of everything from daily prayer devotionals to the horoscopes we read in the newspapers. What’s important about each is the belief that we are being encouraged and inspired to reach for the things that matter most in our lives. When you move toward what is right for you, it raises your vibe. Just say it, out loud. Write it down. These messages and reminders are important. By doing those things, they raise our vibration so that we can reach that tippy-top shelf and unlock the highest and best outcome of our life’s mission.

What a thought, right? Absolutely.

I often talk about that it’s okay to be in a dark place when shit rains down like hellfire upon you. If you’ve experienced one of life’s “Big Three” losses, it’s understandable, and quite frankly, expected. Loss is loss; and one of these three will bring you to your absolute knees: The loss of your livelihood, the loss of your health, and the loss of a cherished loved one – whether through death or the ending of a relationship.

One of the most important skills we can learn in life is to let go and grow. This isn’t your BS church-ey “forgiveness-sets-us-free” mantra. Some things are pretty difficult to put a date on forgiving. Loss of one of the above-mentioned will often surface unresolved things – trauma, earlier loss, or both. Yes, the truism holds that we keep replaying the same loop until we sort out the details by unpacking it, sorting through it, and then finally setting it down for good. It can take a lifetime, but keep at it.

Growth, shifting our perspective, often comes following a difficult fight – typically within ourselves. We fight, and sabotage ourselves a bit. We hold on too tightly to what is “familiar.”

And when we’re ready, we let go and grow.

Affirmations help. They serve as a North Star, of sorts. I think Stuart Smalley, Al Franken’s character from SNL, was onto something. Our affirmations guide us and remind us of what we’re aiming for. They are what the Law of Attraction holds as vibrational dissonance of our current state.

This means that the universe conspires in our favor. It brings us what we think of and envision – whatever that is. So, if you envision pink ponies and a merry-go-round, well, my friend, that’s just what you’re gonna get. And the converse is also true – if you keep thinking of doom, despair and agony, well, the universe will be just as eager to comply with that request, also.

Thoughts become things. Always remember that.

So, I keep all those positive Chinese fortunes I get after cracking open a fortune cookie and once in a while, when the universe wants to inspire and encourage me, I stumble upon all of them.

Lucky me.

And lucky you, too. Pick out your own affirmations. Write them on your vanity mirror. Put them on scraps of paper and tape them to your car’s dashboard, the dog’s leash, the kitty litter scoop, and the TV remote. Stick them under a magnet on your refrigerator. Anywhere you visit, regularly, is the point. Remind yourself of the things you see in your future.

Write it in active tense.

I’m so excited about my new job. My smaller size of clothes. I am grateful for the strong, positive, and healthy relationships in my life.

The universe conspires in my favor.

Yep. You see where I’m going with this, right?

My mentor and coach, Lu Gong, once used this analogy with me. She told me, “Jacquie, when we first start driving, it can feel overwhelming, the power behind the wheel of a 3,000-pound vehicle. The same is true when we come into our own power.”

The unfamiliar often feels that way. With practice (and a little faith) we’ll get the hang of it.

Affirmations are positive reminders and guiding lights along the way.

You’ve GOT this! Promise!