The Law of Attraction and Affirmations

My previous post was about affirmations and the power they create in our lives. When we write down our goals we create a mental picture of what we want and it becomes an intention. Affirmations are a way to program our subconscious to bring forth that intention.

Dr. Robert Anthony in Beyond Positive Thinking calls this "imprinting" and says it is a three-step process:

• You affirm your goal with an "intention statement."
• You picture the end result.
• You feel the emotion that goes along with accomplishing the goal.

Step 1 - Affirm Your Goal with an "Intention Statement."
Dr. Anthony writes, "An ‘intention statement' is simply a statement of fact or belief that is written out in a personal, positive, present tense form as though the goal were already a reality."
An example would be, "It is my intention to earn $100,000 this year."

He suggests that every statement begin with the words "it is my intention..." In this way you will overcome any resistance from your subconscious mind. The key is to make sure that the intention you really want is the TRUE intention.

I have used affirmations for years, but have not used this kind of introduction to my statements. For example, one of the money affirmations I have used in the past was, "I am totally worthy of taking home $20,000 per month because I provide a valuable service to others." I didn't say, "It is my intention to take home $20,000 per month..." because I really believed it already.

Another money affirmation I have used is, "I easily attract money into my life and have massive financial abundance...because I deserve it!"

If you encounter any resistance to your affirmations try using the intention statement.

Step 2 - Picture the End Result
When using affirmations you want to picture the accomplishment of the goal in your mind. See yourself successfully becoming, doing, or having what you want.

Remember that affirmations work on the theory of displacement. You can demonstrate this by taking a glass of water and adding food coloring. If you add red food coloring the water will be turned red. However, if you hold that full glass of water under the faucet and start running clear water into the glass, eventually the red water will be displaced with the clear water. So, you are displacing the old picture or self-image with a new one.

We move toward the goal that we picture. We create what we focus on.

Step 3 - Feel the Emotion That Goes Along with Accomplishment
More than words, the subconscious responds to feelings. The more emotion you attach to your affirmation, the quicker it will become reality. Ask yourself, "What will it feel like when I reach my goal?" Picture yourself accomplishing your goal and call forth the emotions and feelings you will feel.

All three of these steps are required for affirmations to work in your life. Dr. Anthony proposes:

• A 10% success rate if you only read or state your affirmations.
• A 55% success rate if you read or state your affirmation and visualize the end result.
• A 100% success rate if you read or state your affirmation, picture the end result, and feel the emotion behind the accomplishment of it.

(Copyright © 2008 By Dan Forbes, All Rights Reserved.