This winter has been hard, emotionally and physically. We’ve had someone sick in our house almost constantly since the middle of December, including another round of COVID-19 in mid-January. Not surprisingly, my focus on my 12 Months of Happy project definitely, uh, took a hit during this season. As I’m pulling myself back into that mindset, I’ve decided to officially add another ingredient to the pot: Affirmations.
There are an abundance of good resources on how and why to use affirmations in your routine. Many, MANY successful people swear by them, but I think that Jon Acuff’s book “Soundtracks” gives some of the best explanations for why they work. Much of what is in his book actually affirms what I was thinking when I started this project: just like in our outer lives, our minds have habits that we’ve learned–patterns that play over and over–and those habits inform how we live our lives. I realized that I was still working off the unhealthy (and unhappy) habits that I built over a decade of being depressed, but those patterns were not necessarily a true reflection of reality. By changing the thoughts in my head–my Soundtrack–I can quite literally change the way I view and interact with the world.
So, for the month of March, I’m doing an experiment. I’ve taken the script from Acuff, his New Anthem, and tailored it to what I believe and what I want to remind myself of daily. I’m putting it somewhere I’ll see it every day (on the mirror in my bedroom) and I’m going to repeat these words, outloud, every morning and evening for 30 days. I’ll probably feel silly at first, and some of these things won’t feel totally true right away, but I’m going to give it a genuine try.
I’m looking forward to seeing how adding affirmations adds to the project, and I’ll give you an update on this ingredient at the beginning of April!
Abby’s Anthem
I choose my thoughts, because I know that doing my best starts with thinking my best. Like laying a path for an adventure, my thoughts set the course for my actions. I’m excited to see what happens next. I’m disciplined and dedicated to stick with it. Here are a few things I know:
- I am loved just as I am.
- I’ve got a gift worth giving.
- The only person standing in my way is me, and I quit doing that yesterday.
- Winning is contagious. When I help others win, I win too.
- Feeling uncomfortable is just a sign that my old comfort zone is having a hard time keeping up with me.
- I don’t have to wait for the perfect moment, because this is it.
- I believe that everyone is genuinely doing their best.
- I am grateful for the life I have, right now.
- The only way to fail is by giving up.
- I don’t worry, especially about things out of my control.
[In the morning]
Today is brand-new, a fresh page with no mistakes on it. As I set off to write today’s adventure, I’ve packed honesty, generosity, laughter, and bravery for the road. I will make choices that align with my values of caring for myself and others and that build the life I want tomorrow, today.
[In the evening]
The best part about today is that I left myself a lot of fun things to work on tomorrow. Now it’s time to gift myself with rest, storing up energy and excitement for a brand-new day.