A Little More Affirmation

It is obvious how the Truth Tools help us drop the Unnecessary Pain in our lives. The Tools change how we think, and thus we let go of the thought that is causing us Pain and move on. But the Truth Tools are also very effective for helping us deal with Necessary Pain.

For example, yesterday we talked about the Truth Tool Affirmation and how it helps us both avoid and rid ourselves of Unnecessary Pain. But Affirmation also strengthens and encourages us so that we can pass through the Necessary Pain of life valiantly.

When dealing with Necessary Pain the power comes not from Affirming your own strength, but from Affirming the strength of God. Paul said it best, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Other Affirmations that help us endure the Necessary Pain of life are: "I have a Savior who strengthens me," "Yoked with the Savior I can endure anything." Again, just saying these words with conviction strengthens and empowers.

There are many ways to word Affirmations, but the important thing is to acknowledge that there is a strength beyond our own supporting and helping us. That is the most powerful Affirmation there is.

Truth Tool - Affirmation

One of the ways to keep ourselves out of the Pit of Illusion and to avoid vexation is to use a Truth Tool called Affirmation.

But to understand how to use Affirmation we need to first understand a little about how the mind works. The mind does not compute the command “don’t.” When we tell ourselves things like, “Don’t hurt!” or “Don’t eat that!” or “Don’t hold this grudge!” it doesn’t work because the mind only calculates “do.” Try imagining not eating that donut. Just my mentioning this made you see yourself eating the donut. You may have imagined setting it down after a bit, but you first imagine eating it. You simply can’t imagine not doing something. A wise friend once told me never to say to a newly licensed, teenage driver as she backs out of the driveway, “Don’t hit the mailbox” because as soon as you say it, the mental picture of hitting the mailbox pops into her head, and the next thing you know a dented car hovers over a fallen mailbox while you try to console the hysterical driver.

So as we try to redirect our behavior or to overcome negative feelings, the most important thing we can do is replace the negative thought with a positive, Affirming, thought. “I eat healthy foods.” “I feel good.” “I forgive him.” As we come to understand this principle we realize that our negative and positive thoughts and feelings are powerful. But the most important thing to realize is that when given enough time, the positives will always have power over the negatives. The prime example of that is the Atonement, the most positive event of all time which will eventually overcome all negatives. But remember, positive encouragement takes time. A forceful, manipulative, negative approach to get someone to do what you want them to do may intimidate them into doing it faster, but it will always generate negative feelings in the other person that can fester and cause more problems—usually worse problems. On the other hand, a positive, loving approach may take more time, but it will last and generate positive feelings in the other person and in yourself.

Keeping your self-talk Affirming and positive can help you conquer and avoid Unnecessary Pain, and being Affirmative with others can strengthen relationships.You don't have to take my word for it. Right now say out loud, "I can't do this." Repeat it several times and notice how you feel inside. Now repeat out loud, "I can do this!" Say it several times and stop to notice how you feel inside. Just saying the words without even thinking about something you are doing creates a different feeling inside you. The Affirmative words, "I can do this!" make you feel good and confident--they encourage you.

So when negative words about yourself or others creep into your head, use the Truth Tool, Affirmation, and quickly turn the negative into positive.

Truth Tool - Affirm

While finishing my undergraduate work, I had the same Spanish professor almost every quarter so I got to know him quite well. He had once been a member of the Church but had decided the Church was not for him. This had come about because of a philosophy professor that had influenced him during his undergraduate education. During one quarter on the final day of class he showed us a movie in Spanish that was about drug lords, and kidnapping, and slavery—almost every bad in the world was represented in the movie. I left and later he asked me about it and I told him my feelings about the movie. He replied, “But that’s reality!”

At that point I felt so sorry for him. That wasn’t my reality—not even close to my reality. Just because something happens someplace in time doesn’t make it “The Reality.” What he didn’t realize is that we all create our own reality. We choose how we will look at things and when we choose to look at everything negatively, everything is negative.

But we can choose to look at things positively and that positive outlook will spill over into other things. So the Truth Tool Affirm works in many ways to help us create a positive reality. Instead of saying, “I’m so stupid” when we make a mistake we say, “I made a mistake. What can I learn from it?” Instead of saying, “The gospel is too hard to live.” We say, “The Savior will help me live the gospel.” Instead of saying, “Don’t eat that donut” when dieting, we say, “Eat healthy.”

In other words, to use the Tool Affirm, we state everything in the positive and we speak to ourselves and set our goals in the affirmative. We also speak to others in the affirmative. A friend who was a lifeguard related to me how she was taught to say to the children, “Please walk” instead of “Don’t run.” The reason for this is that the mind cannot picture “Don’t run,” but it can picture, “Please walk.”

When we use the Truth Tool Affirmed, we create a reality that is positive and empowering. We affirm ourselves with our self-talk, we affirm the situations we encounter, and we affirm other people. But most importantly, we change negative feelings to positive feelings.

Let The Light Shine!

The longest day was a good day! The problem with me has been that because of the stress fractures in my foot I have been unable to exercise and I NEED exercise. When I don’t exercise I get a bad case of the blues and that is what I’ve been battling. The Good News is that I am learning new things about the Truth Tools. Yesterday as I consciously determined to use the Truth Tools Affirmation and Gratitude, I started to feel better. But what I didn’t expect is that the universe responded to my decision.

I don’t usually enter contests because I never win. Years ago a friend entered my name in a contest for diapers because she knew I had three children in diapers and she had none and I won. That was very nice of her and I appreciated it. The only other time I’ve won something was at a political fund raising breakfast where everyone who was present was automatically entered, and guess what? I won a truck load of gravel. Lucky me! Since I didn’t need gravel, I gave it to a friend who was building a home.

But last week on a friend’s blog, I left a comment on her give-away not because I thought I could win but because she is from the south and she was talking about grits which I love and some comments were pretty negative about grits and so I had to defend them. Well, yesterday (My day of New Light!) I won her give-away. But the best part was the cute way she announced me as winner. It was the picture I have here of her grandson holding the winning name over his eyes. It made my day.

But that isn’t all! Last night we attended a “reunion” dinner with some wonderful, amazing people that Carl worked with years ago. They’ve all played important parts in our lives and it was a delight to see them again. It reminded me that God has placed people in my life to light my way and help me.

So. . .the light did shine. The light always comes when you ask for it. It’s just hard sometimes to remember that when you are in the Pit.

Out of the Pit!

Today half of our planet experiences the longest day of the year while the other half experiences the shortest day of the year. This is good timing for me. I’ve been in the Pit of Illusion and need to get out! It’s dark in there and I don’t like it. And since I’m on the longest-day side of the planet I’m using that fact to help me get out of the Pit. I’m celebrating light today! I’m determined to climb out of the Pit and get back into the Light. So I’m celebrating the warm touch of light on my face as I walked this morning, the encouragement light gives me when greeting me each morning through my bedroom window, the way light illuminates the beauty around me so I can see it, and especially how it makes the flowers and trees and vegetation grow. Sun light is life to this planet.

And this longest day helps me remember the other light—the light of Christ which gives life to me. That light surrounds me, the love that is part of that light enfolds me, and the power of that light protects me if I stay in Truth. I’ve been slipping lately, but no more! This is the day of sun and light and truth! This is my day!

So with a heart full of gratitude I celebrate sun light and the light of Christ and recommit myself to shine in order that others can see the Light that is the Good News!

As the great preacher said, “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose” (Ecclesiastes 1:5). I take that to mean that dark days will come. We all fall into the darkness of the Pit once in awhile, but when in the Pit we need to hasten to the place where the light rises again. I’m hurrying!

Empowered By Affirmation

We’ve discussed Affirmative commands as one of the Truth Tools before. We talked about how much power comes from stating our goals and desires in a positive, affirmative way rather than in a negative way.

In accordance with this, I went through my Patriarchal Blessing and wrote out the information in my blessing in short affirmative sentences that I can read quickly. For example, a blessing might state that you should have faith to accept callings given you can be made into the Affirmative command, “I have faith to do whatever I am called to do.” A sentence that tells of gifts or talents you have been given such as being a peacemaker is easily written as, “I am a peacemaker.” The admonition to raise your children in faith and wisdom becomes, “I teach my children in faith and wisdom.” The statement that you are of the noble lineage of Ephraim becomes, “I belong to the noble lineage of Ephraim.” Write each item in first person, present tense as if it is already accomplished and in the most positive terms you can. For example, a statement that you are going to experience suffering, but that suffering will help you grow in faith would be written out, “The suffering in my life increases my faith.”

After compiling everything in your blessing in a list of affirmative statements, slowly read through the list aloud. Savor each affirmation. Feel the truth behind the statement. I have been surprised how empowering this is and how immediate the positive feelings can be felt. On dark days it is like a life preserver being thrown out to me. But don’t wait for dark days. Read your list daily and see what happens!

Picture: http://affirmativethinking.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/self_made_man.jpg