I Haven't Always Been Into This...

So I don't know about you, but I haven't always been a big fan of affirmations!

I saw them as a nice afterthought, but not something that was massively impactful!

Maybe your experience has been similar to mine - I see the affirmation, I think something along the lines of "Oh I love that!" I print it up, put it somewhere, and then never look at it again.

No wonder I thought they weren't impactful!

But recently something has changed for me!

I decided to give affirmations another try - to really make it my intention to use them in a way that was impactful.

And so I created a spiritual ritual around my affirmation.

I had no idea how powerful this would be!! I had always used affirmations as something I did while I was brushing my teeth (anyone else have their affirmations taped to their bathroom mirror?) but for me, that just never worked. (By day two I was forgetting all about it and after a month I was peeling the affirmation of the mirror lol!)

Creating a spiritual ritual around my affirmation met so many of the needs that I had because it caused me to slow down and actually feel the affirmation - instead of it being something I had as a fleeting thought, slowing down and creating a space to really focus on it allowed me to feel it in my body!!

And that's when it began to integrate into who I am.

Now taking that moment to stop, pause, and reflect on my affirmation is one of the most important parts of my day!

Curious about what a spiritual ritual that includes an affirmation would look like?

Well, here's what I did:

Decide how much time I wanted to dedicate to it and where in the day it fits - I'm an overachiever so my first thought is always way more than I can comfortably sustain. It's important to think about how much time you can give to your spiritual ritual and how it can fit into your life. I started off with 5 minutes. It works best for me either first thing in the morning when I am waiting for my coffee, or just after the kiddos in my house go to bed.
Create the atmosphere - there was something about reading my affirmation while I was brushing my teeth that just didn't do it for me! For me the atmosphere is important, it shows my subconscious (which is what we are trying to influence with our affirmations) that this is something to take seriously and to pay attention to! The atmosphere that I created might be different than what you prefer so be creative and think about the things that make you feel good, comfortable, and safe and incorporate them in whichever way you feel fits. I am a big fan of candles, oils, and music so that's what I use!
Breath - most of us walk around unknowingly taking little half breaths. Rarely do we do a deep inhale and a long satisfying exhale. Before I read my affirmation I take at least ten deep belly breaths before I read my affirmation.
Read the affirmation - taking the time to slowly read the affirmation, to reflect on its truth, and to begin imagining how it is possible for this to be true in your life made the affirmation feel real to me, feel possible instead of just another sentence that I was reading. Then I ask myself what action could I take today that would be in alignment with the affirmation? It's amazing how often if I pause here, my mind gives me an answer.
Finally I end with Gratitude - I spend time thanking myself for taking the time to do this, I spend time thanking my subconscious for listening and accepting the information, and then I thank the Universe for the grace it gives me every day as I live this life!

So Soul Sister, maybe you've tried the affirmations thing and it hasn't worked for you - that's ok! But maybe you want to give it another try - and maybe you want to incorporate it into a spiritual practice. If you do I offer you the affirmation I am using this month:

"I prioritize the things I value and live in alignment with what I truly want."

https://bit.ly/3n5aZcR

I would love to hear about your experiences with affirmations and how they have impacted your life!

And if you decide to build your own spiritual ritual I totally want to hear about that too!!!

Sending you so much love,

XOXO Meg

www.megheppner.com

Meg is a life coach, Hypnotherapist, blogger and event host that is passionate about walking with people who want more out of life than just the status quo!

She believes that life doesn’t have to work out exactly the way we think it “should” in order to be enjoyed and that people don’t have to be perfect in order to be loved.

She believes that we all have the voice of truth inside of us but sometimes it can be hard to hear. And most importantly that we must live between the tension of accepting the things we cannot change and taking massive action on the things we can!

Meg creates spaces where women can slow down and process all the things that are influencing and controlling their lives - their everyday thoughts, emotions, and the stories they have been telling themselves.

Spaces where they can look at their inner world, gain valuable insight and then reclaim their personal authority, and make conscious decisions that transform the way they experience their lives!

Through one on one coaching, group coaching and workshops Meg helps women show up in the world with more love, and less ego, more compassion, and less judgment, more vulnerability, and less shame, more emotional agility and less fear!

Meg is also on the Board of Directors for Happy Healthy Women Global

Meg lives in BC with her husband of 21 years, two teenage boys and their little dog Charlie.

To learn more about Meg visit her website www.megheppner.com