Why Affirmations Don’t Work – Part 2

For me, like many other people, I am tempted to feel that affirmations are a total waste of time and effort. The reasons for me taking this stance is because of the manipulation behind it all – the unrealistic promises that were used as a marketing tool to get me to buy those people’s teaching materials.

Removing Limitations

I do, however, understand the good purpose in giving people incredible testimonies of how people overcame seemingly impossible odds in order to achieve something wonderful. I think there is a need to take away the limitations people set on themselves and other people. There is a need to get away from setting boundaries on our field of expectation. We need to get away from thinking, “Well, I can do this but I can’t do that.” There is a need to stop this futile practice of imposing limitations upon ourselves. Heart-warming stories of incredible perseverance and bravery do have the effect of broadening our horizons and making the obstacles in front of us transform from mountains into molehills.

But I also feel there is a need for balance. It is all well and good to hear a tale about how someone walked across the Gobi desert or swam the English Channel – but how do these incredible stories stack-up against your own, average life?

I would say that most people just need to find unconditional love, peace and joy from within; they need to be able to make the most of their relationships; people need to put in the time and effort to maintain a good level of physical health and fitness; there is a need to maintain fulfilling hobbies and interests.

Rather than seeking to do some way-out, incredible, one-off achievement – wouldn’t it be infinitely better to just become a better “you” in the everyday things that you face in your life right now? I don’t know about you, but I can’t see where walking the Gobi desert or swimming the English Channel really fits into that frame.

The more solid a character you are, content in what you have, the happier you will be, the more effective you will be in relationships, and the better life will go for you in general. Just by having a good character, there is no guarantee that you will avoid negative circumstances, but I think that a good character and positive belief system will prepare you for anything that life will throw at you and make you more able to overcome those challenges; also, the more positive and true your belief system is, the more likely you are to avoid the poor decisions that typically lead to unwanted, negative circumstances.