40 days of positive affirmations

      The universe is alert and abundant – Sophie Ngugi

The law or reproduction and creation dictates that something produces more of the same, a human being produces another human being while a bird creates another bird, a lit candle lights other candles and multiply the light. We apply this concept everywhere in different ways. Positivity breeds more positivity in life and vice versa. Somehow many of us recognize this as ‘common knowledge’.  We tell each other either to console or encourage about being positive. Some will call it hope, having hope for better or that having faith that all will work for better. However, this is not easy and often than not we allow for the pessimism, negativity to rule over and shadow our desires and dreams.

Last week I felt inspired to work on my positivity in a more proactive ways in what I called “40 days of positive affirmations”.  I had experienced some moments of self-doubt over the weekend and while driving to work on Monday morning I felt it is the right time to start the week. I decided to turn the Monday morning into a ‘blissful recharge’ more than the ‘dreaded Monday’.  I asked a few friends and two friends joined in this exciting journey for 40 days.  We did not have many rules, the main rule was to always think and journal something positive, affirm self and others, share the focus for the day and get in touch in case one was feeling low and in need of some positive  vibes.

We started enthusiastically and have been sharing every morning. The sharing has been inspiring and every day that any of us three posts, once cannot help but feel awed. So far these are the five lessons and observations from week 1.

   1.    You can do what you set your mind to

Staying enthusiastic and positive in the beginning seemed like a task, a challenge but we realized that it was easier than we had anticipated. We did not call it 40 days challenge or something related to ‘task’. We let it blend in in our daily lives and on Day 8 we have not being short of daily focus and inspirations. We each get a focus that is self-affirming every morning and this vibes contribute to a more positive day. We each report on how the self-affirming day has been and share aha moments.

  2.      There is always something to be thankful for

There are many authors and speakers who emphasize on being grateful and how this contributes to more, while complaining will contribute to lack. There is so much happening in each of our lives, and like the ‘news’ it is tempting to always focus on the negative. I mean, you never hear how many people woke up healthy today, how many cars or planes reached their destination until something negative happens.  On the day I woke up and decided to journal list of what I was grateful for at the moment, I was overwhelmed that I could not stop writing. Even in the middle of the storms, there is some ounce of calm.

   3.      Avoid negative energies

We all need a break from toxics in life. The toxics are both internal and external, how we think and feel deep inside and also what others bring. We have ability to control both aspects with the larger mission being controlling what comes from inside. I became conscious how easily friends can make sweeping, judgmental statements while others can easily pull you down to melancholy in a few seconds. I do the same to other people and I receive the same. This week I made conscious decision not to allow toxic attitudes to sap in while not contributing the same to other people. I was able to the brush off these toxics faster and concentrate on positivity. This has contributed a lot to the success of the positive affirmations focus. Nothing much has changed in our lives, but we all seem to experience life differently.

   4.      Pat on the back

We are brought up in a society that abhors pride and in the process everything else that puts focus on self is seen as pride. Many will emphasize on being modest and hence not praising oneself, wait for others to praise you. In the book Things fall apart. Chinua Achebe uses a phrase “the lizard that jumped from the iroko tree said he will praise himself if nobody else does”. It is not vanity to pat yourself on the back, congratulate yourself and acknowledge your achievements, positive characteristics if nobody else does. You are beautifully and wonderfully created, and you do not need to look very deeply to recognize the beauty and wonders of you. But you must look. Unfortunately the world is not always ready to give you a pat on the back. You will make an achievement and people will give a halfway congratulation followed by a ‘but’.

    5.      The universe is alert and abundant

During these days, I have been surprised at how much I restarted some habits that I had struggled to rekindle for a while. It was like the universe has heard that I am ready to recharge and so when I put out those desires out, some ways and new energies were created. I had been procrastinating on some personal habits that I needed to put some efforts on. There were always blocks and somehow it never seemed right. I had many excuses to procrastinate, feeling too tired to wake up earlier to do my personal development work and not able to fit morning walks are some of the issues I had struggled with for some weeks and months. Somehow during this week when I made a plan with self to revamp this, I found the time, the schedule and the energy.

I feel new energy in dusting up my long forgotten dreams and treading on.

I am grateful to Mercy and Peninah for taking this journey with me and creating special space of inspiration.

You can dare to dream…again … and again.