What’s in a word? As it turns out, quite a lot. Especially when that word, or group of words, is spoken firmly — with conviction. That’s a good working definition of an affirmation: a word or group of words spoken firmly or with conviction. If you’d like to put language to work for you in your life (after all, what could be easier?), then these beginners’ tips could be right up your alley.

1. Speak positively about what you want to create. Often times it’s the things we don’t like that get our attention first. It’s natural to comment about what you notice, even if it’s in the privacy of your own mind. So don’t be surprised if you start to observe yourself making comments about things you don’t like. Just don’t dwell on them.

One of the easiest ways to avoid dwelling on common things that bug you in your life — like your weight, your finances, or a sore back, for example — is to plan ahead a positive statement about what you’d like to create instead. Then, when you notice yourself thinking about the situation you’re not so crazy about, replace that thought with the planned positive one.

Here are some examples:

* I feel lighter and lighter each day.
* Nature’s abundance expresses itself easily in my life.
* I feel comfortable in my body.

2. Make your positive statements personal. When you plan your positive affirmation, use words like these: “I, me, my, [your first name].” The very strongest affirmations are stated in the first person, using the word “I” or your first name. “Me” or “my” statements work pretty well too, though, so don’t obsess about it.

While general statements about goodness for all are great to use as part of your everyday language, they don’t make the best planned positive affirmations. It’s terrific that you want everyone to have lots of abundance. In fact, that background conversation supports your success much more richly than a selfishly exclusive one.

Yet in your own personal statement, be very specific. Include yourself. The statement “I am richly abundant.” makes a stronger personal affirmation than “Abundance is a natural state for all humans.”

3. Make your planned positive affirmations simple and easy to remember. Once you begin to realize the power of consciously choosing your language, it might be tempting to “throw in the kitchen sink” and start affirming everything! Of course, ultimately you can. But let’s start out simply. Create one or two short sentences to begin with. Then commit them to memory.

In the heat of the moment, it’s much easier to pluck something like “I feel slim and light.” from the recesses of your mind than to try and wrestle with “I feel so slim and light and now I’m off my blood pressure medicine, my doctor is so proud of me, and my spouse says I look better than I did on our wedding day. Boy am I ever excited!” You’d have finished the hot fudge sundae already by the time you spit that one out!

4. Keep your values in mind. You’d probably have come up with this on your own in a minute, but just to make sure we’re all on the same page, let’s discuss it. While keeping your positive statements personal, make sure they are personal in a way that supports your values. In other words, no lying, cheating, stealing, or dissing someone else.

* Pick: “Massive wealth is coming to me now.” over “I’ve come up with a foolproof bank robbery scheme.”
* Pick: “I look great on the beach in my new bikini.” over “I look better in a bikini than Jane does.”
* Pick: “I’m so happy with my perfect partner.” over “I am so happy since I stole John away from Mary.”

5. Affirm for yourself, not for someone else. Yep, I know it’s tempting. Your sister would feel so much better if she could just lose those last 15 pounds. She knows it and so do you. Your kid should do his homework, too. And wouldn’t it be great if your friend Charlie settled down with that picture-perfect gal he just met? (He said she can cook. That’s a bonus!)

Of course it’s admirable that you want the best for your family and friends. But you can’t do their life for them. Put your energy into improving things for yourself. Should they wonder what you’re up to now that you’re looking so peaceful and satisfied, then share your little secret. Teach them to create their own affirmations!

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