Positive affirmations have completely changed my author journey. In this episode of my podcast for authors, Happy Write Now, we discuss how the way that you talk to yourself impacts your confidence and how quickly you achieve your dreams.
Below you will find the transcript and show notes for Episode 5 of the HWN podcast. Share your thoughts on the episode in the comment form below. I'm excited to jump on this journey with you! What are your favorite mindset and writing podcasts? Let me know.
Download the Happy Write Now podcast on Apple Podcasts and Castbox.
Transcript:
Before we get into podcast #5 - I have a quote for you.
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." - William James
Intro: Welcome to the Happy Write Now podcast. I am your host Rebecca Kelsey Sampson, an authorpreneur, fantasy and personal development author, and marketer. When I joined the writing community I saw how difficult it was for writers to say out loud that they were an author. Through Happy Write Now my mission is to help authors fight limiting beliefs, claim their personal power, and take charge of their journey - publishing deal or not. If gaining mindset advice to aid your author life sounds good for you, pull up a chair at the table.
Welcome to HWN, today we are going to talk about positive affirmations. And just like in episode 3 for Writer’s Block - I’ll be taking this in a different direction. I plan on doing a sequel to the Writer’s Block episode in a few weeks about novel clarity, so stay tuned for that.
But before I jump in, I want to thank everyone who has left a review of the podcast so far. I sincerely appreciate it. Sharing your reviews helps this podcast grow and helps me see what you like most about the show. If you haven’t left a review yet please pause this episode and do so right now.
So positive affirmations. What the heck are they?
Affirmations are tools for confidence and goal setting. They are phrases that when repeated regularly can impact the way that your perceive yourself and the world.
They are not quick fixes. Affirmations are powerful when used as a habit because of the ability they have to shift your subconscious. Now this will probably sound very different from what you’ve heard before, but I view positive affirmations as loving brainwashing.
Positive Affirmations are a story that you tell yourself because you want to shift your internal dialogue and story to that direction. If you tie a phrase to an activity or something you see, and say it every time that object or incident comes up, then it keeps other negative thoughts from coming up instead. Treating an affirmation like a habit is a powerful way to brainwash yourself out of a negative habit or other self-deprecating activity.
In the past I was very directionless. I started a lot of projects and had big ideas but never followed through. So when I started using positive affirmations in the beginning of the year, I began repeating to myself “My success is inevitable.”
That phrase was a game changer for me. I said it over and over again, both out loud and in my head. I probably said it over 100 times a day. I often combined it with visualizations, like imagining myself being interviewed about my book releases. I would say my success was inevitable, imagine myself at a book event, and then say the phrase again.
When you tell yourself that no matter what, you will achieve your goal, it impacts your perspective on challenge. Refer to episode 2 on how pain serves you. If I have a set back in my goal, I tell myself that I needed that setback so that I can learn something from it, and then apply that knowledge to my inevitable success. That one phrase changed me and has helped me accomplish so much in a short amount of time. It has also helped me be patient, like what we discussed in episode 4 on patience and my writing journey.
Now that I believe without a doubt in my inevitable success, it’s just easy for me to say now that my success is inevitable, I tie that affirmations in a chain to others so that I can help build my belief in other ideas and phrases.
For example, I’m currently working on shifting my scarcity mindset. For a long time I was scared about running out of money. Given that I was unemployed for 13 months, it’s no wonder the idea of running out freaks me out! I learned a lot from that intense period of my family’s life. Now I’m also working on shifting my fear of running out of time because there is so much I want to accomplish in a short period of time.
So now the phrase I am repeating ties those two fears into my success.
My success is inevitable. I always have more than enough money and time for what is most important.
It’s easier for me to believe when I tie my new affirmation into the one that has served me so well.
Now this doesn’t mean that these are the only affirmations I repeat to myself. I say affirmations all freaking day, but I encourage you to think about what limiting beliefs you are struggling with and spend particular time focusing on those ideas in your own affirmations.
As for how to develop an affirmation, the formula is simple. Focus on what you want, not what you do not want.
For example, say “Words come to me easily and effortlessly” INSTEAD of “Writer’s Block never happens to me.”
Do you see the difference? Focus on what you want to increase, not what you are hoping to decrease. Think of OUTCOMES rather than blocks.
If you want a list of pre-made affirmations to try, go to rebeccaksampson.com/freebies - then you will be signed up to my author freebie library where I have a download of 22 positive affirmations for authors.
And now for an even crazier idea related to affirmations, are you ready? This is a weird one but it has worked very well for me.
There is a concept called Angel Numbers. It’s a little out there, but the idea is that the universe is constantly trying to send you messages through different number sequences.
Yeah, I know, if you’ve never heard that before it’s a little off-kilter and probably not what you were expecting me to bring up - BUT this is actually the perfect tool to turn positive affirmation triggers into a habit.
I’ve come to notice repeating numbers everywhere. 222, 555, etc. When I see a set of 3-4 repeating numbers, I repeat a phrase.
Whether you believe angels are sending you messages or not, paying attention to the numbers around you can be to your benefit. While Angel Number patterns do have particular meanings according to the internet, I’ve switched them up in my own life to suit what I’m trying to change and remind myself of.
I have different phrases for each number pattern.
For example:
222 - “Everything is okay.”
555 - “My life is about to change.”
333 - “The world rearranges for me.”
I created specific phrases for these repeating patterns. Then when I see these patterns, I’m triggered to say what I memorized. Whether it’s an angel reminding me of the message or not, it’s nice to hear that everything is going to be okay at random moments throughout the day. It has become such a regular everyday thing for me that the positive thought comes to me without any conscious effort.
Positive Affirmations are powerful. I encourage you to make your own repeating number list so that you can get these messages in your everyday life as well.
I hope you all enjoyed this different take on affirmations and how they can be a tool to help you succeed and shift negative self-talk and limiting beliefs.
Don’t forget to go to rebeccaksampson.com/freebies to sign up for the author freebie library and get a download of affirmations tailored for authors.
And come back here later this week. I’ll be sharing the revel of my first online course on Instagram on September 5, and then recording an in-detail look to answer your questions here on the podcast. Follow me @rebeccaksampson so you don’t miss the reveal.
Outro: Thank you so much for listening today. To get the most out of HWN, join the newsletter. It comes with author freebies and a Members Only page. Subscribe now at https://www.RebeccaKSampson.com/Join
If what you heard today resonated with you, please share this episode on social media. Take a screenshot right now and tag me on Instagram and Twitter. My username is @RebeccaKSampson. As you know, reviews help authors and that is no different here. Leave a review on your favorite podcast app to help spread the word. I’ll talk to you soon!