Affirmations: Saying "Yes" to Life, Truth and Recovery
By Christie McKaskle
Let us face it. In the beginning, there is a lot about recovery that seems...well, corny. And few things seem cornier than working with affirmations. That is, until you have seen them at work.
Maybe you were introduced to affirmations by Al Franken's Saturday Night Live character, Stuart Smaller: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and – doggone it – people like me!" (Which, truth be told, is not a bad affirmation.) Actually, many affirmations are so far from being corny that they have become poetic staples of religious scripture. The 23rd Psalm, which begins, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," is an affirmation from beginning to end.
Affirmations are declarations or statements of truth. We use them to bring our feelings and behavior in line with the truth, so that it will shine through in our lives. When we begin using them, affirmations usually do not feel true. Statements like "I am a healthy, happy person," or "I am patient and loving in all my relationships" may seem very far from true, even if you have been in recovery for a long time. Nevertheless, the point is that we use affirmations to create the good things that we want to see in our live and ourselves. "In the beginning was the Word…"
This very common example has all the elements of an effective affirmation with creative power. It is an "I am" statement, spoken in the present tense to create good and causes no harm to another. It also illustrates the difference between truth and momentary fact.
The fact is that there was not a group going to dinner until you decided to create that experience. Yet the affirmation "I'm getting a group together for dinner" was absolutely true. You spoke the words. More over you took action because you chose to believe those words were true. Not only did you make a few phone calls, but you also showed up at 6 o'clock, trusting that the others would meet you there.
This just goes to show you that some of the most powerful affirmations are not words, but actions. You can speak words about dinner with friends all you want to, but if you do not show up, all those people you invited will have that experience without you!
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