Affirmations and State of Being

The danger of empty affirmation

The use of positive affirmations ("I am successful," "I am valuable") is a popular technique, but can be counterproductive if not applied correctly.

Attempting to overwrite a deep emotion of unworthiness by simply repeating nice phrases often generates painful cognitive dissonance.

If your body is filled with anxiety and your mind repeats "I'm at peace," it creates an internal conflict that increases frustration: "Why do I still feel bad if I say I'm fine?"

It is ineffective to try to change the direction of a speeding emotional train by the brute force of verbal repetition; the train must first be slowed down.

Affirmations without prior work on acceptance and calm act like a patch that won't stick.

The Detached Observer

Before attempting to implement new positive thoughts, we must develop the capacity for "metacognition" or the detached observer.

This involves learning to listen to internal dialogue not as absolute truth, but as mental noise.

The goal is to create a separation between the one who thinks (the ego/mind) and the one who observes those thoughts (consciousness).

By practicing this objective observation, we stop identifying with every thought of doubt that crosses our mind.

We understand that "having a thought of failure" is not the same as "being a failure".

This psychological distance is the necessary space where healing can occur, allowing us to see negative emotions as passing phenomena conditioned by the past, not as definitions of our present identity.

Calm affirmations

Once we have succeeded in calming the emotional storm and establishing that observer's distance, then-and only then- affirmations become powerful.

When the mental fog dissipates and we reach a state of neutrality or peace, the ground is fertile for sowing new beliefs.

In this state of receptivity, phrases such as "I am enough" or "I am safe" can truly resonate and anchor in the psyche.

It is vital to remember that we are always "one thought away" from feeling good or bad; therefore, consciously choosing thoughts of value and capability from a state of calm is the pathway to reconnecting with our authentic inspiration and po