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You've probably heard about affirmations before. An affirmation is positive 'self-talk' that you use to retrain your brain. Affirmations allow you to shift your focus from the positive to the negative, which in turns helps you become more receptive to good things happening in your life. It's hard to be successful when you're telling yourself negative things like 'I'll never be good enough' or 'I don't deserve wealth.' A negative mindset prevents you from seeing the many opportunities that are all around you.

The simple act of retraining the brain and changing your self-talk around can have a profound effect on your overall well-being. Researchers have proven through muscle testing that the strength of our muscles increases when we tell ourselves positive phrases like 'I can do it!' or 'Yes!' And when we are thinking, 'I'm tired' or 'I'll never make it' our muscles become physically weaker.

In a similar way, the self-talk that we use on a daily basis also influences our emotional well-being and our energy level. So by using affirmations in the morning and programming yourself with positive phrases, you'll notice a major change in how you feel throughout the day.

Some people like to ascribe a mystical quality to affirmations, likening them to prayer or applied faith. And it is true that affirmations have a mysterious ability to penetrate deeply into the subconscious, which can begin a process which allows a person to shift the very circumstances of their life. Whether you call this process spiritual awakening or self-improvement through self-hypnosis, it definitely works!

Here are some simple tips to follow as you experiment with your own affirmations. These techniques have been proven to enhance well-being and to increase the potency of your affirmations, no matter what issues you are addressing through affirmations.

***Always state your affirmations in the present. There is greater power in a phrase like 'I am a magnet for abundance' versus 'I will get rich' or 'I am going to get rich.' Your goal is to acknowledge the wealth that the universe is bringing you today so you can be open to receiving it, not to wish for money to arrive in your future.

***Energize your affirmation with an 'inner smile.' Before you do your affirmation, take a moment and smile. Then use the emotional energy that you feel as you are smiling during your affirmation. Combine the smile and the affirmation to give your affirmation extra 'oomph.'

***Be persistent with your affirmations. We all have resistance around certain issues, and at first, doing affirmations each day can seem a little silly. You'll have lots of negative self-talk trying to interrupt you. 'Why am I doing this?' 'This will never work?' Just ignore them and remain consistent with your affirmations, and you will soon override that negative programming with a positive overlay.

If you can make the commitment to doing affirmations for just fifteen minutes every day, either in the morning when the day is fresh and new or right before you are falling asleep at night, you'll notice some big changes. Your mood will feel lighter; your energy levels will improve.

If you keep at it, you'll find seemingly 'miraculous' events happening that allow you to become more successful. What you're doing is aligning yourself with a more positive reality through retraining your expectations. By affirming that you will receive better and brighter things in your life, you become open to receiving them. And that's a very special type of 'magic' that you can easily learn to tap into.

You can create an affirmation around any issue in your life ' improving your health, your finances, your emotional well-being, and your relationships. If you're new to affirmations, it's best to work with one issue at a time. Then when you notice significant improvement, this will encourage you to add other things to your list.

Don't be afraid to experiment with the phrasing of your affirmations, either. Certain words might carry more power for you and make you feel good, while others might seem lifeless or dull. You want to use magic words, words that inspire and uplift you.

Words have power. Start putting them to use with daily affirmations, and watch the miracles happen!