What are affirmations?

"How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking?"  -

Spencer W. Kimball

An affirmation is really anything you say or think.  You’re using affirmations every moment whether you realize it or not.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of what we are affirming to ourselves is negative and not useful or helpful, because they create negative experiences for us.  Proverbs 23:7 states, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Other religions have their own versions of this eternal truth.  Buddha stated “The mind is everything.  What you think you become.”  Having negative thoughts doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or lacking intelligence, it just means you haven’t been taught how to think and how to speak to best serve you.  If your parents didn’t know, how could they teach you?  They taught you mostly what their parents taught them.  And if you’re not aware, you’re probably passing your negative thought patterns on to your children too. If we want our experiences to be more positive, our thoughts need to change to be more positive first.
Affirmations are a powerful way to help do just that.
Your thoughts are powerful!  They tell your brain to drop chemicals that create a reaction in your body that corresponds with the thoughts.  Those feelings tend to guide our actions, whether positive or negative, and they give us the results of those thoughts.  A negative thought will not bring the positive result you are wanting.  You cannot hate yourself to a place of love.   By consciously and intentionally choosing our words, we begin to change our negative thought patterns.  As you begin to pay more attention to your thoughts, you can eliminate the ones you do not want and begin creating more positive experiences for yourself. 
You may not be aware of any negative thoughts you’re having.  BUT, did you know that the vast majority (almost 95%!) of your thoughts are subconscious and automatic? Dr Bruce Lipton, a cell biologist and author of The Biology of Belief, participated in the scientific study of positive thinking. He explains that “you can literally change the fate of cells by altering your thoughts.”  And he adds: “genetic programs are contained within the nucleus of the cell, and it can rewrite those genetic programs by changing your blood chemistry. “ The key to getting your thoughts in alignment with your higher self is to get to the root of your thoughts on the subconscious level. 
You may have tried affirmations before and thought they didn’t work for you, or they may seem silly to you.  The truth is science has shown that they DO work. You probably just need a few tips. One of the main tips I would suggest is to pick or write an affirmation that resonates with you and is meaningful.  The affirmation should make you feel good and resonate with truth in your body.  If you need to, baby step to the thought you are ultimately wanting for yourself. 
For example, if you want to think and feel “I am Beautiful”, maybe that is too far of a stretch for you today.  But maybe an affirmation like, “I appreciate all my body does for me” is a small step towards the thought you are ultimately wanting. 
The thoughts you think are a choice.  It may not always feel like it, but it’s true.  You are capable of creating a more positive and loving experience for yourself.  Choose to change your thinking and try to nourish those thoughts with your actions.  Change does not happen overnight, but it does happen.
You were created for joy. 
Let me help you find more happiness and healing.   You and your family are worth the effort.