Concentrating on words such as: “That was dumb,” “I am so overweight,” “No one loves me,” and a host of other negative assertions can easily zap the happiness right out of your life.

Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be permanent. Positive affirmations can turn your negativity around. Affirmations are merely statements or phrases, which stress on the positive rather than the negative.

These mantras can actually reprogram your unconscious thinking and bring you a plethora of good benefits that you’ll enjoy for years to come!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate positive affirmations into your life:

1. Statements should always be in the present tense. Begin your statements with “I can” “I have” or “I am,” instead of a phrase like “I will” or “I may.”

* Examples of this would be “I have a beautiful body” and “I am so intelligent,” instead of “I will never be so stupid again.”

* Choose statements that focus on the positive attributes you want to encourage, saying them as if you already exhibit that behavior.

2. Address yourself by name when verbalizing your assertions. Believe it or not, this does make a big difference. When you say: “I, Jane Doe, am a beautiful person both inside and out,” it makes your statement more compelling because you hear the sweet sound of your own name!

* Using your name in the statements allows your subconscious to process the phrases even faster.

3. Concentrate on one or two statements to start with. Although you possess a lot of positive attributes, it’s best to concentrate only on one or two when you’re first starting out. If you start with twenty positive affirmations, your subconscious may be overwhelmed or dismiss the deeper meaning.

* For example, if you meet someone who goes on and on about how wonderful and beautiful you are, what’s your reaction? Ordinarily after the second or third compliment, you tend to wonder if this person is actually being sincere! The same principal applies to practicing many affirmations at once.

* Focus on one or two, and when they’re firmly planted into your subconscious, you can move on to more.

4. Practice your statements as often as possible. Our subconscious mind is more open to suggestions when we first open our eyes in the morning and then again when we’re ready to fall asleep at night.

* The more often you say your statements, the quicker you’ll experience lasting changes.

5. Don’t fret if you’re having trouble writing your statements. There are many books and self-improvement web sites that include hundreds of positive, daily affirmations. You can then pick out one or two that you’d like to focus on and get started.

* Don’t let something as meaningless as not being able to compose a positive mantra hold you back from making changes and incorporating happiness into your life!
 
Low self-esteem is something that holds us back from living the life we deserve. You can rebuild your self-confidence and self-esteem with daily affirmations and experience the joy of life you’ve been missing. Try it and you’ll love it!