Image by Tanisha Pina on Flickr
I’ve been thinking about personal affirmations lately — those helpful declarations that get people through their dark nights of the soul.
Some people etch a soothing phrase onto their wall, or repeat it under their breath, or tattoo it onto their skin. It doesn’t matter if it’s cheesy or clichéd or naïve. All that matters is that they have a relationship with their statement, and they believe it to be true.
It’s an incantation. A mantra. An invocation of the divine.
My mother says “everything happens for a reason” as if no one else on the planet has ever uttered those words in that order. Somehow, she takes ownership of that overused phrase, and puts it to work.
My friend Amanda has a cursive sentence encircling her wrist: “Write! Writing is for you.” Her eyes sparkle when she speaks of the passage that inspired her ink and continues to drive her work. She doesn’t seek approval of it.
My brother once wrote a heartfelt song for his high school rock band. When he sang the refrain, he would close his eyes and sing from his soul: “No. I cannot be bothered by this.”
In a world of complexity, it strikes me how simple these affirmations can be. They remind us that our inner dialogue is powerful, and that we need to be conscious of the things we’re saying to ourselves — especially the things we say over, and over, and over again.
I’m going to wonder about this for my own purposes, but not aggressively.
Maybe my affirmation already lives in me.
Meantime, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Do you have a personal mantra?
The Fab Files 
my signature sign off is : THE IMPOSSIBLE IS AN ILLUSION.
and i’m looking forward to some day ink my wrists with VERITAS – AEQUITAS (TRUTH and JUSTICE)
Bold!
I once considered: Nil magnum nisi bonum (no greatness without goodness).
A friend on Facebook writes: “Then, when it seems we will never smile again, life comes back.”
“Ease his pain” for a long time.
But always: “the sun and the moon, the wind and the rain” and “push back”.
Unique! Are they from anywhere or self-generated?
ha, i wish!
ease his pain is from kinsella’s shoeless joe, and later, field of dreams.
the sun and the moon is from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtga5rDo9Rg
i put them both on the back of my acid washed jean jacket in the late 80s.
and push back is mine, but it’s somewhat ubiquitous.
One of my favourites (admittedly stolen from a book) is “Leap, and the net will appear.”
That gorgeous. I love that.
“People are stupid.” Removes the aspect of blame from situations which are frustrating, enraging, or disappointing, and refocuses on “how to deal with it.” Not for every situation, but good for most everyday ones. Also, a reminder that I, too, am occasionally stupid. Which is ok.
Haha, Carla! Well, since you are a walking encyclopedia it must be tough to deal with the simpletons :-p
Seriously though, it’s a nice leveler. We’re all a bit stupid.
I’m not sure whether I have a mantra now, but I’ve had several over the years. What struck me about this is that this is something my grandmother used to say to me all of the time when I was a preteen, “Look in the mirror, or close your eyes before bed, and say, I am all I need.”
I really do think our thoughts influence our outlooks and our personalities, and that we CAN keep a check on them. Negativity isn’t just THERE for no reason, it is harboured and cultivated.
Something I often tell myself (from “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer): “Constantly saying what one doesn’t mean accustoms the mouth to meaningless phrases.”
Thanks for the mention, lovely lady. Very thoughtful article!
My pleasure! Thanks for helping inspire this post