Affirmations Hold the Power to Change Your Life
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
But I promise you, it’s not.
Once I understood the impact affirmations have on the mind, it changed everything for me.
I’ve always loved powerful quotes. In fact, I was geeky enough to write them down in a notebook. I did this for years.
I cherished them because they made me feel better. No matter what I was going through, I could read one of them and magically, life would feel okay again.
Have you ever read something that hit you right in your gut because it was pure truth? Yeah, truth does that. And the right words, in the right order, can truly change your life.
That’s because affirmations—quotes, mantras, words of encouragement—all shift your perspective.
Do you remember the Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley? Al Franken played the host of Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley.
It was the early 90s, and it was a regular skit that poked fun at positive affirmations. I’d end up laughing so hard, I cried.
The show always ended with his famous line:
“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
All kidding aside, don’t let that belittle the power of positive affirmations. Or let it deter you from using them. Because affirmations, quotes, or mantras are incredibly powerful.
And they are tools you should be using daily.
What you feed your mind matters.
Your mindset creates your beliefs, shapes your perception, and drives the choices you make each day.
And guess what? Professional athletes, world leaders, and top performers use affirmations too.
🏀 LeBron James uses affirmations and visualization before games to build confidence and focus.
🎾 Serena Williams often says, “I am strong. I am powerful.”
🏌️♂️ Tiger Woods mentally rehearsed his golf shots with affirmations, reinforcing his abilities before tournaments.
🏎️ Lewis Hamilton repeats phrases like “I am strong, I am focused, I am powerful” before races.
💪 Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, and Denzel Washington all credit affirmations as part of their mindset toolkit.
Jennifer Lopez’s daily affirmation? “I am ageless and timeless.” (Looks like it’s working for her!)
In her book Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes talks about doing a “power pose” in the mirror before big moments, channeling confidence and strength—just like the character Rebecca in Ted Lasso does before tough meetings.
People do these things because…
They work.
Science agrees.
🧠 Affirmations Literally Rewire Your Brain
A study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that affirmations activate brain regions associated with self-worth and motivation—specifically the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. (Cascio et al., 2016)
🧘 Daily Affirmations Boost Mental Health
A study from the University of California, Berkeley, showed that practicing self-compassion affirmations for just 20 seconds a day over a month improved emotional well-being and reduced stress. (UC Berkeley, 2023)
🎯 Affirmations Help Achieve Goals
Research from The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology demonstrated that affirmations help people stay focused on solutions rather than problems, improving performance and problem-solving under pressure. (Creswell et al., 2013; updated meta-analysis in 2021)
So if you’re thinking, This seems too simple to make a difference, let me tell you:
Everything doesn’t have to be so hard.
Give yourself a gift.
Read something positive and uplifting every day.
Watch the impact it has on your life.
This is why I started writing and sharing Emerge Positive affirmations back in 2012. They’re no joke.
Make affirmations part of your morning routine.
Before you open your email or check the news—read an affirmation. Get your head in the right space. Affirmations can do that for you.
Here are a few to get you started:
- Nobody is better at being You than you are.
- When you love who you are, life is immediately better.
- Lack only exists if you believe in it.
- A positive mind creates a healthy body.
- Start thinking of yourself as an artist and your life as a work in progress.
You can Emerge Positive.
Positively,
Deanne
