Pick 7. 1 for each morning

Ever since college I have been a believer in using affirmations. As an athlete we used affirmations to focus skill training and confidence. I found that merely repeating a phrase or word kept my mind focused on that outcome and in fact helped in visualizing success. A few years ago the book The Secret came out where several motivational speakers concurred that visualizing an outcome would enact the “law of attraction” and bring that outcome to you. Personally if that was all it took there would be more millionaires than we could shake a stick at. The fact is that hard work, consistent effort, perseverance, a little luck and a great attitude is the real key to success.

So lets talk attitude.  Below is a list of over 50 affirmations from a friend’s blog. Here is my challenge. Pick out 7 that make sense to you, or 7 that you would say to yourself if you asked yourself for advice. Every morning read the day’s quote as soon as you get out of bed. Read it 10 times. write it on a post it note and place it somewhere where you will see it at least once per hour. Every time you read it take a deep breath. Pick a new one for tomorrow. Do this for a week, a month or a year. There are 52 listed here, you could do one per week for the year, if you want. The rule is that it must start with 10 times, be repeated 1x per hour for at least a day.

Either you will find yourself notably more happy and content as you go through your day or you will feel an ease of your stress. Neither outcome is negative. If you follow the rules you will see the result.  Feel free to print this list and cut them into little fortune cookie strips placed into a holder next to your bed. Repeat the experiment as long as the strips last. Save your favorites for re-use or start to write your own. A positive attitude is essential for any success, in any field, at any time. Period.

Good luck.

  1. Everything I do is by choice.  There is always another option.
  2. I will strive to be the best I can be, but I will never try to be someone I’m not.
  3. I must keep dreaming.  Wanting what I don’t think I can have is the first step to making my dreams a reality.
  4. I won’t use where I’ve been to justify where I am.  I will use where I am to jump-start where I’m going.
  5. Right now is the only guaranteed moment in my life.  I will make the best of it.
  6. Think big.  Start small.  One bite of the elephant at a time.
  7. I will prioritize my obligations and do the important things first.
  8. I will not try to please everyone.  I will simply do what I know is right.
  9. The more productive I am, the luckier I will become.
  10. There is nobody else exactly like me, with my exact abilities, talents and ideas.
  11. I’m not supposed to have all the answers.
  12. Laughing, crying, joy and anger – all are vital, all make me human.
  13. I can’t change who I am.  I can only change what I know and how I apply this knowledge.
  14. I will slow down and become conscious of life’s simple pleasures.
  15. I will focus more on less.  I will get rid of stuff I do not use.
  16. I will not try to read other people’s minds.  I will not make other people try to read mine.  I will communicate effectively.
  17. I can help myself by helping those around me.
  18. I will take ownership of my actions so my actions never own me.
  19. Every person has a unique definition of success.  To me, success means…
  20. I will never make decisions in a state of emotional haste.
  21. If I want to remember it, I will write it down in a trusted location.
  22. I will do something today that makes me happy.
  23. Everyone doesn’t have to like me and I don’t have to like everyone.
  24. The one with nothing to hide is always the one left standing tall.
  25. My habits define my life.
  26. I will say no when I should.
  27. I will stand firm by my values without senselessly promoting them.
  28. We are all weird in our own way.  This makes life beautiful.
  29. Everyone has a story.  There’s a reason why people are the way they are.  I will appreciate them just the way they are.
  30. I cannot make someone love me.  I can only be someone who can be loved.
  31. The biggest mistake I can make is doing nothing because I’m scared to make a mistake.
  32. Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
  33. What other people think of me isn’t that important.
  34. If I want to believe in myself more I will start doubting others less.  Because where I most easily doubt others is where I most easily doubt myself.
  35. I will ask questions if I’m not sure.
  36. I will let go of things I can’t change and instead concentrate on things I can.
  37. There are extraordinary things going on in my life.  I have a lot to be thankful for.
  38. Today is a new beginning – a chance for me to do something extraordinary.
  39. No matter how small, I will celebrate my successes today.
  40. I will thank people who have helped me and I will return the favor as soon as I am able.
  41. There are ideas, products and cultures I do not yet understand.  I will keep an open mind.
  42. The most important things in my life are my health, my family and friends, and my education.  Everything else is secondary.
  43. There are thousands of little things that just aren’t worth fighting for – I will let them go.  I will choose my battles wisely.
  44. I will stay out of other people’s drama and not needlessly create my own.
  45. I will always be honest with myself and others.
  46. Every mistake I make is progress.  I must learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others.
  47. I will treat everyone with the same level of respect I would give to my grandfather and the same level of patience I would have with my baby brother.
  48. Nothing is permanent.  However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.
  49. Life is short and people are not perfect.  I will forgive myself.  I will forgive others.
  50. Missing a once-in-a-lifetime chance leads to regret, or creativity.  Because what can’t be redone can still be outdone.
  51. No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be.  Either I succeed or I learn something.  Win-Win.
  52. I will not waste my time on jealously.  I’m in competition with one person and one person only – myself.  I’m competing to be the best I can be.

For more great lists of thoughts and thought provokation see Mark and Angel Hack Life.

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