The truth about affirmations, manifestations, and transformations…
It’s not so much magic as it is tuning your mind.
In what he describes as a micro lesson on affirmations, cartoonist Scott Adams shares his unique perspective on affirmations.
If you’ve never heard of an affirmation, it’s a message, written or spoken in a very specific manner, and repeated fifteen times per day.
When Scott learned of this idea, he was skeptical, as any logical person would be, as there is no reason for such a thing to work.
But, because it was completely free and it couldn’t hurt him not to try it, he started to implement this strategy in something larger than life, something he dreamed of, but didn’t think he could accomplish.
For one of his greatest accomplishments in life, he repeated the phrase…
“I, Scott Adams, will be a syndicated cartoonist.”
As many of us know now, the cartoon Dilbert is syndicated, and one of the most popular cartoons in history.
Now, he was doing other things, working on this potential outcome, because “faith without works is dead,” but a series of coincidences fell in his lap and, believe it or not, this amazing outcome came to fruition.
Since one positive result could be a fluke, he decided to try this again and again. Every time he tried it, for whatever reason, it came true.
This includes…
- dating a colleague at work he didn’t even know
- scoring a specific score on a test (94/100)
- picking multiple winning stocks in the market
- becoming a famous or syndicated artist
- becoming a #1 NY Times bestselling author
- recovering from an incurable voice box illness
So, why is this the case? Is it magic? Are you altering reality? Is it nonsense? Is it selective memory? Is it proof of inner confidence? Is it programming to filter reality?
For me, personally, I think it’s a combination of all of these aspects. Call it manifestation. Call if an affirmation. Call it what you will, but you’re taking action and having faith the results you crave will follow.
The part of this that is logical, though, is the part where you start to tune your mind into seeing what others do not.
Most of us have experienced the phenomenon of buying a vehicle and suddenly seeing that vehicle everywhere. Well, it’s sort of the same thing with affirmations or manifestations.
When you choose who you want to become, what you want to accomplish, which identity you will forever identify with, your choices suddenly become more binary, more black and white.
If I have an affirmation about making more money per month than I’ve ever made before, every single decision that day should answer the following question:
Does this lead me to my goal or does it lead me away from my goal?
Yes, you pursue. No, you abandon.
Today’s “yes” list includes…
- Publish Medium ✔️
- Schedule email ✔️
- Pitch teen author ✔️
- Film new intro video ✔️
- Weight training workout ✔️
- Respond podcast guests 3x ✔️
- Update UpWork profile ✔️
- Update UpWork portfolio ✔️
- Build client pitch website ✔️
- Start tomorrow’s post ✔️
Yes, do it. No, don’t do it. It’s not really much more complicated than that. So, everyday, when I repeat the phrase…
“I, Brock Swinson, will earn $21,000 per month selling books, courses, and films by September 15, 2023.”
…my path is actually much more clear than if I simply lived a reactive day, with no compass to pull me forward.
As for the magic, and I’m hesitant to even write this part, those things do seem to be there as well...
On the second day, I was offered a $90,000 job after I repeated this affirmation...
On the third day, I received notice of a potential inheritance that I had no clue existed…
Nothing has fallen into my lap or bank account yet, so its too soon to completely hop on the bandwagon, but everyday feels a bit closer to the goal, and my focus seems to hone in more and more.
The trick appears to be specific about your goal but flexible in your approach.
My number is specific, but my approach can include a handful of paths that interest me, where I have skillsets, motivations, and see myself pursuing for an extended time.
So, whatever this means for you, and whatever it means for me, I plan to continue the journey. I hope you will join me, learn from my triumphs and failures, and write — or recite — your own way.
If you couldn’t fail, what goal would you pursue? If you knew you were going to fail, what goal would you still pursue? Your affirmation is waiting somewhere in the middle.
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