I personally believe that affirmations (I am ____) have a high failure rate for most people. I can constantly repeat in my mind or out loud that "I am rich and open to abundance" but if I am constantly overwhelmed by bills, never have enough money for living expenses, and have a history of money problems, just repeating an affirmation is not enough to override my belief system and reality. I copied the following from Steve Mensing's forum on emoclear.com and his remarks clearly explain the problems with using affirmations.
Hi JoJett:
JoJett asks: "Why is it that most affirmation systems don't work? If they do, they take weeks of practice?"
JoJett the four largest hurdles for affirmational systems are:
(1) We often have beliefs, intentions, doubts, and feelings that oppose our affirmational beliefs. If we manage to install an affirmational belief it often gets lots of opposition which neutralizes its effects. It's unwise to lay in beliefs above preexisting ones. Opposing beliefs, intentions, doubts, and feelings will need to be cleared or the newly planted affirmational belief will get strangled by the weeds.
(2) Affirmational beliefs have to overcome cognitive dissonance before they are believed. Cognitive dissonance means the affirmational belief has to feel natural at the emotional level. If it's not--it's not going to be gut held or believed.
(3) Affirmational beliefs, to be of value, have to be more than outcome images or end point imagery. The affirmational belief has to convey the images of how you got there as well as a well formed outcome. Outcomes alone don't appear to help. Some studies indicate that having just outcome images may actually inhibit motivation. (You already feel like you've accomplished it.)
(4) Affirmational beliefs require actual action not magical and wishful thinking. We can believe all we want, but unless we actually DO something, the chances are incredibly slim to none that our magical thinking will get fulfilled by the seas parting or treasures manifesting out of thin air.
Take care, Steve
