Two years and 2 weeks ago, I started this blog. So to honor this, I am going to recreate my very first article, but on the topic that keeps me going these days. It's fun to see how things change over the years.

It's true, we often don't see the beautiful things in life, and we should celebrate them more often! We should celebrate them every day as a matter of fact. It is so good to mention what you are grateful for! So here is a list of the little things I appreciate in my life!

• A good book
• Some hot coco with coffee a la McKenna Kealyn (link here)
• Candle light and tea
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Fresh morning walks
• Looking at breathtaking views
• Photographing
• Making art (painting or filming ...)
• Smelling flowers
• Drinking water
• Waking up early in the morning, when everybody is still asleep
• cuddling, walking and playing with my moms dog
• Dreaming

I never liked affirmations. Wait, let me rephrase that; I never understood affirmations and never felt the intensity of words. At a workshop, I asked, "but how do you really start feeling affirmations?" And even the woman teaching couldn't answer my question...

 "I am grateful for all that is unfolding in my life and all that is yet to come" -Unknown

So I get it, you don't like quotes, affirmation or mantras or however you want to call it. It's was for me too a vague and ununderstandable concept. The only words that ever got to me were the ones from the mean kids at school.

Well, that has changed for me.

And I am going to be the one answering that question I asked the teacher who couldn't answer me.



Let me explain first why affirmations are good for you. I will also explain the difference between affirmation and mantras. But let me clarify one thing, I don't feel connected with mantras as strong as affirmations. Mantras are not in our day to day language and I like to keep it, for me at least, more grounded (I know, it is all for grounding, but it just goes beyond me, that's all. Oh and trust me, I tried mantras several times... still don't like it...).

Let's start with mantras. I don't know a lot about it, so I am gonna quote what I saw on www.chopra.com.

In our westernized, modern-day spiritual practices the word “mantra” has become as mainstream as “intention.” But the two are actually quite different. The word mantra can be broken down into two parts: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means transport or vehicle. In other words, a mantra is an instrument of the mind—a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation.

Want to know more, click here to read the entire article. 

So then, what is an affirmation?
To me, it means having a centering thought on a sentence during meditation or during the day. Like the quote, I quoted above. Repeatedly affirming that sentence to myself, adding my feeling and really feeling it from within. That is what an affirmation is for me. 
Let's see what the web tells us:

Everything that we repeatedly say to ourselves out loud or in our thoughts are an affirmation. The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a part of our brain that makes words that gets repeated over time as part of our identity, positive or negative. Just like sowing seeds in a fruitful garden. When we water and nurture the seeds every day, they will grow (most of them). That´s like repeating an affirmation. If you have a tomato plant seed…you plant that seed…water it (focus)…can you really expect to get apples? No of course not. You expect to get tomatoes. That´s how our subconscious mind work. It doesn´t care if you want the seeds you plant to grow. As long as you water and nurture them (affirm repeatedly) they will grow.

Want to see this article, have a look yourself by clicking here.

Why is it so good for us people to practice affirmation?

From what I know, it has to do with the law of attraction. You mindfully feel what you are saying, affirming it in the present tense, and while repeatedly saying it and believing it, it will come your way. But I barely use that kind of affirmation. I use affirmation to feel gratitude, love and connection. I love the way these words can make feel love and connected with the universe and my higher self. 

I also noticed that when I meditate and use affirmations, I am less likely to think negative thoughts. Even though I have to admit sometimes things get so weird that I feel the stress or dislike again, but negative emotions are so strong, and sometimes you need to let them speak. But some days you just want to feel good (and 13 reasons why was absolutely no help at all... ). 

It also helps with finding the things you are actually grateful for. Not only the big things in life, but also the small things like being able to see, to breathe, to be healthy. And this brings positivity, and studies show that positive people are in general healthier ( Click here to read the study)

And now the BIG QUESTION (hah real big haha), How Do I Feel What I Am Saying?
The thing is, at a certain age, you have heard these quotes so often you become immune to them. Like me. Like I said at the beginning, the only words that got to me were the ones from the mean kids. Negativity has always been strong. But the funny thing is, at that moment it is bad, but later you won't even remember it. I had a shit load of negative experiences, but I can't really remember them. And I am grateful for that. Like Ed Sheeran said: I remember less and less, and mostly things that I regret... 
Back to business haha... sooooo, we were at... oh yes immune to words. The trick here is to connect the words again with the feelings. Let me explain this. When you think of love, you think of the word love, but not of the feeling you get when you love someone, and this could be anyone. What feeling do you get when you hug your mom or see the person you have been crushing on? Connect that feeling again with that word. And then, when you say for example "I am thankful for the love of my family/ boyfriend/ friends" You'll actually start to feel it again.

And you can use this method for everything. When you want to be grateful, connect that feeling with love. Feel the love for those things. After all, all there is, is love.

"You are the sky, everything else is just the weather" - Unknown