Affirmations can be negative, and often through no fault of your own. When we talk about affirmations here at Widibi, it’s all about positivity and focusing on the good. After all, why would you want to attract negative things into your life?

Well, there can be numerous answers. The most common reason behind negative affirmations is pure accident. You might affirm something with good intentions but may potentially limit yourself in some way.

Let’s consider an example:

I'm delighted that I made $100 today.

I’m delighted that I made $100 today.

That includes all the components of an affirmation. It’s in the present – even if it hasn’t happened yet – plus it’s personal and positive.

$100 in a day could be great. It might not be enough. However, perspective doesn’t matter in this case. What potentially makes it a negative affirmation is the limiting factor. In affirming it, you’ll focus on that first $100. Once you’ve achieved it, you might switch off.

You could have made $200 or $300 or even more – especially if you’re reliant on more than just a fixed salary. If you rely on tips, sales, ad revenue, or anything else that can fluctuate, an affirmation made with good intentions can potentially backfire.

Not Realizing You’ve Made an Affirmation

If you’ve been saying or listening to affirmations for a while, it’s easy to forget that they’re very simple statements. One simple sentence has the power to change your life.

One simple statement has the power to change your life.

You can make affirmations by accident. If you’re in a bad mood or on a down day, ‘I’m delighted…’ can quickly transform into ‘I hate…’.

It’s the importance of being positive. You need to stay positive while manifesting, but even if you have no interest in the law of attraction and pseudoscience, never forget the impact positivity can have. You’re happier, more open, and more accommodating. In turn, other people are far more likely to reciprocate.

What Is a Negative Affirmation?

Again, I don’t necessarily want to dwell on perspective. However, no matter how you define it, a negative affirmation is something that could potentially lead to either a bad outcome or a different one from what you expected.

I’ll borrow an image from my article on how to write an affirmation.

Components of a Negative Affirmation

Typically, you won’t create a bad affirmation intentionally. However, as touched on above, any statement can turn negative.

I always suggest trying to be positive by default. Not everything always goes to plan. The most successful people in their fields make mistakes or fail to reach their short-term goals:

I’d wager you’ve heard of at least one of them. You probably also consider them successful. They had setbacks, but they pushed ahead, learned from their mistakes, and took the positives.

If you can do the same and avoid dwelling on the negatives, you can protect yourself against negative affirmations as you’ll naturally put a positive spin on everything you do.

Do Negative Affirmations Work?

Negative affirmations do work if you let them. However, I’ve found that one of the most common reasons for asking this question is people want to negatively affirm something on someone else’s behalf for whatever reason.

Just as you can’t manifest someone’s death, you can’t affirm bad things for others. Affirmations might feel like magic, but it’s not the kind you see in movies. For affirmations, the law of attraction, and anything else related to both concepts to work, the individual involved has to want it.

Let’s say you know someone called Sophie, you’re not particularly fond of them and you saw on social media that today’s the day of their driving test. You might decide to add the following to your list of morning affirmations:

“I’m so grateful that Sophie failed her driving test.”

It contains all the components of an affirmation and a positive one at that. However, you’re attempting to use your energy to alter their reality, not your own. Their energies might be focused on nerves and apprehension but, deep down, Sophie really wants to do well.

It’s not even a battle. Even with your deepest focus, Sophie’s casual desire to do well will completely override any efforts you might make to sabotage her test!

What About Personal Negative Affirmations?

When your energies aren’t in conflict with someone else’s, can negative affirmations take hold?

The good news is that it’s highly unlikely, especially if your interest in affirmations is related to the law of attraction.

It all comes back, once again, to positivity. Positive energy is far more powerful than negative. One positive affirmation can wipe out the effects of dozens of negative ones.

Don’t underestimate the power of intent either. The clearer you can be on what you want, the more likely you’ll be to make it happen. Vagueness is a rival of manifestation, and the same can be said of affirmations. After all, if you’re looking to manifest, affirmations are the building blocks. Changing the context won’t necessarily alter the results.

Examples of Negative Affirmations

Perhaps you just want to know what to avoid. It’s good practice to identify what not to do if you want to work out the best way to do something correctly.

Here are the hows and whys of avoiding negative affirmations:

I Hate My Job

You’re not alone! However, this statement qualifies as an affirmation – it’s personal and specific. However, it’s lacking that positivity. The best outcome you can hope for is to continue to hate your job. Sure, that means you’re neither ahead nor behind. However, it’s wasted energy; energy that is far better spent on something more positive.

I Wish I Could Win the Lottery

Again, you’re certainly not the only one! What this affirmation lacks is presence. While cosmic ordering is a valid technique, it’s important not to think of affirmations as a genie granting wishes.

Rather than focusing on wanting something, it’s vital to express yourself as already having it. Let’s say you specifically want to hit the Powerball. You’d frame an affirmation as:

I’m massively grateful to have changed my life by winning the lottery.

I don’t mix lotteries and the law of attraction personally, but there is a popular book on Amazon entitled How to Win the Lottery with the Law of Attraction. Your mileage may vary, but it’s worth a look if that’s what you’ve got in mind for the future!

Can an Affirmation Be Negative? – In Summary

Sure, an affirmation can be negative, and usually by accident. The two biggest takeaways from this article, and the answer to the question, span two points:

  • Never focus on altering someone else’s existence with negative affirmations – it almost certainly won’t work
  • Personal negative affirmations are rarely intentional, but they’re far less powerful than their positive counterparts

I consider affirmations a key element of personal development, not least because experience matters. The more time you spend on them, the better your results will become. It’s a skill like any other and like many of my favorite talents, it’s easy to learn but takes time to master.

Eliminating negativity should be the goal of most people, and as you become a more positive person, you’ll avoid accidents and become a far more skilled wielder of affirmations as a tool for the betterment of your life!