If you dabble in the law of attraction, vision boards, scripting or anything else along those lines, you’ll undoubtedly have heard of the concept of affirmations. Unsurprisingly, that may have left you wondering what does ‘affirmations’ mean? The first time I heard the word was long before I got involved with the law of attraction and vision boards. It was in the 2000 song Affirmation by Savage Garden. If I remember correctly, every line in the song begins with “I believe that…”. Little did I know at the time, but the guy from Savage Garden was onto something.

In the context of the law of attraction, affirmations are positive statements about you, your life and those around you. They can be spoken, written or even thought. No matter how they’re expressed, they’re designed to enact positive change in those that use them.

Affirmations and the Law of Attraction

Affirmations are an essential part of the law of attraction. You can read more about how the two interact in our introduction to law of attraction affirmations. How, when and why to use them varies depending on who you talk to or, more likely, who you read. In popular books like The Secret and Think and Grow Rich, it’s all about the present, positivity and being specific.

A typical law of attraction affirmation reads along the lines of “I am so grateful to fit into XL t-shirts.” For reference, that’s what someone that currently fits into larger clothes but seeks to lose some weight would affirm. As you can see, they affirm in the present even if, in reality, it’s something they hope for in the future.

The Use of Affirmations

Affirmations can be used however and whenever you see fit, as long as you stick to the general format outlined above. Similarly, you can try thinking them or writing them down. Saying them out loud can work really well too. Their impact and usefulness do vary depending on when you use them. For the more complex affirmations, we wrote about using them in conjunction with your subconscious.

They are one of several components to practising the law of attraction, but a critical and powerful one. They are one of the first things you should focus on when learning about and starting to utilise the concept, although they can potentially work in numerous different ways.

They’re ideal for:

  • Making a change in your life
  • Reaching goals you’ve set for yourself
  • Changing your mindset towards something

Using Affirmations to Stay on Track

As I’ve mentioned on multiple occasions throughout the site, I’m not particularly hard-headed when it comes to the law of attraction. I can’t prove the law of attraction, and I wouldn’t claim to know the science behind it – if there is any. What I do like about the law of attraction, vision boards, and all those kinds of things is that they provide focus and consistency.

A positive outlook beats a negative one, regardless of whether that leads to the universe manifesting things on your behalf. A vision board serves as a constant reminder of what you want in life and will be on hand to inspire and motivate you when you feel lazy or procrastinate.

Affirmations can work along the same lines. Can affirmations help you to manifest the law of attraction? I’d say yes. Even if you disagree, there’s something to be said about taking time out of your day to verbalise and acknowledge what you want.

If you’re trying to get a promotion, regular affirmations will remind you to work towards that goal. If you want to lose weight, those affirmations may come up in the nick of time to get you to eat a healthy lunch. They’re a cog in a machine, but an instrumental and valuable one, and you may feel that this should not be ignored.

What Does ‘Affirmations’ Mean – In Summary

In short, ‘affirmations’ means the act of expressing something positive that you want to have an impact on your own life. These affirmations work well with vision boards, the law of attraction and many other techniques. There are many different approaches, and you’re best positioned to decide what works best for you. If you’re interested in the concept, I’d certainly encourage you to give them a try, and you can make a start with our introduction to law of attraction affirmations.