There are always things in life we want to change: how we look, how we feel, difficult relationships or situations we find ourselves in, where we work, where we live… and countless other issues. Sometimes we know exactly how to make the changes, and in other situations, we just don’t know what to do.
As a young single mother, I struggled going to a prestigious graduate school and raising a preschooler. I felt as though I hadn’t been prepared for the life I was living. People always asked me how I was able to do everything I did. My answer was: “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.”
I really learned the meaning of that phrase. It was a guiding principle for me in those days. I felt that completing graduate school and getting a good job was a necessity so that I could provide adequately for my child. Because I wouldn’t settle for less I was determined to juggle the many facets of my life so that I could succeed. Sometimes I had to be very creative. Fortunately, I had plenty of ingenuity.
Years later when I was having very different problems as my children were older, I reminded myself that I had been through much more difficult problems and had survived. “You can do this!” I reminded myself every time I wondered whether I could, in fact, do what I needed to do.
Even today when I remind myself by saying “You can do this!” or say it to others, I realize how powerful that statement is for me.
“You can do this!” is an affirmation. For me, the subtext is always you’ve done so many harder things in life you can certainly do this.
I still say it to myself on the rare occasions that I feel doubt or wonder about my capabilities.
That was my first experience in creating an affirmation for myself. I didn’t realize that it was an affirmation or how powerful it was until I looked back years later and saw the courage that four simple words could evoke in me.
The proverb “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” can be turned into other affirmations as well:
- “I am creative.”
- “I can turn lemons into lemonade.”
- “I can respond to whatever life sends my way with ingenuity.”
- “I can see the silver lining in this situation and I can make the most of it.”
Affirmations can open your awareness to new possibilities. When you’re feeling stuck this can be vital.
- Where are you feeling stuck?
- What are the things in your life that you would like to change?
- Which ones are challenging?
- Which ones do you wish for help with?
If you would like to know more about how affirmations can help you to make changes in your life, please join me for my free online workshop on Tuesday, October 25th at 5 pm Pacific / 8 pm Eastern. It’s called Affirmations: Create the Life You Want With Your Self-Talk.
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