One of the first things many of us learn about manifesting is the power of affirmations. Affirmations are a well-known tool in the arsenal of creating reality. Exactly what are affirmations? Why do they work for some people and not others?

The How’s and Why’s of Affirmations

Affirmations are statements of intention that are designed to create that reality in our life. For example, somebody wanting to create financial abundance might choose the affirmation, “I am rich beyond my wildest dreams”. This can be a powerful statement for some people. This can help to create exactly that reality.

Alas, some people just don’t buy it. They say the words, but then they hear that little voice in the background saying, “Yeah, right. Sure you are”. The doubt engendered within the statement has a remarkably nullifying effect. On one hand, you’re creating abundance, but on the other you’re disbelieving. One cancels out the other. What to do?

Afformations

A subtle twist on affirmations is something that Dr. Noah St. John calls “Afformations”. Afformations take the statement of an affirmation and turn it into a question. Instead of telling the universe that you’re rich, you ask the universe to explain to you how/why you’re rich. “Why am I so financially abundant,” causes our brain to try to find reasons why. In hunting for those reasons, we kick off a whole lot of manifesting power.

You can turn any statement into a question. “Why am I so happy with my partner?” “Why do all of life’s little problems seem to magically have solutions arrive at the perfect time?” “Why is my life so good?” All these questions contain the magic ingredient of searching for the answer.

Alas, some people manage to put a stranglehold on afformations, too. The same doubt comes in and the pat answer to, “Why am I so abundant,” ends up being, “I’m not”. End of story. Ouch. That’s got some serious negative mojo going for it. What else can we do?

Daydreams: The Secret Uncovered

We can rescue our affirmations and afformations through the power of daydreaming. One of the most powerful discoveries I made in my own quest for well-being was that daydreaming enabled me to completely suspend my disbelief. Instead of trying to convince myself of the richness of life, I daydreamed it!

Those daydreams were wonderful. Fun. Imaginative. I did all sorts of things that I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time. I was happy. And in those daydreams, I held positive thoughts and emotions for significant periods. Long enough, in fact, to trigger the universe to spring into action and help to create these realities.

The universe does not disappoint in these matters. You could think of the universe as being the proverbial genie in the bottle. When you focus on your goals, the universe essentially says, “Your wish is my command”. The wheels are set in motion and things begin changing. If you hold positive expectations long enough, that new reality will march its way into your life.

I hope this helps anybody who has struggled with affirmations and/or afformations in their manifesting practice. Daydreams are a wonderful complement to the work. As I like to remind people, though, it’s not the whole deal: You need to act on the opportunities that come to you as a result of your thoughts creating things.

Above all, have FUN with whatever it is you’re trying to create. If it isn’t fun, it’s not going to turn out the way you want.