Can you stop what you’re doing right now and write down all the good things that you’ve experienced this year? Can you fight through the negative noise of the world and find those nuggets of goodness? Maybe they’ve just been tiny glimmers or maybe you’ve been hit over the head with instances of good. But my question is, can you take a moment and write them down? I’ll give you some time…

{insert jeopardy sounds here}

Now that you’ve made your list (maybe), take it and put it somewhere you’ll see every day. And keep a pen close by so that you can add to it. Make it part of your daily affirmations.

Do you do daily affirmations? It’s not something I grew up doing and I don’t always remember, but I believe it’s an excellent habit to add to your routine. (*this is me taking my own advice*) Some experts will say that you have to say your affirmations in a mirror, but I think it’s whatever works for you. If you remember when you’re drinking your coffee, or driving to work, or in the shower, what are three positive things you can say aloud about yourself? An example could be: “I am kind, I am fierce, and I made someone laugh with joy today.”

I had this assignment back in college where I had to write down 20 things I liked about myself. I can’t remember now if I was given the number 20 or if that’s just how many I ended up writing down. Regardless, I can still remember writing those things down, of struggling to find 20 things, and I still have that list. And it still says that I like my nose. At the time, it felt extraordinarily difficult to write. But today, right now, years later, I love my nose.

And yes, that example can seem silly and trivial, but it made a difference. That one moment of committing to paper that I liked something about myself has grown and matured and helped me along the way. What if we did that every day? What if we really did make daily affirmations a thing. That we said out loud that we like how strong our legs are because they carry us where we want to go. Or that our laugh was amazing because you can feel the joy in it? Or that you are an amazing mom, raising amazing kids?

There’s a quote by Henry Ford that says, “whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you’re right.” Words are so powerful and how we talk to ourselves shapes us so much. Whether we talk to ourselves positively or negatively, we’re right.

If you’re up for it, if you’re still with me, find another piece of paper and write down 20ish things you like about yourself.

{insert more jeopardy sounds}

Take that list and tape it to your mirror or tuck it into your wallet. Find a place for it so that it can influence how you speak to yourself throughout your day.

Now, you might be asking ‘why did I have to write down those good things at the beginning?’ Well, I’ll tell ya… I don’t have a concrete answer. But it got your brain thinking in the right direction, right? Depending on the day and the mood, it can feel extremely difficult finding 20 things you like about yourself. BUT if I’ve already spent time writing down the good I’ve experienced and the good that I’ve done, it leads the way to seeing the good in us.

So, as we consider the nice things we will say to ourselves this week, remember to include the good things we’ve experienced this year as well. We are worthy of good things and we are worth affirming words.

Go in grace and God bless,

Colleen