My story explains the struggles I had as a 23-year-old single, divorced mom with three children, ages six, four, and one and then shows some practical ways I used to change my life and claim my personal power. Self-pity, anger, guilt, and self-hatred were my constant emotional companions. I was suffering physically, mentally and spiritually. In 1980, I made $80 a week, received sporadic child support payments of $300 a month and lived in fear that we would not survive. I was afraid of life and worried incessantly. I smoked, ate unhealthy foods, did not work out and spent endless hours watching television. My mind was constantly focusing on what everyone else in my life should be changing so I could be happy. Because I could not change anyone else, I thought I was a hopeless failure and could not do anything right.
Through the help of Alanon and counseling, I realized that I do have choices and I was the one that needed to change. I listened to my own self-talk. It was negative. I replaced my self-talk, "I am stupid" with "I am learning" and "I am worthless" to "I am good enough." One goal I had was to quit smoking. Studies were showing the negative effects of smoking and I did not like the fact that I was addicted to cigarettes. I had tried to quit smoking many times before. Success was realized when I used visualizations and affirmations to stop smoking. Affirmations are simple statements that you say to yourself, like "I can"..."I am good enough"..."I am successful." Saying affirmations works because your subconscious mind creates exactly what you tell it. However, I was gaining five pounds a month and being good at math realized if I continued, I would be sixty pounds heavier in a year. Determined not to return to smoking to eliminate the weight gain, I turned to affirmations and exercise.
When I started working out, my muscles ached and I wanted to quit because I was not seeing results fast enough. I would say the affirmations to help me get through the work out. Not only did my physical strength improve, so did my self-image and my attitude towards life. Focusing on the affirmations made the workout easier because I was thinking of positive things. Just as my body reaped the benefits of working out twenty-four hours later, so did my mind. I found throughout the day that I would be repeating the affirmations.
By combining exercise with affirmations helped me in many of my daily struggles. If I was in an uncomfortable situation, I started connecting to the uncomfortable feeling I had working out and the affirmations would come to mind. They helped me gain the self-confidence I needed to address my everyday fears and insecurities.
My spirit was becoming more at peace because my body and mind were working together as one. Positive energy was filling my being. Not only was I learning to accept and love myself, I had more energy to cope with being a single parent.
This simple technique of saying positive affirmations when walking, running, or lifting weights is a great way to increase self-esteem and learn to love the entire self, mind, body and spirit. I wanted to share this technique of exercising with affirmations so "Power of Positive Aerobics" was created. To learn about the exciting workout video that combines affirmations with aerobic movements, visit powerpositiveworkouts.com.
Ellie Peterson
Creator of Power of Positive Aerobics Workout Video
powerpositiveworkouts.com
"At birth, a baby's brain contains 100 billion neurons, roughly... Read More
Ever had the sense that there is more to life... Read More
Since the beginning of human history we have been living... Read More
Do you ever find yourself thinking, "Life has taught me... Read More
I have a 440-page guide on how to simplify my... Read More
An old Joni Mitchell song reminds us, "don't it always... Read More
You've heard the buzzwords: Attitude is everything! Change your perspective!... Read More
I just heard the story of a man who hired... Read More
Emotions are controlled by a combination of reason and action.... Read More
Why do we help others? There is a whole lot... Read More
Millions struggle through life barely earning enough to survive. Many... Read More
"Adventure isn't hanging on a rope off the side... Read More
INNER CRITIC UNVEILED! Part 2: AFFIRMATIONS TO THE RESCUE!"Almost everybody... Read More
Just in an average day we can experience many things... Read More
The hardest part of success is the **courage** you need... Read More
This is a technique that sounds a bit silly when... Read More
The world is going downhill faster than an Olympic skier.... Read More
There is an old joke about a man who is... Read More
"Work on your career and you'll make a living. Work... Read More
Today, I wanted to mention this notion of self-sabotage.I recently... Read More
The one thing that is absolutely vital to overcoming shyness... Read More
Kasia is a talented landscape designer who speaks several languages,... Read More
Our thoughts really belong to the collective consciousness of the... Read More
Being a mom can take a toll on your body,... Read More
I was always somebody who felt quite sorry for myself,... Read More
cleaning lady near Arlington Heights ..Let's say you're ready to change some aspect of your... Read More
As a being of thought, your dominant mental attitude will... Read More
Have you ever felt the whole world was against you?... Read More
You wake up in the morning sleepy and fatigued; the... Read More
I thought this was fitting sense I just experienced a... Read More
I don't want to say people are basically negative but?..if... Read More
Woe is me... life has dealt me a bad hand...... Read More
Remember Des'ree? She had a great song out in 1994,... Read More
Often, I've come across individuals who, while in conversation, will... Read More
What does it take to succeed? How can you move... Read More
I started life writing in the fifth grade. My mother... Read More
As if choreographed and rehearsed the night before, one lays... Read More
At your next staff meeting lead your team through the... Read More
As we enter this holiday season, and this time of... Read More
Would you like to be confident in the things you... Read More
Have you ever considered that you may be subconsciously sabotaging... Read More
" If you have faith as a grain of musterd... Read More
One of the biggest potential problems we face with every... Read More
Before we are able to use the Universal Thought System... Read More
Few people are aware of the thoughts that pass through... Read More
Most of us start the day like we're trying to... Read More
One of our most active senses is sight. What we... Read More
What is a paradigm? In my own words, a paradigm... Read More
The others in the raft didn't seem to share Eddie's... Read More
When I was a young man, even a teenager for... Read More
Positive Attitude Tips |