Over the last 20 years there has been a lot written about affirmations. The power of affirmations is being used for everything, including healing, finding true love, gaining prosperity, attaining the perfect weight and finding the perfect job. Whatever you can dream, there is an affirmation for it.

Yet many of us have read these books and listened to the CDs, and find that the affirmations aren’t working!

Why is it that we can repeat the affirmation a hundred times (just like the book says) but we still aren’t getting what we want?

Affirmations are actually only the first step to attracting what we want. It’s really the “feelings” behind the affirmations that do the work.

If our affirmation is “I positively influence the lives of those I work with,” yet when we say the affirmation we are slouched over, rolling our eyes, and thinking of how much we HATE the people we work with, this affirmation is NOT going to work! We need to get ourselves into the frame of mind where we are willing to believe it. If we are not willing to believe an affirmation, then there is no point in doing it.

Let’s try our affirmation again…. “I positively influence the lives of those I work with.” Sit up straight and smile. Think about how it would feel to be a positive influence on those around you. Think about how great it would feel to radiate an energy that made other people feel better about themselves. Say the affirmation one more time. How does it feel now?

When we get our feelings involved with our affirmations we are physically changing our inner world, which will then create an outer world to match. And this isn’t a new age, airy fairy concept, either, but rather physics, which says “that which is like unto itself is drawn,” (or “as a man thinketh, so he is”).

In the groundbreaking book “Messages from Water,” Japanese scientist Dr. Masaro Emoto shows how our thoughts can change the physical properties of water. The book is filled with stunning photographs of water crystals that have been exposed to different phrases (such as “I Love You,” “Thank You” and “I hate you”). Positive phrases caused the water to form beautiful crystals. Negative phrases left the water, in most cases, unable to even form a crystal.

If the feelings behind these words can affect water in such a manner, imagine what they are doing to us!

Affirmations are a powerful tool for affecting change in our lives, but if we are not feeling it, we are not changing it. Ask yourself how you are feeling when you do your affirmations. If you are feeling good about it, then you are on your way!