Affirmations for the Self

I've been doing a lot of reading on Self-Esteem.  As you all know, mine requires a bit of work.  Many times I am too hard on myself and I always think about what I could do better over what I've done well.  Sadly, I'm not alone.  There are many of us out there that struggle with liking and appreciate ourselves and what we have to offer.  Too many of us are quick to knock ourselves down and slow to recognize our successes.

According to Glenn R Schiraldi, the author of The Self-Esteem Workbook, self-esteem can be improved vastly with cognitive therapy arguing that those with self-esteem think about personal failings and challenges differently.  Therefore, by challenging negative thought patterns and creating a "habit" of positive thinking, people with initially low self-esteem will begin to feel better about themselves and their behavior providing positive reinforcement toward all future actions.   He states that "by focusing on what is 'wrong' with themselves, people without self-esteem feel deficient and inadequate.   They become defeated, losing motivation and the joy of experiencing oneself as worthwhile.  If they do push themselves to grow, they do so with perfectionistic standards, in a driven and joyless fashion that paradoxically impairs success.  People with self-esteem, by contrast, acknowledge the rightness of the core, despite the rough edges and imperfections.  By focusing on what is right, they motivate themselves to grow with a carrot, not a stick."

In his book, he provides many positive sentences to say to yourself on a daily basis through meditation that he details.  Of course, I've found modern day meditation to be a bit challenging.   Sitting in silence and focusing on each thought multiple times will be very difficult for me.  I'm not good with sitting still for very long with a long lists of positive affirmations to reflect on.  However, I'm very good with prayer: a form of meditation in it's own way.   So I've tried to take many of his sentences and ideas in his book as a whole, reword them and move them around a bit, to create a "self-affirmation prayer."  My hope is that through constant reading and rereading, I'll be able to find a flow and structure to the words to the point where it become part of memory.  That way, during difficult times, I can (hopefully) recite it without needing it in front of me.  Really, that's sort of the point of most meditation anyway.  I'll more than likely have to reword it further and change it's structure.  Formulating poetry and prayer is not one of my strongest suits but hopefully, I'll figure out a way to make it work.  Anyway, here is what I came up with for now.  Remember, most of these words are his, not mine.  What's mine is the formatting.    Feel Free to use it to make it work for yourself though.

Affirmations for the Self

We are all born with infinite, eternal, and unconditional worth.

Since worth is internal, it can never be strengthened nor diminished. 

Since worth is equal, it is not comparative or competitive.

Since worth is stable, it cannot be lost, taken, or destroyed.

All worth exists in the core of a person.  It doesn’t have to be earned or proven. 

Our core is beautiful, lovable, and full of potential. 

I will feel stable and secure inside because I rightly regard my core worth.

I am a worthwhile person. 

I am aware of my strengths and I respect them.

I am capable of applying the time, effort, patience, training, and assistance needed to live well.

Criticism is external: I examine it for ways to improve but it doesn’t affect my worth.

My behavior is not my core: I examine it for ways to improve but it doesn’t affect my worth.

I notice and enjoy each sign of achievement or progress, no matter how insignificant it seems.

I enjoy new challenges and don’t get upset when things do go well immediately.

I accept myself because I realize that I am more than my foible, mistakes, or any other externals.

I generally show sound judgment in relationships and work.

The work I do is generally good quality; I expect to do many worthwhile things in my life.

I can usually earn people’s trust and affection through sincere and respectful treatment; if not, that’s okay.

I expect others to like me; if not, that’s okay too.

I can influence others with well-reasoned viewpoints that I can present and defend effectively.

I can make a difference in people’s lives by what I contribute.

I enjoy making others feel happier and glad for the time we shared.

I like myself without comparison to others.

I am glad to be unique.

I have many attributes and qualities to offer to others.

I can laugh at some of the ridiculous things I do.

Overall, I think well of myself: this is good.