Affirmations are statements we think or say to ourselves or other people. An example of an affirmation you may have heard is Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better'. This may sound quaint and old fashioned, which is not surprising, as it was written by Dr Emile Coue, who ran a clinic in France in the early 20th century. The major part of his method to successfully treat thousands of patients, with many different afflictions, was to repeat this affirmation 20 times, twice a day.

He said he never cured anyone, but taught people to cure themselves. However, these cures certainly did occur and are well documented.

Affirmations themselves can be either positive or negative. Saying This always happens to me' when something goes wrong is an example of a negative affirmation.

Affirmations can be an excellent way to replace negative thoughts and feelings with empowering self beliefs and character traits.

Many Self Improvement Experts and Brain Researchers are convinced that the latest research proves that there is now firm scientific evidence that affirmations, and the thoughts we regularly hold in our minds, actually create our reality, and influence and shape what happens to us in our lives.

Some of this is quite technical and involves physics, quantum mechanics and various other branches of science that I don't really understand. A simple explanation is that there are forces within the universe that we all interact with whether we are aware of it or not. If you are a positive person who always expects the best to happen, inexplicable forces and the power of the universe will actively work for you, to help you make it happen. If you have desires and goals and think about them regularly, and confidently expect them to materialize, you put forces in motion that help you to reach these goals.

Although modern research may be now proving this to be fact, this is actually nothing new. In his classic book written in 1910, "The Science of Getting Rich ?, Wallace D. Wattles talks at length about Original Substance', Thinking Substance' and even Formless Stuff', from which, he claims, everything in the universe comes from. By impressing our thoughts upon Original Substance' we can cause what we think about to be created.

Napoleon Hill often used the term Infinite Intelligence' to describe these same inexplicable forces. In fact, the central principal of Think and Grow Rich', one of the most influential books ever written, is that we become what we think about most. Hill's extensive interviews with the most successful people of his day, led him to believe that our firmly held thoughts and beliefs connect us to greater forces that help us to create our future.

These connections are not made at a conscious level, but through our infinitely more powerful subconscious mind.

By actively using affirmations we feed our minds with positive thoughts that can replace negative and destructive thoughts and feelings. Our subconscious mind accepts what we tell it as fact, then works for us to create the reality we feed it.

There are some essential rules for affirmations.

They must be in the present tense, as if you already have achieved or become whatever it is you want to have or become. Don't use future tense, because you want your subconscious mind to believe what you want is reality, to allow it to set about making it happen. If, for example, you are lacking motivation, or want to overcome procrastination, try saying I am action orientated and enjoy making things happen and getting results', or similar, as if it is a definite fact.

Affirmations must be worded positively, you should never use negatives. They must always be about what you want, not what you don't want. For example, if you want to overcome shyness, don't say I am not shy with people'. Instead, say something like I feel confident and relaxed in any situation'.

They should also be short and specific, and written down, at least until you remember them verbatim.

You must then take the time to repeat your affirmations, ideally at a time of day when you can clear you mind and concentrate on them without distraction. They will be particularly effective if combined with visualization and/or meditation techniques.

Do affirmations really work? I doubt if there is anyone involved in personal development in any way that would dispute, that we attract, gravitate towards, and become what we spend most time thinking about.

Affirmation certainly won't work without belief. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of deliberately talking to yourself, even if it's not out loud, it's unlikely they will have much impact. But don't forget that we all have plenty of internal dialogue going on anyway, a lot of which could well be negative and destructive. With practice and persistence, affirmations can help to ensure that more of our internal dialogue is positive.

If we change what we think and say to ourselves, we can change what we believe. We're almost certain to change our actions, which in turn will help us change our results, our reality and our lives.

"It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. ? - Muhammad Ali