The Power of Positive Affirmations

Some say that both positive thoughts and negative thoughts hold equal power. If you believe you’re destined to failure—in your career, in your relationship, or in your life overall— you will be more likely to fail. But if you surround yourself with positive statements and believe that success and happiness are choices you can make consciously, you’ll be more likely to accomplish what you set out to do. 

While some may consider this wishful thinking, countless happy and successful people swear by the power of a positive attitude, and the way that positive self statements can help you radiate positive energy and manifest success. 

Positive energy and positive affirmations 

In case you’re new to the whole idea, positive affirmations are statements that are meant to be repeated over and over again until they stick. They’re phrased in the present tense and declare whatever it is you want to be true about yourself—as though it were already true. 

Think of these positive daily affirmations as an intentional self-fulfilling prophecy—a method for encouraging positive changes by filling your mind with positive self-talk, banishing negative thinking and related negative feelings. 

Daily positive affirmations can help improve your whole outlook on life when you say or write them down regularly. While there is no substitute for therapy when you're struggling with anxiety or depression, a positive mindset has been shown to increase self-esteem and improve one’s overall state of mind. 

So whether it’s more financial freedom you’re after, a stronger relationship, higher confidence, better health, or a job that makes you happy, you’d do well to consider incorporating the power of positive thinking into your everyday life. 

What science says about positive affirmations

If you're ready and willing to cultivate better mental health and learn how to practice self love through positive affirmations, you’ll find they are a wonderful (and super accessible) place to begin. 

This isn’t just hearsay, either. Research supports the idea that the words we choose matter, and that the way we talk to ourselves matter. A strong positive affirmation can help you reduce stress, and even increase the neural pathways in your brain. Other research found that saying or writing down positive affirmations can help students develop a deeper sense of belonging, and improved grades. Repeating affirmations daily can even help boost your overall physical health too.

While you can definitely dream up your own inspiring phrases to use as positive affirmations or consult a list of self confidence quotes, it can help to have a go-to list!

Positive self-talk

We've addressed the basic concept of negative self-talk, but it never hurts to dig a little deeper. Negative thought processes can be so deeply ingrained we don’t even know they’re happening. 

Here are a few examples:

“I'm not smart enough to do this job.”

“I'm a horrible public speaker—I would just humiliate myself."

“I like him but chances are it won’t work out—I’m a disaster in relationships.”

Many (if not most) of us have negative thoughts like these all the time. What few of us realize is that when we think this way, it actually has an impact on our confidence, mood, outlook, and even on the outcomes in our lives. 

Positive affirmations are a form of positive self-talk meant to overpower the negative, and repeating them can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging ways of thinking. Think of it this way: much like exercises for your physical health, affirmations are exercises for your mind that can reprogram the way you think, and, over time, even the way you act. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking skills!

Daily affirmations for self-love and confidence

The following positive affirmations are simple messages. But repeat them over and over and they just may begin to work their way deeper into your mind—slowly changing your thoughts, along with your reality. 

• I have all the energy I need.
• Today is the day for change.
• Today I will use my talents.
• I am worth it.
• I am here now.
• I am brave, and I stand up for myself.
• I embrace the best version of myself.
• I bring joy to myself and others.
• I let go of the old and welcome the new.
• I persevere. I keep going.
• I release my negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. 
• Today is the beginning of whatever I want.

Should you need a little extra inspiration, look to the following self-love and self-confidence quotes by people famous for their wisdom on the subject:

“I am in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing.” —Louise Hay

“You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing.” —Ram Dass

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” —Brené Brown

“Make way for the unprecedented and watch your reality rearrange yourself.” —Yrsa Daley-Ward

“Am I good enough? Yes I am.” —Michelle Obama

“The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that, but I Am.” —Eckart Tolle

Positive affirmations for women

The positive affirmations listed in the following categories for women and kids can of course be used interchangeably—there’s no need to be boxed in! That being said, sometimes it helps to have a set of personalized daily affirmations catered to your needs specifically. 

• I love and accept my body unconditionally.
• I am stronger every day. The choices I am making are helping my children, too.
• I can do this. I am confident.
• It is worth the wait.
• When I make a mistake, I forgive myself.
• My own needs matter.
• I am the exact parent my child needs, and I don’t compare myself to others.
• I will accept how this day unfolds—with grace and positivity.
• I deserve time for myself. There is no need for guilt or apology.
• I give myself credit for what I do each day.
• I am strong and am I proud of myself.
• I deserve someone who adores me as I am.

If you need a little more, there’s nothing like the wise words of inspiring women to help get you where you’re going:

“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” —Audre Lord

“Your perspective is unique. It’s important and it counts.” —Glenn Close

“Good riddance to decisions that don't support self-care, self-value, and self-worth.” —Oprah

“Your life is already a miracle of chance waiting for you to shape its destiny.” —Toni Morrison

“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.” —Elizabeth Gilbert 

“Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” —Roy T. Bennett

Positive affirmations for kids

Kids and young adults, in particular, can always use more positive thinking in their lives. By learning how to think more positively, kids can start believing in themselves and working toward their unique potential.

• I only compare myself to myself. 
• I believe in my goals and dreams.
• I am perfect as I am.
• My mistakes help me learn and grow.
• Today is going to be a great day.
• It’s okay not to know everything.
• I stand up for what I believe in.
• I can do anything I put my mind to.
• Good things are coming.
• I am an original.
• Today I am going to shine.
• I can change the world.

For a little more, the kids in your life may also benefit from the following positive affirmation quotes:

“Who you are inside is what helps you make and do everything in life.” —Mr. Rogers

“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

—Dr. Seuss

“Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” —John Wooden

“No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers.” —Wolfgang Riebe

“The time is always right to do what is right.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” —Maya Angelou

Positive affirmations for financial prosperity

Positive affirmations for one’s career, or financial success may seem like a real long shot, but you’d be surprised how many truly successful people make use of positive affirmations. Whether it’s inspiration for your Monday, or an overall pick-me-up you require, these may just do the trick.

• I will achieve all of my goals. 
• I welcome and accept praise.
• I have faith in myself and my future.
• I get closer to completing my goals everyday.
• When my need is strong enough, I will find a way.
• I am committed to becoming the person I want to become.
• My mind is like a river. I will bend as needed.
• Success is in my future.
• I will transcend all distractions and keep my eye on the prize.
• Where others see a challenge, I see a new an opportunity.
• I have a growth mindset.
• I have come so far already, and I go further everyday.

If you’re not quite convinced, take it from the following highly successful people:

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” —Confucius

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I’m possible!’.” —Audrey Hepburn

“Failure is just another way to learn how to do something right.” —Marian Wright Edelman

"Your crown has been bought and paid for. Put it on your head and wear it.” —Maya Angelou

"Hold up your head! You were not made for failure, you were made for victory.” —Anne Gilchrist

Affirmation quotes for wellbeing

There is an undeniable link between mind and body, which is why positive affirmations geared at health and wellbeing—be it emotional, mental, or physical—hold tremendous power. 

• I make healthier decisions everyday.
• I deserve rest and relaxation.
• My body deserves respect.
• My body is a healer. 
• I patiently allow my body to heal and transform.
• My body deserves to be taken care of, so I nourish it with good food.
• I radiate energy, vitality, and wellbeing.
• My body is healthy. My mind is healthy. I am ready.
• I am fit and strong. I exercise to tone my body and mind.
• Today my body will become stronger.
• My mind is focused and ready to get in shape.
• I am kind to myself.

For added inspiration, look to the following positive affirmation quotes:

“Conscious breathing is my anchor.” —Thích Nhất Hạnh

“The perfect moment is this one.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” —Maya Angelou

“I'm giving you permission to root for yourself and while you're at it root for those around you, too.” —Mindy Kaling

“The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.” —Nicholas Sparks

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” —Dalai Lama 

Positive affirmations for greater joy

Sometimes we get so caught up in wondering how to manifest love, success, or better health that we forget to choose happiness. The following positive affirmations can help bring greater joy into your life if you let them.

• Happiness is everywhere I choose to see it.
• My future is full of light and laughter.
• I am at peace with my past.
• I will not ruin a good today by thinking about a bad day yesterday.
• I’m hereby make the rest of my life the best of my life.
• I accept happiness into every moment of the day.
• I am worthy of feeling happy.
• My happiness comes from within.
• I will find joy in everything I do.
• I share my happiness with others.
• I will follow my joy all the way to my best life.
• My inner joy is the source of all the good in my life.

If you need more, look to the following inspiring people for a dose of joyful wisdom:

“Your life is about to be incredible.” —Tim Storey

“Every day above earth is a good day.” —Ernest Hemingway

“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.”  —Muhammed Ali

“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” —Roald Dahl

“We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” —Joseph Campbell

“Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.” —Chuck Palahniuk

Daily positive affirmations to inspire positive thinking

Sometimes, what we really need affirmations for the most is to reinforce the habit of positive thinking itself! The following self-affirmation quotes hold the power to boost your positive energy. Will you harness it?

• I will not worry about tomorrow. First, I will enjoy today.
• This too shall pass. Things can and will get better.
• Challenges help me grow stronger.
• I have the power to change my story.
• I choose to respond to this challenge with grace and positivity.
• I choose positivity and happiness and I see both wherever I look.
• I am grateful for the lessons I will learn today.
• I notice my negative thoughts disintegrating.
• It’s easy for me to tune out the negative.
• My positivity is a force to be reckoned with. 
• Inhale love, exhale love.
• I choose life.

For further inspiration, look to the following positive affirmation quotes famous for their use by others:

“If you really think small, your world will be small. If you think big, your world will be big.”

—Paulo Coelho

“Gratitude is a celebration we are all invited to.” —Cleo Wade

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” —William Shakespeare

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” 

—Winston Churchill

The bottom line

The power of positive affirmations starts simply. Choose one (or several) affirmations from this list, or create your own, and try repeating them to yourself everyday for ten days—for starters. 

Whenever you feel yourself descending into negative self-talk, rewind and rephrase your sentence. Be patient and kind with yourself, and you’re sure to reap all the goodness you have coming to you.