MakeUsWell

All of Us

Affirmations

by Alison Acerra


Alison Acerra is a Registered dietitian nutritionist. Alison has decades of experience and combines nutrition and other fields creatively to help individuals and businesses.

MakeUsWell edited Alison's write-up for clarity and length.


In the Beginning

One day, I took the plunge and started my own business. I didn't know then how important a daily mindset practice was. This helped me to focus, stay motivated, and get back up everytime I felt knocked down!

I experimented with lots of things. Most recently it's been affirmations. I didn't believe they worked. But awesome stuff happened in my daily routine, when I included affirmations.

My affirmations began to replace the fear that tried to run the show and keep me stuck. Kinda like this:

Negative thought enters -->

I'm aware of it  -->

I instinctively summon my affirmations -->

Negative thought is challenged/replaced with something much more helpful and positive -->

Positive emotions consistently made my mindset healthier. This helped me to achieve my goals, and increased my resilience when stress barged in.


Consistent affirmations may change neural pathways that form thoughts around our self worth and esteem. These positive thoughts lead to more positive emotions and a better mindset. This helps change the way we behave so we can build better habits over time.

As we build better habits, we begin to act in more positive ways, conducive and supportive of the life we are seeking to build.


An Example in Action

One day, I took the plunge and started my entrepreneurial journey as a Nutrition Coach. I sought quiet, solitude, and stillness. No phone or internet. I ate nourishing meals and took long walks in Northern California's redwoods.

I began to feel my heart. I heard my intuition and my healthiest whole self speaking to me. These sensations became pronounced and persistent. It was clear to me. Every personal and professional experience has led me here.

This was indeed my time.I trusted these messages deeply. The excitement and the sense of power they brought me resonated. I knew I was on the right path.

And yet, as quickly as this secure, powerful, assured voice spoke, so did the judging, hyper-critical one. Who do you think you are? What makes you think you can do this? Who will listen? Who will follow? You aren’t ready. You will fail.

This voice was my old "friend"—the protector. It protected me by keeping me small and safe from the failure, criticism and the world's harsh judgement. My inner benevolence and my inner critic battled. My inner critic often won. I felt paralyzed with fear and crippling self-doubt.

I would call a potential new client. I didn’t hear back. The immediate thought… ”Give up. She isn’t interested in what you have to offer.”

On these days, there seemed to be no path forward.

And yet I knew there was no other option. I wanted to build my business. I have to will it into existence. My “protector” needed to be vanquished. And the soul-serving voice needed to be omnipresent and amplified.

This moment birthed my affirmation practice.

A mentor shared a 20-minute guided affirmation framework. It resonated.  Each morning, I got up and devoted 20 minutes. Gradually, I felt a shift in my body. Excitement and inspiration flooded my mind.

The voice of doubt and self-criticism got quieter and quieter. Each time it entered, I was instantly aware. It shifted the thought to one that was kind, loving, and compassionate.

Over time, the same inspiration and sense of aliveness permeated more daily moments. I deleted my scarcity thinking and adopted an abundance mindset.  As I changed my habits, I developed greater ease, trust, and patience with the process. And my actions changed too.

I was more confident when I contacted a prospect. Instead of assuming she didn’t want to talk, my affirmative voice said, “If she is ready to do the work to change her health, we will talk. Try again.” A day later she responded. 2 days later she was a client.