Stoicism and the Power of Positive Affirmations

Throughout the journey of life, there have been two items that have been life-changing, in terms of helping me to achieve far greater emotional resilience and peace of mind: stoicism and the use of positive affirmations. While it may seem somewhat obvious as to what positive affirmations are (they are essentially positive statements you say or write to yourself), perhaps far fewer people have heard of, or understand what exactly stoicism is.

I can't promise you that your life and mental well-being will unconditionally change your life situation, if you active adopt these principles as a part of your everyday life. However, what I can promise you is that by consciously and deliberately adapting these two actions [positive affirmations and stoicism] into your daily life, you will at the very least, challenge your perspective about your life. This will in-turn almost inevitably lead you to adapting a more positive world view of circumstances in your life, so that you have the highest possible chance of reaching a higher state of emotional peace, content, and (hopefully) inner joy.

Let's begin by briefly discussing stoicism…

What is Stoicism?

Stoicism is an ancient philosophy, originating in Ancient Greece and Rome. Championed by such Greek luminaries as Marcus Aurelius, it operated on the notion that the Universe was controlled by reason. It was founded on the idea that pursuing a high level of virtue ultimately led to the highest good, helping an individual cultivate emotional self-control and rational judgment, when it came to viewing the circumstances of one's existence.

More compellingly, Stoicism was a philosophy that emphasized de-attachment or indifference. Whether it is pain, pleasure, sorrow, or joy, Stoicism championed the notion to remain neutral to emotional stimuli, whereby choosing reason as gauge of the events, situations, and circumstances of one's life.

What exactly does all this mean?

In a nutshell, Stoicism reiterates that most things in life are outside of one's control. However, the one thing a person has control over is how they view events, i.e. the thoughts and emotions attached to the situations that occur to the person.

Thus, a person can consciously choose to avoid pain over the circumstances of their lives by choosing to remain detached from the emotions that always accompany events.

In other words, they become stoic: mentally and emotionally neutral from any perceived misfortune that they may be experiencing.

By confronting one's own opinion about situations, a person can realize that the "facts" that they think exist (for example, bad things are always happening) may not be entirely correct. This metamorphosis of attitude empowers a person to take back control of their emotions, adopting far more healthier thoughts by realizing that they are the ones who can decide whether to feel good or bad about a circumstance, rather than automatically assuming that something is 'bad' (or good) simply because it can't be any other way.

This is some heavy stuff, huh?

I know what you are going to say: "this is easier said than done! How could one remain completely neutral to ALL the situations that a person experiences in life? What if you break-up with your girlfriend; or your dog gets run over by a car, or your grandma dies? Are you supposed to essentially remain numb to all these events?"

No, you are not.

However, you can decide how much suffering you will attach to these circumstances.

Events happen because they happen. Call it fate, destiny, whatever. You don't control the universe; the universe controls the universe! You are only a tiny, tiny piece in the infinite puzzle of the cosmos. Things will happen all the time that will not feel good. Events WILL happen that will lead to you feeling pain. It's inevitable.

The reality is that you and only you, get to decide how much (if any pain) you are willing to allow yourself to suffer. Ultimately, many situations that happen in your life just happen: It's not your fault. It's not because you are a bad person. It is because you yelled at your mom or called your best friend fat (though I wouldn't recommend doing any of those). It's simply because you cannot control most circumstances in life. Stuff happens. That's just how life plays out.

Your thoughts and emotions are not powerful than you are. YOU are infinitely more powerful! You get to decide when to allow something to bring a smile to your face, or to break down in an El Niño-size tear contest of sadness.

You have the ultimate power and control over how you

think and feel, it's not the other way around.

Take a moment to really, really ponder that last statement.

Positive Affirmations

As previously stated, positive affirmations are positive statements. They are phrases and or statements that when repeated (out loud or internally), they can DRASTICALLY help an individual learn to challenge their own negative beliefs and self-talk. This in turn helps an individual learn to build-up their own self-worth and self-esteem, so that they are able to live a much more positive, productive life.

There are literally endless possible combinations of positive affirmations that one can adopt, as part of their daily 'life ritual', to usher in positive change in their life.

What [statements and phrases] work for you is entirely subjective. Not everyone will need to use the same exact positive affirmations because everyone's life is completely different. Individuals will be drawn to certain affirmations, compared to others. Our individual needs for positive mental growth are incredibly unique to every person.

However, I do believe that ALL positive affirmations can serve to offer some benefit to the person who practices, regardless of their personal life circumstance(s).

Some examples of positive affirmations may include statements such as:

"I accept myself."

"I am beautiful."

"I am safe and secure."

"I always get what I want."

"I am worthy of love and success."

"I am enough just as I am."

There is an infinite number of possible combinations of positive affirmations that one can incorporate into their daily life. One should not be daunted by the fact; they should be encouraged! The bottom line is that it is totally possible to shift one's mindset to a positive state of being. That is a good thing! An individual's natural, organic state of being is one of self-love, for are good enough just as are. It simply makes no sense to think or feel any other way but goodabout oneself.

What is so amazing about positive affirmations is that they are so simple, yet incredibly effective to use. Consistently dedicating just a few minutes a day to say, thinking, or even writing out these affirmations can have dramatic, life-changing affects. One can learn to re-wire their brain towards adopting a more affirmative mindset; a mental state which always sees the good in any situation, instead of laser-focused on the bad. More importantly, an individual shifts their perspective in the direction of self-love and self-worth, which will automatically usher in more positive people and experiences into one's life. The truth is that maintaining a positive disposition will create a better quality of life and attract more favorable circumstances into an individual's life.

Positivity begets positivity; negativity brings about negativity.

Combining positive affirmations with a stoic philosophy to life is a fantastic way of creating the life you have always wanted. A life that YOU deserve!

Is there a connection?

I'm sure you have noticed by now that I have grouped both stoicism and positive affirmations into this article. There is a reason for this. Both items really play off one another. They complement one another impeccably. While stoicism teaches an individual to question their emotional response to events or situations, positive affirmations equip an individual with the tools needed to shift their thought process to a state of positivity. It's like mashed potatoes and gravy, or ketchup and French fries: Stoicism and positive affirmations go perfectly together, enhancing the "emotional flavor" (so to speak) that one will begin to feel, regarding how they view their individual lives.

What to do next

I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with both stoicism and positive affirmations. A 10-second Google search will give more than enough information to get your started down the path of mental and emotional peace of mind.

As mentioned before, I would dedicate at least a few minutes a day, every day to repeating positive affirmations to oneself. While any method of repeating them is useful, i.e. saying them out loud, thinking about them, listening to them, or writing them out several times on a piece of paper, I personally find speaking them out loud to oneself (during the day); and listening to them at night before bed are the most effective techniques for successfully internalizing them into one's psyche. You can choose to utilize all the above-mentioned methods or just a combination of whatever manner feels effective to yourself.

The choice is entirely yours. Different methods will work differently for different people.

For example, if you choose to say them out loud to yourself, you may be concerned that you are going to come across as being "weird" or "crazy".

I don't believe that is the case, at all.

In fact, a large percentage of people talk to themselves out loud on a consistent basis. Obviously, if you're standing in line at your local Starbucks, it would probably not be appropriate to talk to yourself out load (people will not react out well to you!).

Still, when you have a moment of quiet solitude (like when one is making breakfast in the morning, or sitting in their car, heading to work), one should take the opportunity to spend a few minutes talking lovingly to themselves. No one will judge you. The only judgment is the one you place on yourself.

It's not necessary to self-critique oneself [by saying affirmations] because all things considered, all you are doing is realigning yourself to your natural state of being: You are returning to the state of self-love and self-acceptance which we all come into this world possessing (if you don't believe me, observe children and witness their constant state of wonder and joy); but which over time, we often begin to lose, as we grow up and view ourselves (and the world) as being less and less perfect and abundant. Our mentality shifts from possibility to restraint; the grass begins to grow deeper on the other side, as we transition further into adulthood.

It doesn't have to be this way.

There is no law saying that one must be a responsible, mature individual but not possess an unbreakable love and admiration for themselves and the outside world.

Any limit or feeling of lack is self-imposed: it's a product of your own mental state, not what society has placed on you.

So, choose several positive affirmations that resonate with you. Find a moment of quiet solitude every day, and repeat them to yourself, whichever way you find comfortable.

PRO TIP: If you really want to "super-charge" the effect of the positive affirmations, then may I suggest placing your hand over heart, while you speak (or think them to yourselves). I find this method especially effective in helping to re-enforce the positivity that you are speaking to yourself, so that it resonates much, much stronger in your mind.

Of course, the most efficient way to realize the full potential of the positive affirmations is to fully believe what you are telling yourself. Obviously, this may take a little practice, especially if one has suffered from dismal self-esteem and self-worth for long periods of time.

Just to keep things in perspective, I have suffered from low self-esteem and low self-worth for at least thirty years. Suffering from obesity, I have always been a pathological self-conscious individual, who has always metaphorically been a "piece of low-hanging fruit" for bullies and mean people. Being morbidly obese, socially awkward, incredibly shy, and having a bad stutter did absolutely no favors, in me being socially accepted by others.

Yet, I can honestly, sincerely tell you that spending several months of repeating positive affirmations to myself has without a doubt, changed my life for the better! I finally learned to love myself! People have (finally) begin to treat me with respect and worth.

It's disheartening in a way to realize that SO MUCH time can (and is often) wasted by people simply not knowing or unwilling to simply accept themselves.

While "self-love" is by no means an end-all, cure-all for all of life's challenges, it is undoubtedly the easiest, most productive method of aligning yourself with the necessary tools needed to have the highest possible chance of achieving ultimate life success, whatever that looks like to you. Whether in relationships, business, family relations, or whatever, your best chance of succeeding is really only if you choose to love and accept yourself, imperfections and all.

And Stoicism?

Stoic philosophy parallels the idea of positive affirmations, but in a different matter. Its emphasis is on detachment from the emotional residue (i.e. personal judgment) that life's situations often create within our individual psyches. One must accept ALL that happens in one's life: accepting events and situations as they have occurred, without attaching emotions to these circumstances.

One must learn to accept what is and what is not within their control, while becoming amenable to the assumption that everything happens because it simply happens. Situations are neither good nor bad: they just are. In a much broader sense, obstacles and challenges are viewed not as a form of personal punishment, but rather as an opportunity to learn and grow as a person, to discover one's true purpose and meaning in life.

I like to use a bit of a life hack, to incorporate elements of stoic philosophy into my personal day-to-day life. Much like repeating positive affirmations to oneself, I believe that starting out one's day with a foundation of stoic reasoning not only helps an individual to reinforce not just a positive mindset, but it works in conjunction with positive affirmations to reaffirm a state of psychological being where one views the world through of equilibrium, devoid of the emotional fluctuations that a person will experience, depending on the events that occur.

In other words, they are calm, level-headed, and acceptive to whatever circumstances come their way. Thus, they are significantly better equipped to effectively manage the trials of life, while aligning much, much closer to a positive state of being.

Every morning (and or any time you need a bit of a reminder or 'pick me up), repeat these seven stoic philosophies to yourself. It does not matter whether you choose to verbalize them internally, out loud, or write them out. What matters is that you are consistentlyreminding yourself of these concepts, until they establish a permanent place in your mental state, i.e. they become your default emotional response to everything that occurs, throughout your day-to-day life.

Try internalizing these stoic ideals, along with your chosen positive affirmations, to create a powerful, one-two punch of positivity, that will surely trickle down into your life:

"I control my thoughts; my thoughts don't control me."

"I face discomfort with calm because growth lives there."

"I protect my peace no matter who or what tries to take it."

"I let go of what I can't control and focus on what I can."

"I rise from setbacks stronger, sharper, and more focused."

"I don't chase approval; I live by my principles."

"I walk with purpose and speak only when it adds power."

Although it often may not seem like it, it's critical to realize that the world doesn't decide who you are, YOU do!

You are power; your words are power; your presence is power.

Everything you say, think, or do is power.

By developing this type of mindset, your outer world must conform to this reality. There simply is no other way. The difficult part is maintaining this cognitive mindset, no matter what life throws at you.

Once you can control yourself, you control your world.

That is the precise moment when miracles happen!

Thank you so much for reading this!

I sincerely appreciate you all!

If you enjoyed this content, please leave a small token of your appreciation by buying me a cup of coffee! buymeacoffee.com/jonmandel