Photo by Sapan Patel on Unsplash

I remember when #affirmations started popping up. I remember cringing at videos of someone repeating something positive to themself like “I am beautiful” into the camera. To say the least, I was skeptical that something as simple as affirming a positive belief could change so much about your life. It surely takes more than that, right?

Before we get to the answer, please let me tell you a story.

It was around 2021 and I was a mess. There were so many new things going on in my life: new puppy, new home, living on my own. Also, the pandemic was still raging on outside. I was at home alone most of the time and just could not get out of this pit of despair that I had dug for myself. I was so low, so angry, so not me. I just felt like I couldn’t get out of my funk and I couldn’t find hope for the future. I just wanted to make it to night time so that I could go to sleep and be done for the day.

The craziest thing is that I didn’t even realize that I wasn’t my normal self because I had been on this downhill path for so long. I thought that this dark time was my normal, my default. To say that my personal life was strained was a polite way to say it. I came to a crossroads — continue on the easy path downhill where I’d certainly lose what was precious to me, or take my first few steps up towards a different path.