Hello folks!  With all of the stress of the holidays upon us, I wanted to take some time to share a few of my favorite positive affirmations with you.  I am a very visual person, so I find it helpful to have uplifting affirmations all around me.  I have them taped to my desk, computer, and in my planner.  I also have a spread in my art journal dedicated to positive affirmation.  I have talked in past posts about the power that our words have.  Whether or not you choose to let that power be good or bad all depends on how you affirm yourself and others.  One thing that I have learned is that positive affirmation starts with yourself. Have you ever been on an airplane and heard the flight attendant go through the instructions should the oxygen masks deploy?  As you probably already know, the flight attendant will ALWAYS instruct you to put on your mask first, before helping anyone else.  Just as putting on your own oxygen mask on a plane allows you to then help others with theirs, positively affirming yourself is the first step you must take before you can bring positive energy into the lives of others.

This post was born from a not-so-positive place.  Although I strive to be optimistic and stay positive as often as possible, a lot of times I fall short, and in those times, I know that I need to take time to reset and readjust my attitude.  Milo and I received some really devastating news yesterday, and for the past 24 hours I have been moping around, full of negativity.  Life definitely knows how to throw you lemons, and yesterday I felt like throwing the lemons back at life rather than making lemonade or margaritas from them.  Today is a new day though, and I vow to get back to my normally-positive self.  To reiterate my commitment to staying positive, I signed The Positive Pledge by Jon Gordan, and I hope that many of you will do the same.  The Positive Pledge is completely in line with everything that The Karma Cottage is about:  using positive energy to support yourself and others.  The pledge is below, and I encourage you all to visit Jon’s site www.thepositivepledge.com, and make a commitment today to stay positive, even when you are handed a bowl full of lemons!  With a little sugar and the right attitude, you’ll sweeten up that sour taste before you know it! 😉

See some of my favorite affirmations in this excerpt from my art journal below:

Carly Marie is an artist and the author of many beautiful affirmations, one of my favorites being “Warm Spirit.”  Her website Project Heal offers healing affirmations as she deals with her own journey to find healing.  If you ever feel overwhelmed, anxious, or like you aren’t good enough, this gentle affirmation is soothing to the mind, body, and spirit.  Check out her many other beautiful affirmations here.

I hope that you all are able to take something positive away from today’s post.  Sometimes it’s hard to feel positive, especially when you are stressed out, angry, sad, or frustrated.  Life isn’t perfect, and it’s important to remember that there are tools to get you out of that rut.  Positive affirmations are very powerful tools that help you refocus your energy to the many wonderful, joyful, sweet parts of life.  For more tips and tools to keep it positive, visit my Pinterest board “Positive Energy.”   Namaste!