Here are a few of my newly created self-affirmations but before we get into them allow me to explain the general idea behind this concept. Ideally, affirmations help to fortify any number of characteristics unique to the human being. There are occasions when we may want to pick out attributes that need to be reinforced in our lives. So for instance, if Tracey finds herself overly angry and quarrelsome, it may be to her advantage to reflect on qualities that go contrary to her disposition, hence affirmations based on loving kindness & forgiveness may help her to override or soften her irritableness and in turn foster conditions by which to better relate with others and attain more peace of mind.
Another important feature of developing a positive self-affirmation is that it enables us to create our own lives. Rather than blindly accept the scripts imposed upon us through family, friends and media, affirmations are a means to establish and strengthen the values we actively choose to live by. Repetition being a sensible way to condition ourselves, it is helpful to repeat self-affirmations again and again. The more colourful the affirmation is articulated, so as to engage all our senses and the more vivid they appear in our imagination, the more substance the mind has to work with to manifest. Without further ado, here are four of my recent creations in the form of a couplet:
How delightful it is for me to mindfully eat nutritious food,
And as a result improve my equanimity & daily mood.
My moderate diet enhances my concentration & focus,
Enabling good choices to stem from my inner locus.
There is much joy in learning through empathic listening,
A loyal means of building trust, to keep our heart a glistening.
What deep abiding gratitude grows in my heart each day,
While contemplating beauty, goodness & truth in its vast array.
Let’s address the first affirmation in order to explain the reasoning process of phrasing it as is. Right from the get go we have a positive emotion associated with the desired behaviour to be enacted. Then we have the active agent by which to acquire the desired result, namely mindfulness coupled with healthy eating habits. In the end we have the objective to be attained, that is equanimity and better moods, qualities that aid one in alleviating suffering or enhancing well-being, which incidentally reveals a significant aspect of my value system.
So now that we have taken a basic look at the ins and outs of my analytical approach to crafting affirmations, it would be my pleasure to read your favorite self-affirmation. Why not string one together and exercise it for a month. At the very least it will serve as a reminder to keep your values in the forefront of your day.
Love & light
JY
Philosopher Muse 
Perhaps not exactly an affirmation but a vow I declared publicly on October 14, 2016 in the presence of 23 other people working together for six full days on their negative patterns:
“I vow to embrace and spread love and compassion with abundant joy.”
That is quite a mission you got on the go! What is your means of spreading love & compassion? And what is your end goal?
Good question, Jason. There’s no strategic or tactical plan to fulfill the vow. It’s more an amalgam of intentions and actions. In any given setting it might involve elements of kindness or giving or simply listening. In other spaces it could be through overt (or sublime) messaging or conversation. I treat each encounter with sentient beings as an opportunity to convey light and joy. I’m a fairly engaging personality and I do some public speaking – often on topics I consider to be meaningful and significant. I also travel (measurably for pleasure) and create time to interact with intriguing or seemingly lost strangers. There is no end goal; it’s a mission I have chosen to take on, indefinitely. Might this brief reply have answered your query?
Sounds like a marvellous orientation for your journey Eric. Thank you for sharing it with me.