Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf on Unsplash
I hosted a podcast called Health Matters where I interviewed leading health experts. Renee Wiggins, RDN. LD. has coached, trained and changed lives in the health and wellness industry for over 30 years. She strongly believes in and encourages an authentic, healthy lifestyle. Renee specializes in designing customized lifestyle programs that are tailored to clients’ needs, goals and habits.
What are affirmations?
“Affirmations, sayings, are words that will help you get through the day.
“When they say words, when they write or journal on a daily basis, they can overcome anything. I want them to see obstacles as opportunities for something bigger and better.
“These storms are life lessons to make a change in their life for the better. That’s why I wrote “Metamorfosis — Leave the Struggle.”
Can Affirmations Help When You’re Stressed?
“Yeah, because when people just dwell on the negative, like, ‘You’re not going to make it,’ they start criticizing themselves and those negative words come into their heads. That’s all they hear.
“And what happens is they plant those seeds of negative thoughts when they should be planting positive thoughts in their minds.
“I have one: ‘The past has no power over me unless I let it.’ So for your listeners out there, tell them every day to pick and choose an affirmation. Or they can say the same affirmation over and over to help them weather any storm.”
What are the different types of affirmations we can say?
“So many trials, so many failures, but I refuse to accept failure.”
“Dwelling in the past will paralyze me, it will keep me stuck in the present so that I cannot move forward into the future.”
“Or “I’m in the middle of storms while I’m turbulent and unpredictable at times when I’m around for a long time. And other times storms seem to last only for a moment. Whether I’m in a storm, coming out of a storm, or going into a storm, I remember that it’s not the storm that counts, but how I come out in the end.”
“And my mother always says, ‘This too shall pass.’ Everyone has heard of this saying.”
How do affirmations help?
“I really believe in words. There are times when I’m down, and I put my head down and I might want to cry. But I can’t stand this situation for long.
“But when you’re stuck in the negative, when you can’t do that, when you’re empowered by either the divorce or you want to figure out how to pay that bill, etc. , there you will stay.
“But if you wake up and put affirmations or scriptures, even scriptures— God will never leave you nor forsake you — Everywhere around your house, believe me, you see it all the time and you say it, you start to believe it and when you believe it, your attitude and behavior change.”
Why is it important to be with positive people?
“You and I are positive people, Kimberly. But also our friends and family members, people you know you can trust. People who want to see you succeed. People who want to help you. People who are there for you.
“Yes, they may say a harsh word to you, but it is not to bring you down but to keep you up. They don’t want to see you trip, they don’t want to see you fall. They don’t want to see mistakes.
“Yet they know we’re all going to make mistakes, we’re all going to fail, but just as God increases His love, you want them to increase their love, not decrease their love. You don’t want them to turn their backs on you. You want someone to be there for you, someone you can call, someone you can talk to, email, Skype, whatever they choose to do to connect.
“But you want that person to connect. You don’t have to be in the same city, it can be long distances. But the idea is that you want to be able to go to that person and be able to tell them everything you’ve been through and they’ll say, “Okay, you have 5 minutes to cry. Now let’s go to plan B’.
What is the difference between praying and speaking affirmations?
“First, you always want to please God. Don’t go in there “I’m praying for this, I want this, I want that.” Pray to God every day. morning, noon Prayer — prayer to God — He hears you.
“Meditation for me is listening to what he has to say. So the prayer is a prayer, “Lord, please help with this. Give me the strength.’ I don’t pray for a car, I don’t pray for a house. Prayer for the means to get the house or prayer for the means to get the job, but not necessarily materialistic. That to me is what prayer is.
“To build a deeper relationship with God and He listens to you and you listen to Him through meditation.
“Now affirmations, or words or phrases or sentences, that some people say, are to help motivate you, inspire you, and uplift you.
“Repeat them over and over, you put them in your mind, you put them in your blood. Pretty soon you start walking and feeling better because of these affirmations.
“I stand tall. i am beautiful I am strong. I love the body I’m in. Saying such affirmations can help empower, uplift, encourage and motivate you.
“I have one: ‘I’m ready to tear down the walls that hold me back, brick by brick.’ Saying this every day, I see the walls come down. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can see things changing.”
Since talking to Renee, I’ve been more careful about what I say — both to others and to myself.
Although the podcast is no longer available, if you would like a copy of any of the full transcript of the interview, please email me.
This was an excerpt from the Health Matters Podcast, believing that prayer and Bible study are to the spirit what exercise and healthy eating are to the body.
Blessings on your journey to health.
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