Feelings About Positive Affirmations

Reflecting on How Seeing Art with Self-Directed Kindness on it Makes Us Feel

In my office (located in the Mesa Commerce Center at Baseline and Alma School Rd.), I have collected some decor specifically to spark deeper conversation. I have this quirky lamp that looks like a person with arms and legs, so that way you can pose it. In my office, I have that lamp posed near a wall hanging of some positive affirmations.

Now if you look at this photo, these pieces of decor together can appear to have different meanings. To some, the lamp figure looks like it is presenting the affirmations, as if it is saying “Ta-da! Here they are!”, which is both cheesy and positive. To other people, the figure looks like it is dramatically cowering in fear at the affirmations.

Perhaps the way you see it reflects the way you feel about positive affirmations? Some of us find them cheesy, sometimes they are a nice reminder, and some of us hate them. But really, why would seeing phrases like “Your feelings are valid” or “You are worthy and lovable” make you uncomfortable?

Did you learn somewhere that you shouldn’t need to hear that? Does it make you feel child-like to be affirmed? Where did you learn that praise and kind words are something that adults shouldn’t need? Does the affirmation remind you of how much you don’t believe it? Does it remind you of times when others made you feel like these are false? Does it bring up grief for having spent so much time not embracing these feelings?

Therapy is a good place to explore the answers to these questions within yourself. However you feel about positive affirmations, they certainly bring up plenty of discussion about our experiences with feelings, where we can observe our feelings about being reassured about our feelings. I keep this combination of decor in my office because it does exactly what good art is supposed to do: it stirs up feelings!