Overcoming Shyness with Affirmations

I know when I was at my lowest point with social anxiety, I felt a sense of hopelessness. My self-image was poor, and I had low self-esteem. I would look at so-called "normal" people and wish I could be someone else, anyone else. In a nutshell, I saw myself as a Victim of Shyness and Social Anxiety.

The Victim mentality is so prevalent in today's society that it has become archetypal-a self-defeating pattern of behavior that is so deeply ingrained in our subconscious that we will continue to live it out daily until we rewrite that subconscious script.

Victims are ungrounded. They see themselves as being at the mercy of forces outside their control. If your shyness or social phobia comes with embarrassing physical symptoms, you may feel your body has betrayed you. You feel disconnected, like a disembodied consciousness floating in a bubble through space. The Victim has to get past blaming and feeling ashamed.

We have to get over the idea that our body has betrayed us. We need our bodies to move through and interact with our social world. We need to feel comfortable in our bodies. Actually, in its own simple way, our subconscious is trying to help. We perceive the social situation as a threat; the subconscious wants to help so it kicks things up a notch into "fight or flight" mode-adrenaline pumping, heart racing, sweat pouring. If we are so thoroughly embarrassed that we never go out in public again, the subconscious has done its job-it has neutralized the threat!

Getting over the Victim mentality first requires that we take responsibility for ourselves. That means realizing that we are not powerless, that we do have choices. We are not at the mercy of forces beyond our control; we can take back control of our lives!

First of all, it is important to realize that we can control our thoughts and feelings. Our subconscious scripts are so powerful because they run on autopilot. But we can consciously break right into the unfolding script as soon as we recognize that we are starting to act out the Victim pattern. Once we become aware, it is matter of practice to derail those negative trains of thought and replace them with more positive thoughts.

The archetype of the Mother, Earth Mother, or Nurturing Parent is the counterbalance needed for the Victim archetype. Nurturing here is primarily self-nurturing, a matter of becoming a good "Mother" to yourself. The Mother archetype teaches us how to take care of ourselves, how to look after our needs, how to love ourselves.

Our inner child needs to know it is safe, secure, and loved. Nurture your inner child, and you will begin to see positive changes in your life.

Affirmations can reinforce the positive changes you want to make as you begin to take control of your life. They can also help to rewrite your behavioral scripts at a subconscious level. Stick with your affirmations and you can literally rewire your brain!

Say these affirmations aloud to yourself in the mirror everyday. When you say it, believe it, and visualize yourself as the person you want to be!

1. When I am aware of my negative feelings, I can let them go.
2. I am confident and relaxed in all my undertakings.
3. I excel in all situations by being attentive to detail.
4. I am appreciated for my work.
5. I am caring and cared for.
6. I feel accepted for who I am.
7. I am adventurous.
8. I love to explore new places and try new activities.
9. The people I meet fascinate me.
10. I feel profound enjoyment in everything I do.
11. I see the opportunity for meaningful human connections all around me.
12. My body language tells people that I am confident, open, and approachable.
13. I enjoy meeting people.
14. People enjoy meeting me.
15. I expect things to work out well, and they do.
16. I am always conscious of what I want to happen.
17. I am always conscious of how I want to be.
18. I am fully present and attuned to the world around me.
19. Peace, love, and joy emanate from me.
20. I am at home in the world.