Developmental Growth Stage Seven:

19 Years to the End of Life

The affirmations you need to believe you are a capable, lovable, powerful person with value equal to others are best learned while you are going up. However, it may be that your parents didn't know how to give you words of encouragement or show you what you needed to know. Very likely your parents hadn't been given these affirmations when they were growing up and, therefore, couldn't pass on a lesson they didn't realize was important.

So now it may be time for you to give yourself some of the affirmations you missed earlier in life.

One way to see if there's a lesson you've missed is to reread the previous pages and notice which statements might help you today. Then, using the same words, or choosing others that convey the same meaning, let those affirmations soak into your whole being, just as you would if a loving parent had said them to you.

At the very least, I suggest you send yourself a quick e-mail of an affirmation that is particularly important for a situation in your life today. Just use the Notes to Myself feature. (If you haven't yet read the instructions, see the introduction of Notes to Myself.) Keep the e-mail you send yourself either in your inbox or in a special folder. That way you can open it whenever you need to reinforce the power of the affirmation—helping to make it a significant part of your life.

© Copyright 2002, by Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT — Close window and return to introduction