This article is for you. Yes, I mean you. 

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge those who have lost their lives during this time of uncertainty, as well as those who have lost close friends and family. Social distancing has been hard on us all, but it is truly necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is our duty to keep ourselves and each other safe. I know quarantine has been a new experience that has brought on a spectrum of emotions. This is a reminder that social distancing isn’t poison, but rather the key ingredient in your recipe for success!

I would also like to acknowledge any victims of sexual assault and address the growing racial tensions in our country. When the thought of writing an article on affirmations first arose, our biggest problems appeared to be the fact that we can’t go outside or socialize in the ways we’re used to. After about 2 weeks, the issue of racism in this country has crawled back into the limelight after the untimely death of George Floyd.

The way George’s death has been handled, despite a plethora of evidence, has led to protests breaking out and different social media platforms erupting with campaigns, calls to action, and general discussions. The many conversations that took place and continue to take place on each social media site eventually led to the unpacking of many people’s experiences with sexual assault.

To say the least, the whole world is dealing with at least one of these issues. As for myself, I face more than one of these  and wake up everyday to overwhelming and draining emotions. I am a black woman, stuck in quarantine, and although I have not personally suffered from sexual assault; I stand with all victims and have witnessed the culture that allows it to take place. This being said, it is to my understanding that we are all in need of affirmations, especially now more than ever.

We are living in a time that can be very discouraging and sometimes it’s hard to feel motivated, but I’m here to be the voice that knows how you feel and helps you get through it. Compiled in this article are anonymous affirmations and goals that I have received from amazing participants in a random survey. It’s hard being isolated from physical society but quarantine can serve as that quality time for yourself. This is your opportunity for self-reflection and growth. You can do this and you will get through this! Get up, go for a walk, or just sit back and see the different ways you can be your own motivation in order to achieve the things you aspire to:

AFFIRMATIONS OF PERSEVERANCE

“I won’t doubt myself and overthink. I am stronger than I think I am.”

“The climb is tough but the view is worth it.”

“Feel the fear and do it anyway:”

“I don’t chase success, I take success, embrace success. I perpetuate success. I demand success. I surround myself with success. I bleed success. I embody success. I am success. The key to success is me.”

“Failure is never an option”

These affirmations are important because in a time of such discouragement, we must remember that there is always a reason to keep going. Even if we don’t feel it, we atleast 

owe it to ourselves to be strong for ourselves. Feeling unmotivated or afraid is normal, but it’s what we do with these emotions. For victims of sexual assault, your perseverance has allowed you to live with great pain and still fight because you know you are worth more than any harm anyone has tried to cause you. For my fellow black queens and kings, WE ARE PERSEVERANCE. Our ability to bounce back and grow is historically proven, to say the very least. We get called names, robbed of opportunities, stripped of what’s rightfully ours; yet we still stand and we still fight because we know our worth.

AFFIRMATIONS OF SELF LOVE 

“I am beautiful and how I feel matters.”

“You are beautiful, you are loved — this too, in time, shall pass.”

“I am a Diamond.”

“You are kind, you are enough, you will always be enough no matter what”

“I am unique and not everyone can handle that and that’s okay!”

Sometimes it is hard to remember that we are loved, especially in the world we wake up to everyday. What we need to realize is that some of the best love can come from ourselves. It’s so refreshing to revamp the way you see yourself because your opinion of yourself matters most and can easily dictate your day. Whenever you feel neglected, let these affirmations be a reminder that at least one person genuinely loves you. If we can see our flaws, we can also see the good in ourselves. Make yourself feel good about you and learn to love from within. At the bare minimum we are people, and we deserve to feel loved. Self love comes with caring for oneself and accepting oneself. Learning how to do these things can be as easy as affirming yourself of the greatness you are. No one can steal your beauty or any other good qualities from you, no matter how hard they try.

AFFIRMATIONS OF ACCEPTANCE

“Trust in God’s timing.”

“Everything happens for a reason.”

“I am where I need to be and rushing is not needed.”

“Everything that is happening now is happening for my ultimate good & I lоvе and ассерt myself for who I am.”

“I don’t need to worry when something goes wrong. After all every story needs conflict so the protagonist can grow.”

“Don’t rush certain life events and goals based on how others are having theirs. Your life, situations, experience, and choices are as unique as your fingerprints.”

“I am not my mistakes, I will overcome any and all obstacles, and with no rain I wouldn’t grow.”

Acceptance is the final stage before finding peace, not only in death, but in life as well. Learning to accept ourselves and everything around us does not mean we are settling but simply means that we know we deserve peace. Acceptance helps not only relieve environmental stress, but the great deals of pressure we put on ourselves trying to be perfect and control things. We have to accept that we cannot control everything in order to focus on what we truly can control. We have to accept that we are not perfect to focus on the flaws that we can work on. 

AFFIRMATIONS OF HOPE, FAITH, AND SPIRITUALITY

I am beautiful, worthy, capable, a child of God and valued.

Tomorrow will be better than yesterday!

I am full of energy and vitality and my mind is calm and peaceful.

Productivity, self love, & faith

Very similar to other affirmations, especially acceptance, having hope and faith centers us spiritually. Many of us may not be spiritual, but we all have a spirit. Our spirit is our inner self and whether we link that spirit back to a higher power or not, it must be fed with hope and faith in order for us to be in our right mind. We must have hope for the better and faith that it can and will be achieved. Hope and faith set the tone for reinforcement of positive energy in our lives. Whether you believe the explanation is scientific, religious, or anything in between, energy is recycled and it is up to us and what type of energy we want that to be. If we speak affirmations of positivity into the atmosphere we will get it back. 

Affirmations are so useful in life because they add that extra layer of substance that makes the difference between being alive and feeling alive. These reminders of peace and positivity make all the more difference when we apply them to a goal in our lives. When we aspire to something, we need twice as much motivation to keep going. I have compiled goals given to me by anonymous participants in order to represent the many positive expectations and aspirations we can set for ourselves, even in such a negative time:

• “Some goals I have set while in this time in quarantine includes eating healthier and working out. Working on my mental health. And loving myself more.”
• “I will strengthen my relationship with God.”
• “I am exercising everyday for at least 20 minutes not only for health purposes but to help myself de stress”
• “To not allow myself to be thrown off track by what I see. To study more and focus more. To give myself space to feel and move on. To meditate in the morning and at night. To spend less time on social media and find more productive ways to pass time.”
• “While in quarantine, I plan to workout to gain endurance and a figure, get a better skincare routine, and plan for upcoming college semester.”
• “Find new hobbies, Reach out to friends and family more, Spend more time reading, Think of five things daily to be grateful for, Laugh more, Sleep more.
• “Increase my programming skill and make the best out of this time”
• “Work, cook, meditate, socialize”
• And the list goes on…

These are just a fraction of the many goals I have seen being set. Whether short and sweet or descriptive, each of these goals have an intention behind them. Each of these individuals have taken a look and decided what they wanted for themselves and turned that want into a will. We can all do this. Whether you want to work out to build your body, or laugh more to feel happier and loosen up, these are all things being done to get the most out of life.

Sure, there is A LOT going on in the world so I understand every discouraged heart and scrambled mind; but we are worth too much to let the world define us without fighting back. Whether you’re battling issues head on, like protesting or verbally advocating; OR working behind the scenes to be your best self, you are becoming the change you want to see. Goals may be hard work and sometimes even hard to set, but they are yet another perk of the life we are blessed to live.

Let this be a reminder that living isn’t just about preventing death, but about finding reasons to live and making life mean more everyday. We must learn to be present in our own lives and intentional with the way we form positivity for ourselves. I hope that this article was a moment where you felt supported and free to explore your inner thoughts and feelings. I also hope that you’ve left with affirmations to constantly share with yourself in order to achieve the many goals waiting for you.