Remember Des'ree? She had a great song out in 1994, entitled 'You Gotta Be'. It was one of the most uplifting, encouraging and energizing songs I'd ever heard. Don't' believe me? Well, here is the chorus: "You Gotta Be Bad, You Gotta Be Bold, You Gotta Be Wiser. You Gotta Be Hard, You Gotta Be Tough, You Gotta Be Stronger. You Gotta Be Cool, You Gotta Be Calm, You Gotta Stay Together. All I Know, All I Know, Love Will Save the Day." Now, repeat that to yourself 10 times (or better yet, buy the CD) and tell me how you feel. Bet you start feeling better. Bet you want to start dancing around the room (especially if you're listening to the CD!).

Des'ree's song is a great example of the power of positive affirmation. What is positive affirmation? It is a conscious effort to feed your psyche positive, uplifting, or inspiring messages, which will lead to having a positive, uplifting or inspiring life. Sounds good doesn't, it? It's simple to practice and the benefits are lasting. After all, there are few things stronger or more important than the human psyche. Your psyche determines how much you enjoy your life, how good you feel, how pleasant you are to other people, your goal-setting abilities, your attitude, and pretty much everything about your temperament, your moods and your behavior. Your psyche is who you are. And wouldn't you like that 'who' to be a better person?

Here are some great positive affirmations you can use in your every day life:

1. I am happy with my life!

2. I am grateful for my family and friends!

3. I am grateful to have people who love and care about me!

4. I accept myself the way I am!

5. I accept other people the way they are!

6. No matter what is going on, it's only temporary!

7. I can handle anything that life throws at me!

8. I am always striving to do better!

9. I will learn from my mistakes!

10. Life is a gift and I will enjoy it!

These are just a few examples, but feel free to come up with your own and change them depending on your situation. Start feeling better about yourself, your life and your circumstances today!

Sonya C. Triggs is the Founder of Urban Christianz Ministries, which can be found at http://www.urbanchristianz.com

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