Do affirmations really work?

• I heard this quote by Alex Hormozi way before, it goes something like:

"You don’t become confident by shouting affirmations in the mirror… but by having a stack of undeniable proof that you are who you say you are."

• And honestly? That hit hard. I mean, if simply declaring "I am brilliant!" in front of the mirror worked, I’d probably be out there changing the world already.

• This quote presents an interesting contradiction—one that challenges the idea of affirmations as a confidence booster. And I get it. Confidence built on real results feels way stronger than just repeating words to yourself. But at the same time, as humans, we sometimes need that tiny little push—something to ignite our actions in the first place.

• Imagine someone trying to learn Japanese. They stand in front of the mirror confidently saying, “I am fluent in Japanese.” But the moment they actually try speaking, they panic and accidentally respond to everything with “Arigatou gozaimasu.”

• Someone asks for directions? Arigatou.Someone says their dog ran away? Arigatou.The reality check is brutal.

Or worse, they confidently introduce themselves with, “Watashi wa onigiri desu.” (I am a rice ball.) Now people are just confused. But instead of quitting, they keep practicing, making mistakes, learning from them. Eventually, they’re able to hold conversations without second-guessing every sentence.

• That’s where my mind circles back—sometimes, affirmations don’t work alone, but they can be a starting point. Blind optimism isn’t ideal because it kicks away logic, leaving only energy. That’s where discipline kicks in. But sometimes, just sometimes, we need a bit of unrealistic belief to push forward.

Because once that push happens? Once that initial spark is there? Even the biggest mountains of struggle can be uprolled.

• So, what do you think? Do affirmations help, or is confidence only built through action?

Just putting this out there for anyone who needs it. Hope you have a great day! (And if affirmations do work, I’ll be testing “I am a morning person” cause my bedtime is messed up real bad lately 🥲 and what kind of affirmations would you use if that's how it works for you? Let me know..)

[Btw it's my first post in this community, so yeah

@John Hoegerl

, hope you get some time to check this out, it's been while 😁]

• For now, have a great day, while ima go sleep..

Good night ✨

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