Although using affirmations works wonderfully for many people, there are some who have not seen the results they would like. Most of us in this field have met at least one person who has repeated a good affirmation thousands of times over many months, sometimes years, without any appreciable results.

If you've ever had this experience, you know how frustrating it can be. I had the same problem myself, and if it had not been for a unique discovery, I would have given up and forgotten all about the power of belief.

I wish I could remember where I found this idea so I could give credit where it's due. The idea that turned me around and gave my affirmations new life was the concept of hammering iron in a magnetic field. You see, metal responds to magnetic fields in peculiar ways. Not only is metal attracted to a magnet, but the metal itself can become a magnet in certain circumstances, such as when struck repeatedly while in a magnetic field.

When the metal is struck by a hammer, it's atoms vibrate and realign themselves with the magnetic field. With each blow of the hammer, a few more atoms realign themselves. Eventually, if the metal remains in a fixed relationship to the magnetic field, most of its atoms become aligned in a single direction, causing it to behave as a magnet.

When we use affirmations, it's like we're the metal and the affirmations are the hammer. Each time we repeat an affirmation, it's like the metal is being struck by the hammer and a few atoms of belief are realigned. After enough repetitions, our belief takes on the alignment of the magnetic field surrounding us.

But what is the magnetic field? It's our feelings!

Those who see results from using affirmations are those who have a strong feeling of confidence (belief) in the process, whereas those who fail to see results lack confidence in the process. Our level of belief in the process determines the response we see, just as the level of belief in a placebo. If we have a strong belief that it will fail, it will. And just as surely, if we have a strong belief that results will be forthcoming, they will be.

The same has been said about prayer for thousands of years. In order to get results from prayer, you have to believe in the process. With our new grasp of the power belief has in our lives, this is easier to understand.

When we truly understand that it is our belief in a process which produces results, not the process itself, we are free to use any process we choose to create the desired results.