April is for Affirmations - Battling Imposter Syndrome with Victory

April is chock full of awesome things to celebrate. We talk about some of them - like the Month of the Military Child - in Episode 21 of Season 2 of our podcast - the DiscardIt Podcast. But we've also heard it said that April is Affirmations Month. How fitting then, that we released the Christian positive affirmation card deck (Victory) and playing cards (Crowned), part of our Queen Card line, this month! We created the positive affirmation cards as a tool to help you combat darkness, because we believe things like negative self talk and imposter syndrome dim the light that God ordered us to let shine in Matthew 5:15-16:

¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

It's a little difficult to make room for our light, though, when negative thoughts and toxic situations (and people) are taking up space in our minds. Speaking life into ourselves and over our lives takes a conscious, intentional effort. And, more importantly, we have to see the light within ourselves first - before anyone else can see it. 

Here are a few key ways to clear your mind scape: 

1.) Figure out your triggers - Don't immediately push away the negative thoughts. Instead, analyze why you're feeling this way. Once you know the source of your thoughts aka your "triggers", you can focus on nipping them in the bud. Are there certain situations you need to avoid? Are the things you watch or listen to clouding your mind? Do you have social media envy? Is focusing too much on someone else's story causing you to ignore your own? Are there emotional vampires in your life draining you of energy you could be spending elsewhere?

Speaking of people...

2.) It's time to spring clean your circle. Face it, sometimes we outgrown people. Sometimes, we allow people within our orbit who, for their own reasons, attempt to dim our shine. It could be that it's time to clean house and get rid of some negativity. One of the activities we have you walk through with the Victory cards is writing an eviction letter to your toxic circle. Much like a "Dear John" letter, it isn't something you actually send - but writing it is good for the soul.

3.) Figure out what you're good at and then let your light shine. You may be thinking - but I'm not good at ANYTHING! Well, we're here to tell you that just isn't true. God created you for a reason. He had something very special in mind when he created you and can rest assured that you equipped you with the tools you need to fulfill that purpose. He didn't just put you down here on Earth empty-handed! Maybe you've been thinking too big - or confusing your true purpose with someone else's idea of who you are or what you should be. Spend some time in meditation with the Lord and ask him to reveal your strengths to you! You'll be amazed by what you eventually hear.

What are some other ways you combat negative thoughts when they arise? Our Victory cards make it easy with 31 days' worth of positive affirmations to combat some of our most prevalent negative thoughts. Get your deck today at www.shopmorethanamrs.com.