One day while listening to a podcast discussing effective strategies for using affirmations in our lives, I typed up these words on a simple 8.5×11 sheet of printer paper in a large, bold font: Today Will Be A Fabulous Day, Because I Will Make It So! I taped it to a desk speaker directly in my line of sight.

I didn’t put a lot of thought into doing this as I perceived it as a mere experiment, but now I find myself silently repeating these words to myself at least 10 times per day. The phrase has seeped into my psyche and is helping me quickly reframe and ratchet down unpleasant experiences or troublesome situations. I read it; repeat it in my head and it does its magic. It’s a placebo and it works for me.

A placebo that works becomes more powerful – which makes it more likely to work the next time, and the time after that.

Placebos work for 2 reasons:

  1. The hope and confidence they create make it more likely that something will go better.
  2. Things might actually improve due to other factors, but if the placebo was in play when the improvement occurred, it gets the nod.

So, we wind up with drugs, horoscopes, palm readings, catchphrases, affirmations, etc. that help us – with minimal if any expense or fuss and no side effects.

The positive turn of reinforcement can help us…if we just let it.