You’ve probably heard the advice:
“Say your affirmations every morning.”
Things like:
“I am confident.”
“Money flows to me easily.”
“Everything is working out for me.”
You have maybe tried it. Maybe you’ve even stood in the mirror, repeated the words again and again. Putting in the effort, and hoped they’d eventually sink in.
But here’s the thing. Sometimes affirmations work, and sometimes… they feel like they justbounce right off.
That’s because affirmations can trigger resistance. If what you’re saying feels untrue or disconnected from your current experience, your brain pushes back. There’s a voice inside that says, “Nope. That’s not real.” And now you’ve got a battle between your conscious desire and your subconscious programming.
Let’s take a moment and make this real.
Say this to yourself:
“I am wealthy and successful in every area of life.”
Notice how that lands.
Does it feel expansive, or does something inside roll its eyes?
Does your body feel energized, or is there a subtle clench somewhere?
Now try this:
“Why is success showing up for me in ways I didn’t expect?”
Feel the difference?
The affirmation demands belief. The question invites curiosity.
You’re not pretending something is already true. Rather, you’re letting your mind go looking for how it might already be true, or on its way.
This is where lofty questions come in.
Instead of declaring something as if it’s already real, a lofty question plants the idea like a seed. It slips past the inner skeptic and gives the subconscious mind something to explore. You’re not forcing belief. You’re inviting a search.
So instead of:
“Everything always works out for me.”
You ask:
“Why does everything always work out for me?”
It’s subtle, but powerful.
Robert Anton Wilson explained this brilliantly through his concept of The Thinker and the Prover:
“Whatever the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves.”
Your Thinker sets the frame. Your Prover finds evidence to support it.
When you ask a question like:
“Why is it becoming easier to trust myself?”
Your subconscious mind begins the proving process. It might recall a moment from earlier today when you made a good decision. Perhaps it notices how calm you feel right now. Maybe it shifts your posture or changes the way you speak.
The beauty of lofty questions is that they’re gentle. You’re not bulldozing your beliefs. You’re planting seeds for more useful beliefs with a question mark.
So should you ditch affirmations altogether? Not necessarily. They still have their place, especially when you’re already in a resourceful state. But when an affirmation feels like a struggle or block, turn it into a lofty question.
A lofty question feels softer, but they can be even more powerful.
And if you want to play with this, here are a few to try on today:
- “Why is it safe to trust where this path is taking me?”
- “How is life already supporting my growth in quiet ways?”
- “What makes confidence feel more natural each day?”
Say them aloud. Whisper them in your mind. Let the Prover do the rest.