There's just something about a positive affirmation — when you find one you love, you might feel compelled to write it on a sticky note and slap it on your mirror. You'll see it every day, repeat it out loud, and remember to stay on track towards your goals.
If you're a lover of the written word, then you might also appreciate an acrostic poem for the same reason. Remember those? You probably made one in first grade using your name. It's a vertical poem that uses each letter in the word to begin a new line. If your name is Jane, you might do J is for Joy, A is for Amazing, N is for Nice, and E is for Energetic. Just like that, you had a personalized poem.
When it comes to affirmations, it's always fun to try new methods to achieve your dreams, and it's why you might want to make an acrostic poem that represents who you are today, who you hope to be, or what you want to achieve. In a way, you can think of it as a magical little name manifestation.
On TikTok, creator @rachmakingart wrote a beautiful acrostic poem using her name, and it seemed like such a peaceful project, as well as one that was steeped in meaning. Using each letter of her name, she wrote lines that reminded her to be compassionate with herself. Here's why writing an acrostic poem could be a useful tool for you, too.
According to Jen Lawrence, MBA, who teaches The Art & Science of Success at the University of Toronto, the brain is a meaning-making machine that loves patterns. Using an acrostic poem as an affirmation is one way to use that to your advantage.
"An acrostic poem provides a structure that helps us access the logical part of our brain where we can set goals and create concrete plans to achieve them," she tells Bustle.
Incorporating your own name only ups the ante. "When we hear our name, it signals to our brains to pay attention," Lawrence says. "It also creates positive feelings, which is why a good sales person will often use our name when trying to get us to buy." Your name makes it feel more personalized, too. This poem isn't just for anyone, but specifically for you.
"You are giving yourself permission to focus on your aspirations."
The writing process also plays a role. "People who achieve success are often very intentional about setting goals and making plans to achieve them," she adds. "By sitting down and creating a poem, you are giving yourself permission to focus on your aspirations."
This poetry style can feel inspiring, and it can also help you get out of a rut — and that's what mantras, affirmations, and manifestations are all about. "The brain is a little lazy and likes to follow a well-worn path," Lawrence says. "When we are telling new stories or creating new habits, our brain needs to create new neural paths and repetition helps us do that. The more times you repeat something, the sooner new neural paths can form, so looking at your poem daily is helpful."