Katie Piper talks about hope, life lessons, and the transformative power of affirmations

Katie Piper’s positivity is personified, she is known for inspiring and stimulating people around the world with her awesome story and hopeful outlook.

After surviving an acid attack in March 2008, causing severe facial damage and blindness in one eye, Katie has rebuilt her entire life, undergone 400 surgeries to help correct her injuries and vision, and has started. Katie Piper Foundation.

Now 37, she is one of the UK’s most inspiring positivity leaders, receiving an OBE for her charitable services yesterday.

Katie’s story is a unique example of the power of positivity in dark times, something she shares with her followers through daily affirmations.

“The Affirmation Gang” has now become a networked community of hope and positivity. And spreading the message even further, Katie has released A little faithA beautiful book of 365 bite-sized affirmations to give people practical strength, confidence and practical advice for life.

“Positive affirmations helped me focus on my health and happiness during my darkest times, and I didn’t remember being alone,” Katie explained as she released her book. “I know how well they did to get my life back, and now I want to share it with you.”

MC Feature Editor Jenny Proudfoot She had the pleasure of talking to the incredible Katie Piper after learning about her book …

Congratulations on a Little Faith. What prompted you to be released?

Thank you. In fact, I was inspired to write during the first lockout, even though I have been a staunch user of affirmations for many years. When the pandemic started, I struggled with my sense of purpose and direction because I was used to receiving those feelings through my work. My followers and I began to hunt down and share the assertions of different authors, so I decided to make the most of all our efforts and turn it into a book. I think we can all relate to how difficult those months were (and still are for many), and it seemed like an opportunity to help people in the midst of that uncertainty.

What role do affirmations play in your life?

Pretty big really – they make up my daily routine, like brushing my teeth or like a skin regimen. They help me maintain a positive mindset and provide a framework and tools for doing so. Obviously, it can’t always be positive and I don’t think we should be. It is human nature and it is necessary to live the full spectrum of emotions. But it’s important to remind ourselves what’s important, what’s alive and what you’re pushing, and that’s what affirmations do for me.

How has affirmation helped you approach the world in a more positive way?

It’s about working to change the worldview and remembering what you’re living for. It helps to put things in perspective: what’s really important? What makes you happy? It’s also about remembering what’s positive about yourself and what you love about yourself. Keep good thoughts in your head and keep negative ones out, reducing the comparison between you and others and focusing on the inside. Saying something positive to yourself loudly means that you don’t start the day with a negative one, reducing your time for criticism. After all, it is a very useful tool for fostering positive perspectives on life’s challenges.

When did you discover the transformative power of positive affirmations?

I had a great nurse during my recovery who introduced me to the power of prayer, and since then I have found a wide range of tools to help me maintain a balanced life. I didn’t know how I would live my whole life; it was hard to get past my feelings of anger and pain. So I researched positive thinking and how not to become bitter, and I realized that it is training the mind. I started writing affirmations and positive quotes and sticking them on the wall! It’s also something I’ve introduced to my kids. We did a lot of affirmation work during the lockout and it has helped to facilitate conversations about attention, positivity, and happiness with them. I think it’s important to make that thinking known because it’s a very helpful way to conceptualize life’s challenges. You may not be in control of what happens to you, but your power lies in how you react to life’s challenges.

Can you tell us a little bit about that and ‘The Affirmation Gang’?

Affirmation Gang is a community of people I’ve connected to on social media, especially Instagram, who believe in the positive power of affirmation. We share assertions from a variety of sources.

Was it the reaction of that community that prompted you to write this book?

Yes absolutely. The community was very helpful and inspiring during the blockade and I wanted to make the most of our efforts and extend them beyond the Afirmation Gang. I knew it would benefit other people. Sharing affirmations through another medium would help reach more people because some are not active on social media or prefer to read from the pages of a book.

How did you gather the affirmations? Were they previously your favorites or did you pick them up specifically for the book?

So the question is interesting. The book’s assertions come from a variety of sources. Some of the assertions I’ve made myself have included some of the most brilliant historical figures like Marie Curie or Florence Nightingale; some are my most amazing Instagram followers. As many of you know, I take great strength from my Christian faith, so it was only natural to get out of the Bible chapters including the Gospels, Psalms, Romans, Job, and Revelation.

Do you have any personal affirmations?

I wouldn’t say it’s a favorite. I have some that I repeat or translate more often than others, but in general the affirmations try to do the same thing. And that is to help you find happiness and remind yourself of the strength within you.

What do you hope this book will bring to your readers?

When I started using positive quotes and affirmations I was not entirely convinced. Some seemed to be unrealistic. Slowly but surely, the more I read and took in, the more power I gave and the more positive I became. It certainly encouraged me to focus on important things. I hope this is what I give to my readers. The power to remember everything and not to sweat the little things.

Zak Walton

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

That’s hard! There are many tips for me that are great and confirm life. I’ll give you two. The first thing to remember is that as long as you focus on your goal it doesn’t matter how you get there. It’s probably not going to be a linear journey: you’re going to face obstacles and you’re going to be on the roads and you’re going to have to make a (very) meandering path. But keep in mind and believe in yourself. You will get there. The second would be ‘unless you want to finish it’. I guess it fits in pretty well with the above, because it’s still tied to your ultimate goal. If you don’t get it right now, that doesn’t mean you have to give it up. We may be in one of those pitfalls we suffer in life (it won’t end unless we decide to do so), which is really liberating if you think about it.

It’s so easy, especially in recent years, to slip into negativity. Why is it so important to affirm positive and hopeful thoughts?

In life, we are caught in situations, dilemmas, work, friendships, and desires that are of no value to us, which make us feel negative about the world and about ourselves. Positive thinking and hopeful thinking provide a framework for going through those moments. They allow us to remind ourselves of what we care about, what we want for our lives and for our loved ones. I think the most important thing is to try to see what good can come out of life. That’s what will help you move forward, pick yourself up when you fall, and ultimately lead a fulfilling life.

Katie Pepper’s A Little Bit of Faith is now available for purchaseIt sells for £ 14.99.