I am fearfully and wonderfully made. – Psalm 139.14
Do your thoughts and words change how you behave and feel about yourself? I believe that how we talk to ourselves is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. I’ve read that we have 60,000 thoughts that go through our minds in one day. What is the percentage of empowering thoughts vs negative thoughts that go through your mind each day? I’ve noticed that if my energy is low and I’m not at my best, the voices in my head tend to be more negative. When life is running smoothly and good things are happening, my thoughts are more positive. Paying attention to the voices in my head at the start of each day, I have the opportunity to change any negative thoughts to positive ones. This intentional approach gives me more control over the tenor and outcome of my day.
I recently watched Joel Osteen’s sermon titled I Am. He says that if we invite negativity into our life, it will come. He suggests getting up in the morning and saying to yourself, “I am wonderful, I am amazing, I am a masterpiece.”
If it’s hard for you to say those things about yourself, is it because you’re holding on to something that someone told you about yourself? And has this belief stopped you from accomplishing a goal? We all have these limiting beliefs. And they stay with us until we recognize them and choose new ones.
As an example, when I was 16 years old someone told me that I couldn’t run very well and that I looked funny when I ran. I believed it and from that day forward, I’ve always felt awkward running. Did this simple comment from another person change the course of my life? If the comment had been “You look like an Olympic star when you run,” would I have believed that and run for fun and health throughout my life? Today, I still think about that negative comment. But now I have — just this second! — decided to make running a new adventure for me. I need to get that old limiting belief out of my system. I am going to run. I am going to like it. Even I am going to love it.
The power of I Am — how can it change our lives? I promise to tell myself daily that I am awesome, I am powerful. And today I’m adding a new mantra — I am visible, meaning I will get out of my box more. I wonder what difference that message to myself will make? In the past, I have said, “I am a drunk,” thereby giving myself permission to be a drunk. If I say, “I am getting old and tired,” then I give myself permission to be exactly that. By changing my words to “I am sober” and “I am still active and vibrant,” I feel the energy of the affirmations and change how I move through each day.
I challenge you this week to pay attention to the 60,000 words that go through your head. Listen for your I AMs and ask yourself, “Was that a positive or negative statement?” If it is negative, ask yourself, “Do I believe it? Is it something someone told me a long time ago that I’m still holding on to?” And if you do believe it, how can you change the negative statement to a positive affirmation? It’s your choice. You can hang on to the limiting belief if you want. Or you can edit it to a positive statement about yourself and see how, as a result, you walk through your day differently.
The only one who can change me is me. I am powerful beyond belief. I hope you say that same statement to yourself every day and believe, with me, the power of our words.